Chapter 96 - For Whom the Bell Tolls
Morrigan raised her scythe as she sprinted toward Pepper. The hollow gripped the small girl’s face, its mouth agape, emitting a ghastly wail as Pepper grew visibly weaker.
“Pepper, hang on!” Morrigan shouted.
Pepper’s knees buckled, and she stumbled back, but Juniper kept her hands firmly on her.
“Wait!” Pepper cried, her feet suddenly finding purchase as she steadied herself. “It’s okay! Just wait!” she repeated.
Morrigan hesitated, now close enough that one firm step forward would be all it’d take to bring herself in range and reap the hollow.
Pepper raised her hands to Juniper’s wrists. At first, her hands passed through the semi-material creature, but then they seemed to find them and grab hold. Morrigan thought it was similar to how her scythe wasn’t a truly material object until she grabbed it.
“Pepper,” Morrigan said carefully, her voice tense. “I’ve decided. I’m going to protect you. If fate is so absolute, then it should know what I’m going to do. It doesn’t matter! I’m not letting you die to pass some stupid test!”
“Thank you, Morrigan,” Pepper said softly, “but as I said… I’m not leaving my sister alone again.” She gently pulled the hollow’s hands from her face. Juniper stared at her, unmoving, allowing Pepper to guide her hands down to her waist where she held them. “I’m sorry I ran from you before, Juniper. I didn’t know what else to do. You were always protecting me, but I couldn’t do the same for you. That ends now. I’m not leaving you again.”
“But your sister would want you to live!” Morrigan interrupted. “She’s not herself anymore, but if she were, she’d tell you to stay safe!”
“You’re right. And if I’d told Juniper to pass on peacefully when she first died—that she didn’t need to stay and protect me—she wouldn’t have listened either. But… I didn’t say that. I was happy to have her with me, even when I knew it wasn’t good for her. I didn’t let her go. And when things got worse, and I finally realized something was wrong… I ran.”
Pepper took a deep breath, looking into the hollow’s eyes. “Juniper… I know you’d tell me to get away. But I’m not going to listen. You’re my sister, and I’m here for you. In heaven, you’ll be yourself again, and I’ll be there with you. So…” Pepper lowered her head. “Do whatever you’re going to do. I won’t run.”
Morrigan gripped her scythe. Her head lowered as she gritted her teeth, fighting off the urge to take that step forward. She wondered, was fate really so rigid and unchangeable? If that were true, nothing made sense. Don’t people alter fate every day just by existing? Why couldn’t she do something about it now?
Morrigan opened her eyes, lifting her head—and saw something unexpected. Juniper was changing. Her angry glow was dimming and each strand of hair became more defined. Not only that, but the wisp of her lower body was solidifying—her legs were forming. Was she… un-hollowing? Was that even possible?
“Juniper?” Pepper asked, her voice trembling.
Juniper’s face was becoming clearer. She shut her eyes tightly, then opened them again, and though she still wasn’t quite like a normal spirit, she had pupils. Expression. She was looking at her sister.
Then, her mouth opened, and a hoarse, throaty voice emerged as she spoke her sister’s name. “Pepper.”
They both dropped to their knees, holding each other’s hands, their gazes locked.
“Juniper!” Pepper smiled, tears streaming down her face. “I’m here! See? I came back for you.”
Juniper’s face, though still ghostly and pale, showed something beyond a hollow’s usual emptiness. She looked as if she were a prisoner locked in a cell for many years and finally let into the outside world again. “I was… so alone…” she whispered to Pepper, her voice thick with sorrow.
Pepper leaned closer, resting her forehead against Juniper’s. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have run back then.”
Juniper’s hollow eyes flickered with a glimmer of recognition, her trembling fingers tightening around her sister’s hands. “I… didn’t mean to scare you… I just… wanted to… protect you…”
Pepper sobbed quietly, holding on as though she thought letting go meant Juniper would float away and disappear forever. “I know. You were always protecting me.”
Morrigan felt a lump form in her throat. Could fate be wrong? Juniper no longer seemed like she wanted to harm Pepper. So how was Pepper going to die? Morrigan glanced around, searching for any sign of impending danger. She didn’t know what time it was, but whatever was supposed to happen, would happen soon.
She stepped forward cautiously, her scythe still aglow, unsure of what her next move should be. She had been prepared to fight, to reap the hollow and save Pepper, but now… everything felt different.
Juniper’s eyes drifted from Pepper to Morrigan. “Leave…” she rasped.
“I…” Morrigan tensed.
Pepper turned her tear-streaked face toward Morrigan, her expression soft yet peaceful. “Morrigan… could you… leave us for now? I’ll be right here, and we’ll be ready when it’s time.”
When it’s time…?
Morrigan’s grip tensed on her scythe. “Pepper… I-I don’t know if I can do that.”
“I know. But whatever happens, happens. It’s not your fault.”
Every instinct screamed at her to stay, to protect Pepper. She was terrified of what might come, but she couldn’t bring herself to take this moment away from them. And yet, Juniper was still a hollow. Unless Alice had flat-out lied about the list, something was going to change and this peaceful reunion wouldn’t last.
“Morrigan. It’s okay. Just… come back in a little while, alright? I’ll be with my sister until then.” Pepper gently touched Juniper’s face, bringing their eyes back to each other.
With a reluctant sigh, Morrigan nodded. “Okay. I’ll… be nearby. I’ll…” She clenched her fist, turning her head away abruptly. “I’ll come back in a little while.”
As if to deny herself any further hesitation, Morrigan spun on her heel and quickly walked away. She raised her scythe and, in a fit of frustration, tossed it aside. She would have flung it against a wall, but it vanished into blue flame before it had the chance. “Damn it!” she muttered, covering her mouth with her hand as tears welled in her eyes. She walked at a brisk pace, and kept moving, trying to make it as hard for herself as possible to turn back and change her mind. “Damn it, DAMN IT!” she swore in a low voice.
This is what Pepper wanted, she told herself. It’s wrong, but it’s what she wanted. Besides, it’s what’s supposed to happen. Morrigan had to convince herself she wasn’t killing Pepper with inaction. She was just… Just what? No, this was basically the same as killing Pepper. If you knew someone was going to die and didn’t stop it, didn’t that make you responsible? All the people on her lists over the summer—she hadn’t murdered them, but she had facilitated their deaths. It was her job, though. She was a reaper. It was a dirty job and someone had to do it. It just so happened to be her.
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But something about this felt different. This was a friend of hers, and was it really right to just treat her like any other of her clients?
“Aaaaaah!” Morrigan screamed and slammed her palm into a nearby wall. Her white hair fell over her face as she stopped walking. “Damn this fucking sucks!”
Then, she sensed something approaching. It was a black mass coming upon her, swooping in like a bird of prey.
Morrigan didn’t need to look to know what it was. She turned just in time to see Alice step forward, emerging from the shadows like a predator. Her black cloak billowed as she brushed it aside, the red glow of her eyes gleaming beneath her hood.
Morrigan glared, straightening her posture, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand and fixing her hair back. “You’re early,” she spat, her voice dripping with bitterness.
Alice tilted her head with a faint smirk tugging at her scarred lips. “No. I think I’m right on time. I’m surprised you actually walked away.”
Morrigan’s eyes burned with anger. “You’re twisted. You think this is entertaining, don’t you?”
Alice shrugged casually. “Well, immortality does get boring after a while.”
“So, what? You decided to show up just to fuck with me? I’m standing by, letting a friend die, and you’re laughing about it!?” Morrigan shouted.
Alice’s smile widened, her gaze drifting down the street. “I am surprised the hollow regained its senses. It’s rare, but not impossible. Maybe it won’t kill your friend after all. Shame you left her alone, though. Maybe something else will get her now.”
“Quit fucking with me!” Morrigan screamed. “I’m standing back, I’m letting fate do whatever it’ll do! Okay? I’m doing my job like I’m supposed to!” Her voice cracked under the weight of those words.
“I know. I guess that means I can’t fail you, huh? Still, it’s pretty horrible that you abandoned your friend like that.”
Morrigan snapped, lunging at Alice and grabbing her cloak by the collar with both hands. She yanked her close, her voice trembling with raw fury. “What am I supposed to do!? You’ll just kill her anyway! This is all some sick game to you! I swear, I’ll get you back for this, you fucking bitch!”
Alice didn’t flinch. She met Morrigan’s gaze with a cold, amused smirk, her red eyes glowing beneath her hood. “Such a temper. It’s not my fault she’s dying, you know. So why are you taking it out on me?”
“Because you tried to use this to make me fail your stupid ass test! Just because I’m Death’s apprentice. Well, I didn’t ask for any of this, and I don’t have anything to do with whatever issues you have with him.” Morrigan yanked on Alice’s cloak again. “You’re just screwing with me for no reason!”
Alice’s gaze remained steady, but her eyes narrowed dangerously. “Is that what you think this is all about? It makes sense, I suppose. Master has always underestimated my motivations. Some things never change.” She grabbed Morrigan’s sleeve, and the subtle shift in her expression made Morrigan loosen her grip, allowing Alice to throw her arm away and force Morrigan back a step.
“Whatever,” Morrigan muttered as she turned. “I don’t really give a damn.”
“Oh, but you should,” Alice said, a hint of malice in her voice. “I’m about to tell you something important. You see..." Her head cocked at an angle as her lips curled. "The thing is, I actually told you one pretty big lie tonight.”
Morrigan’s eyes snapped back to Alice to see her reaching into her cloak. She pulled out the little black book from earlier, the one that Alice used for her list—or so Morrigan had assumed until Alice spoke her next words. “Listen carefully,” she said, waving the book. “This is actually just an ordinary journal.”
Morrigan’s eyes widened. “What…?”
“That’s right,” Alice said as she began casually flipping through the pages. “But Nyx doesn’t lie. When she said Pepper was on my list, I assure you that was true. But… well, it’s been a rather unusual night. Don’t you think?”
“Whatever game you’re playing now, I’m not falling for it!”
Alice only smirked, continuing her explanation. “Let me tell you something about myself. I’ve been in the habit of keeping a diary ever since I was a little girl being raised on my family’s farm—this was just outside of Salem, Massachusetts. I’ve found the habit to be quite useful as a reaper. Our existence is cruel in that we have only a normal human’s ability to retain memory, despite our extended existence. It’s amazing how much you can forget in ten years, let alone hundreds. That’s why I keep records. I write everything down—the people I’ve met, the weather, my thoughts… and, of course, the souls I reap.”
Morrigan shook her head, lost. “Okay… so what?”
Alice’s fingers paused on a page, her red eyes glinting. “You’re new, but surely you’ve noticed your list occasionally changes. Sometimes it’s a different time or place, or even, more rarely, the exact cause of death may vary throughout the course of a day... Right? Well, that’s because fate, or at least our voidlings’ ability to interpret it, isn’t always precise. The list is more of a prediction—correct enough, but with some wiggle room.”
Morrigan nodded slowly. She had noticed that before. The first time she ever reaped someone, the list hadn’t included the client’s hospital room number until just before it mattered. The timing had been convenient for Noir as it helped him win an argument, but why was Alice bringing this up now?
“This might seem a bit random, but let me ask: How much do you know about quantum physics?”
Morrigan blinked, caught off guard by the sudden change in topic. “Quantum physics? What does that have to do with anything?”
Alice chuckled softly, her tone condescending. “Quite a lot, actually. You see, there’s something called the observer effect. Particles behave differently when they’re observed. Well, that's because the act of observing itself affects the particles. There's no way around it. Fate works much the same way. To carry out fate’s will, we reapers must glimpse it through our lists. We thus become observers, and by observing, we alone are granted the power to alter what would otherwise be set in stone.”
“Well… yeah, that’s obvious, isn’t it? Isn’t that the whole point of punishing reapers who mess with fate? We're not suppose to act on our insider information. That's what this is all about, right?”
Alice smirked. “Well... yes. But, I don’t think you fully understand the implications. Think about it. Prior to observation, fate is in a state of perfect order. But then, our voidlings relay to us what fate has ordained, turning us into observers and thus the potential for chaos emerges. It’s ironic, don’t you think? As reapers, we’re supposed to protect order, but our very existence threatens it.”
Morrigan’s mind raced. “So you’re saying… just by seeing the list, by knowing what’s supposed to happen, we make fate... unstable?”
Alice grinned, clearly enjoying Morrigan’s struggle to interpret her lecture. “Exactly. Before we look at it, fate is untouched, perfect. But the moment we are handed our lists we introduce the possibility of chaos. The observer effect doesn’t just apply to particles—it applies to everything, the fabric of our universe—fate itself!”
“Why are you telling me all of this right now?” Morrigan demanded.
“Because I thought altering fate might be something you’re interested in…” Alice pulled back her sleeve, revealing a golden watch around her thin wrist. She glanced at the time, just as a deep bass thumped from a car radio down the street. Morrigan barely noticed it, until Alice turned her head in its direction, a knowing smile crept onto her lips. “I’m afraid we’ll have to cut this lesson short. For now, just know you’re a key part of an experiment I’m running. I just hope you’re smart enough to piece things together so I can get some useful results.”
“Experiment? What are you talking about?”
Alice’s smile widened as she turned her diary around, showing Morrigan Pepper’s name. This time, she didn’t hide the cause of death—in fact, she placed her finger right beneath it, ensuring it was the first thing Morrigan would read:
Pepper Hawthorne, 01:32 AM, 765 Airport Road — struck by automobile.
Morrigan’s heart dropped. Her head snapped down the street, where the car radio blared louder, the roar of an engine accompanying it. It was a Metallica song—Morrigan recognized it by the ominously fitting lyrics:
~For whom the bell tolls!
~Time marches on!
Morrigan’s gaze shot back to Alice, who was watching her with a cat-like intensity in her red eyes.
“But, that doesn’t matter, right? E-even if I—”
“Come on, keep up! This isn’t actually my list! I just told you that! Remember?!” Alice laughed as if she’d just delivered the punch-line to a very funny joke. She snapped the journal closed with one hand. “This is just a copy of it! Or rather, a copy of an older version of it! Get it?” Again she laughed with a sinister cackle. “Now it’s like Schrödinger’s Cat! You know that one, don’t you?”
“Schrödinger’s Cat… what the hell are you—”
“Neither of us knows what’s currently on the real list! I interfered earlier and set you on a different path. Maybe it was enough to change fate. Maybe Pepper won’t die. But since neither of us has seen the list since my interference, we're not observers anymore! Neither one of us can possibly know for sure!”
“A-and that means…”
Alice doubled over with an uncontrollable fit of laughter, clutching her sides.
“You’re insane!” Morrigan spat, wasting no more time. She broke into a sprint, her boots pounding against the pavement as she raced back toward Pepper and Juniper. The roar of the car engine grew louder, accompanying the blaring music that delivered James Hetfield’s grim prophecy.
~For whom the bell tolls!
~Time marches on!
Was this all an elaborate trick? Had Alice gone through all of this just to force her hand and do something to fail the test? Morrigan didn’t know, but there was one thing she did understand—there was at least a chance. Maybe she could still save Pepper's life!