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“Thinking of how if I get a chance to be reincarnated, I’d like to be a rock.”
He runs his hand down his face, his hand stopping his mouth, covering it. I can see humor dancing in his eyes. He doesn’t have to hide that he thinks I’m funny. I know I am.
“I hate to break it to you, but I don’t think you can get reincarnated as a rock,” he says, crushing my dreams with one sentence.
Slightly disappointed, I say, “Existing just keeps getting worserer.”
“Not sure that’s a word.” Duh. It’s not a word. But remixing a word allows for more emphasis on the situation. He really needs to live a little.
I scoff. “I didn’t know they were hiring.”
“Who?” he asks, confused at the turn of the conversation.
I give him a look. “The grammar police.”
He chuckles. “I would help you get hired, but I’m sure you won’t even get an interview.”
“Oh, since you’re so much smarter than me, then you can represent yourself.” I stand, teasingly grabbing my folders as if I’m leaving. We both know I’m not going anywhere.
“I didn’t realize you enjoyed Hell that much that you are willing to go back.”
I drop back in my seat and cross my arms. “You know I am still on edge from last time.”
He chuckles. “I’m on edge from being with you all the time.”
“Excuse you, I’m an angel to be around,” I inform him. “I’m going to Heaven and everything.”
Aiden smirks. “You know the devil was once—"
“Please rise for the honorable Judge Hobbs,” a reaper announces, who I can only assume is the Eden's version of a bailiff. Judge Hobbs walks in using the door directly behind his bench. The first thing I notice about him is his bald head. It isn’t a bad thing, it suits him very well, especially with the full beard.
“Please take your seats,” the judge says after sitting down. He informs us, “I am Judge Hobbs. During my last life, I was a Hawaiian native. I moved to New York to pursue a law degree. After working as an attorney for ten years, I became a judge in criminal court. I originally worked for the Reaper’s Resources department, but put in a transfer when I learned that Reaper’s Court was being created.” He pauses, looking over all of us to ensure we are listening.
Feeling satisfied, he nods and continues, “As the presiding judge of this case, I will be serving as the finder of law, as well as the finder of fact. In simpler terms, there is no jury to determine your facts. You just have to convince me. Is that understood, counsel?”
“Yes, Judge,” Chris, and I answer at the same time. I don’t completely know why the Judge gave us his whole life story, but I can only assume it is simply because he’s a lawyer. We tend to talk a lot.
The judge continues, “Before we move forward, let me take care of some housekeeping. This is the first major trial since Reaper’s Court was established not too long ago. Therefore, this will be a learning curve for us all. We are not dealing with the Living World laws. We are referring to the Reaper’s Code of Conduct, also known as the RCC. Keep in mind that this is not as straightforward as the Living World judicial system, where it’s either criminal or civil. The RCC contains elements of both, and therefore you should argue your case however you deem necessary. When approaching the RCC, the attorney representing Eden has the burden to prove the charges they bring forth. The defendant’s attorney retains all rights to either argue against the claim or argue for a defense. You will receive an email with the conduct allowed in court and procedures that should be followed. Any questions?”
Neither me nor Chris says anything. The judge nods. “Very well. Attorney of Eden, what charges are you bringing forth?”
“We are charging Aiden Kim with violations of Rule One, Two and Three,” Chris informs the Judge.
Well, shit.
Why stop at three rules? Just throw in the whole damn book at this point. I rack my brain for a way to argue against his charges, but technically, all three make sense. I flip through my stack of papers until I find the page with the RCC. I quickly skim over the notes I took next to each rule.
RULE ONE
Never mix up human souls.
RULE TWO
Always collect souls on time.
RULE THREE
Never save a human life who was designated to die.
