Mitzi had thought her new determination would be enough. She would stay strong in the face of anything they tried to do to her, to the other ghouls. And she would use her last breaths to do whatever damage to them that she could. Whatever it took, she would find a way to hurt them before they managed to kill her - and she had no doubt now that they intended to kill all of them. There had been no one there to see them captured, and she wouldn't want her friends and family to risk themselves trying an impossible rescue anyway. Which meant that the best they could hope for was a chance to go down fighting.
When the new figure appeared, she didn't know what to think. No more horsemen? Resistance members? What was he talking about? Her eyes followed him with a glare as he strode across the room, even as his words and tone made her panic spike again. She didn't have much time to consider what he said, though, as the door to her cage opened.
Her first instinct was to try to rise to her feet, but suddenly all her energy was gone.
Not again! Whatever they were using
this time to paralyze her, it left her conscious, which was even worse. She could only watch helplessly as the man came into her cage, came right up to her. She tried to reach out, to grab him, but it was like moving through molasses.
He placed something in her mouth, and immediately pain began to spread throughout her. She could just barely keep her thoughts together as he declared her useless.
Useless. She was useless.
Ever since she'd arrived at Amityville, all she'd been was useless. Her years of training had done her no good, every time there had been trouble someone had had to save her. But now, there was no one, and she was dying. How had this happened?
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"But Grandfather, it's too big."Her grandfather gently took her hands, repositioning her hold on the scareling-sized training scythe.
"No, Mitzi, you're holding it wrong. Here, try this, there you go. That should be easier."The scareling tried a few experimental swings with the weapon.
"It feels weird. This is what I'll have once I can manifest my own weapon?"He smiled at her.
"Well, if you're going to be a Grim Reaper, then almost certainly. The best Grim Reapers almost always have scythes, although it is possible to have a different type of weapon. It's just very rare, especially in our family."The young ghoul made a face.
"I don't think I want a scythe. But I'll still be the best Grim Reaper you've ever known! Just watch, I'll make you proud!"This earned a laugh from him.
"You already make me proud, Mitzi. And I'm sure you'll be an amazing Grim Reaper, no matter what what kind of weapon you manifest."The door to the training room opened, and a female Reaper stepped in.
"Miriam, your human studies tutor is here." For the first time she noticed the man, and her entire demeanor changed from antagonistic to obsequious.
"Oh, Father, my apologies. I did not see you there. If you will excuse us, it is time for my daughter to return to her studies."The ghoul grimaced. She
hated that name, all the more because her parents insisted on calling her by it.
"Yes, Mother," she whined, handing the practice scythe back to her grandfather, before dutifully, but unwillingly, following the older woman out.
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"Miriam?"Mitzi lay sprawled out on her bed, a fashion magazine open in front of her. She listlessly turned the pages, only half paying attention to it, as her music played as loudly as she could get away with. Loudly enough that she could probably get away, a little longer, with claiming she didn't hear her mother calling her.
"Miriam!"Louder this time, she definitely heard her mother. But this was her first break all day, and then only by sneaking off. And as much as by hiding, her "day off" tomorrow would probably get revoked… she had figured out years ago that nothing could stop that from happening anyway. Her parents always found a way to insist on more studying, more combat practice, more
work.
"Miriam Wilhelmina Adler! You come here this minute!"Mitzi cringed, finally swinging her legs off the bed and standing up, just as her mother slammed open her door.
"I have been looking all over for you, and turn that music off! I know why you use it. You're twenty minutes late, and if you don't head down to the practice room this instant, you won't be getting tomorrow to spend with your friends!"The ghoul hunched her shoulders, glaring at her mother as she shoved past her out of the room. Once her daughter was gone, the older Reaper walked across the room to turn off the eyeHome, shutting off the din. She gave a pained look at the bed, at the posters and magazines and the pile of
stuffed animal minis, and then around the rest of the room, at all the frivolous things her daughter collected. None of this would help her become the
great Reaper that she undoubtedly could be, and she seemed to spend less and less effort all the time on her studies.
Soon, at least, she'd be leaving to study at Amityville. Maybe there she'd find again the drive she'd had as a scareling.
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As her life flashed before her eyes - funny, she hadn't thought it would really do that - she could see now that it was all her own fault. She had let herself slack off, let secondary concerns take over. Perhaps if she had kept up with her training, worked to be the best Reaper she could be, she would have had the strength to fight back.
Or perhaps not.
Still, she could not, would not, go down without a fight.
Somehow, through the weakness and through the pain, she suddenly found herself on her feet. The man who had entered her cage - who had killed her, even if she wasn't dead yet - hadn't even bothered to watch as her FEAR was ripped apart by the poison. He had only made it a couple steps, though… maybe she could still reach him. Still make one last, hopelessly heroic effort. She reached out her hand to summon her spear as the other human glanced up, noticed her, started to call out…
It didn't come. Her weapon didn't come to her call.
Despair took her as she tumbled forward, and the poison finished its work. The ghoul dissipated, dissolved into nothingness, with no hint left that she had ever even existed.
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