The Inbetween

"Hey loser, catch!" A small, dark haired boy turned around only to be hit in the face by a half-empty bottle of soda, the dark liquid spilling down the front of his school uniform. Another boy, this one much larger in build, grinned sarcastically as he and two others approached the now-drenched kid.

"Whoops, guess I forgot to put the cap on," the leader of the bunch smirked, tossing the colored piece of plastic at the kid, who kept his eyes downcast and only flinched slightly when the cap hit his arm. Frustrated with the lack of response, the big one frowned and stomped forward, shoving the kid back and causing him to fall into the puddle of soda on the cement.

"What, not gonna say anything? Aren't you going to apologize to me for spilling my drink?" The two sidekicks laughed, spreading out to surround the boy while the leader leaned down, grabbing the boy's chin and forcing him to look up. "Well?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. The kid glared, his body shaking out of both fear and anger.

"Fuck you."

The leader's smile suddenly turned dangerous, his previous joking manner gone. He let go of the boy's face, motioning for the sidekicks to grab him, easily suppressing the boy's futile struggles.

"You've got a death wish this morning, fag. By the time we're done with you your own mother won't know who you are."

Within seconds the boy was back on the ground, this time with a busted lip and possibly broken nose. But there was little time to think about that, as his body continued to be battered around mercilessly between the bullies, their cruel taunts ringing in his ears.

Only a few yards away stood a man with dark hair and ivory skin, his pale blue eyes watching the scene in front of him intently. He wore a simple yet elegant suit, similar to what the likes of Mozart might have worn (he was inspired by that man both in music and fashion), with dark breeches and a crisp white shirt, finished off with a long, collared jacket and black leather boots pulled up to his knees.

It was all very human-style, as he liked to call it, although he might have been off a few decades or centuries, he could never remember. Students passed by around him, sometimes through him, yet without seeing or feeling even the slightest bit of contact. They were focused on getting to their classes on time, avoiding the obvious suffering of the small boy whose muffled cries could still be heard beneath the noise of the schoolyard.

The blue eyed man, Jinxx, watched as student after student walked past the bullies with barely a glance. Not one offered to help the poor kid, and Jinxx didn't understand why. Maybe they were sided with the bullies, or were afraid of being bullied too? But surely 3 high school aged boys would be no match if the other students banded together to help the boy.

Another cry rang out from the boy, and Jinxx wished he could do something to help. But interfering with the human world was strictly forbidden, and so Jinxx dismissed the thought with an annoyed sigh.

Humans.

Despite spending his entire life watching them, Jinxx still didn't understand them. Perhaps it was because he was unable to feel the way humans did. Jinxx was above mortal emotions, and spent his time observing the events of the human world with detached interest. Occasionally he would feel certain emotions to some degree, such as frustration or contentment. But there were still some human emotions he couldn't perceive, particularly the more passionate ones like love and grief.

Jinxx's thoughts were interrupted by a persistent vibration coming from the ever-present book in his hands. He looked down to see waves of golden light flashing over the black leather cover of his book, its gold pages radiating an unearthly warmth. Jinxx quickly flipped through the book until he reached one page in particular that was glowing vibrantly, the name and picture of the person he was being called for emphasized with a shimmering light. With one last reluctant glance at the scene in front of him Jinxx disappeared, unnoticed by the steady stream of students on their way to class.


In an instant his surroundings had changed from the bustling schoolyard to a small, pristine white room with various medical instruments hooked up to a bed in the center. The familiar layout of a hospital. Jinxx tended to frequent these types of buildings often, as this was where the humans went when they were seriously injured or sick. Many people were saved in hospitals, but there were still some who passed on, and it was Jinxx's job to lead those lost souls to the other side.

Jinxx turned his attention to the lone figure laying still in the bed. Under different circumstances it might seem as if the middle aged man were sleeping, but Jinxx knew better. To be certain, he glanced down at the picture of the man in his book and then back at the man in the bed. Not surprisingly, it was a match.

Doctors rushed about the room, scribbling notes and turning knobs on their machines while a young woman stood by the bed. Her expression was tired, resigned even, and Jinxx could sense an undertone of relief despite the pain she was feeling. Most likely the one he came for had been sick for a time, and death was an alleviation of the daily pain that was felt.

Without further ado, Jinxx made his way over to the bed, standing on the side opposite the woman.

"Rise." Jinxx commanded softly, his arm outstretched so that his palm was above the man's heart. A faint glow came from his fingertips, wisping down towards the man's body. When Jinxx pulled back his hand, a ghostly form was pulled out of the body, coming to rest standing beside Jinxx. The form took the same appearance as the man, but in a healthier way, and after a moment the soul seemed to collect itself, turning to Jinxx in confusion.

"Am I dead?" He asked, looking around the room in wonder, his gaze catching on the young woman still standing beside the hospital bed.

"Yes. And before you ask, she can't see you." Jinxx added, his voice taking a more soothing tone as he noticed the sadness flash through the man's eyes upon seeing the young woman.

"She is my daughter..." The man trailed off as Jinxx rested a hand on his shoulder.

"She will be alright, life moves on as it has for ages. You will see her again one day." Jinxx half-smiled, closing his book. “Now we must go.”

The man nodded and watched curiously as Jinxx raised a palm into the air beside him, golden light spreading from his fingertips until it had formed a portal big enough for a person to easily walk through. The surface of the portal was fluid and seemed to be constantly moving, with light seeping through in gentle rays. An overwhelming aura of serenity could be felt coming from the other side of the portal, even before stepping foot into it. The man stared, transfixed, until Jinxx gently nudged him.

“Heaven awaits you.”

With one final look at his daughter, the man turned to the portal with a small, contented smile on his face. Together, he and Jinxx stepped through the portal, leaving behind the man’s earthly body and setting forth into the heavenly beyond.

Notes

Woohoo, first chapter of a new fanfic is done! ^^ All the members of BVB will be in this story, just not yet (not to worry, you'll meet them soon enough!) Anyways, please let me know what you think! Thanks for reading~