The first Chapter

Jersey Rain

“I call this Jersey rain…sort of rain, sort of snow, sort of sleet…” he talked aloud to no one in particular. He sat upon the crypt roof gazing over the quiet cemetery. “I’m sure this rain is not unique to Jersey, but since I have never been anywhere else, I’m sticking with Jersey Rain.” He continued with his hand held out to catch the drops of frozen rain as it fell. He felt not the cold nor the rain as it soaked the ground, casting a grayish slush haze over all the headstones and mausoleums. Kicking his heels against the stone supports he cast his gaze towards a funeral party. “Such a foul day for a funeral” he said aloud, realizing that any day was foul for a funeral, just days like this where the temperature dipped just below freezing, a chilling wind blew and this damned Jersey Rain was falling, it was enough to chill the mourners to the bone. He then looked back at the addition to his perch, an old man who was once from well means. He was dressed in a fine tailored black pin stripped suit, the finest of silk shirt and tie, his pants pressed and his shoes shinning in the available light.
“Why did you bring me here?” the man of age and wealth said to the other.
“I wanted you to see this,” he began.
“Why…why would you do this?” the old man asked with sadness in his voice.
“You don’t see it?” he asked back.
“I see sadness and grieving, and heartbreak…thank you very much…as if…” he ranted
“As if dying wasn’t hard enough…is that what you were going to say?” he said casting a strong knit brow gaze. “Look again and tell me what you see?”
Frustrated the man looked back as tears ran from his eyes. He put his hands in his pockets in frustration as he did all his life.
“All I see is crying and sadness!” he yelled back…”You happy now you fu…” he began to ask.
Interrupting the other said…”Love, I see love, don’t you understand, they loved you, one can not feel such great love without feeling pain, one cannot exist without the other, life death, night day, love and pain Yin and Yang…I see love out there.”
The sad man stopped his knees weakened, he dropped and held his hands to his eyes, and tears fell down into his beard. His heart was so full of sorrow, but suddenly calm came over him, he began to feel the warmth. The other stood up and turned back to the aged man. He placed his hand upon his head and comforted him slightly.
“I have to go now…right?” the older man said as he looked up at the funeral party. He watched as an older woman dressed in black stood before the casket as it was poised over the open ground. He watched as she lifted her veil, and he saw her eyes, so full of sadness, her face wet from the rain, or was it her tears. She was weak and needed help, a young man, grief stricken held her as only a loving son would as they approached the casket. She leaned in and gently caressed the smooth wood. He could not hear what she was saying, but he knew the words.
“I love you too my sweet Anna,” he whispered as he turned away.
“You see, love, there is the love” the other said as he helped the man up to his feet.
“Thank you…” he said with a whimper
“Do not go with fear or sorrow, go with love and warmth, your time is over here, but go with the love”
The aged man looked at the other and smiled, he looked up and slowly his visage began to shimmer. Like a warm wave his form dissolved into the cold Jersey rain.
“You are not allowed to do that.” Another voice said from the ether. A shimmer introduced another as he stepped through. The new arrival solidified upon the crypt roof. Tall and lean, clad in black, his face stern and bearded, jet black and finely trimmed.
“Vincent.” The other said not so much in surprise, more in disappointment.
“More harm can come of this, then good…that is why it is not allowed.” He explained like a teacher to a pupil.
“We all have our ways, I prefer this way.”
“It is not the way…”
“Oh and what will you do Vincent….fire me?” he interjected. Vincent in turn frowned and stood silent for a moment.
“You know this is not a mere job and that you were chosen for this task...”
“Yes, I know all that, I know I had no option, and I also know this all I will ever be doing, for all eternity, so you will have to excuse me if you expect me to be unemotional like yourself, to take souls, to harvest them from the departed, without feeling something or letting them know that they were cared for…”
“That was quit a run on sentence…and it’s not for eternity, we all serve a term…”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah I know…I tend to ramble on when I get over emotional, but the fact remains we all have our ways, this is mine. I show them the love or I show them the hate, I give them one last parting gift or curse…”
“And who are you to determine who gets what, you are not a member of the High Council, you are an only a Reaper.” Vincent said, pausing he took a deep breath, closed his eyes as he gazed upwards, and opening them again he said…”I miss the rain…you know?”
“Yeah I miss the rain too, not this rain, mind you.” He let a nervous laugh go.
“You know Jacob, I would not recommend you continue doing it this way, but I understand…be careful.”
“Thanks and I understand, and it’s Jake if you please, only my Mom called me Jacob” he replied.
By the way…Jacob..., he began while emphasizing his full name despite Jake’s request, “Gareth wants to see you.” He said as his visage shimmered and vanished, all while laughing.

Gareth was sort of middle management…he was a low level supervisor over the likes of Jake and Vincent. He was a large man, with a large personality. In life he was a salesman, best in his day, sadly he could not see the damage his smoking and general food debauchery was having on his heart. Gareth could often be found sitting in the local mall, just people watching. Jake sat down beside him and the two were in silence as teams of teens whooshed by. Jake looked over at Gareth, his bold grey beard resting upon his barrel chest.
“You really need to follow the rules…my son” he said with a hint of love in his voice, for all of his charges, Jacob he treated as if he was the son he never had

Online Book

I am writing this online book in the hopes that people will read it, enjoy it, and tell other to do the same...and maybe, someone who knows someone in publishing will actually see it and wish to publish it on paper like a "Real" author I wish to be someday