Hyacinthus was walking with his sister Camellia on a Tuesday afternoon after school. They were talking about classes when Hyacinthus heard a horn blare and a scream. A female scream. Camellia’s. Hyacinthus tried to understand what was happening but before he could, everything went black.

  Hyacinthus came to in a hospital bed. A white hospital bed. The walls were plain white, with a white table. There was a white floor underneath, and some dying, light, rosey petunias were on the table in a vase of the same colour. A doctor appeared suddenly in a white lab coat.

  “Am I in the hospital?” Hyacinthus asked stupidly.

  “Um, yes,” the doctor replied, completely straight-faced, “and you’re lucky to be alive. That truck hit you pretty hard. You broke your right arm and leg. Nothing that can’t be fixed. I’ll send the nurse in to check on you soon.”

  As the doctor walked out, Hyacinthus heard a voice. “I assure you, it had nothing to do with luck.” A girl who seemed to be about 15, with wild orange hair and pale skin, turned towards him.

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  “I’m sorry, who are you?” He said, clearly puzzled.

  “Scyllia. Great to meet you, truly.” Hyacinthus detected no sarcasm in this statement. “Hate to break it to you, but you actually did die in that crash. It wasn’t your turn to go, though. So here you are.”

  Hyacinthus was shocked. He thought for a moment.

  “I’m sure you have questions,” June sighed, “but they’ll--”

  Hyacinthus cut her off. “What about my sister?” he demanded with a determined but concerned look in his eye.

  “She… didn’t make it. I’m sorry.”

  Hyacinthus didn’t cry or mourn. He was in shock now, not just shocked. Gritting his teeth, he asked an inherently hopeless question.

  “Is there anything I can do to get her back?”

  “‘Fraid not. Anyway, we have work to do.”

  “Work? I’m in the hospital.” This was all very confusing for Hyacinthus.

  “Yes, work. We’ve gotta help people not die and boring stuff like that.” Scyllia replied casually.

  Hyacinthus spoke slowly. “So you are a grim reaper, and you expect me to help you save people’s lives while I’m in the hospital.”

  “No, silly. Not here. We’re leaving. This place gives me the creeps.”

  “You still haven't addressed how I’m going anywhere. I broke two of my limbs, you realize.”

  “Cool it, hotshot. Get up.”

  “I can’t.”

  A sigh erupted from Sc

  yllia. “Just do it.”