writing-prompt-s‌:

When people die they have to confront their personal demons. Demons like Alcoholism and all the other drug abuses are kept very busy. The line to see the demon of Procrastination is always super long. You are the demon of over-achievement. Write about a typical day.

You never really got that many people. People that did come to you, would also end up going to a substance abuse demon. That always took forever. Normally it was adults that you would receive.

But once a day mainly, you would see a human teenager before you. It was rare, but sometimes they would be even younger.

The one before you today was a short human, hair tied into a messy bun, eyes wide behind square framed glasses. She looked as if she ran on coffee and energy drinks.

“Couldn’t take the pressure anymore?” you ask, voice blunt, uncaring. You had to be in this kind of work. When the Reapers would bring souls, you couldn’t afford to get attached, even more so considering most of the souls that came to you went down due to other things that they had done while alive.

“….” The human was silent. She still looked as if she was about to cry.

Sighing you get ready to pull up her file, but then you hear her muttering under her breath.

“Oh god, I shouldn’t have done this. Now I’m going to miss that deadline, and mom will be angry, and now I won’t be there to help Adrien hide from her. Oh god I messed up. I shouldn’t have done this. I shouldn’t have.”

You watched as the human slowly curled up to a ball on the ground, rocking back and forth. Her hands were over her head as if trying to shield herself from blows that would not come. She continued to rock and mutter. You blink and then look at her file.

She was a teenager, a high schooler. Always pressured by her mother to be the very best, using abuse whenever she got below an A. Her mother did it so that she could leech off her daughter’s success when she grew older. The poor girl before you had a horrible home life, yet she was kind. Even when her own stomach would be growling, she would give her food to her little brother, when she was ready to pass out, she’d be there to help him with his own homework and take care of him.

She was more of a mother to her brother than their actual mother.

“…” You look at the file to find her name. “Leslie.”

She didn’t look up until you said her name for a second time. Tears were running down her cheeks.

“You won’t be going down. You’ll be going to a place where you don’t have to worry about being the best. You’ll be able to relax. To be happy.” You said, reading over the last bit in her file. “You’ll be free from all the worry of your earthly life.”

“b-bu-bu-but what a-a-ab-about–?” she was going to ask about her brother. You expected that. She was more worried about him than anything else, that was obvious from when she started having her breakdown.

You really weren’t allowed to read other souls files unless they were brought to you, but you figured this was a special case. “He will end up being taken out of your mothers’ home by social services after the school investigates why you aren’t coming to school. They will see the abuse, and they will take him out. He will end up in a loving family that will nurture him and help him grow to be a kind and loving person. He will end up starting a foundation for youths and others who had your experience growing up.” You read the file, looking back down at Leslie. “He will be a good man, you did well.”

She still had tears going down her cheeks, but you could see the smiles coming through.

“Are you ready?” you ask.

She nods, wiping her eyes on the palm of her hands, but tears still flowed. “Thank you.”

You shrug. “You didn’t have much to overcome with me, it seems like you’ve already done that anyway. Go on, “you press a button on your desk, a door opens beside her. You can see the light coming through it. “go relax kid. You’ve earned it.”

Leslie looked at you, an uncertain look still on her face. But slowly she nodded and walked through.

You smiled a bit, hitting the button to shut the door.

Then the next soul came in. “Why the hell am I here?! I did everything I needed to! I was at the top of the company until that bastard brother of mine came in and killed me! I earned it! It was mine!”

You sigh and press a button on your phone. “Could you send over a greed demon? I’m gonna need some help with this one.”

Another day, another soul.