Suck My Life (Sucking Dead #1) - Andie M. Long Page 0,33

in black?”

“No, Walter. It’s not like you to be seeing things. Do you have a headache?”

But Walter wasn’t listening. Walter was staring at me.

“Do you know who I am, Walter, and why I’ve come for you?”

“Death.” He said. “So, it’s my time?”

The carer stared at him. “Walter, lovey, are you okay?”

“Any last confessions?” I asked him.

“If I tell you my sins now, will it help me?”

“I’m Death. I’m not here to bargain with you, I’m here to collect your soul. So, I’ll ask you once more. Any last confessions?”

“Oooh what sins are you wanting to tell me, Walter? Hey, Harriet, Walter here’s acting a bit strange. Talking about seeing a man in black and death. I’m wondering if the doctors changed his meds and didn’t tell us again?”

Another older woman pointed to where I was, “Cm fu hm,” she mumbled, but with the drool running from her mouth, Harriet couldn’t hear what she was being told.

Walter closed his eyes. “My old boss. Mr Lewthwaite. I killed him. Hit him over the head with a concrete block. Shoved him in the footings of the garage he had me building him. Told his wife he’d said he was going to the shops. No CCTV in those days.”

His carer moved a little further away from him. Looked to Harriet, looked back again.

“What are you talking about, Walter?”

“I did it. I killed him. I kept the secret all my life.”

“Why would you kill someone, you daft thing? All your family say you’re the sweetest person and that’s all we’ve seen.”

“I wanted his wife. He stole her from me at school. I wanted her back. Tell Kathleen when she visits. Tell her I killed him.”

I beckoned him with my finger, my body going black and wispy, “I want your soul, Walter. It has a date with the demons.”

“Nooooooooo,” he screamed, his face a perfect picture of torment as the demon appeared at my side and I took Walter’s soul and passed it on.

The old people’s home was left in a state of panic while Walter’s carer, Ellen, dealt with him and Harriet tried to console the hysterical woman who’d seen me.

I left and went on to collect another soul.

Mya

Moody arse.

I could do without him.

Let him brood around collecting souls. I had a very long to-do list of my own.

And the first thing on my list was to have a cupcake and a hot chocolate.

I whizzed myself to the bottom of the hill to find that I only went a tiny bit dizzy before I gained my equilibrium and managed to walk myself into Gnarly.

“Good morning, Mya. I didn’t think I’d see you again so soon. Not that it isn’t good to welcome you back. Special cupcake was it?” Callie said.

I shook my head.

“Nah, delicious though it was, I’ve fed already today. On a packet of ready prepared that is. I don’t have human sacrifices waiting at home.” My eyes looked down at the display cabinet. “So I’d like to try a Strawberry Shortcake and a Toffee Apple Surprise, and seeing as I can’t put weight on, I’ll have that with a hot chocolate with marshmallows please.”

“Take a seat. Coming right up.”

I liked it in Callie’s. Even though it was luminously pink and bright, it was the anthesis of the gloomy mansion. I’d like to add some colour, but the place didn’t lend itself to pastels.

“So where’s dark, tall, and handsome today?”

“Off brooding and being all Death-ly.”

“Well he seems to be rubbing off on you?”

“Pardon?” I looked down for any stains that could have given her that impression.

“You’re dressed all in black.”

Fuck, I was. I looked like a female version of him. “Oh shoot, his misery must be contagious. I’ve been there one day, and my bright yellow top has been discarded and I’m dressed like I’m at a funeral. Ooh, I can wear these to my own though.”

“You’re going to your own funeral?”

“Yeah, I’m going to pretend to be my own twin sister.”

“Can I come? I can pretend to be an old school friend. I’ve not been to the city in forever.”

“Hmm, I’d need to get to know you better first. How do I know you’re not a naughty supernatural who might run amok?”

“Gimme a sec,” she said, and she walked through a doorway to the back of the shop. A minute later she walked back followed by another woman, a young strawberry blonde who smiled at me. “I’m Dela, Callie’s younger sister. Welcome to the fell.”

“Thank you.”

“Come on. Dela will get our orders and