Sitting down beside me, she said “Well I talked with Death and she can't think of anyone who would be causing this. What she does know is that it will be dangerous to go near whatever did it. In other words this thing can hurt you. If it gets the chance, it could send you to purgatory.”

  “I thought that place was a myth?”

  “No but its rare for anyone to go there. Purgatory is the place where the dead go if they die again... and no one has ever left purgatory either. Its a sad place that's older then anything and everything that is, has been, and will be. And that is why Death wants you armed so you stand a chance of staying out of there. She gave me her scythe to give to you for when you meet the attacker.”

  “Great! Where is it?”

  “Don't be disappointed when you see it, its had some work done to it so its easier carry around and such...”

  “Okay...” I said slowly.

  Amy took out, from a small pouch on her waist, a wooden ring with black onyx shaped into I scythe  on the top of it and silver outlining the ring and onyx shaped scythe. I raised an eyebrow and looked at Amy. 

  “What? I was rather surprised myself, but that really is it, I swear...! just put it on.” she urged. 

 Shrugging I slipped the ring onto my right hand ring finger. The ring seemed to adjust itself to fit me. I eyed the ring for a moment before saying “Did Death give any instructions on how to use it?”

  “Nope... She just said, and made it very clear, that you had to use it on the attacker.”

  With a groan, I said “Great... well thanks anyway. Lets hope I survive.... Oh, right! I found something on the girls body after you left when I decided to look for clues.”

  “What is it?” I explained the symbol to her, then her eyebrows knitted together like mine had when I discovered the symbol. “I wonder what that could mean?”

  “I think its a big clue to who is behind this... if only we could understand it.”

  “Maybe Death will have better luck then us.”

  “I hope so, then maybe we can stop this from happening again.”

  “For now you should focus on the attacker.” Amy reminded me.

  “Right, right. Do you have any ideas for where I should look...?”

  Amy seemed to think about it for a moment, then said “Check out anyone with connections to her, like a friend, co-worker, or family members.”

  “Okay... but how am I going to know where to look for them?”

  “Can't you find out the same way you figure out there names?”

  “No, that only gives basic info, like name, age, and past few hours leading up to the death. Beside, I have to be close by them for that, and by them, I mean their soul.”

  “Search her home then?”

  “And how should I know where that would be?”

  Amy though for a moment again, then said “Check the phone book! The address should be in there to I think!”

  “Ah! That's a great idea! Thank you.”

  “No problem.”

  “Hey, Amy...? One more thing.”

  “What is it?”

  “You think it was Peterson don't you? Why?”

  After a pause, she said “Unlike you, I get background on the demi-death gods under me. Peterson is a knife expert. Besides, he was at cafe where she was working and she was his waitress. It would have been easy for him to swipe a knife form the kitchen and follow her when she got off work.”

  “But Mr. Peterson didn't seem like a bad guy when I talked with him...”

  “He has a history of violence and has been accused of murder before he died.”

  I wasn't sure what to say after that so I sat there for a moment then I stood up and finally said “I'm going to check Kathy's home and look for clues... I'll show you it wasn't him. It just wouldn't make sense if it was him...”

  “If that's how you feel then I hope you're right.”

  “Thanks.” I smiled at her then vanished from her sight. I now found myself inside of an empty kitchen in a random house. Looking around the place for a moment, I discovered a phone book in a bookshelf with a bunch of cook books and colouring books by the fridge. It took a minute but I found Kathy's name and when I did, I concentrated on the address and shifted over to it. I stood outside the front door of the apartment for a moment, then went inside. It was a very tidy room. Everything was organized, clean, and nothing was left sitting out.

  At some point well I was looking for pictures or phone numbers or anything else I might be able to use, I stumbled upon her diary. I decided it would be alright if I did my best not to read anything that was too personal in it. Then again, what isn't personal in a diary? I thought with a frown. 

  I ended up debating on it a little longer before I decided to open it to the last entry. The first part was definitely not meant for a thirteen-year-old to read... no matter what kind of book it might have been but besides that, I found what I was looking for as I skimmed through the rest of the entry. What it said was:

...and tomorrow Jimmy said he would have another birthday surprise for me at his apartment so he'll be coming to pick me up from work! I sooo can't wait to find out what it is...!

  This “Jimmy” guy is the best lead I could ever ask for! Obviously she had plans with this guy for right after work, She wasn't attacked to long after I left the cafe, and her boyfriend wasn't anywhere near her body when we found her. I thought to myself. This could clear Mr. Peterson!

  Standing up from the floor where I had been reading, I made it my mission to find Jimmy's number. After two and a half hours, my work paid off! With the number in hand, I went to Kathy's computer, turned it on, and Googled the number. When the search results came up I found Jimmy's address. With that done I turned the computer back off then teleported over to the address.

  As I stood in front of the door, I thumbed Deaths scythe-ring, feeling scared. Scared because I didn't know how too use the ring or what will happen when I do, scared because I didn't want to go to purgatory, and scared of what it was I was facing, and if I had the right person. I was feeling so brave the whole time before this moment... but now that I made it there, I wanted to turn tail and run. I knew I couldn't though. No one else could do this job but me.

  As I continued to stand there having a panic attack in my head, my cousins drifted into my mind. If I don't put an end to this guy, the next person he could go after could be one of them... he could kill them like killing an ant... If that happened, I'd be wishing I were dead all over again! As I let that thought set in, my body stopped shaking and my muscles stiffened a little. I held my head up properly with my eyebrows knitted together and a frown on my face. I finally felt ready... nervous, but ready. With tightly held fists, I quickly shifted to the other side of the apartment door.

  Immediately I felt sick like when I saw Kathy's body. I put my left hand to my stomach. Why do I feel sick now? I thought with annoyance. Either way, my stomach made a convincing argument that it was this guy and not Mr. Peterson.

  Looking around the room well I did my best to ignore the stomach pain, I noticed that the place lacked... almost everything. The only things in the first room -which I assumed was the living room- was a phone, computer, and one bookshelf filled with cook books. On the other hand, the carpet was covered in splinters, shreds of paper, and broken glass. The walls were missing chunks out of them as well. It looked odd but it did match what Kathy looked like after the attack. I definitely got the right place. 

  I froze when I suddenly heard chopping coming from the room to my right. After a moment passed, I began moving to the source of the noise. Peering into the kitchen, I saw a young man working away at the counter. As I looked at him, I felt even more ill then before but again, I did my best to ignore it.

  When I stepped into the kitchen properly -which, I might add, was lacking a table and chairs but besides that, all kitchen equipment appeared to be there- and took a few steps forward, Jimmy suddenly stopped, then said “You know, its wrong to just come into someones house like this...? Can I help you with something?” he added as he turned around. When he looked in my direction it quickly became apparent that he couldn't see me.

  His hearing obviously picked up my footsteps on the floor, so there is no mistake its him... but maybe he has too adjust his eyes to see me? I thought to myself. I could use the moment too my advantage... if only I knew how too work the ring... do I just punch him with it? It couldn't really be that simple could it? It sounds totally wrong... but what then!?

  Before I could figure out the answer, my advantage was lost. “A-ha! I can see you now...! Who are you? What do you want?”

  Groaning in my head, I said out loud “My name is Tom, I am a demi-death god, and what I want is to stop you before you hurt anyone else!”

  “Demi-death god? What like you're Deaths kid our something?”

  “No... I'm the soul of a human with the powers of Death granted by Death.”

  “Whatever... go home kid.” Jimmy said as he turned his back and began too cook again.

  Feeling annoyed for being to easily dismissed, I teleported close to him and, for the first time in either my life or afterlife, I started the fight and punched him in the centre of his lower back. To my surprise, the punch knocked him forward with great strength, and caused him to face-plant into the counter as his waist caught the edge, then he slid off and down onto the floor.

  After a moment of shock from both sides, Jimmy got up and I teleported back. As I watched him, I suddenly noticed a slash threw his shirt and on his back where I hit him that was starting to bleed. It was as if I cut him as well as hit him. I looked at the ring on my fist and mumbled “Maybe it is that easy... but where do I hit too finish this...? the heart?”

  Turning back to me, Jimmy said “I take it that means you won't take my offer and run then? Good too know. I miss judged you because you look like a little punk kid!” then picked up a knife that still had dried blood on it from inside the sink. “I wonder if I can kill you...?”

  I so wish a had more fighting experience... I thought with another groan. 

  Jimmy, with his knife at the ready, charged at me. 

  I tensed up and on reflex, I shifted behind him and punch him in the upper back. The hit left another cut. That started to bleed out. 

  Jimmy snarled at the sudden attack from behind and spun around to face me. At the same time, he swung the knife around in the hopes too catch me with it. 

  The under-thought plan failed as I shifted out of the way again and this time attacked his side.

  The pattern kept repeating until he caught on and he tripped me up by changing the direction of the knife and swung at the spot I would appear, giving me a deep cut on the face.

  Once he got me there, he didn't give me the chance to teleport again... that is, until there was a moments pause in the relentless attack. 

  I took the chance and, moved even closer to him in the hopes to disrupt his next slash. The idea worked and his arm hit my side. As it did, I made to punch him in the section of chest that covered the heart.

  Jimmy leaned back to try and get away from my punch and start another fury of slashes at the last second and for a moment, I thought it was all over. Instead my punch hit him square in the stomach. The slash mark appeared and Jimmy suddenly looked sick. His knife slipped from his hand and he looked like he was about to be sick. Just as he started to hurl I shifted out of the way and avoided the liquid spew that shot from his mouth. After a few minutes of yakking everything in his stomach up, the cuts I had given him healed up.

  Something almost golden in the blood he had spilt and the vomit on the floor faintly shimmered for a moment then died away. Along with it went the sick feeling I got from being around this guy. I realized that whatever it was that was making him a knife happy nut case had to have been in his system. When he bled out and hurled, whatever it was, had been forced out and whichever being from The Afterlife had finally lost there grip on the poor guy.

  Once he was finished, he sat back on the gross floor and began to cry. Words slipped out threw the sobs that indicated that he remembered everything that he did. In the midst of his break down he began looking for me. I realized he could see me anymore so I altered my level of visibility so that he could see me.

  Jimmy did his best to try and apologize to me then he ask me what he should do. I told him straight that he needed to go to the police, confess to the murder and plead temporary insanity... if they excepted temporary that is.

  A half an hour later, I found myself washing in the shower of a rather nice house well my cloths went through the washer machine. From the calender I found, I discovered the owners were on a cruse at the time so I had no worries of an unexpected appearance by anyone.

  Once the blood was cleaned off I noticed that my wounds were already healed. I wondered if my cloak, at the very least, would be so lucky as to have all its damage repaired like my body.

  With a sigh, I turned the water off and reached for a towel. I dried off, tied the towel around my waist then stepped over to the mirror to tidy my short brown hair. A moment after I continued to watch my reflection with my ice-blue eyes and finally, a small smile touched my lips and I hummed with satisfaction. I felt good about my job well done and even more, because I was still here and not in purgatory, and most of all, because I didn't have to kill Jimmy too finish it. He still went to jail, but he does have a chance at getting out. I also shouldn't forget that I cleared Mr. Peterson from Amy's suspicion.

  Stepping out of the bathroom, I found myself face to face with Amy who had appear to be debating on whether to just go in or not. Both our faces suddenly had a ting of pink and I said “What are you doing standing there!?”

  “N-nothing!” she snapped back and stepped back.

  I sighed then said “Okay... well since you're here, I should give back the ring I suppose now that the job is done.”

  “Hm? Oh, no! You are to keep it... for now that is. Death decided that there is likely to be more cases like this. Out of everyone, she trusts you most so she wants you to hold onto it and be prepared.”

  “Really? That's a bit of a scary thought... but alright.”

  “So...” Amy began as we both started to walk down the hall “How are you feeling after such a crazy case?”

  I turned, walked backwards to face her and with a grin, I said “Peachy keen!”