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In The Arms Of Darkness

The Reaper

By Jasmine HarrisPublished 2 years ago 26 min read
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In The Arms Of Darkness
Photo by Simon Berger on Unsplash

PART 1

The bomb exploded sending children flying in every direction. The city was officially on lockdown. The schoolyard was littered with bodies. As mothers cried and fathers shook with rage, he knew he had gotten away with it.

As he ducked behind a dumpster in a nearby alley, he held his breath as the sirens grew closer. He let out a sigh of relief as they continued. Entering his apartment he slumped against the door, hanging his head in defeat.

Standing up, Thaddeus suspiciously looked around his apartment for unwelcome visitors. Rounding the corner to his bedroom he saw the figure approach him from the corner of his eye. Whipping around he let out a small sigh of realization. It was only Mordecai.

“You did well today, Thaddeus.” He spoke calmly. Like he didn’t care that Thaddeus had just killed 40 children. Thaddeus supposed that Mordecai didn’t care. He was after all a spawn of Satan. He didn’t exactly have a soul.

“As a reward for your first task done, here.” In his hand he held a small silver chain with a cross on it. Thaddeus snatched it from him and held it close to his heart. A single tear slid down his cheek. He couldn’t bring himself to wipe it away.

His tear proved he still had a soul. It wasn’t a sign of weakness for him. He knew he had done wrong. He had taken innocent lives. The guilt was killing him.

Mordecai could see the battle he was fighting with himself. “We’ll be in touch.” He spoke quickly; he had other mortals to torture. “Try not to get caught or die.” Mordecai frowned as he disappeared.

Mordecai hated dealing with humans. They had souls and they all felt regret.

Thaddeus remained quiet as Mordecai left. There was nothing more he could say. He made his bed and now he had to lay in it. He knew he would regret his decision as soon as he made it.

Knowing that Mordecai would be back made him angry. Not knowing when he would return worried him. It gave him a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had to get out. He had to run. Mordecai knew too much about his current life.

Thaddeus knew that Mordecai’s return would only bring more death. There would only be more carnage if he stayed here. He had to get out. He needed to start over.

He knew what the risks were. There would be some serious consequences if Mordecai found him. If he was found Mordecai could easily kill him. Mordecai could also make these tasks much worse. It almost wasn’t worth it to run; but he had no choice. He couldn’t go on with it. He couldn’t continue to live his life this way.

Thaddeus loved his life in Denver before everything happened. Things would only get better from here or his life would cease to exist. Running wasn’t the smartest idea, but it was the only one he had.

He knew that Mordecai would find him sooner or later. Thaddeus just needed some time for himself. He needed a chance at a better life. It was either now or never.

Trouble with running from demons is that you’ll always be found. They have their ways when it comes to finding their wards. Running from demons is a never-ending cycle. You’re either on the run or you’re hiding out somewhere.

It had been 2 years since Denver, and everything had changed. Thaddeus had all but forgotten his former life. He made sure that he would never make the same mistakes again. He would never let anyone get to close again. He couldn’t take that chance.

Moving to Millinocket, Maine was a good thing. It would be the fresh start that he needed. No one there knew him, and he wanted to keep it that way. Small town or not he was determined to not talk to the locals unless it was necessary.

His apartment was quite a bit smaller than home, but it was home. There weren’t as many places for Mordecai to hide. Thaddeus didn’t think that it would still be possible for Mordecai to show up out of nowhere. It had been 2 years and he hadn’t had a single visit.

A rapid knock at his door suddenly brought him out of his thoughts. Just when he thought he was safe, Mordecai had found him. This was it, this would be his final moments. After 2 years of chasing him Mordecai was here to kill him.

Slowly opening the door, he breathed a sigh of relief. It was only his neighbor from across the hall. His name was Peter, and he was the only person Thaddeus talked to. Moving aside he opened the door wide enough for Peter to come in. It wasn’t often that Peter stopped by but when he did, he always brought news.

Peter had been a very good source of information. Anytime Thaddeus thought he had seen Mordecai looking in a window he would ask Peter to keep an eye out. Not once had Peter come back with bad info. Peter would report what he had heard through the grapevine.

“What have you heard lately?” He asked as he sat down on the couch. “It’s not exactly what I’ve heard.” Peter frowned sitting down next to hm. “It’s more like what I saw.” Peter was now questioning his own sanity.

Whipping out his phone Peter showed Thaddeus a picture he had taken at the market earlier that week. Thaddeus thought he was going to lose his mind. There was no way that it could be her. She was dead. She died almost 4 years ago.

This could only mean one thing. Mordecai would be close behind. Mordecai was up to something. He had to be. There had to be a reason why he brought her back. Why was she here? Thaddeus hadn’t finished all his tasks.

“Thank you, Peter.” Thaddeus spoke standing up from the couch. “Aren’t you going to explain any of this to me?” Peter asked following him to the door. “No.” it was as simple as that.

With that he shut the door in Peter’s face. Peter was in too far. Even the little amount that he knew was too much. He had to cut Peter out of the loop before Mordecai got ahold of him. He had enough problems with just Mordecai walking around. He didn’t need any more demons in his life.

It had been 3 days since his talk with Peter. Despite his best-efforts Peter hadn’t heard a word from Thaddeus. Peter wasn’t one to give up easily, but he didn’t see the point anymore. Slowly he turned around and walked away in defeat.

As much as he wanted answers, Peter didn’t have the time to waste. He didn’t have time to wait for Thaddeus to give him any answers. He was a master of investigation. Peter was determined to find out why Thaddeus was there. He needed answers and he was determined to get them.

It had been 2 weeks since Thaddeus’ last encounter with Peter. He was running low on food, but he knew he couldn’t ask Peter to go shopping for him like usual. He couldn’t stay in his house forever. He would eventually starve.

Sneaking out was never Thaddeus’ strongest quality. Even as a teenager he would always get caught. As soon as he shut his door, he heard another door open. Holding his breath, he slowly turned around. To his surprise it wasn’t Peter.

Lying in the dark waiting for sleep to come, Thaddeus thought he could feel everything crashing in around him. It might have been a dream, but he couldn’t be sure. Standing in the doorway was none other than his favorite demon Mordecai. Or at least he thought it was Mordecai. The figure was shrouded in darkness so he couldn’t see them properly.

This was it; this was the end for him. This what it was like to die. Being dragged to Hell wasn’t anything like he thought it would be. Everything was moving but he couldn’t feel it.

Coming to a sudden stop, Thaddeus was jerked out of bed. Sacred and confused he followed the figure down the hallway of his apartment. Coming to a sudden stop Thaddeus realized they weren’t in his apartment anymore. This could only mean one thing; they were in hell.

Thaddeus was starting to think that the figure wasn’t Mordecai. Mordecai would have said at least something by now. Giving Thaddeus a small nudge forward he followed him out the door. There was no going back now.

Shooting up right, Thaddeus realized he was still in bed. He wasn’t quite sure how he got there. The last thing he remembered was leaving his apartment. He didn’t remember coming back. He sure as hell didn’t remember going to bed.

He needed to take a shower. Maybe that would help him remember. Walking into the bathroom and flicking on the lights he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He was covered in blood. What did he do this morning when he left?

Finishing up with his shower, Thaddeus wrapped his towel around his waist and walked into the living room. Turning his t.v. on, he immediately flipped it to the news. He needed to know if he had done something terrible. Muting the t.v., Thaddeus walked into the kitchen. He needed to eat something before he passed out.

Silently watching the news as he finished his pizza he sighed. Maybe he hadn’t done anything after all. For all he knew all he had done was go to the market, come back home, and gone to sleep. Suddenly faces and names started appearing on the screen. It was in that moment he realized what he had done. Thaddeus now knew why he was covered in blood.

It wasn’t until Peter’s face flashed across the screen that he had realized the severity of his actions. Thaddeus had killed the only friend he had here. He had killed at least 30 other people that day. Somehow, he had managed to shoot up a grocery store and not get caught. Mordecai must have been up to something.

Thaddeus lay on the floor, eyes closed, legs and arms spread out. Hoping it would all end soon, he prayed silently. He had gotten a glimpse into hell. He had seen what his fate could be. He could let Mordecai drag him to hell where he would spend an eternity shoveling coal into the fiery pits. He could finish his tasks and end more innocent lives. Or he could finally fight back.

Standing up, Thaddeus walked outside. He could use the fresh air. Walking through the empty streets a light rain started to fall. As the rain picked up Thaddeus decided to circle back and make his way home.

Throughout his entire walk home Thaddeus sensed that he was being followed. Cutting through the alley behind the abandoned church he saw them. The shadowy figures came out of nowhere. Knowing that they were following him, Thaddeus kept walking.

Rounding the corner, he saw them standing under the street light. Crossing the street Thaddeus picked up his pace. Walking up to his apartment building he saw them. Sitting on the steps were the 2 figures from the alley. This had Mordecai written all over it.

Thaddeus knew he wouldn’t be able to outrun them. He couldn’t keep avoiding them. Walking up the stairs past them he did the one thing he knew he shouldn’t. He invited them inside.

“I would offer you food, but I know you don’t eat.” It wasn’t surprising that he was being watched. “So did Mordecai send you?” Thaddeus was wondering why Mordecai couldn’t do this himself. Grabbing a drink out of the fridge he plopped down on the couch.

“Curious little cat, isn’t he?” Asked the first figure. They stayed standing by the door like statues. “Very curious.” Replied the second figure. Their cloaks kept their faces shrouded in darkness. “We’re only here to check up on you; make sure you don’t run again.” The first figure replied moving closer to the doorknob.

Opening the door, they let Thaddeus know that they would be in touch. Finishing his drink, Thaddeus went to lie down. It had been a very long day. He knew he could use a good night’s sleep.

Feeling like sleep would never come, Thaddeus lay there overthinking everything. He was starting to notice things he never noticed before. Like how the moon gave his room just enough light. It was just enough for him to see the figure standing by his window.

It didn’t take him long to figure out who it was. Mordecai was always one to be cryptic. Knowing they were about to have a discussion he sat up. It wasn’t how Thaddeus wanted to spend his night.

“Hello Thaddeus.” There was something in Mordecai’s voice that concerned him. It wasn’t exactly anger; it was more like disappointment. “What do you want Mordecai?” He was tired of Mordecai’s tricks. “I just wanted to reiterate what my minions have already told you.” Although Thaddeus couldn’t see it he knew Mordecai was smirking.

“Either Naomi, Abigail, or I will be checking up on you regularly.” His tone was very serious. “Naomi and Abigail will be around to make sure you don’t run again.” Mordecai wasn’t normally one to do house calls. Knowing that he would be coming around more had Thaddeus on edge.

“You have 3 more tasks to do.” His voice was coming from somewhere in the darkness. “Next time you try to run, you will die.” It was a threat. Mordecai didn’t make empty promises.

Thaddeus needed to do something his mind of this unwelcome visit he just had. Maybe it was time to finish unpacking. He couldn’t just leave all of her stuff in boxes. He needed to face this.

Rummaging through the first box he found a stack of her journals. Normally he wouldn’t look through them. Thaddeus knew how much they meant to her. Holding it loosely he was about to put it back in the box when his curiosity got the best of him.

Opening it up the first page was a title “Her Broken Heart.” She was writing a book. It all made sense to Thaddeus now. He never understood why she had so many or why she spent so much time in them before. Sitting down he placed his back against the wall. If reading at least one of these journals gave him some insight than that’s all he needed.

Thaddeus just needed to know why she had run off. Why had she left him? What made her go?

Reading the second page he was astounded by what he found. It was all about how unhappy she was. A flutter of unease began in the pit of his stomach. He began to realize she was running because of him; because of the monster he had become.

Reading on Thaddeus found that the woman he loved never loved him. She was afraid of him. She went searching for Mordecai. She wanted an easy out. She made a deal with the devil while they were together.

How did he know that she wasn’t working for him? Thaddeus wasn’t sure of anything anymore. He had to find Mordecai. He had to know the truth. Thaddeus wanted to know what really happened the night of the accident.

Slamming the journal shut, Thaddeus shot up. He couldn’t believe what he had read. His entire relationship was a lie. She never really loved him. According to her journal she was afraid of him.

Not once did Thaddeus think he would be seeking out Mordecai. He felt so betrayed. This girl was supposed to be the love of his life. He wasted 3 years of his life on her. Thaddeus wasn’t just angry, he was livid.

Slamming the door to his apartment shut, Thaddeus fumbled with his keys. With the journal in his hand, he ran to his car. Thaddeus had no idea where to even begin looking for Mordecai. But he couldn’t stop looking until he found him.

This journal changed everything. She never wanted to be with him. Thaddeus hadn’t been the only one making deals with the devil. According to the journal she needed Thaddeus to get her brother back. She had been planning to have him do her dirty work the entire time.

If he was doing these tasks for her then what was he getting out of it? Thaddeus sure as hell didn’t want her now. Maybe this could get him out. This could be the loophole he was looking for.

Parking his car, Thaddeus got out. Without realizing it he drove himself to the local bar. Slamming his car door shut he walked inside. He wasn’t sure what he would find but at this point he wasn’t even sure what he was looking for.

Walking through the door his eyes met Mordecai’s almost immediately. Thaddeus didn’t know what to say but he needed to talk to Mordecai. As if he read his mind, Mordecai pulled Thaddeus out back. There wasn’t much that Mordecai could say to get out of this. Not that he really cared.

Thaddeus didn’t know where to start. The past few years had been a lie. How do you confront one of the people who lied to you? Mordecai knew the truth. He had led Thaddeus along for the past 3 years. He tormented Thaddeus for no good reason. Thaddeus was starting to realize that that’s what demons did.

After finding out the truth Thaddeus had a million questions. Where was she? Why did she do this? What was he getting out of this? Did she even really care what happened when this was all done?

Everything was slowly catching up to him. Thaddeus was breaking down. As much as he wanted answers, he didn’t know if he could handle them. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do.

“You knew the entire time?” His voice was barely over a whisper. “You knew she was alive and that she was playing me.” Thaddeus wasn’t asking a question. “Why did you really have me do these tasks?” Thaddeus was afraid of the answer.

“It wasn’t my place to tell you.” Mordecai wasn’t thrilled to be having this conversation. “Yes, she’s alive.” Mordecai was very solemn with his answers. “As for her whereabouts, that’s something I can’t tell you.” Mordecai was losing interest at this point.

Leaving his last question unanswered Mordecai got up from the wall and began to walk away. A flutter of unease filled the pit of Thaddeus’ stomach. Something about Mordecai was off. Mordecai was acting different.

“I had you do the tasks because I enjoy seeing people suffer.” There was the Mordecai Thaddeus knew. “But how can you be sure that you’ve actually done them?” Mordecai’s grin raised some suspicion. “I am a spawn of Satan. Which makes me a master of manipulation.” There it was. Maybe the truth was finally coming out. With one last look over his shoulder Mordecai stated, “Dani is also closer than you think.”

Hearing those words caused Thaddeus’s heart to skip a beat. She was close; but how close? Thaddeus couldn’t promise that he wouldn’t kill her himself if he saw her. He was ready to explode. Mordecai’s words turned him into a walking time bomb.

He needed to clear his head. Leaving his car at the bar, Thaddeus started walking home. He couldn’t stop the anger that was growing inside of him. He hoped the walk would give him time to figure out what to do.

Thaddeus wasn’t sure what to do now. Should he go out and look for her? Should he let her go and move on with his life? The entire walk home his mind was racing. Thaddeus couldn’t concentrate on any one thing.

Walking up the stairs to his apartment his stomach was a pit of unease. Approaching his door his body began to tense. Thaddeus knew something was wrong. Seeing his door slightly open had his heart pounding.

Slowly entering the apartment and flicking on the light. Thaddeus stopped in his tracks. Looking into the eyes of the woman he used to love, his heart skipped a beat. Looking into the eyes of the woman he used to love, his heart skipped a beat. All he wanted to do was turn and run. It was like his brain and feet weren’t speaking. He thought he would be stuck in that spot forever.

She smelt like death and looked even worse. He didn’t know what to think. Thaddeus hadn’t seen her in almost 3 years and suddenly here she was. What was he supposed to say to say? What was he supposed to do? He wasn’t sure how to react.

His gut was telling him to run as far away as possible. “What are you doing here Dani?” he didn’t know what else to ask. “What do you want?” The longer she stood there the angrier he got. She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.

“I need your help.” Her voice was quiet, and she never lifted her head. “And before you say anything I know that I messed up.” Slowly lifting her head Thaddeus could see unshed tears in her eyes. “I never meant to hurt you; I swear. I was only doing what I thought was right.” Thaddeus could never forgive.

Slowly moving aside, without a single word he held the door open. “I have nothing to apologize for. I did everything I had to do to get my brother back.” It was the last thing she said before disappearing into the hallway.

Fuming, Thaddeus set off to mind Mordecai once again. Seeing her made him want to die. Knowing she was so close was tearing him up. Thaddeus had to get out. He didn’t care if it killed him.

Rushing around his apartment, Thaddeus started packing. He needed to pack light. Thaddeus knew if he left that Mordecai would find him. Throwing his important documents and several changes of clothes into a duffel bag he flew out the door. He didn’t know where he was going but he had to get there.

Flinging his car door open, Thaddeus threw his bags in the backseat. Pulling out of the parking lot, Thaddeus sped off towards the highway. He knew where he had to go. He knew what he had to do.

If he could make it back to Denver, he knew that Mordecai would show up. It was a 32-hour trip that he needed to make in 24 hours. That’s if he was lucky. Leaving at this time of night there would hardly be any traffic. With the speeds he was reaching Thaddeus thought he would be able to make it.

Thaddeus wasn’t entirely sure why he was speeding. He didn’t know why it was so important to get back to Denver. 2 years ago, his priorities were very different. Now all that mattered was getting back across the country. Maybe it was his need to end it all. If Mordecai wouldn’t end it then he would turn himself in.

16 hours in and he couldn’t stop thinking about his 2 ½ years in Maine. He had spent 2 ½ years running from his past. 2 ½ years trying to fix his mistake and making the same ones over again. The more he thought about it the more he knew it was the right decision.

32 hours; 32 hours in a car with nothing but his own thoughts. His thoughts were no longer of a sane nature. Finally entering Colorado again, it felt nice to stretch his legs. He needed to get something to eat. Thaddeus hadn’t had food in almost 2 days.

Stopping at the nearest diner, Thaddeus knew this could be the end. Grabbing a seat at the counter, fear and anger flashed across his face. Sitting at the other end of the counter was Mordecai, Dani, and the twins. This was it. This was the moment Thaddeus had been waiting for.

“Stop running Thaddeus.” Mordecai spoke standing from his seat. “This will not end well for you boy.” It was Naomi who spoke this time. Rising from their seats, they slowly walked towards Thaddeus.

Paying for their meal, Mordecai drug Thaddeus by the arm from the restaurant. Mordecai had had enough. It was time to finish this. “You have 2 choices.” Thaddeus could only imagine what they were. “You can finish your tasks, or I can kill you now.” Mordecai looked disappointed as he finished his sentence.

Looking briefly at the 4 beings with him, Thaddeus made up his mind. “I choose death.” He said looking Mordecai straight in the eyes. It wasn’t a hard decision for him. In Thaddeus’s mind it was the right choice.

The utter disappointment and sadness that flashed across Dani’s face didn’t go unnoticed. Thaddeus would never understand why she cared. Catching his gaze, Dani noticed the anger on his face.

“Thaddeus, you don’t have to do this.” Dani pleaded with tears in her eyes. “Just finish the tasks and we can be together.” She begged as she began to cry. He pitied her. “After everything you put me through, why would I want to be with you again?” There was venom dripping from each word he spoke. There was nothing she could say.

“Alright let’s get this done.” Mordecai was growing very impatient. “So how is this going to be done?” Thaddeus asked trying his best to look uninterested. “Abigail will be doing the honors of ripping out your heart.” Naomi spoke impassively. “It’s relatively quick but very painful.” Abigail spoke from behind Naomi.

Stationing themselves in front of one another, they prepared to finish it all. Rubbing her hands together, Abigail smirked. With inhuman speed, she was pressed up against Thaddeus with her hand in his chest. As she slowly turned around and walked away, Thaddeus fell to the ground.

Their job was done Mordecai and the twins had collected their final soul of the century. Dragging Dani by the arm the headed to the gateway for hell. Not knowing what was going on, Dani fought against Mordecai’s grip.

“This would go a lot smoother if you would quit struggling.” Mordecai snapped, glancing back in her direction. She was so confused as to what was happening. She did her part to help. She helped get Thaddeus’s soul. She betrayed the man she loved for them. Why were they doing this to her?

“You didn’t think we would just let you go, did you?” Naomi laughed at her stupidity. “You may have served your purpose to us in getting our last soul, but we wanted to bring an extra gift.” Mordecai was grinning slyly. He seemed very proud of himself. All Dani could do was scream as she was drug into the pits of hell.

He didn’t know how long he had been laying there in a pool of his own blood, but he did know that it hurt. The sun had set by the time he stood up. At that moment all he could do was stand there. It seemed like he was bolted in place staring down at his own body.

A light drizzle started to fall as he stood there. As he turned to walk away, a herd of police cars pulled into the parking lot. It was like everything was moving in slow motion. As the officers moved past him it was like he wasn’t even there. This is what being dead must feel like.

Looking back at the scene, Thaddeus sighed. It was finally over. He could finally move on. Thaddeus chuckled slightly thinking about how they would never find his killer.

So, this is what the afterlife was like. This is what death was for him. After years of running and one horrid death, this was his fate. Thaddeus was cursed to walk the earth for the rest of eternity.

He was dead; that’s all he could think about. The afterlife was different then what he expected. He had only been dead for a couple hours, but Thaddeus was already noticing a difference. Being dead, Thaddeus felt no remorse for what he had done. It was like all the emotions he used to feel were vanishing.

Thaddeus was now starting to understand why Mordecai was the way he was. Of all the emotions he once had, anger was the only one that seemed to stick around. As hard as he tried there was nothing he could do.

Walking around downtown, Thaddeus tried to clear his head. This was how he was supposed to spend his eternity. There was no going back. There was nothing he could think to do to change his situation. This was his eternity.

Thaddeus refused to spend his eternity walking the earth bored out of his mind. If this was how he had to spend his afterlife he was going to make the most of it. He was going to wreak havoc. Thaddeus was going to create as much mischief as possible.

It’s not like he would be caught. Thaddeus had nothing more to lose. This might be his only chance to catch Mordecai. He wouldn’t give up so easily this time.

Walking up to the door, Thaddeus that he couldn’t walk right through. It wasn’t what he expected. He always thought he would be able to walk straight through. That’s what ghosts did right?

Although the door seemed locked Thaddeus was able to open it and walk right in. His afterlife was full of unexpected turns. Walking through the door he heard 4 voices coming from the kitchen. Voices that seemed all too familiar.

Walking further into the living room the voices grew louder. All of them were voices he recognized. The voices belonged to Peter, Mordecai, and the twins.

Walking into the kitchen they all turned to look at him. “Welcome back

Thaddeus.” Naomi snickered taking in his shocked appearance. This could not be

Happening. In that moment he wasn’t sure if this was what he wanted.

Was this how he wanted to go out? Is this how he wanted it all to end? Was this

The right decision? It didn’t matter if he could live with it or not. He would be

dead.

“I guess it’s time.” Mordecai remarked standing up from the table. Walking

Over to Thaddeus, he slowly raised his left hand. Resting his hand lightly on

Thaddeus’s forehead everything went black.

Drenched in sweat Thaddeus shot up. It was all just a dream. None of it was

real. Looking to his left he saw his girlfriend, Natasha. She was still sleeping. Lying

back down, he rolled over and curled up into her. Sighing deeply, Thaddeus was

relieved to get back to his normal life. It didn’t take long after he fell back asleep

to hear an all too familiar voice, Mordecai.

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