Weight of the World

Liliane Montgomery frowned as that familiar figure formed beside her. Grym, the Spirit of Death didn't look like anything people pictured spirits to look like. To Liliane, he was as real and fleshy as her family. He looked about five foot seven with ashen grey hair, dark chocolate skin and piercing blue eyes. Today he was wearing baggy jeans and a t-shirt, a piercing in his left ear and he had an Ipod in his hand, his head bobbing to the music. Liliane hated when he showed up before she left for school. He always talked to her, and expected a response, but she was the only one who could see him and her parents had begun to worry when their fourteen year old daughter began to talk to thin air.

"What are you doing here? I told you not to materialize until after I left the house. My parents are already thinking of sending me to a shrink because of you." she grumbled as she tugged the brush through her hair, then added a headband. A cursory glance to make sure she looked okay before heading out of the bathroom, and into her bedroom to get her school bag and guitar case. Grym followed her slowly, used to her usual routine.

"Since I hooked up with you, Lily, my job has been easier. Why wait around for one person to die, when someone can tell me who is going to die next. Face it, we complement each other." He chuckled as he watched her go down the stairs. Useful mortals were very rare, and this odd one seemed to be worth watching anyway. Lily walked away from him, but he knew she'd respond, she always did. Even if her parents thought her weird. It was amazing that those two lifeless clods had created such a bright spark of life in their daughter.

"Not funny Grym, I don't like knowing that stuff. It makes me want to stay home and never go outside." Lily said as she poured herself some milk. The thought of knowing, even by accident made Lily feel cold inside. No one should know when someone is going to die.

"But life outside is why you try to live right? Is that why you don't look anyone in the eyes anymore?" the spirit pressed, knowing full well that the girl was squirming under his stare.

"I just don't want to look and risk losing them. I mean, what if I cause them to die? I'd feel terrible." Lily said as she picked up her books and walked out of the kitchen, and bumped into her father. Even though she wasn't looking at him. she could tell by his body language that he was tense, maybe even scared.

"Lil, who were you talking to? Your, um, friend?" He asked. James Montgomery looked at his daughter as she stared at her feet. Such odd behavior recently, it all started when her grandmother passed away. His wife Jennifer wanted to send Lily to a doctor and have them cure her. It was odd to listen to, even when he wasn't close enough to hear what the conversation was about. But they were cohesive, logical conversations when he did hear them talking.

"Kinda. I gotta go or I'll be late." Liliane mumbled as she maneuvered around her father and out the door before he could protest. When she was outside, she turned to the spirit. "See what you did?My family thinks I'm nuts."

"Lily, have you ever looked at a family member?" Grym asked curiously.

"My mother, once, before I knew." Lily mumbled as she walked. "I can at least look at her right now. She has a good solid aura, no hint of sickness." Grym thought about that information slowly, so her mother wasn't the reasons he was scared to read people.

"How about your father or brother?" Grym asked as they moved down the street slowly.

"Jared is healthy as an ox, and if I see his aura right as you taught me, he will live for a long time. But as I also know that can change on a daily basis depending on what decisions he makes." Lily said, her older brother was in college, studying to be a bio engineer. She hated it when he left last fall, but it became routine to not have her brother's cheerful face around the house. "Father..father's aura is different. not only is he sick, but i can smell the sickness. No one else can. It has to be pretty bad. I don't think he knows. I don't think I want to find out if he does anyway. I'd prefer him to be like he is now."

"Ahh, but doesn't he deserve to know? Don't you think his knowing may change things?" Grym asked. He had already known that James Montgomery was very ill. It was one of the reasons he had become attracted to that particular house. It luckily brought him to this special girl.

"That is what I am having problems with. He has a right to know, but, how can I tell him he's sick with no proof but a hunch? How will he look at me then knowing I knew before anyone else, even the doctors?" Lily looked both ways and crossed the street, then continued walking toward the looming buildings that was her high school.

"I am sure a clever girl like you could find a way. I mean every illness has symptoms," he said rolling his eyes. "Ooh! Go to your school counselor. I know your parents have talked to him about you alot. Plant your clues there. The counselor will overreact in a good way for once and then no one will think it odd."

"You've given this a lot of thought..."she says suspiciously. "You know don't you. You know exactly what it is."

"I am a Spirit of Death. I couldn't have gotten out of training without being able to diagnose symptoms of diseases that cause death." He shot back as they arrived at school. "Uggh, healthy people. I'll hush up now. There are a few sensitives here that may be able to either see or hear me if I draw too much attention to myself."