Ever drifted through Lygon Street, a few inches off the ground. Usually by this time he was in the treehouse resting. Instead, he was on his way to a reaping. Or more accurately, he was on his way to a potential reaping.

  *You never answered my question, Mentor.* Death’s apprentice could have spoken out loud and not a soul would have heard him - not the alive ones anyway. Tonight, he wanted to converse through his mind.

  And that question is?... There was a squeak in the background. Death was reclining on his chair, likely with his skeleton feet on his work desk, toe bones wriggling.

  *Do animals also go to the Underworld?*

  Of course they do. They’re living souls as well, are they not?

  *Yes.* A car drove through Ever. As if caught in the slipstream, he sped up. *Can I… did you ever reap them?*

  I’ve never reaped an animal.

  *But then how do they get to the Underworld?*

  Most animals don’t have unfinished business, young soul. Humans are the ones with regrets.

  Ever looked ahead. Vets R Us was in front, windows and signage dark.

  *So the animal souls I saw today, something’s keeping them here?*

  Clever soul, have a gold star.

  Ever floated in through the door. Death had a right to be sarcastic. Not only didn’t he know if the reaping would work, he didn’t even know if the animal ghost he wanted to reap was there. He looked around. There was a huddle of cats, curled up together on the front desk. Ghost dogs slept under the chairs, treating them like kennels. He floated around the waiting room, looking at each dog. The one he was looking for wasn’t there.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  He floated backwards into Zoe’s room. Right there, on top of the metal examination table was the silver-haired retriever. Unlike the others, it wasn’t sleeping. Seeing Ever, it sat up, panting happily.

  ^You! You came today!^ Barks, deeper in timbre than Mimi's.

  “Yes, my name’s Ever.” He said in a hushed tone. He quickly turned human, closed the door then became a reaper again. “What’s your name?”

  ^My name’s Bozo!^ The ghost dog ruffed. ^My master brought me here. I wasn’t sure why, I was feeling good at the time. I felt a sharp poke and became really sleepy, then my coat turned silver!^

  A sharp poke. What did he mean by that? It was something to ask Zoe another time.

  "Where's your master now?”

  ^He's coming!^

  "How long have you waited?"

  ^I don't know, a while!^

  Ever floated back slightly. As optimistic as this dog seemed to be, he had a theory he had to test out. “What do you want more than anything?”

  The retriever was contemplative. ^I want to be petted and told I’m a good boy.^

  The scythe didn’t respond, as if thinking for a moment. Ever stared at it. Come on… it ebbed briefly at first, before coming to life:

  SENSES

  Hearing

  Smell

  Touch

  —--

  Taste

  Ever smiled triumphantly. He selected ‘Hearing’ then ‘Touch’. Accepting the choices, the scythe divided into two shining orbs of light, one slightly blue, the other slightly red. There they floated, waiting. Bozo sniffed at them, touching the red one gently only for it to not react at all. Ever frowned, reaching towards the two orbs. The moment he touched them, his form return to flesh and blood.

  ^Whoa!^ Bozo panted. ^So cool!^

  He stepped right up to the examination table, hands glowing faintly. The dog leaned forward, dropping his head into Ever’s hands, sighing as he made contact.

  Ever scratched and patted Bozo, and if his happy panting was anything to go by, he was really enjoying it. Ever brought himself at face level with the dog, looking deep into his limpid, translucent eyes.

  “You’re a good boy, Bozo.”