Grim For Ever After by Elizabeth Haley (the kiss of deception read online TXT) 📕

"So what's up?" He said when they were in his basement bedroom each plopping down onto a  bean bag chair.

"I don't know how to ask you this J but did you know what was going on with Tess?" Ty seemed embarrassed to have asked his best friend this but his sister came first even in death. Jake stiffened his right eye twitched. And Rae and Ty both knew he did.

"What did you do?!?!" Ty hollered.

"I didn't.. I..I...!"

Rae grabbed Ty's wrist hoping he wouldn't lunge forward and he didn't.

"You should start from the beginning!" Rae said softly and Jake nodded. Ty Stared at him with an unreadable  expression.

When I first moved here and became friends with you guy's I found a a book here in the basement only it was different  then any of the the book's we found at the wicca store it was about death.  Jake went on, one day a few months back Tess came by and she was real upset and crying she wouldn't tell me what was wrong, but she kept asking me if I believed in the stuff we read about she was really interested in the old book she'd seen on my shelf before" Jake stood grabbing a thick black leather book from a rusty shelf the title was in white thread. (FOREVER GRIM ) the letters were ghostly and Rae felt as if winter had come early as she read them.

"Why would Tess be interested in that?" Ty asked reaching for it. Jake looked hesitant but passed it over.

"I really don't know but whatever happened that night really creeped her out man!"

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't know what to say and Tess never brought it up again so I didn't either!" 

"Did she actually read it?" Rae asked while involuntarily wrapping her arms around herself. 

"I guess so, she borrowed it!" Jake said.

"Alright ,alright so my sister read a book about death and  then she killed herself! But you can't tell me the shit in this book is real J ,what ever was bothering Tess was normal out of control teenage girl stuff not nothing to do with souls or whatever!!!" Ty said opening it.

He flipped through a few pages and stopped.

( "A Soul Collector The keepers of stolen souls damned by their greedy cruel thirst for pure, virginal souls of youthful females. Stealing a pure soul creates a life force within the collector and once it runs out it must be replaced with another pure soul because without purity The Collector passes on to Hell.")


The reason Ty had stopped at this particular spot was because it was highlighted.

"Did you see this before?" He asked Jake.

"No I haven't looked at it since Tess brought it back!"

"Oh god Ty, Tessa was a virgin!" Rae gasped.

"This is crap Rae Tessa killed herself she wasn't........ Ty's face feel his mouth hanging open.

"What?"

"Nothing." Ty snapped the book shut and sat it down on an orange crate.

"Let me see Ty! It said something about her killing herself, didn't it? DIDN'T IT TY?" Rae screamed

"NO! LETS.. he lowered his voice, lets just go alright!" He stood and stormed up the basement steps. Rae stood too.

"I didn't ever read it after her Jake said staring after Ty.

"I don't blame you Jake. But I need to borrow this!" 

"You cant!" Jake protested.

"And why not?'' Rae asked. "You let Tessa!"

"Yes and now she's....I can't let you end up that way to!" Jake said his eyes sad and pleading.

"I would never do that. After a long pause Jake agreed and Rae tucked the book into her bag she could feel it's coolness against her hip.

"Do you feel it too Jake, The chill?" He looked terribly afraid when he answered "Yes."

Ty didn't talk on the drive to Rae's.  His emotions had started to boil over in the basement but now they were once again deep inside. His cell phone was ringing when they got to Rae's.

"Hello,... yes mom... sure... okay.... see you soon!" He hung up.

"I can't come in, but I'm sure you'll be fine forget the book Brick sent us there so we'd get off his back! And the whole thing with your bedroom your mom must have found the note outside or something and sat it down in there! Maybe she thought it fell out your jacket!" Rae just nodded, Ty was afraid and in denial that's all there was to it. She got out and watched him pull away. Then she was alone again in her house. She shut her bedroom door and locked it she already locked the window earlier. She sat down on her bed and pulled the book out of her bag. She flipped to where they had left off. She pulled her fluffy navy robe tight around her she'd known the cold would be in full force.

( There is only one way to avoid being collected though death is unavoidable killing your self before death makes  its claime causes your soul no longer to be pour ,noncollectable. Though this sacrifice allows you to remain the keeper of your soul, one with out purity can not move on  It is then you will be greeted by a Death Bearer some death Bearer's are merciful and will simply allow you to stay in the Grim Realm others may offer you  life among The Grims )

There it was written in ink Tess had killed herself so her soul wouldn't be collected. But what is a Grim? As in Grim Reaper.

Rae didn't like where her imagination was going she knew she should close the book and forget about it like Ty said but how could she if what she read was true and Soul Collectors actually existed then all sorts of unspeakable things could be lurking in her world like the ghost of her best friend who could have come into her room and left the note.

Do you beleive in ghosts? Brick had asked and unlike Ty Rae wasn't truly ready to dismiss the idea.                             

"I'm home!" Her mothers voice made her jump. and she dropped
 the book then and headed downstairs, to the warmth of her mothers smile.

"Feeling any better?" Her mom asked dropping a green folder onto the white marble counter in the kitchen and taking a seat at the island.

"Yea much better mom!" Which was only half true because physically she was. Her mom pulled her hair loose looking like a more mature Rae. She was only thirty-four and all the neighborhood boys thought she was hot always offering to help with groceries or cut the grass for cheap. Rae pulled the note out of her pocket.

"Mom did you leave this in my room?" She would have mentioned the window too but if the answer was no her mom would just be freaked out like she was.

"No hun what is it?"

"Just a note!" Rae shrugged.

"From who?" her mom asked over her shoulder she was pulling a chrome pot out of the cabinet over the sink and then feeling it up with water.

"Who's it from?" She asked again.

"I don't know!" Rae said quickly. It's probably nothing!" Her mom didn't respond.

"You're still going to make soup?"

"Yup! Haven't you heard? Her mom gave her a sarcastic look, it's good for your soul!" With that Rae lost her appetite. and wasnt really feeling up to a movie night.

Before going back into her room she took a quick shower and combed her hair out it was looking ratty she hadn't been feeling in the mood to do anything with it. Combing it almost made her feel normal like there wasn't a book about souls and death waiting for her on her bed.

At least that's where it was supposed to be right? She hadn't put it on her desk? she looked across the room, nope not there. But something else got her attention her window was open just the tiniest bit not even an inch, but obviously tampered with considering it had been locked. Her breath was coming out in a wheeze and her chest felt tight. She was wondering when a panic attack would come along. She calmed herself as she always managed to do when she was loosing control. She sat down stiffly not bothering with the window. What was the point? She sat there silently going insane. When she noticed something else was missing. A pair of shoes. A pair of Tess's black Nike running shoes. They should have been right up against the wall that she and Tessa had painted to look like a night sky. Tess had dropped them there after they had gone jogging. But they weren't  there now. Just like the book someone had taken them. As if thing's weren't crazy enough.

"Rae Sweety?" Jade was staring at her daughter in concern she'd been talking to her and getting no reply.         

"Sorry mom, what did you say?" She forced herself out of the daze she had been in since the night before.

"I said, are you going to still give out the candy to the kids tonight? You know I have to show face at the Halloween party it's a work thing!" Rae managed a nod. Jade firmly beleived that She and Rae had to keep living there own lives and the thought of Rae being depressed and alone scared her.

"Rae?"

"Hmmm, yea mom?"

"You know everything's going to be okay right?"

Her mom pushed hair out of face and kissed her on the four head. And tears came to both of their eye's. Rae wiped at hers and cleared her throat.

"Go to the party mom. You need it!"

"You need to do something too! Maybe invite Laney over and get Jake to wear one of his crazy masks like last year. The kid's loved it remember!"

"The parents weren't to thrilled!" Rae remembered that. They were quite a moment and then both started laughing. Rae watched her mom move around the kitchen grabbing two large orange bowls with severed hands all over them. Then she opened the white cabinet and pulled out party mix bags of candy. She Tossed Rae a Kit-Kat.

''Alright I'll call them but first I'm going to the cemetery!"

"Oh Okay,  yeah I almost forgot I bought this for her grave site!" Jade said, pulled out a pumpkin from her purse that could fit in the palm of her hand it was painted to look like a black cat.

"Cute!" Rae said. She would of liked it"

"I know!" Jade smiled putting it in Rae's bag. And then Rae was slinging the bag over her shoulder and on her way out the door. I'll be back before you leave mom!"

"Alright,I love you Rae!"  

"I love you too mom!"


It was five o-clock Rae noted Trick or Treating was at six. She just needed to feel near Tess and she hated to admit it but she needed to ease her mind, to see the grave and know Tess was there and not really lurking around undead in her room!

She drove to the the cemetery and up the winding hill coming to a second white gate. She drove through the opening her car bumping down the now dirt road surrounded by tree's.

Rae parked and hopped out when she came to the opening and could see the secluded part of the cemetery where Tessa was buried. Suddenly her red