24 I only deal with death (1/2)
For the last five years, Nam Ji Won watches everything. That includes the other world. There are ghosts and death reapers among many strange things. At first, she has been afraid of them Later, she becomes desensitized to these things. One has to adapt to the circumstances.
The ghosts are always everywhere. The ones who died recently are really noisy. Some ghosts never realize that they died. Most would try to haunt and scare people in the corridors at night. A few ghosts are centuries older, but they ignore her and the new generation of the ghosts. There are friendly ghosts. They like to visit the children and newborn wards because some young children and the newborns can see ghosts. It is fun to play with them.
”You should avoid those the most.” Go Jae Hee has been dead for fifty-six years. She didn't die at this hospital. But she has been here for a while. Hospitals and cemeteries are popular ghost spots because of a high number of ghosts.
”Who?” Nam Ji Won asks her.
Go Jae Hee points at a woman in formal black clothes. ”See her? She is a death reaper. Though death reapers can't force you to cross over, they can still do nasty things if you make trouble.”
”That's a death reaper?” Nam Ji Won is surprised. The woman didn't look scary. She looks like a normal person. She is short, cute and chic, wearing colourful star-shaped sunglasses. Her long hair is blonde with pink high lights. She is walking in a leisurely manner while holding a yellow umbrella. She stops next to the operating room and looks at her wristwatch.
”Three. Two. One.” She smiles when she sees a man in blue robes coming out of the operating room. It is the surgeon who died of exhaustion. He looks at her with exhausted eyes.
”Are you ready to go?” The woman asks.
”Who are you?” The man asks in confusion.
”I am a death reaper.” She holds her umbrella with her left hand. ”You died because of overworking. I am here to take you to the afterlife.”
”I am dead?” He is baffled. Then, he notices the ghosts in the hallway.
”You can go inside to confirm whether you are dead.” The woman's voice is neither high or low. Just then, the door of the operating room is opened. The surgeon's body is brought out on a stretcher. His colleagues are crying for him.
”So, I am dead.” He widens his eyes. ”I died like that.”
”Yes, take my hand.” She spreads her palm. ”In next life, I hope that you live happily.”
”Next life...” The surgeon sighs. ”I don't want to be a doctor. I think I want to be a plumber.”
The woman just smiles. The surgeon's soul becomes a small bead of light in her palm. She pockets it and disappears.
Nam Ji Won is speechless. She has never seen anything like this before. The death reapers must have come every day, but she usually spends her time in her room. She feels funny after watching the scene.
”She is the one who usually comes to take souls from this area.” Go Jae Hee's voice is ominous. ”She is nice and doesn't like to scare or bully the souls who decided to remain in this world. If you see anyone other than her, you should hide or run away. They don't chase, but if they find you, bad things can happen. Death reapers are quite moody.”
”...” Nam Ji Won doesn't know what to do with this new information. If she has choices, she wants to die or wake up. But she is stuck between life and death. She can't move on to the afterlife or go back to live her life.
”Do you think that they can help me? My body is here. I am alive, but I am also like this.”
”There are others like you.”
”What?” She is surprised.