The Man Behind

Prologue It was a beautiful day in the city of New York. Alice was walking back home from her job. She was a young girl, full of life and ambition. As she was walking, a car came out of nowhere, hit her and drove away. That was the last thing she remembered from that day. Chapter 1: The Accident Alice had been in a coma for five weeks after the accident. Her body had suffered extensive injuries, however, she had finally regained consciousness and was able to walk again. She was excited to start her life afresh, she would go back to work and meet her friends and live a normal life again. While recovering in the hospital, Alice started experiencing something strange, every time she looked in the mirror, she saw a man standing behind her. She was scared, she tried to ignore it, but she couldn't get rid of the feeling that he was always there. She kept seeing him everywhere she went. One day, while she was sitting in the hospital room, the man in her mirror appeared. He was wearing black clothes, had sharp green eyes, and a serious expression on his face. "Who are you?" Alice asked fearfully. "I am your guardian angel," said the man. Alice had never heard of guardian angels, she had been raised in a non-religious family. She was intrigued. "What do you want from me?" she asked. "To protect you," he replied. Alice felt relieved. Maybe he was just her imagination and her protector all at once. She smiled and went back to sleep. Chapter 2: Alice's Recovery After a few days, Alice was discharged from the hospital. She was feeling much better and excited to start living her life again. However, the man in black was always with her, watching her every move. Alice started to notice that the man in black seemed to be more active when she was in danger. She saw him more often, standing behind the people who were thinking of hurting her. The man never spoke, but through his silence, Alice felt reassured. One day, when Alice was out walking, she saw a man harassing a young woman. Alice had always been scared of confrontations, but with the man in black watching over her, she felt empowered. She walked up to the man and told him to leave the woman alone. The man refused and started to threaten her. Suddenly, the man in black appeared behind the harasser and whispered something that made him run away. Alice was shocked. "How did you do that?" she asked the man. "I am your protector," he replied calmly. Alice felt grateful. She had never felt so safe in her life. She started to look out for those in need, thinking that maybe the man in black would appear and help her again. Chapter 3: Alice's New Life Alice returned to work at the advertising agency she had been working for before the accident. She was happy to see all her friends and colleagues. She had missed them a lot. However, the work environment had changed since her absence. The company had a new CEO, who was arrogant and cruel. He made everyone's life miserable. Alice couldn't stand him. One day, the CEO called her into his office. Alice knew this wasn't going to be good. As she was walking to his office, she saw the man in black standing behind him. She knew this wasn't going to end well. However, remembering how the man had protected her before gave her the courage to walk into the office. "Miss Alice, you have been underperforming ever since you came back to work," the CEO said, staring at her with his ice-cold eyes. "I am sorry, I have been trying my best," Alice replied, trying to stay calm. "Well, your best is not good enough," the CEO said, leaning back in his chair. Alice felt upset. She had been working hard to recover and come back to work. She had hoped that things would be different when she came back, but it seemed like everything had remained the same. She gathered her things and walked out of the office. As soon as she was outside, the man in black appeared behind the CEO and whispered something Alice couldn't hear. Suddenly, the CEO started to scream in agony. He clutched his chest and fell to the floor. Alice knew she had to call for an ambulance, but she was frozen with fear. The man in black walked up to her and said, "Call 911 and explain that he needs medical attention urgently." Alice dialed 911 and reported the incident. Within minutes, the ambulance arrived, and the CEO was rushed to the hospital. After a week of no improvement, the CEO passed away. Everyone at the company was in shock. Alice couldn't help but feel grateful that the man in black had protected her again. Chapter 4: The Truth A few days after the CEO passed away, Alice decided to visit his office. She wanted to know what the man in black had whispered to him before he had collapsed. As she walked into the office, she saw the man again, standing behind the CEO's desk. "Who are you?" she asked. The man turned around and faced her. "I am a Reaper," he said. Alice's heart almost stopped. "A Reaper?" she whispered. "Yes, I come for those who deserve to die," he replied. Alice was in shock. She had not expected that answer. "Why was the CEO deserving of death?" she asked. "He was a cruel man who didn't serve his company well. His time was up," the Reaper replied. Alice couldn't understand it. Was the man in black her guardian angel or just a Reaper? Had he been protecting her or just taking down those who didn't deserve to be alive? As she walked away from the office, Alice realized that the man in black had only appeared to her when there was danger. She also realized that he had never hurt anyone who didn't deserve it. He only appeared when he was needed. Alice felt grateful and scared at the same time. She had been living with a Reaper, but that had protected her all the same. She had to remind herself that everything happens for a reason, and the man in black had been there to help her, not to harm her. Epilogue Alice learned to live with the man in black. She knew that he would only appear when she was in danger, and she was grateful that he was there to protect her. Eventually, she came to understand that he was not there to hurt her or anyone else who didn't deserve it. She had learned to accept him as a part of her life and had come to rely on his presence. Small things that seemed coincidental finally took on a new meaning, that the man in black was always there to watch over her.