[ WP ] Everyone has a reaper . The further away it is , the longer you have left to live . Every day it inches a little bit closer , but it is always there . Except yours , which disappeared three weeks ago

Like everyone else, Samantha had always seen it as a vague, grey figure on the horizon. 
 
 Sometimes you could even convince yourself it was a trick of the eye. But she knew, one day, she would see the face of the reaper. Her reaper. 
 
 When hers disappeared, she thought it was simply her imagination, at first. But as the days trickled past, no grey figure reappeared. There was nothing nagging at her peripheral vision, no cold fear as she glimpsed him on the horizon. 
 
 Unlike her friends, she had never been able to shake the feeling of being watched, of being followed. They accepted the reapers as a natural part of life, and went on living. But she could n't. Until he disappeared. 
 
 For the first time in her life, her anxiety lifted, and she could look on the world freely. She could live. 
 
 -- -- -- -- -- -- - 
 
 The reaper drifted away from his assigned human, to watch Samantha again. His human's neighbor. So lovely, she was, and so free, now. 
 
 He was watching her when he felt the cold draft of *his* presence, before he heard the voice. 
 
 `` You should n't have done this,'' Death said, as he came to stand beside the reaper. One of billions, but this one had done something... unusual. Unforgivable. 
 
 `` I just wanted...'' the reaper began to defend himself, but Death spoke over him. 
 
 `` No matter your motived, the murder of your brother is unacceptable. Even for a young reaper, you should know better. What did you think would happen? That she would live forever? That you could watch her life, forever? `` Death whispered. His eyes burned black as they settled on the reaper. 
 
 The reaper looked away from the depths of Death's gaze, watching Samantha instead. Laughing, shockingly carefree, at some joke someone was telling her. 
 
 `` I just wanted him to leave her alone. He did n't... he did n't even care for her,'' the reaper said miserably. There was really no defense, none at all. He had always been a poor reaper, and his relative youth was no excuse. He was simply still too affected by humans. 
 
 `` Maybe you should just get rid of me,'' the reaper suggested, feeling almost hopeful. He'd never been overly fond of his duties. Truth be told, he'd rather just have died than become one. 
 
 Death grinned. `` I'm afraid not. Once I turn a deceased human into a reaper, that's that. No going back. I never go back on my actions. But I'll have to teach you how to do your job, somehow.'' 
 
 He cocked his head and seemed to think. 
 
 `` Well, tell you what. I'll make sure nobody else bothers her. Nobody but you,'' Death whispered, and placed an emaciated hand on the reaper's shoulder, filling him with purpose. He would have to follow Samantha now, and another would be assigned to his old human. He would have to get closer to Samantha every day. 
 
 `` Look on the bright side,'' Death said lightly, as the reaper looked stricken. `` You'll get the chance to meet her now. In about fifty years, if I'm not mistaken.'' 
 
 -- -- -- -- - 
 
 Hope you enjoyed my story! You can find more of my work on /r/Inkfinger/.
