• It all started when I first met him. The world seemed to stop turning as our eyes met. Then came the look. I turned away in surprise. I didn’t think he liked me. Or ever will. He couldn’t see me. No one could. Unless they were dying. Only then would they see me. That was how I wanted to keep it. It was the one rule I had to keep myself safe. Now it seemed that the past was doomed to repeat itself for me. Why? Why do I seem to fall for these humans when I know they never see me? Or even seem to care? It’s so stupid, these emotions. I don’t understand them. Are they normal in my kind? I wouldn’t know, I rarely meet others who are in the same line of work as me. I know they’re still out there, but they don’t come around here. Not many do……it’s a small town, growing but still small.

    Ah, I’m sorry. Where are my manners? My name is Tru Hartman. I’m what you would call a Soul Collector. I collect souls for Death. It’s a good job with good pay. I’m able to pay rent and buy the necessities for life, even un-life. But mostly I stay invisible to most everyone. Lonely, but I prefer it that way. I can’t get hurt easily that way, unless I fall in love again. Like I did when I first saw him. I don’t know why, but I fell hard for him. So now I just shadow him so I can watch him. Watch him at whatever he’s doing at the moment, never knowing I’m there. Because of this I’m forced to watch him go out with another girl.

    I hate her. I hate her so much, because she can spend time with him whenever. Because he can see her. I know I can be seen when I want, but I’m scared. What if he sees me and doesn’t like me? I’m too cowardly to find out. I don’t think he’d want a coward like me anyways. From what I’ve seen he’s more adventurous then me. He’s never scared, not even when facing death. He never shies from danger; always calm in any situation; willing to help anyone in need; always nice; great in sports; and good-looking, very good-looking. I wish I was the one he looked at, not her.

    I wish I was brave. I really do. I wish I could just appear and tell him how I felt. How was I to know that I would get the chance to meet him? He died not too long after. He was hit by a car, while saving a little girl. He’d pushed her out of the way just in time, but the driver was too late in hitting the brakes. I was first on the scene.

    I walked over to him and grabbed his hand. I pulled his spirit out and came face to face with him. I was shocked. I hadn’t been paying attention as to who’d been hit. Now I wish I had, I would been more prepared to face him. Especially after I spent so long watching and dreaming about him that I had resigned to the fact that I’d be long over him by the time I took him. I always figured he’d live a long and healthy life, dying at an old age with lots of grandchildren. But it was not to be. He stared at me in awe then looking around, then down at his body.

    “I’m……dead? How? Was it the car?” I nodded sadly to him. Most people couldn’t believe they’d just been killed; this was a dangerous time for us. If he didn’t want to be dead, he would turn into a vengeful spirit and terrorize the masses. I hoped that wouldn’t be the cause. Not with him. “Ah….then who are you? An angel?” my eyes widened at this. I’d never been called an angel before by the dead. I decided to risk speaking to him.

    “I…I’m a Soul Collector…..I ferry souls into Death. I’m here to take you there.” He stared at me thinking. I swallowed and looked down at our hands. I was still holding his, as was customary for me when I led new souls into Death. I had to hold their hand or they would get lost in the darkness.

    “Alright then. I couldn’t have asked for a better guide then. I think that if you weren’t here, next to me, then I’d be very afraid of what was coming.” I looked up sharply at his face when he said that. Him afraid? No. It couldn’t be. He was never afraid, he had to be lying. But when I looked into his eyes, I saw nothing but the truth in them. He was afraid of what was to come. But I knew. He might be made a Soul Collector like some unique people, or he might pass on into the afterlife. It was one or the other. If he became a Soul Collector, he would never die. On the other hand, he could zombify or unravel and turn into a ghost. It all was up to him on that side. That was if Shiian decided to offer him a position as a Collector. It all came down to Shiian. He spoke again as we headed for the darkness. “What’s your name?” I almost missed a step. He wanted to know my name?

    “……Tru…..Tru Hartman.” I didn’t turn and look, because I had to focus on the path, and if I did I might not have stopped looking. I felt him shift a little as we walked on inside the darkness.

    “That’s a pretty name. I like it. I’d tell you mine, but I get the feeling that you already know it. Hey Tru, where are we going?” I almost stopped breathing when he used my name. I felt overjoyed. It felt nice to be able to talk to him. If only he wasn’t dead. He seemed to be thinking the same thing. “Too bad I’m dead….I wish I wasn’t. Then I could spend some more time getting to know you.” My heart stopped. I stopped too when we reached the hallway of light. I turned toward him, I couldn’t help it, I had to know if he was telling the truth. He was smiling in a sad manner at me. He brought his other hand up and cupped it under my chin, tilting my face up toward his as he leaned in closer. I stopped breathing the moment he kissed me.

    I was shocked. Utterly shocked. The guy I’d been watching for months was kissing me. In front of my boss’s office no less! Wow. Then the kiss ended too suddenly for me. I took a shaky breath and smiled at him. He smiled back.

    “I just want you to know that I’ve always wanted to talk to you, but I never had the courage to.” I blinked. That was supposed to be my line. Why was he saying it? “Every time I saw you, I panicked. I didn’t know what to do or say. My friend said I should go talk to you, but I was just too scared. I’m sorry that it took ‘til I was dead to talk to you. I’m just lucky you’re here I guess. Now it’s too late though.” He turned toward the door. “Is this it?” I nodded numbly. I didn’t want him to leave me for the afterlife, though I knew he wouldn’t survive long outside it, already he was fading. “Then let’s do this.” I frowned and opened the door. He walked inside and looked at me questioningly. I shook my head; this was something he had to do alone. I couldn’t go with him, so I waited outside as the door shut. I hoped that he was Soul Collector material. Mostly for my sake.

    Minutes later:

    I watched as Shiian came out to speak to me. He smiled as he beckoned me in. As I came into the office, I saw him lying halfway on the desk. Hope began to blossom in my chest. Was he really a Collector now? That meant we had a chance! I looked at Shiian and he smiled at me.

    “He asked if there was a way for the two of you to be together even though he was dead. That was the first thing he said as soon he walked through that door. I told him that I was considering making him into one of the Collectors. He was very surprised and said yes instantly. He just drank the blood. I need your help to move him onto the couch in the Waking Room.” I helped Shiian pick him up and move into the pleasant light blue room on the cream colored couch. It was a pleasant looking room all together. Very nice to wake up too. We left him on the couch as we went to prepare things for when he woke up.

    It was a few hours of paperwork later for me when he woke up. I was In the middle of filling out a death form when he put his arms around me from behind. I was surprised at first, I still wasn’t used to this, but I relaxed my stiffen posture soon enough. He smiled as I looked up into his face. I couldn’t help but smile back in response. He really was holding me, and he really shared my feelings. He really loved me, he’d told me that himself. I never dreamed that I would get my happy ending, but I did. As we both stayed there in my little office in the Death Head Quarters embraced, I’d never felt happier. I always look back to that day and smile while watching him once again, like I used to once upon a time. But now I don’t need to watch from afar, he’s all mine, and always will be. Forever and ever and all eternity.