THE GRIM REAPER'S LAST MISSION

1.  Azrael's  POV

Picking up my scythe, I stared at the last name on my list of tonight's rounds.

'Daisy Malloy'

Possibly one of those kind of uptown girls with no human sympathy or empathy. I had dealt with humans in the hundreds of thousands in the last two hundred years since I became a reaper and I could always tell characters from merely looking at names.

I started walking through the alleys of the human world as was my favorite thing to do on a boring night suddenly feeling a panging lack within men.

I mean, I could have made a straight appearance in her bedroom but since I was already getting closer, I decided to take a walk.

Down the alley, a cat mewed and instantly recognized the soul stuck in that form. It was a cruel dog trader back in the 90's that was stuck in that form as penance for his crimes against animals.

Another turn into the alley and I saw Ruke, a fellow member of the reapers' order awaiting his soul. It was a young man fighting against the stab wounds he had received from a bar stab.

"Any moment now, Ruke." I said to him and he smiled.

"I mean, a reaper’s got all the time in the world to wait. Although, this one's a fighter. He's been at this struggle for a few human hours. Can you imagine that?" He asked me.

"I mean, we do have all the waiting time." I said as I continued moving.

Ruke has always been the psycho among us. He had this thing for seeing the pains humans go through before death and his excitement whenever he sees a violent death cause on his list could never be measured.

Speaking of death causes, it dawned on me that I had not taken a look at my client's cause of death.

Probably a murder from a crazy and vengeful lover or some sudden sickness like cancer. I mean, that's what people with her name kind of go through in their final moments.

"Alright, Daisy, let's see what your sentence is." I said as I turned open the list and there I saw it written boldly.

'SUICIDE'

Not again!

There had to be a mix up somewhere.

Not like we were all selective but after my last suicide case about seventy years ago with a lady called 'Holly Malloy', I had applied to internal controls to grant me a pass on all suicide related issues.

Thinking of it now, they bore the very same surnames but that had to be a coincidence, right?

I would just get this done and send a query to the duty assigners.

I was no longer interested in my walk through and decided to go right to her bedroom and in a split second, I was right there in the little enclosure which by the way looked well arranged.

Well, where was she then? Probably in her sitting room area.

I made my way there and carefully looked around but there was no sign of her. The television was on at a particular channel showing the Oscars and looking to the side of the sitting room, there was a display of old awards.

"I guess Daisy was an actress at some point." I muttered when suddenly, I felt something brushing against my leg.

It was her cat. A beautiful Maine coon breed. White in color.

Did I mention that animals could see us?

Well, I was attracted by this one as for starters, it is the very first animal to seem welcoming to agents of death.

I squatted down and brushed my hand against it as it stretched out.

"Well..." I look at the collar for the name,"Leo, where is your owner?"

Of course there was no answer as it was enjoying my loving touches and pats on its body.

"Perhaps, she's on the balcony." I thought as I made my way there but she was not there.

Why on earth was Daisy Malloy making my job so tough?

I suddenly took notice of the view from the balcony and could understand why she chose it. It was overlooking the city's best sides and in a big distance, one could make out the 'HOLLYWOOD' sign.

Big dreams must have brought her here but why suicide? I wondered when I heard a sniff above me.

"There you are." I said with a smug smile.

I instantly found her at the rooftop and found her standing there, smoking and sniffing. Her long brown hair was being brushed around by the cool evening breeze but I could not see her face.

However, I knew she was the one. There was this glow around her.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" She said,

Wait, could she see me? I walked closer and stood right by her side.

"So sad to leave all these behind, eh?" She said again.

Excuse me, lady. Can you see me?

I was confused as I wondered. I stretched my free hand in front of her but she did not budge nor blink. I touched her shoulder but she did not move.

"Phew! That's a relief. For a moment, I actually thought you could see me. So, how are we going to do this?" I asked, chattering away.

"The cold brush of death." She whispered.

"You're going to jump, right?  It faster and the pain would be once and for all. That's if you die.  Which you would." I said.

Why on earth was I being nervous? For the record, I rarely get nervous but when I do, I become quite a chatterbox.

"Jumping would be fun though. I mean, it's one big leap of fate but I don't want my body to be in pieces or bones broken. I want a clean death." She said and drew a smoke from her cigarette.

"Of course. You would want a clean death like a daisy. So, would you poison yourself then?" I asked.

"I guess it's time to find out." She said and she dropped the cigarette on the floor and stumped it off. "Ciao, Hollywood."

The moment was really ominous right now and I was feeling a weird way I had not felt in the past seventy years. What was this feeling?

That was when she turned around and I saw her face.

"Holly?" I muttered.

Wait, was this a prank? Was the heavens playing a bigger prank on me because this was Holly Malloy, my last suicide case seventy years ago. The only difference was she was sporting longer hair.

She started walking back into the house and I rushed after her.

"Don't do it, Holly. I beg of you!" I cried out.

But she did not stop as she kept walking into the house and to her bathroom.

Her cat was meowing now loudly and in fright as it followed her.

She carried him and kissed him.

"Oh, Leo. You're the only friend I have had in this life. I just hope your next owners deserve all the love you gave me." She said and dropped him outside.

Next, she locked the door and turned on the tap in the bathtub. As soon as it was half full, she went to the cabinet and grabbed a razor blade.

"Holly, please." I cried out but she entered the bathtub and set the razor to make the cut.

"I just hope someone will be there on the other side who loves me." She said and sliced.

I have no idea what happened next but I knew I had done it.

I had broken the biggest rule in the book.

I INTERFERED!

2. Daisy's POV 

One life hack I have come to understand is to be careful what you wish for. 

A couple of years back, this peace and quiet was something I would have killed for although this extreme? I am not so sure.

I had no idea how long but I had been standing right here at this spot as I watched the happy couple in front of me. The heavily pregnant wife and the happy husband.

Seeing them so happy together broke my heart into shreds but I knew there was little or nothing I could do. 

I was still contemplating on what to do when he looked right at me and I instantly turned and started walking away briskly.

No idea where I was going but I just needed to go away.

"Daisy, wait!" I heard my name but I did not stop.

Clutching against my umbrella, I was already having the hardest of times fighting against the threatening tears.

"Daisy!"

I still would not stop