Page 17 of Vexed
“No, you didn’t.” He says again.
“Wha—what the hell is going on?”
“I’m not who—what you think I am.” He says and I frown. What the hell is that supposed to mean? But before I can say anything he beats me to it.
“I wanted to tell you so many times, but I couldn’t. Not only am I not allowed to, but I was also afraid that it would scare you off.”
“Tell me what?” His eyes search mine, but he doesn’t say anything. My heart is pounding in my chest as I wait for him to tell me. I’m not sure what to expect him to say.
“Tell me what, Vex?” I say a bit harsher and he sighs.
“I—I’m the angel of death, Lily.”
Is he joking?
I just stare at him, unsure of what to say other than he is fucking insane. He searched my eyes like he was waiting for me to say ‘Wow, that’s amazing’, fucking psycho.
After a few minutes, I blow out a breath and take a step back from him and he frowns, “Well, okay then, I’m gonna go… and good luck with, um,that.“ I need to get out of here. This is fucking crazy. He is fucking crazy.
As I turn to head back to my car, I hear a loud swoosh sound, and a black crow lands right in front of me. I stop in my tracks, my chest heaving and I whip around to see he’s no longer there.
My breath caught in my throat. This wasn’t possible. This wasn’t happening. Vex, the man I’d shared secrets and laughter with since childhood, was... death? A surge of dizziness washed over me, and I clutched the car keys in my hand.
“Vex” I croaked, the word barely a whisper lost in the rustling leaves. The crow tilted its head, its gaze unwavering. Then, it let out a single, resonant caw that seemed to vibrate through my very bones.
Suddenly, memories flashed through my mind, snippets of conversations, peculiar remarks that had seemed innocent at the time but now took on a sinister new meaning.
Vex always knew when someone was going to die. He’d always been drawn to graveyards, finding a strange peace among theheadstones. He’d even made morbid jokes about ‘reaping what you sow’ with an unsettling glint in his eye.
Were those not jokes at all? A cold dread seeped into my soul, replacing the lingering warmth of the afternoon sun. Was this some elaborate prank? Some twisted game? But something deep down, something primal, told me this was no joke.
The air crackled with an energy I couldn’t explain, a weight that pressed down on me, silencing the birdsong in the nearby branches.
I take a step back as a cloud of smoke forms around him, swirling around and up into the air, getting larger until Vex steps out. My eyes widen as I stare at him. The crow is no longer there.
“Don’t be afraid, Lily,” he said, his voice softer now, almost pleading. “I haven’t changed. I’m still me.”
But he had changed. He couldn’t possibly be the same Vex I knew. He was something else, something terrifying, something that belonged in fairy tales and nightmares.
Just as he takes a step towards me, I dash past him and jump into my car. It roars to life and I speed off as fast as I can. My chest heaves as I take deep breaths while my heart beats like a drum in my ears.
Am I dreaming again? I have been having weird dreams lately. This must be one of them, right? Right? The Grim Reaper doesn’t exist. It’s only a myth. Please tell me this is a dream.
“Thank God you’re back!” Hannah shouts as she pulls me in for a tight hug. “Your fucking boyfriend was driving me insane.” She says rolling her eyes before taking one of my bags out of the trunk.
I only chuckle as I walk behind her into our apartment. I’ve had a pretty fucking weird day, so I’m not in the chatty mood. I almost crashed my car…twice, because I kept replaying the incident with Vex in my head over and over again. There is no way that any of what I saw was real. But then again, how do you explain that?
She slightly kicks the front door open and I follow her in, placing my bags in my room. One thing I hate more than packing is unpacking. If she doesn’t kick me in the butt or help me, my suitcase will stay unopened for weeks and I’ll complain about all the stuff I need that is still in there.
“So, how’s your mom doing?” She asks as she plops down on my bed.
“Good, she’s doing better than ever. She’s finally going out more and meeting new people, so that’s a win.” She gives me a wide smile and opens her mouth to say something but before she can, there’s a knock on our door.
She sighs and rolls off the bed, swinging the door open reveling Jason. He is on the Varsity football team. Same team as Austin. The Meadow Hills Howlers. They’re quiet the duo on the field.
I know she mentioned that they have been talking and hanging out. I’m happy for her. The school he goes to is not far from here so I have a feeling we’ll be seeing more of him.
“Hey, Lil.” He says, showing off his bright smile.
