Amateur Mistake

Screams flooded the room as the claw snatched another victim and dragged them through the door.

“Peek-a-boo!” a familiar, raspy voice sang, his straw-stuffed sleeves brushing the door as his claw reached for the doorknob. “I fooouuund yooou!”

“Oh, come on!” said the reaper. “Hey! Don’t steal my catches! Get some on your own!”

“Now, now, don’t whine when your ‘catches’ have been screaming their lungs out for the entire mansion to hear! You should’ve seen this coming, rookie!”

“Wait, that voice! C-Crowley?!” I called out.

“What? You know him?” asked the reaper.

As fast as a blink of an eye, branches shot through the door and ensnared the remaining guests huddling by the door, yanking them right off their feet and swallowing them whole.

The screaming died out in less than a second, and silence hung over the empty scene while I slowly processed everything going on.

“Hey! That’s not fair—give them back!” said the reaper, stomping her feet.

“You should be grateful that I decided to spare the last human in there…” Crowley poked his head through, and the pitch-black holes on his sack met my gaze, where I caught a pair of flickering red pupils from within. “Oh? It’s you,” he said. “What a pleasure to see you still kicking, heheh.”

“Erm…” I darted glances at the reaper brandishing her scythe, ready to swing at me at any second. “About that…”

“Ah, did I interrupt you two? My sincerest apologies. I shall take my leave then.” Crowley snickered and pulled his head back out.

I whipped back toward the door. “Eh? Ehh?! Wait, wait, wait! No, come back!” I instinctively ducked the moment the air shifted around me, barely dodging the scythe. “C-Crowley! Help me! Please!”

“...Hmm?” Intrigued, he peeked through the hole again. “And what do I gain from lending you my aid?”

“I—uhm—I-I’ll help you get more souls if you save me!” I blurted out.

“Ho… A young human wants to team up with a withering old spirit like me? How very tempting…”

“I’m literally right here, you know? Don’t ignore me!” The grim reaper swung her scythe again, but I leaned away right in time. I shot a glance at a chair toppled over by my side, and I wasted no time snatching it and throwing it at her.

The reaper kicked away the chair, shattering it into pieces. When she finally looked away during the distraction, I bolted to the door. “I promise you I’m worth it!” God, what am I even saying anymore?! “Please, just get me out of here!”

“Hmm…” The scarecrow scratched his chin, grinning all the while. “You know what? Since you’ve asked me so politely, sure, why not?”

Crowley’s laughter rang through the room—loud, raspy, and filled with malice—before another swarm of branches swooped in and firmly wrapped around my torso. He deflected the reaper’s desperate swings and yanked me through the door, holding me securely beside him as he continued to block her blade.

“Say, lass, do you happen to run fast?” asked the scarecrow.

“Huh? Uh, y-yes?” I squeaked out.

“Ah, good.” He blocked another blow as he staggered backward. “Then, can you carry us away?”

“...Eh?”

“Ahaha… My feeble, wooden limbs can move so much, let alone carry a human.”

I peered down at his wobbly legs and swallowed. If what that reaper said was true, and that the rest of the spirits here would hunt me down, then it’d be wiser to team up with someone, but with a spirit? I had no idea if I could even trust him—hell, he might even take my soul at any given time, but if I could prove my use, maybe he could spare me. Besides, I said I would help him, and I was more than willing to keep that promise.

I had to get him on my side no matter what.

I nodded and said, “Allow me.”

Crowley released me, and I instantly scooped him up and bolted through the hallway. “Wow, you’re lighter than I thought,” I said, squeezing his waist. “Is it all just straw in there?”

“But of course,” said Crowley. “I’m a scarecrow. What’d you expect? Organs?”

“Maybe—didn’t you swallow those guys earlier?”

“That I did,” he casually said, patting his stomach. “But their flesh and bones have all but disintegrated by now.”

“I didn’t need to know that…”

“Ah, my bad. Heheh.”

I continued to sprint as fast as I could, guided by Crowley as we navigated through the halls. A shame I couldn’t admire the gothic decorations when an embodiment of death was chasing behind me. Maybe she got tired—or that she figured that it was a lost cause—that she decided to give up her chase and moved on to stalk other humans.

Right as I saw the chance to slow down and catch my breath, Crowley glanced up at the ceiling. “You should keep moving, by the way,” he said. “Don’t think that you’re safe anywhere in this place.”

“Huh? What do you mean?” I asked, looking around. “I don’t see anyone here…”

An unnaturally cold breeze brushed past me, and I shivered. I frantically scanned the area, barely catching a glimpse of a glowing wisp floating through the tall cabinet beside me.

Before I realized the situation, I widened my eyes in horror as the cabinet wobbled and tilted, leaning right toward my spot.