THE RIVER MAN
When Darius and Jeremy emerged on the other side of the void, the brightness faded instantly and Jeremy slowly looked around, nervously taking in the strange environment he suddenly found himself in. They were in a small cavern and ahead of them lay a long tunnel carved out of the stone. Stalactites reached down from the cavern ceiling, their points hovering ominously overhead. Far ahead, at the end of the tunnel, there appeared to be a shining light. It reflected off the walls of the cavern tunnel, shimmering gently.
"Where are we?" Jeremy asked Darius, nervously.
"Don't worry," Darius said calmly. "This is the Tunnel. To reach Charon, we simply head toward the light." He pointed at the glimmering light at the end of the tunnel. "There is nothing to fear in this place."
They began to walk, Darius allowing Jeremy to lead the way. Jeremy was moving slowly, with caution, and kept looking back over his shoulder at Darius, who would gesture for him to keep going.
When they reached the end of the Tunnel, Jeremy carefully peered out as he stepped into the main cavern.
"Whoa," was the only word he could find in response to what he saw.
The Tunnel had opened up into a huge underground cave, so big that Jeremy couldn't even see its edges. All around, he could see hundreds, maybe thousands, of other people emerging from similar tunnels in the cavern walls to the one he had just stepped out of. They all were looking around in wonder and amazement. Many looked surprised, some were smiling at the beauty of the cave. The wall directly behind Jeremy was sparkling and he turned to look at it.
The whole wall was twinkling at him and he realized that the entire cave was lined with large diamonds, sticking out of the walls and sparkling invitingly, casting rainbows clear across the cave's sky. Jeremy turned again and looked towards the center of the cave. The ground sloped downward not far from where he was standing. Jeremy noticed a lot of people were walking down the decline, heading towards the middle of the enormous cave. Even from where he was standing, Jeremy could see the river. It appeared to flow straight through the entire cave, twisting and curving through the stone floor, as both ends kept stretching into the distance until they faded away, having gone farther than the naked eye could see. The rainbows that danced above were reflected on the surface of the river, drawing the eye and inviting all who could see it to go in closer. Jeremy could see thousands of people milling around the water's edge. He felt suddenly and powerfully compelled to go down to the water. He turned to Darius, who had been standing quietly by, allowing Jeremy to take in his surroundings.
"Can we go to the water, man?" Jeremy asked him, sounding like an excited schoolboy, asking a parent if he can play on the swings.
"That is exactly where we need to go," Darius replied. "Charon is a part of the River, as much as the River is a part of him. But you must promise me two things, Jeremy. First, you must do exactly what Charon tells you without argument. He is not to be offended. Second, no matter what, no matter how much you want to, no matter what you hear, do not look at your reflection in the water. Not until Charon has spoken to you. Can you do that, Jeremy?"
"Yeah, sure," Jeremy replied, already walking towards the river. Darius, feeling apprehensive, followed.
When they finally reached the river, Jeremy looked around, confused.
"Hey, where'd all the people go, man?"
Darius glanced around, remembering. It had been a long time since he had come to the River.
"The River is where souls come for Judgement," he explained. "When one reaches the water, they are invisible to all others, and all others are invisible to them. Judgement is a very private moment for the soul and distractions must not be permitted."
Jeremy nodded, still looking around in captivation, the lack of other people now seeming to not bother him at all. He looked at the water in front of him. For a few moments, he did not move. He simply stared across the water's surface, his eyes sparkling as the glimmering water was reflected within. He began to slowly step closer to the water's edge. He was about to place a foot into the water, a strange, blank look on his face, but just before his toe could touch the water, Darius grabbed him by the shoulder and roughly yanked him back, away from the inviting river.
"No!" Darius cried. He positioned himself between Jeremy and the River, keeping a hand firmly on Jeremy's shoulder, his expression serious and stern. "Not yet. First, you need to speak to Charon."
"Yeah," Jeremy said, sounding distracted. "Yeah. Okay. Charon. Yeah."
Darius stepped away from Jeremy and turned to face the River. He stepped right up to the water's edge and stopped, the toes of his shoes less than an inch from touching the water. He knelt down and surveyed the surface of the River. Jeremy stood quietly behind him, unfocussed and distracted by the shimmering rainbows above.
Darius slowly reached out and held his hand above the surface of the River. Lowering his hand, he gently placed his hand on the River, barely touching the surface, only the smallest disturbance rippling out from his touch. He took care to not look at his reflection in the water. There was a reason Reapers didn't often go to the River.
With his hand still upon the water surface, Darius looked out into the seemingly eternal distance and quietly said, "Charon."
"Darius," came the immediate reply.
Darius and Jeremy saw a figure emerge from the darkness ahead, out over the River. It slowly rose out of the water, but no rippling occurred. The water remained undisturbed as first a head emerged, then shoulders, arms, a torso and so on. The creature lifted itself out of the water with apparent ease until it was standing comfortably on top of the surface. The being smiled, a grin that was barely visible in the gloomy distance, and began steadily approaching, becoming clearer as it neared. The colors and the lights of the cave immediately faded, plunging Darius and Jeremy into a murky twilight. Jeremy blinked as he snapped out of his oneirism, the strange figure that was coming closer from the River now drawing his attention.
The figure came into focus, gliding across the surface of the River and drawing closer. Charon was a tall, foreboding figure, standing at an intimidating nine feet tall, towering over the heads of both Jeremy and Darius. He glided across the surface of the River, his long gray robes reaching down to the surface and appearing to become the water that made up the River. His fingers were long and his nails were sharp and pointed and black. His flesh seemed to be on the verge of rotting, being a moldy white and sagging off his bones. He was completely bald and there were filthy bandages wrapped around his head, covering his eyes. However, the lack of tautness over his eyes indicated that there were no eyes to cover. Charon grinned down at Darius as he approached, Darius stepping back to allow room for Charon's massive frame to reach the shore, his robes still flowing like water into the River.
"Darius," Charon smiled in greeting. His voice, while polite, sounded like a hundred people speaking quietly at once from within an echoing cavern. Despite not having eyes beneath his filthy cloth, Charon looked down at Darius. "This is a surprise. It has been over 150 years since a Reaper last paid me a visit. What troubles you?"
"Charon, this young man has brought some disturbing news to my attention," Darius explained, gesturing towards the cowering Jeremy behind him. "I have come to seek your guidance."
"Y-yeah," Jeremy spoke up, finding a small amount of courage. "And I want to live again. I wasn't supposed to die, it's not cool and I-" Jeremy stopped abruptly as Charon snapped his empty eyes in his direction, his smile gone. When Charon replied, he maintained a calm and polite tone, but the finality was definite.
"First, young Jeremy, I will hear this news you and Darius have brought. Then, and only then, will I hear your request for life anew. Be patient and you will get your chance."
Charon turned back to Darius, smiling pleasantly again, his blackened teeth showing. Darius began to explain.
"Jeremy told me upon his death that he witnessed a creature annihilate his friends and turn one of them into ash, a
t the simple touch of his hand. I fear that-"
"There is a rogue," Charon finished thoughtfully. "Strange, very strange. Why would a Reaper go against his oath and murder the mortals?"
"I was hoping you might have some answers, Charon," Darius said solemnly. "You have been here far longer than any Reaper, if anyone would know why a Reaper would do this..." Darius left the sentence unfinished, allowing it to speak for itself.
Charon stroked his chin with a pointed finger. "I could offer many suggestions, of course, but they would only be assumptions and guesswork. However, you say that Jeremy here witnessed the rogue at work?"
"Yes."
"Well, perhaps he can be of assistance."
Jeremy looked terrified as Charon once again looked at him with eyes that were not there.
"Dude, like I told this guy," he began, jerking a thumb at Darius, "I didn't see nothing. I was running for my life!"
Charon chuckled, the sound echoing all around. "Don't sell yourself short, my friend. You may be more useful than you think. Please, come closer."
Jeremy hesitated, but an intense glare from Darius reminded him that he needed to do whatever this 'Charon' told him to do if he had any chance of living again. He stepped cautiously forward, aware of suddenly being within arms reach of the nine-foot monster before him.
"Relax," Charon whispered. "This will not hurt. I need to see what you have seen."
Charon reached out and gently placed his clawed, rotten hand upon Jeremy's head. In an instant, Jeremy saw his whole life flash before his eyes. Everything from his father leaving, his mother dying of alcohol abuse, the numerous foster homes, his first armed robbery, the violence, the drinking, the drugs, the blood, the screams, everything he had ever seen and done was dragged before his eyes in a heartbeat. He saw once again, the cloaked figure in the park as it swooped down and grabbed him, lifting him high into the air and dropping him. He saw, again, the same figure grabbing Tobias' wrist and turning him to ash. He saw the figure speak briefly to the girl. He watched for the second time as the figure lowered its hood, but he could not see a face in the darkness. He witnessed the girl scream in immeasurable terror, the figure reach out and thrust a hand into her chest. The figure pulled out his hand, the girl no longer screaming, and look at something he held in his grasp as the girl collapsed, dead at his feet. The thing he had ripped out of the girl's chest was shining brightly, looking like something between water and mist, burning a blueish-white, but at its core, there was another color, shining brighter than the rest. It burned a brilliant gold, sending rays of light dancing through the air and across the ground. Jeremy watched as the figure lifted the bright light to its face, keeping its back to Jeremy. Then everything faded to black as Jeremy had passed out.
Suddenly, Jeremy found himself back on the shore of the River with Darius and Charon, who was lifting his hand from Jeremy's head.
"Ah, yes," Charon was saying. "It is clearer now."
"What is it?" Darius asked, but Charon quieted him with a gesture of his hand.
"In a moment, my friend," he said. "First, we must allow Jeremy a chance at obtaining his request." Charon glided backwards, farther out into the River and spread his hands, gesturing at the water he towered over. "Come, Jeremy. Stand in the River and look upon your reflection. The River will determine your reward."
"Wait, what?" Jeremy said. "Hey, I thought you were going to, like, send me back, or something. Not make me look at some stupid river."
"If you want to live again," Charon said softly, but with an edge of danger to his voice, "you must look into the River. The River will decide your fate. The River is never wrong."
"And what if I don't?" Jeremy demanded. "What'll you do?"
Charon was silent for a moment, staring at Jeremy with his vacant eyes, his robes flowing steadily into the water. When he replied, his voice was soft, but resonated as though he was shouting.
"Then you will remain on this shore, stranded and alone, for all eternity."
Jeremy gulped as he recognized the seriousness of Charon's threat. He began to walk hesitantly towards the River, wary but determined to be brought back to life. If looking into the stupid river was all he had to do, then he would do it.
Darius watched as Jeremy took a few steps out into the River, the water now lapping at his ankles. Jeremy took a deep breath and looked down into the water. He stared down at his reflection for a few seconds. Darius looked at Charon at that moment, who returned his gaze and gave him a tiny shake of the head. Darius sighed with a deep sadness, then turned away from the River.
That's when he heard Jeremy scream. It was a terrible, horrifying, haunting scream, one that would forever torment the deepest regions of one's subconscious. Darius could hear the water splashing and roiling, as though something large and heavy was rolling around in it. Jeremy was screaming, begging for help, crying out for God, but then his screams began to fade. Darius could hear them still, from far away, and knew that Jeremy had been taken downstream. Darius finally turned back to the River. All he could see was Charon hovering over the water, his expression blank. The surface of the River was calm and still as before. Jeremy was gone.
"I saw his life when I placed my hand upon him," Charon said to Darius. "He had done many bad and terrible things. His fate was sealed long before he died."
"I know," Darius replied. "Now, did you see the rogue? Did you see their face?"
Charon shook his enormous head. "Sadly, no. Jeremy did not see his face, so nor could I. But I saw the rogue kill a young woman. He first saved her from Jeremy and his friends, who were going to do unspeakable things to her. And then the rogue ripped out her soul."
Darius looked confused. "But... but why would he do such a thing? Why would a Reaper interfere to save a mortal, only to then destroy her?"
"That, my old friend, is a question better left to someone with a more profound knowledge of the inner workings of Reapers," Charon smiled.
"You mean Azrael,” Darius replied.
"Of course. It was good of you to bring this to me, but I fear that this may go beyond my reach. If this rogue is taking souls for their own, I fear something far greater and terrible is in motion. The only one who could do anything about this rogue is, naturally, the one who created him."
Darius nodded, but seemed distracted. Charon leaned in closer, bowing his head, having noticed Darius' lack of focus.
"Something else concerns you," he said, not needing to ask.
"Yes," Darius confirmed. "There is one thing. I don't know what it means, I didn't even know it was possible until today."
"Tell me, my friend. I shall help if I can."
"When I was collecting Jeremy, he died in a hospital. While I was there, there was a nurse trying to revive him. Normally when I look at a mortal, I can see their fate. I can see all the choices they've made in their past that made them who they are, as well as the very moment that they will die."
Charon nodded. "Yes, I know of the Reaper's Sight. Go on."
"Well, when I looked at this woman, this Peyton Paradisa... I couldn't see her fate. I couldn't see anywhere in her future where she dies."
Charon considered this information, stroking his chin with the blackened nail on the end of his index finger and looking down at Darius thoughtfully.
"My, my, that is a new one," he said softly. "However, I do have a theory."
"You do?" Darius asked, surprised.
Charon grinned. "Of course. If we consider the actions of the rogue, we know that he is reaping souls that are not yet meant to be reaped. This is changing the design. People who are meant to die much later are suddenly not where they were going to be, which changes the design for others who were once going to interact with them. I believe Chaos Theory applies here. A mortal who passed through here several years ago would refer to this as the butterfly effect. Edward Lorenz, was his name. Nice man, I spoke with him for a while. He was fascinated by this place. But I digress. The fact remains that when this rogu
e changes one thing..."
"He changes everything," Darius quietly finished the sentence. Charon nodded.
"It could be that her fate is simply yet to be rewritten," Charon suggested. "I wouldn't concern myself with it. She will end up here one day, as all mortals do."
Darius nodded. "Yes. Thank you, Charon. You've been a great help."
Charon bowed his head. "Anything to be of service. But I will again advise that you speak with Azrael on the matter of the rogue. If nothing else, he should at least be made aware of the problem. It is not just the fates of mortals that this rogue could change."
"Of course. Thank you Charon."
Charon smiled one last time, bowed again, then was gone, vanished back into the River, only a small ripple fading away to indicate where he once stood.