March 30th 2018

I was on my way to school that day. Nothing really much going on with my life, I'm 17 and basically scrubbing my way to finish my last year of high school. The name is Dante, just Dante. No parents since they died in a car crash when I was young. I've also been living from family to family ti'll none of my relatives would take me in which was really rough for me for the first few years.

I just got by doing part-time jobs at pubs or delivering packages. I lived pretty comfortably mind you, I'm not starving nor on the verge of being kicked out by my landlord. However... I do feel that underlying loneliness that came from being in solitude for so long, no one to come and help whenever I needed someone or take care of me when I'm sick. Growing up, I always knew that I would be all alone in this huge world. Unwanted, I masked away the sinking feeling of depression that came along with that terrible feeling.  

I turned to reading as a past-time. One of my uncles gave me my first novel which I still kept to this day when I was young. Best present that I was given. It sparked my interest in reading eventhough there were deep words that I didn't understand that time. I think that book affected me in a way that I can't accurately describe. It was the first time that I felt I had a real friend, a connection with the characters and settings of the book. 

I felt happy, finally I had found solace and it was the greatest experience I had.

Up to the point where I felt really good and proud of myself I stumbled hard. I tried to brave the raging waters of the pressure that came with my newfound pride. I worked hard everyday and made friends along the way, busting ass until I could live a good life while being a working student. Finally I saw the fruits of my labor, I could finally sleep in a warm bed, buy good food that wasn't ramen or any of those protein bar crap, and I had a good roof above my head. I felt so happy when I thought I had finally made it.

But sadly, I am now binded by a debt that I must repay.

You see... I was supposed to die today. 

How you may ask? Well I was saved from a horrible traffic accident by this person. 

I won't go into further detail, but this person introduced himself literally as 'Cornelius Death'. I shit you not, a random stranger on the streets with the surname 'Death' saved me and now he's telling me he's the real deal. I tried to laugh off his 'joke' but never did I saw his face falter even once.

"We'll meet again soon, boy. You be safe now, there's no more miracles where that came from." he cracked a grin, dipping his hat and bidding me farewell. He departed with those worlds, literally vanishing in front of me in a split second. I spent the whole night researching about a person named 'Cornelius Death' and surprise surprise, no one. Literally no one came up. I chalked it up to some stranger just having fun with me, but I do wonder... 

"How the hell did he vanished all of a sudden?" It kept me up at night wondering what he might've did, it confused the hell out of me.

The next day I woke up feeling refreshed, gone were the thoughts of yesterday when I almost died. I still went to school yesterday, albeit a little bit late.

I fled the scene yesterday, but upon going down the road towards my school I still saw the numerous crashed cars and large chunks of metal laying around the side of the road. The local authorities must've been up all night just to try and clear up the debris from the accident. I shuddered at the thought of seeing the battered states of the vehicles.

I would have had to been scraped off the pavement had I been hit. Apparently no one survived the accident, I counted up my luck and thanked the person who saved me. He gives off an intimidating vibe, but I think the guy was just joking around. I was so relieved when I got tot school to start off the day, paying no mind to the noise coming from the other students, I just focused and studies whatever the hell they needed me to.

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The day ended pretty quickly, we received some random pop quiz from our teachers and were given a ton of homework. It was all fine, I finish my crap the day they hand it out to me anyway. My buddies would often copy my notes and homework which annoyed me to some degree, but played it cool when I saw that they were really trying hard themselves.

I texted my friends to go on without me to the movies, since I had no cash to spare when they asked me out. I couldn't let them pay for my ticket since it's not my thing to accept hand-outs from anyone.

Anyway on my way back to my apartment, I saw this library that had a good rustic charm to it. I entered without hesitation and the smell of old book waffed into my nose, a comforting and nostalgic smell that I love. Quiet.

As I entered, no bell or chime or anything for that matter. The whole place was next to empty apart from the familiar man standing in front of the library. He dipped his hat and grinned at me, the same Cornelius Death from yesterday. I nervously smiled back at the lanky man and greeted him politely.

"Welcome my boy!" Cornelius chuckled.

"W-Who are you... Really?"

"I didn't peg you to be a scatterbrain..." he mumbled, instantly reappearing again beside me. He coughed and cleared his voice before a burst of blue flame erupted from his palm. I staggered back and was surprised when he produced a parchment contract in front of me. "This is the last time that I'm going to repeat myself. I am Cornelius Death. You my boy, are now indebted to me for saving your life yesterday."

I turned to him and and then back at the contract, taking my time to read the terms of agreement in the contract that he presented me with. It stated that 'From this point on, ____________ shall pledge my loyalty to Lord Cornelius Death ti'll the debt owed had been fully repaid.' Underneath that were a set of rules that are bounded to me the moment I accept this contract. It shook me up and I feared that this is just like selling my soul to the devil. 

"You believe me now, boy?" he taunted, I gulped and wondered what the hell I've gotten myself into.

"Sign this, you work for me now and become my assitant. Refuse however..." Cornelius snapped his fingers and right in front of me was a magic mirror that played a scene wherein I would die a horrible death in another accident like the one that happened yesterday.

There was no way I was getting out of this. Cornelius then took a fountain pen from his pockets and presented it to me, looking me in the eye with his gaze of penance.

"The very moment that you sign this contract, you and I shall now work hand-in-hand to assist the lost souls that cannot pass into the afterlife. You will do their bidding to serve whatever requests they would have."

I thought hard about the life I'm throwing away if I accept. But I struggled to find a leeway, no matter what angle I look at it, I am not going to be released from this contract anytime soon. There was also the impending doom that this contract I was signing was just a glorified 'I accept' to eternal damnation. I looked at Cornelius in fear, asking whether or not I would go to hell eventually after signing.

"I-I'm not going to h-hell am I?" I stuttered, Cornelius looked at me as if I had just offended his ancestors, backhanding me hard across the face.

"Don't compare me with that malicious bastard! I am lord death! I am the inescapable truth. This is my library a limbo like plane of existence that exists in the human realm. YOU-" he pointed at be and then snapped his fingers, revealing numerous people that floated or either were chatting with each other from the book sections or at the tables. "Are now my Librarian. Your JOB is to assist these souls so that they can pass into the afterlife. Get it?" 

I didn't follow through what he said, I just nodded and smile to avoid any further misfortunes with this guy. I signed the contract without hesitation.

"Alright you'll start today and end your shift when I get back. I won't be long, for now just make small chat with the older souls that passby, oh and..." Cornelius then got near me and whispered in a low voice. "Don't think that there's a way out of this. If you so as much as try to ignore your duties here as my librarian, your contract would be renounced. Meaning it's game over." Cornelius made himself clear that I shouldn't try anything funny, not that I was even brave enough, but I guess I'm screwed anyway.

Cornelius waved at me before vanishing again into thin air. Looking back at the souls that were there, they looked pretty normal people to me, they just floated and looked a little bit like those ghosts in the cartoons.

"Well this just turned out to be an interesting day..." I muttered sarcastically, tending to the souls that asked for assistance and various other things.