Chapter 8: Chapter. 8: Finding a Job

Breathe in… Breathe out… My shoulders slumped. How much time had passed? It felt like it had been an eternity, but⁠ — I looked at my phone ⁠— one hour. I guess that wasn’t too bad. My room was bright from the window’s sunlight in comparison to my old dark bedroom. This one was great, it had white walls and a lovely contrasting gray carpet. Instead of whatever black walls I had, though I did miss the black carpet, the other one was way softer…

I removed my boots ⁠— that I had fallen asleep with ⁠— and kneaded the carpet with my feet. Ah…  so nice… I paused. I hadn’t really changed my clothes. I kind of just… fell asleep⁠. But, I mean… My clothes didn’t need to be changed. 

Though it still makes me feel weird. Just sleeping with the same clothes… Sigh. 

I got up and went to my desk, pulled out my other set of clothes and began changing. It didn’t take longer than a minute until I was an entirely new person! Or reaper! Well, it was still like a turtleneck… Huh… Was there a mirror⁠—

I turned around and my eyes landed on one that was behind the door. I looked pretty much the same, ugh… Oh my hair was pretty messy too. I took off the hairband⁠— black with bones… I paused, letting it drop to the ground from my hand. 

Um...

My hair dropped, it was silky and smooth with a nice scarlet tint. I looked at myself in the mirror, scrutinizing myself. I didn’t look scary. My face was rounded with puffy cheeks, at the same time the only scary part of me were my eyes. But they were simply a deep reddish brown, though closer to blood. And⁠— that was it. 

Yet people always seemed afraid of me in the Underworld, and even some people were alerted by me here, though for the latter it was probably my approach rather than my family. At the same time I was always treated different⁠—

I stopped myself. I wasn’t in the Underworld anymore. I grabbed the hairband on the ground and⁠— Bones? Those are grim! ⁠— I tore them out, the hairband got kinda messy but they weren’t embedded too deeply. At the same time, it just began self-repairing. Was everything I owned magical? 

Well… dad had given them to me. So I guess he did spoil me quite a lot… Sorry dad, your hairband isn’t for me anymore. I pulled my hair back and tied it into a ponytail, though it hurt a bit… I removed some of my hair from it to cover my forehead⁠— ah perfect. 

I smiled at myself in the mirror. 

I grabbed my wallet from my bag as well as a resume from the portfolio and a black folder, since I apparently had those as well. I gave my resume a cursory check to see what was written in it. I mean, I couldn’t actually tell Ash what I was good at, so, I did wonder what my dad had prepared for this. 

Education⁠— some college. Skills— Ha? Experienced in highly tense-hostile environments and stressful situations? Highly attuned and sympathetic to others’ feelings?! Okay… Moving on, experience⁠— Grave Digger Intern? That sounds grim! Assistant security manager… Did I ever do something of the sort? 

It had the name of some organizations which I didn’t know, but I guess dad trusted me on being able to perform these tasks. Though perhaps⁠— well. I mean, I am sure I had a lot of qualifications to do most mundane jobs here! Perhaps not every single one, but I am sure there were a lot of options such as clerk and the like⁠— anything to talk with people! 

I mean, if Grim Reapers could do every job then the Ossein Attendants wouldn’t exist, nor would the Flesh Jettisons for that matter. Needless to say we all had our own strengths and weaknesses. Though I had heard that one of the Ossein Lords has a feud with a Grim Reaper… Apparently his wife had passed, and she was forcefully passed to Elysium.

Being honest I didn’t really have an opinion on the matter. It was just a weird situation, since well⁠— normally things in the Underworld couldn’t pass, they would just end. So it was… weird. No matter.

My resume had other details that I couldn’t really care about. Or make sense of, for that matter. But it was going to go fine… I think. 

Making sure I had everything, phone, wallet, resume⁠— oh… I was missing the keys. I quickly grabbed them from the desk and it was time to set off! I opened the door to my apartment and it was… Quiet. Perhaps Ash was sleeping? Actually⁠⁠— 

I looked at my phone. 11:43 am. Oh. I mean, maybe she was asleep. Not everyone had the same schedule in the Underworld so perhaps humans didn’t either. I did know that most people did start their jobs early in the morning⁠— perhaps she went to work? 

I walked into the living room, the phone from the floor was now gone and everything was sort of cleaned from the crumbs of before. Except for the coffee table anyway⁠— Oh her computer was open. It was displaying a sort of message grid with a ton of replies. Its background was cream colored; quite ugly. 

Let’s see… 

>Be me, 22yo shut-in

>Get a roommate out of nowhere, whatever.png

>Roommate likes witch-craft

>Okay. Whatever.png

>An empath too.

>Okay…

>Roommate also has a weird death religion. 

>Wtf.png

Ha? What had I just read? Oh there was a bit more, though the text was no longer green.

What did I do to deserve this? One of those astrologer girls or one of those mansplainers that always go to gyms and preach about protein shakes. 

I paused, having a realization. She disliked me that much? No⁠— can’t jump to conclusions. Perhaps it was a joke, it looked rather satirical! Right, there were more messages. Or maybe replies? I began reading them too. Anon you got unlucky. Huh. Sucks to be you Anon. Ha? Anon I’ll trade you my incel roommate, anything is better. W-What was an incel? I pulled out my phone⁠— actually, maybe I did not want to look it up considering everything else was an insult.

After a quick sigh from my part feeling somewhat dejected. Though, I didn’t think she hated me that much. I closed the laptop not wanting to read more and headed outside. The sun was bright and people loitered the nearby streets, some walked their hounds⁠, others simply minded their own business. Though the hounds weren’t very intimidating. In spite of everything, the day was great. 

People seemed happy too! I grasped the folder close to my chest. It was time to get a job! 

◇ ◇ ◇

Haaa… How could this be possible? Did you schedule? Are you scheduled? At what hour did you schedule? Aaah! Couldn’t I just show up and get an interview!? Whatever happened to the show initiative?! I had even researched it midway through, people in the recordings said so! 

Walk in with confidence! 

Have a purpose! 

Walk like you own the place! 

They called them the hacks to getting a job! Well, this internet thing wasn’t very reliable… Nor were those cheerful humans talking about their new course and product, I at least could tell that was just predatory, I mean I could pretty much find the same information they were trying to sell me⁠— and to make it worse? The information didn’t even work.

You are reading story Don’t Call Me a Grim Reaper! at novel35.com

So much for getting a job… I was going to schedule some interviews today, but… Such a disappointing thing… I sighed and laid on the bench, I observed the grass rustle from the wind with a rather dead gaze. I held the folder with the resume and put it atop my lap before finally looking at the sky, and simply listened to the ambient sounds. 

I had spent almost all day walking from place to place. In the end, I was back at the park that I had been on earlier ⁠— well the only park I had ever visited in this world ⁠— where I got slapped and had met the old man in. 

It was peaceful. It was relaxing… It wasn’t worth getting upset about the interviews or schedules, it was simply just a small setback. Just a single day. Everything was so bright, the sky was a lovely blue that faded into a blazing orange, the sun was just nice enough to make me feel warm. Blissful… 

Hmm? I heard footsteps come my way, but that wouldn’t have disturbed me normally. Sadness? It was a strange emotion, it was grim and had no depth, just an endless pit⁠— sadness. I was unsure. Sadness was actually… uncommon in the Underworld. 

I opened my eyes only to see a girl that was walking in my direction. Well, the bench was just in the middle of a walkway. Her blue neon hair called my attention, it was extremely messy and short⁠— strange color. She had metal fragments on her lips too. She was wearing clothes similar to mine⁠— black. What had happened to her? An accident? She walked somewhat aimlessly before her gaze landed on me. 

We made eye contact for a second before she reached me. 

“Mind if I sit here?” She loosely gestured next to me. 

“Hmhm, I don’t.” I hummed somewhat lost in my own thoughts. 

She was sad. But why? And what had happened to her? Also⁠— maybe this was a chance to make someone happy? Hmm⁠— take it easy, can’t force someone to be happy after all. She sat next to me and stared into the distance with an expressionless face. Even though she had her flesh pierced (?) she looked young even among humans. Maybe my age? 

We sat in silence for a few seconds before she finally began speaking. 

“So… how has your day been?” Hearing her inquisitive question I sighed. 

“Not good. Turns out you have to schedule in for a job interview, ridiculous.” I said, slumping my shoulders, before I even realized I had begun fidgeting with the folder that carried my documents.  

She chuckled. “Yeah, getting a job is ridiculous. And they expect you to care even if the pay is shit.” Right. 

I grew silent not knowing how to follow the conversation. A few seconds of deliberation passed as I read her mood, before finally deciding on speaking to her. 

“You seem sad, why is that?” 

There was a brief silence. “You can tell?” She gave me a wry smile before finally continuing to see the distant grass. “I just finished attending a funeral.” 

Right. The send-away ceremony that Ash had talked about. 

“Who is being sent away?” I asked with growing curiosity. 

“Ha, it’s my old folk⁠— well Uncle anyway,” she looked at the sky. “The damned bastard decided to die from a heart attack in his sleep. I hadn’t seen him in years. I didn’t feel anything initially… but…” 

“But?” I asked softly, feeling her… loss. 

“But seeing my family like that… It’s rough y’know?” she squeaked. “Ah⁠— why am I telling you this. You’re just a stranger, but all of them think I don’t give two-shits about him. I can barely remember him, but… I still feel sad, y’know…” she teared up a bit. 

“I understand.” I mulled on what to say, before finally speaking. “I am sure if his death was natural then there isn’t an issue. I am sure he is happy in Elysium.” 

“Yes, it was natural⁠— well as natural as fast food…” She fiddled with her fingers looking at the ground. “What is Elysium?” She was distracted from the sadness.

I smiled. “Elysium is an eternal paradise, a place where all souls can rest and be happy. I am sure your uncle is there, and once you die, you’ll go see him.” 

“Haaa…” She let out a long breath. “That’d be nice.” 

It’s a thing⁠!— calm. Say it differently… Meet her logic. “It would be nice, but isn’t it nice to think about? Perhaps you’ll see him again one day, and perhaps even remember him or make new memories with him.”

“Right…” 

“Just think about it. This isn’t the end, for you or him. It’s better to just smile. I can tell you that.” I smiled, recalling the constant ending of things in the Underworld. “So long as he’s not forgotten, so long as his soul is present, then you’ll see him again, and for now he’ll live in you and your families’ memories.” 

“But he isn’t in my memories…” She grit her teeth. Right… 

“Then go make some! Go reminisce about him with your family. Hear their tales, and laugh with them or cry with them. I am sure that’s what he’d want anyway…” She heavily nodded hearing me. I looked at the distance, remembering the lizardman. Perhaps it was a different situation, but the loss, and being alone? It wasn’t right. 

She thought for a few seconds. Not sad anymore? 

“What’s your name?” She asked as she got up. 

“Kaiti Necros.” I smiled. 

“Kaiti… Necros…” She muttered. “Weird surname, but thank you Kaiti. I think I have lots of things to catch up on. Hopefully I don’t disappoint them this time around.” 

“Go ahead. I am always here.” I nodded at her, making her smile, before finally,  she walked away with her chin up. She wasn’t happy, or much, but she was motivated. I had made her day slightly better. 

I smiled to myself. Well done, me. I looked at her departing figure feeling happy with myself⁠— Ah, I forgot to ask her, her name… I sighed. Funeral? Perhaps I should go to one… Though… 

I looked up at the distance, seeing the familiar sunset going away. Before finally looking at my phone, seeing the hour I found myself sighing yet again. I had spent the entire day trying to get a job⁠— granted; I thought it was simpler than that. I just assumed there would be exceptions so I kept trying. 

But, there were no exceptions. I looked at the sun before finally getting up from the bench.