"So why are we doing this again Jackie?"
Jackie glanced back at Gloria, the blonde coed giving her a curious look. "Look something felt fishy when I met Stephanie's date," she said. "His parents just opened this place and are apparently here. I just want to make sure everything is on the level."
"By investigating a mortuary," Sasha grumbled. "You know, just because you look like a Karen doesn't mean you have to act like one." Jackie frowned, glaring at the ebony haired young woman. Looking at her ring, Jackie now cast a spell. The middle age woman rapidly shedding years and pounds. Jackie's skin smoothed, her brunette hair regaining its luster as her breasts rose. In only a moment where a mature 46 year old woman stood was replaced by a lean yet attractive 19 year old coed. "There happy?"
"Not really," Sasha grumbled. "But then again this wasn't my call. Duke kind of guilted me into this after I forced him to do a favor for the Morelands. Ugh if he wasn't so hot I'd be sitting at home right now."
Jackie and Gloria stifled a laugh as they gazed at their friend. After finishing up their first year of college, the girls had returned for summer break. The reunion of friends was a joyous one, yet things had changed drastically for all of then.
Gloria and Caleb had grown closer, the young couple actual talking their collective parents into letting them rent an apartment of campus for their Sophmore year. Sasha and Duke, despite remaining in their hometown, had grown considerably, both young people taking classes as they tried to further their own careers. Sasha as a mechanic while Duke was was well on his way to becoming a Registered Nurse. "So Jackie how has the married life been," Sasha joked.
"I'm not married Sasha."
"You might as well be," she replied. "I mean we don't even see you as much anymore. You and Jackie are practically joined at the hip, not to mention Stephanie. I mean you've practically become a mom at this point."
"I just worry about Steph," Jackie sighed. Both Gloria and Sasha now cast their friend a dubious look before nodding. Although they thought all of this was a bit of an overreaction, they could understand. Stephanie was important to Ann, meaning she was important to Jackie. Thinking about they could see why Jackie would be concerned. With all the craziness they had seen over the years why wouldn't you be extra cautious, especially with someone you took care of.
As the trio now approached the mortuary, they were surprised to see the lights on within the building. The mortuary should have closed hours ago, yet a faint light now shone within. "Maybe they're just setting up," Gloria stated. Jackie and Sahsa glanced back at their friend, knowing it was wishful thinking. As the crept closer, they now carefully peered through the window.
Inside the young women now spied a middle aged married couple dancing slowly. It struck the teens as odd as they gazed at the mismatched pair. The woman was wearing floor length summer dress, her faded golden blonde hair falling to her waist. As she laughed, they could see the creases around her eyes and mouth yet her eyes seemed to sparkle as she lovingly gazed into her husband's eyes.
The husband struck the girls as odd. Sporting a small smile he twirled his dance partner, his eyes locked on her beautiful face. Jackie, Sasha, and Gloria assumed he must be the mortician from how he was dressed with his dark clothing. "So is that Stephanie's dates parents," Gloria asked. Jackie shrugged she presumed they were but, it struck her as odd. She had been expecting something nefarious not the awkward dancing of a middle aged married couple.
"Hello."
Jackie, Gloria, and Sasha jumped, startled as they now spun around, shocked to see the couple now standing behind them. "Wait," Sasha said in confusion. "How? Weren't you? I just saw?" The couple laughed softly, an impish smirk on their faces as they rubbed their chins. "Gloria Turner, Jackie Kirkman, and Sasha Sampson," the man said. "This is a bit of a surprise. I wasn't expecting to see you three for quite sometime."
"Wait how do you know who we are?"
Unsure of who this odd couple were, the three women now held out their rings, shocked as they seemed to have no effect on the pair. "Um Glo," Sasha said nervously. "Are you trying to cast a spell?"
"Yeah nothings happening," Gloria replied nervously. "Jackie?"
"Nothing," she gasped, nervously gazing at her ring. "Who are you! What are you going to do to Stephanie?"
"Stephanie," the man asked. "Do you mean Stephanie Marsh? Wasn't Travis supposed to be taking her out this evening?"
"Yes," the woman replied slowly. "Dont tell me something happened? Has Something happened with our son?"
"Not that we know of," Jackie stated. "Who are you though? What are you? Is my daughter in danger?" Both man and wife now glanced at one another before sighing in relief. "Oh that explains everything," the man said. "Of course," the wife replied. "Stephanie's the daughter of a wizard. No wonder they're at our place of business, she must have sensed something from our son."
Jackie and her friends were confused, not only was their magic ineffective against these two, but they appeared to know everything about them. "What are you," Jackie gasped. "Are...are you two gods?"
"No, no, of course not," the wife said, much to Jackie, Gloria, and Sashas relief.
"We actually gave birth to gods," the husband stated. "Thanatos, Kali, those are some of our more well known children." The young women now giving the man a double take. "I'm sorry what?!"
"Allow me to introduce ourselves," the man stated. "This is my lovely wife, Life."
"Life," Gloria exclaimed. "Like the God of Life!"
"No the actual embodiment," she replied. "This form is simply a personification. A form I like to take every millennium or so."
"So if you're Life," Jackie asked, still bewildered by all of this. "What is he?" The husband now chuckled, Jackie, Sasha, and Gloria watching as his face appeared to become more skeletal, his eyes glowing a blood red as a sinister smile stretched across his face. "I've always been a fan of the name Grim Reaper," he grinned. "But I am Death. Straight up!"
"Stop trying to frighten them Grim," Life groaned, casting her husband an exacerbated look. "We both know you're not reaping their souls and I am getting a bit tired of you useing that line. Just because it sounded menacing in a movie, doesn't mean you get to use it ad nauseum." The Grim Reaper now blushed, offering his wife a meak apology as Gloria, Jackie, and Sasha gawked at the two entities.
"So your telling me you two are the actual embodiments of Life and Death," she gasped. "And you're married!!"
"Since the beginning of time for the most part," Life shrugged. "Life and Death go hand in hand."
"Wait does that mean Jackie's daughter is on a date with a God of Death," Gloria exclaimed.
"No of courses not," Death replied. "Travis is very much human. He does have a couple of gifts from us though."
"So he's what," Sasha asked. "A demi god?"
Life and Death turned, shrugging in agreement before nodding. That seemed like an apt description. Jackie, Gloria, and Sasha simply gaped at the pair, dumbfounded by what they were hearing. "You seemed a bit taken aback," Life stated. "Why don't we go inside. I'm sure we can answer any questions or concerns Jackie may have."