Chapter 4
It felt like the day had been over before it had even begun. Valerie felt like she literally walked in just to turn around and walk right back out. She was getting more and more nervous. The sun seemed to set hours earlier than it usually set. Her mother had dinner done in record time or so it seemed… There was nothing left now but to wait until her mother went to bed and then he would be there. An hour passed and she heard her mother turn on the shower Valerie knew this meant she would be going to bed. Her mother always showered then went straight to bed. And her mother being one of the people who was practically asleep before her head even hit the pillow she knew it wouldn’t be much longer. She settled herself in the middle of her bed and opened her book and began to read. Before she knew it he was standing in front of her. “How did you get in here?” He shrugged at her and smiled. “It’s one of the perks.” She sighed she was not in the mood to be lighthearted with him. “What is that supposed to mean? Seriously start talking and proving your story or leave.” He gave an irritated sigh. “You don’t have to be rude to get your point across. Anyways my “parents” will be here to explain it all and show you a few things they should be here anytime.” Valerie looked at him in shock his parents?! “What do you mean your parents are coming?” He smiled a little not being able to help himself. “Calm down they aren’t really my parents I don’t have parents they are my ancestors. They are the rulers of the underworld as some would call it.” Just as she began processing all this two forms appeared out of thin air. A man, tall and pale with a beautiful angel like face was standing before her. Beside him was a woman with long black hair the palest skin and beautiful emerald green eyes. Valerie was speechless over their beauty. They looked as if they were from another world.
“Hello Valerie it's nice to finally meet you my dear.” The woman’s voice rang like a delicate bell it was as beautiful as she was. Valerie tried to speak but she couldn’t form the words no matter how hard she tried. “Don’t worry she gets that a lot.” said the man as he chuckled. This made Valerie blush. Alistar sat down on the floor and patted the spot next to him for Valerie. “You're going to want to sit down for this.” Valerie hesitated slightly but sat down as did his ancestors. They each put out their hands and grabbed Valerie’s hands. “Close your eyes dear and we will show you the truth to all of this.” As the woman finished her sentence she closed her eyes as did everyone else including Valerie. Visions filled each of their minds. Visions of a beautiful baby born under grave circumstances. Born to worldly parents who met their demise not even days later. The ancestors that were in the room with her now picking up the baby and carrying him away. Disappearing in the night with him. Teaching him of his destiny as the reaper. Worse visions of them setting him out in the world to carry out said destiny. And last the match. The match between reaper and teenage girl. Valerie shook from her head to her toes and she quickly pulled her hands away. “It’s all true? Why me?!” she was practically hyperventilating at this point. Alistar and his ancestors tried to comfort her but she just wanted them gone. She didn’t know what to think anymore. Reality was now mixed with what she had always thought to be fiction. Her world was now upside down and worst of all she is the match to a natural born killer. In a weak voice she asked them to let her process all this and leave her to her thoughts. They respected her wishes but as they went to leave the woman placed a hand on her.” I was a match a long time ago to the reaper the man that is with me tonight I felt the same way at first. I know how hard it is at first but my dear it is now your destiny. You have been destined to this role since the day of your birth. Try not to fight it too long my dear it will always end up happening in the end.” And with those last few words the three of them vanished. Valerie was once again alone. Her head spun she couldn’t get the visions out of her head. She especially couldn’t get the speech that the woman had given her out of her head. She thought and thought and couldn’t figure out what to think. She was destined for the role since she was born. It was going to happen whether she wanted it to or not. Valerie once again had another sleepless night. She knew he was watching her so she got up out of bed and walked to the window. There he sat bathed in the darkness. “What does being a match to you involve exactly?” Alistar smiled as if he was the devil making her a deal. “Well you would become immortal once you accept your destiny and you would follow me to the ends of time basically.” Valerie thought about this for a moment. “So basically I stay frozen at seventeen and go through the motions of life as a normal teenager and then what?” Alistar thought this over for a moment. “We do as my ancestors have done. We get married and when it begins to become suspicious that we haven’t aged we travel somewhere else. I carry out my duties as the reaper and you stick by my side. People will be convinced we are just a normal married couple with normal jobs and a normal life. We act like boyfriend and girlfriend till you graduate then we get married.” Valerie thought about this long and hard before speaking again. “What about my mother?” Alistar understood what she meant. “You will be just as you are now to her when she passes away we move on. No one will ever think anything.” Valerie shuttered at the thought of her mother passing away. “How does the whole immortal thing work?” Alistar smiled warmly. “That’s the easy part. Once you accept your fate we go to my ancestors they will call the spirits to us and perform a ritual of spells and you will be transformed.” Valerie felt as if she might faint so she sat down. “Will it hurt? How long does it take? Will I look different?” Alistar sighed as he tried to explain it all to her. “No it does not hurt and it takes a few hours but you won’t even notice nor will anyone else. You will be just as beautiful as you are now you won’t look any different to the human eye. To our kind you will be of the utmost beauty and you will carry the mark of the reaper on your hands but as I said it will only be visible to our kind. With that she crawled into bed and fell into a dreamless sleep.