Chapter Text
"Y-you made these for me?" Death the Kid asks as I display two handmade rings on my palms in front of him.
I shyly close my eyes, blushing while smiling. "They are to bring you good luck on your travels."
I hear him gasp under his breath. "I-I don't know what to say." He grabs one ring, sliding it on to his left ring finger, then takes the other ring to slide it on to his right ring finger - symmetry.
"(Y/N), I'm lost for words. They are lovely. Thank you."
"Oooo~" Patty coos, clapping her hands with joy.
I open my eyes and take a deep breath as he observes the intricate details on the rings. Then, I turn around to walk away but Kid grabs my wrist. Silently, I look over my shoulder and find his golden eyes sparkling.
"Kid?" I ask.
He scratches the back of his neck, obviously nervous. "Uh, would you be interested in exploring an abandoned place with me?"
Patty laughs and Liz sighs.
Kid growls at his weapons then, returns neutral when looking back at me. "Dad found an abandoned place that's worth exploring."
I cock my head to the side to make a decision. "Yes, I'd love to," I say with reluctance being somewhat disturbed by abandoned places.
He nods with a smile, then turns around to his weapons. "Alright Liz, Patty, you can head home now. We're done for the day."
The girls appear concerned by the idea. "What if there are monsters?" Liz asks.
"Yeah, there could be zombies, or ghosts, or-"
"PATTY!" Liz whines.
Kid pinches the bridge of his nose. "It isn't a mission, otherwise I'd bring the two of you with me."
"Alright, whatever you say. If all else fails, you do have a shield with you," Liz says, referencing me.
Kid smiles at me. "Yes, I do. We shouldn't have an issue connecting wavelengths."
With that, the girls head away leaving their Meister alone with me. Their esteemed and powerful God of Death. Remembering this sends chills down my spine.
"So, shall we go?" He asks excitedly.
"Yes," I say, blushing.
Kid summons his mount, Beelzebub and hops on top of it. He then extends his hand to me and I accept it. He hoists me up onto the platform so that I'm behind him.
"Hold on to me, tightly, okay?"
"Okay," I respond, feeling my face getting hot. I firmly wrap my arms around his torso, resting my head against his. Holy shit, this is the closest I've ever been to Death the Kid! He smells so good.
"Off we go!" He announces, and the skateboard rises into the air, so high that the height makes me nervous. I shake in fear, hugging Kid tighter.
"It's okay, dear. You're safe with me," he says.
After five minutes of traveling, I ask, "What is this place exactly?"
"It's an abandoned water park called Death City Waves,” Kid explains. “The park reached its prime nearly sixty years ago. As more attractions were built around the area, Death City Wave's traffic decreased significantly. Thus, leading to its abandonment. The place is no longer known and remains a ruin."
"A ruin," I whisper. "Water park?"
"Yes," Kid responds. "Old animatronics and outdated machinery. Obsoleteness at its finest."
I became nervously excited about the place. And who better to explore it with than Death himself?
"There it is in the distance," Kid says.
We spot the outer limits of the park from the sky. It seems to span miles and is secluded by towering trees and plantation overgrowth.
We descend on the ground in front of the entrance to the park. The wooden sign reading “Death City Waves,” is rotted and barely legible. From afar, I see how desolate the park is and begin feeling some nostalgia without memories of the place. It’s that dead.
Kid and I enter the park. There is an enormous slide from the distance that stands out from the rest of the attraction. It resembles a coiled snake, spiraling downward to the cement ground.
Beneath it lies pieces of the slide, indicating its deterioration. Beside the slide is the staired tower, where the guests would line up for the ride. The tower is slanted to the right, appearing unstable.
“Look at the ground,” Kid says. On the ground are countless cracks leading to a demarcation of where the ground is sinking. That must be the reason for the slanted tower. The moving terrain is destroying the park. “It appears to be sinking into the Earth.”
“That’s crazy,” I say. “Let’s check out the pool area.”
Kid follows me to the neglected pool that is partially full of water. The walls are deep, possibly seven feet below the level of the park. In the water is a dragon animatronic with black algae and yellow gunk floating around it. The gunk is the animatronic disintegrating.
What’s disturbing is how it protrudes out of the water and triggers my submechanophobia, mainly from the uncertainty of what lies underneath the water. The machine could be rusted or there can be another animatronic under water. Goosebumps cover my body as I imagine being in the dirty water with the machine.
“Are you okay?” Kid asks. He can sense I’m uncomfortable. I look at him with fearful eyes.
“I’m scared,” I mumble, hugging myself. Kid walks behind me and massages my shoulders.
“We can leave if you’re uncomfortable,” he suggests.
I shake my head, taking a deep breath. He is unaware of my fear of submerged objects!
“What makes you scared, dear?” He asks, moving his hands to my upper back.
“Kid, I have a phobia of submerged objects,” I say, feeling embarrassed. It is silly, but it is a real experience.
“Oh, I had no idea. I’m sorry for bringing you here. We can go,” he says.
“Don’t be sorry,” I say, turning around to face him. “That’s the only thing here that’s unnerving. Everything else is fine.”
“Okay,” he smiles. “As long as you’ll be okay, that’s what matters.”
We hold hands as we pass the pool. To the left of the slide is a wooden building with a smashed roof and broken windows. Upon entry, we spot an old book on the ceramic counter. Kid opens the book and we read the contents.
“Animatronic maintenance: Deathly Dragon.” There is a picture of the dragon when it was brand new. Its vibrant colors are drastically different from the sun bleached appearance it has today. Also, the shape of the dragon is cleaner and happier in the picture. Today, it is dreary and sad from it being forgotten.
Kid turns over the book to see the year in which it was published. "Hmmm. The year isn't shown," he says. "But, we can conclude it was decades ago."
"Yeah," I laugh. "No kidding. It doesn't even look like the same animatronic."
"Not at all," he replies, closing the book.
On the table lies a stack of red tickets. I grab the top ticket on the stack and flip it over. "12909," I read out loud. Then, it hits me. "Is this the ticket for the twelve thousand nine-hundred and ninth person!?"
Kid's eyes widen. "It seems to be. So, the number of visitors ended at twelve thousand nine hundred and eight."
I stare at Kid dumbfounded. "That's a lot. It truly was thriving like you said." I keep the ticket as a memento of this adventure, which inspires Kid to put the next ticket with "12910" in his pocket.
"At least our attendance will be noted by the next visitor," he says, smiling at me.
We head out of the shack and to the lazy river a dozen feet away. The inside is caked in dirt and dust. The original vibrant blue color in the river is now bleached to a bluish-white, further dulled by the layer of debris. Also, pieces of the overarching slide are scattered throughout the bottom covering the many cracks in the cement.
This lazy river leads to the large pool with the Deathly Dragon. The fact that the water level is below the height of the lazy river is frightening. It shows how much water has evaporated since the park was abandoned. To think this park was thriving with life and a lot of water.
"What do you think about this place?" Kid asks me.
"It's magnificent but horrifying at the same time," I respond, looking at him. I notice how the grayish tint from the cloudy sky accentuates his golden eyes. The way they contrast with his whitish skin and jet black hair is breathtaking. Plus, the three lines - I love them so much. They make me happy when I see them.
The dreary setting we're in adds to his dark nature. He looks so attractive right now. There is something about mysterious places that fits Death the Kid so well. Although he fights for good, he looks beautifully evil.
"I'm glad you are enjoying it. Would you like to continue?" He asks, holding out his hand.
I accept his hand and smile. "Yes."
We reach a snack shack with the visible menu. The format of the menu is outdated and yellowed from age.
"Stay here," I tell Kid and walk inside the shack and stand behind the counter.
"Hello, what may I get you today?" I ask in a deep tone.
"Why hello there," he asks in an old lady's voice. "C-can I please get a hamburger without the ham?"
I cackle, then return to character. "Sorry ma'am, the only other option is a hamburger without the burger."
Kid laughs. "I'll get ice cream, then."
"Coming right up. Hey Jeff, one ice cream!" I shout at the back.
Kid covers his mouth, laughing.
"Okay, here you are!" I say, handing him a pretend ice cream cone.
"Ooo!" He squeals. "What flavor!?"
"Ice cream flavor," I respond, then Kid and I laugh hysterically. I walk out of the shack and rest my head on his shoulder, crying from laughter.
He takes a bite out of the pretend ice cream. "Ooo! My dentures. How embarrassing."
Kid and I laugh so loud, it echoes through the park.
-
"Well, that was quite the adventure, wasn't it?"
Death the Kid invited me to explore Death City Wave's with him, and it was fun!
Now, the reaper and I are holding hands as we exit the entrance. I look down at our interlaced fingers and madly blush at how my hand fits perfectly in his.
Oh, the way this Grim Reaper makes me feel.
I close my eyes, relishing his presence and his soul wavelength. It's as if we've been internally connected since the beginning of our trip through a type of resonance. It feels so romantic.
I build up courage to express my feelings toward him, halting our walk. He lets go of my hand, turning to face me.
"Is something the matter, dear?"
I sigh, feeling shy. "Kid, I have to tell you something."
"Hm?"
He gives me his full attention. Oh, his golden eyes are entrancing.
"Oh," I groan, covering my face with my hands. I am so nervous!
"Take your time," he softly says.
Then, I take a deep breath. But, words aren't articulating in my head. What do I say first?
"Kid, I have feelings for you,” I say, blushing. His eyes soften as he sweetly smiles.
“You’re sweet, (Y/N). I’ve known you had these feelings,” he responds with his eyes closed.
“Wait, what!?” I shout. “How long have you known?”
“For a while now,” he says, opening his eyes. They’re sparkling. “It is obvious to me. The way you blush when we’re speaking, your voice softens, and you stand closest to me.”
I feel embarrassed, biting my lip. Then, he steps closer.
“It’s absolutely adorable. But, do you know that I feel the exact same way about you?”
I gasp. “No, not really. I thought it was too good to be true.”
Then, he strokes my face with his fingers. “Let me show you that it's true."
Kid leans in, planting his lips on mine, then pulls away. He gazes into my eyes and I can't resist any longer. I swiftly wrap my arms around his neck, kissing him back. He responds, humming as he glides his hands across my back. He licks my bottom lip asking for entrance. I let him in and our tongues intertwine.
We pull away, a string of saliva connecting us.
"Will you be mine, Death the Kid?"
He smiles. "As long as you'll be mine, (F/N) (L/N)."
"I will," I whisper, resting my head on his shoulder.
"Shall we head back to the academy?" He asks as we separate.
"Yeah, Zayne will freak out if I'm not home by eight."
Kid chuckles, summoning Beelzebub. "Is eight your favorite number, too?"
"No, it's eleven."
I hop on the skateboard with him. "Eleven is symmetrical. As long as the ones don't have the little hats on top," I add, tightly holding on to Kid's waist, feeling unsettled by the height as we ascend
The reaper laughs. "I second that."