Exceptional A picture inspired story The Grim Reapers' Dilemma by BethShelby Story of the Month contest entry

Three dejected figures sat solemnly on a bench inside the dimly lit room. Each of them had received a pink slip informing them that their services were no longer required. Thanatos spoke first. His hollow voice echoed as it bounced eerily off the bare walls. "Fellow Reapers, we have to decide what we must do now. I knew it was a mistake when we agreed to specialize. There was once a time when every reaper could be sent on any assignment, but then the big boss thought things might run more smoothly if each of us had a specific field. I chose Old Age because most of my clients were in a lot of pain and often welcomed me with open arms. I thought for sure I'd always have a job. All of that has gone out the window now that stem cells have become so popular. These days, when people's parts wear out, they just call up the Lab and get a replacement. Then they go get a plastic surgical redo for their exterior, and they're good to go on indefinitely. I can't understand what they see in living longer. Social Security isn't around any more, and they're all having to go back to work" Yama shook his head sadly. "You're right. We should never have agreed to specialize. I went into the Abortion Field. I thought that would be easy. The little ones couldn't protest since they'd never really lived. Of course in this political climate, it is illegal now. But even if it wasn't, it's just not happening as much. There are too many devices on the market to prevent pregnancy in the first place. Business has been slow for a while. It's not at all like the days when women took Quinine and used coat hangers. How about you, Abaddon? What field were you in?" "I went with Communicable Diseases. There used to be so many of those. I thought that field would never dry up. But now every time a new disease materializes, some smart-ass scientist stays up nights coming up with a cure. They've just about stamped them all out. You know, I was around for the Black plague. Those were the days. Still I must admit, after dealing with all those fevers and nasty sores for centuries, I was starting to suffer burnout." "Well, guys, we've got a real dilemma on our hands," Yama said pushing back his hood and scratching at the top of his skull with the tip of his scythe. "Where are we going to go? You know they're never going to let us into Heaven, and that other place is just too warm for my taste. Thanatos, you're probably wiser than the rest of us. Didn't you study under Plato? You look as though you're contemplating something. Have you come up with a solution?" "I've been sitting here bouncing thoughts around in my skull cavity, and I think I have an idea.. We're all going to have to go back to school and get more training. If we could get in at Yale, they have a Skull and Bones Society there. We'll change our specialties. Murder, War, and Suicide are all good fields. Gang Violence is another. I've heard they're hiring over in Chicago." The three Grim Reapers nodded their heads in agreement, grinning from cheekbone to cheekbone. Thanatos' idea made sense. All of those fields offered unlimited opportunity, and not only that, they sounded exciting. It was never too late for a career change. Rising, they shook fingerbones and all decided to head down to the Deadwood Saloon and celebrate their decision with a Bloody Mary. Recognized Author Notes This little tongue and cheek fiction is inspired by the picture. It is a challenge for the writing group I'm in. Skull and Bones is an undergraduate senior secret society at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. It is the oldest senior class landed society at Yale. The society's alumni organization, which owns the society's real property and oversees the organization, is the Russell Trust Association, named for William Huntington Russell,[1] who co-founded Skull and Bones with classmate Alphonso Taft. The Russell Trust was founded by Russell and Daniel Coit Gilman, member of Skull and Bones and later president of the University of California, first president of Johns Hopkins University, and the founding president of the Carnegie Institution. "Abaddon" (The Destroyer), an Angel who is known as the "The Angel of the Abyss". From the Bible "Death", or "Thanatos", is the counterpart of life in Greek Mythology 'Yama is the God of Death and Justice' in Hindu Mythology

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