Agora: Red Deer Polytechnic Undergraduate Journal
Volume 15:2 (2024) Student Writer Awards

Death Smiled at Me
David Gordon
FADE IN.
INT. FAST FOOD KITCHEN - DAY
A hand hovers over the oil of a fast-food fryer. It gets closer and closer...
CUT TO:
EXT. CITY SIDEWALK - EVENING
A black cat wanders across a city sidewalk, and FELIX, 22, shuffles into frame, crossing
its path. He's in a fast-food restaurant uniform and he looks more dead than alive. He trudges down
the sidewalks hardly raising his eyes to see where he's going.
What he certainly doesn't see -and no one else does either-is a young-looking woman
named GRACE, who's dressed in shades of black and is following behind him with an impressive
matte-black scythe. She casually walks through pedestrians as she follows him, and blows up her
cheeks with air in a childish expression of boredom.
In a POV shot from Grace's perspective, we see a date and time superimposed above the
pedestrian's heads, but most importantly we see Felix's time. Grace checks her shiny black watch.
GRACE
(to herself)
10 minutes to go. Will he make it home in that time? Maybe he'll get hit by a car.
(sighing)
Whatever.

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MONTAGE OF GRACE FOLLOWING FELIX
Felix bumps into a stranger and apologizes without warmth.
Grace starts twirling her scythe like a baton. She spins it from side to side and over her
head. She lazily thrusts it into Felix and various strangers, but it passes right through.
Felix steps on every sidewalk crack.
Felix crosses the street and a car nearly hits him.
Felix absentmindedly walks under the ladder of a painter working.
The montage ends as Felix eventually reaches an apartment complex and enters.
INT - FELIX'S APARTMENT - EVENING
Felix's apartment is small and messy. He steps over objects placed around it with obvious
practice.
Grace checks her watch.
GRACE
(to an oblivious
Felix)
Well, you made it home. What're you gonna do in the next two minutes?
He goes into the bathroom; Prozac is on the vanity.
GRACE (cont'd)
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I doubt you'll commit suicide that quick, but maybe.
He washes his face and walks to the kitchen.
A storage block of kitchen knives sit on the edge of the kitchen counter.
GRACE (cont'd)
Hmmm, my bet's on the knives.
Felix accidentally bumps the knife block and they fall to the floor. Grace perks up a little.
He bends over and slowly picks them up one by one and returns them to the block.
FELIX
(to himself)
Was that all of them?
He leans down to check under the counter. It was all of them.
He starts to get back up.
He hits his head on the underside of the counter.
Felix's body turns lifeless as he falls back to the floor.
Felix dies.

Grace can't help but laugh.
She raises her scythe, but then lowers it as she laughs again.

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She raises it again for the final time.
Suddenly, Felix takes a deep breath and his eyes go wide. He clutches the back of his head
in pain, and looks up at Grace in terror.
FELIX (cont'd)
Ow! Who are you? What are you doing in my apartment?
GRACE
You can see me?
He suddenly processes the sight of the scythe she grips over her head. He tries to stumble
to his feet but hits his head on the way up again. This time it doesn't knock him out, but it disorients
him further. Grace laughs again.
GRACE (cont'd)
Just stop. Stop doing whatever you're doing.
FELIX
Get out of my house!
He pushes her. Not very hard, granted, but he pushes her! The effort of pushing her makes
him fall again, while Grace merely takes a step back to mitigate the force.
GRACE
You can touch me?
Felix yanks her feet out from under her. She falls.
GRACE (cont'd)
Felix, just stop it.
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Grace snaps her fingers and her scythe suddenly dissolves into thin air. Felix sees it and
stops dead in his tracks.
FELIX
How do you know my name, and WHAT DID
YOU JUST DO? How did that disappear?
GRACE
You didn't let me introduce myself: I am Grace and I am your grim reaper.
FELIX
I don't believe in grim reapers.
GRACE
Well, do you believe in disappearing and reappearing scythes?
FELIX
I must've hit my head too hard.
GRACE
Yes, but that's beside the point.
Watch this:
She brings the scythe into and out of existence with the snap of her fingers. Felix goes
wide-eyed.
He reaches forward to touch the blade, but she snatches it away from him.
GRACE (cont'd)

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I wouldn't touch that if I were you. Now that you've sort of died, just touching it might
make it collect your soul.
She dematerializes the scythe again.
Once the scythe disappears, Felix looks her up and down and realizes that he's still on the
ground on top of her. He becomes a little flustered.
FELIX
Sorry... I think.
He awkwardly crawls backwards off of her and sits on the floor opposite her. She sits up.
GRACE
You think you're sorry?
FELIX
I'm not sure yet...
(beat)
How did I die?
GRACE
You should know that part: you hit your head.
FELIX
But I didn't hit my head that hard? People don't die from hitting their heads that hard.
GRACE
You'd be surprised.
FELIX
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(getting worked up)
Are you really a grim reaper? How could you be a grim reaper? How- Why am I dead? If
I'm dead, why haven't you harvested me?
GRACE
You were dead, but you're up and about now... Seeing as you can see me, harvesting you
would be boring wouldn't it?
Grace sees this hasn't calmed Felix down too much.
GRACE (cont'd)
Maybe we should take a minute and sit somewhere more comfortable.
Grace helps Felix up off of the ground and leads him to his couch. Grace sits in the chair
opposite him. Felix takes a deep breath.
GRACE (cont'd)
I’m getting the sense that you have a lot of questions, but frankly, that’s a bit boring. So I
will give you three questions and three questions only. Whatever you ask I will answer truthfully.
FELIX
What, are you a genie now?
GRACE
Is that your first question?
FELIX
No! Can you just give me a sec?
GRACE
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Is that your second?
FELIX
Shut up. Obviously not.
GRACE
Tsk Tsk Tsk. You shouldn't be so excitable. Well, I'll reset your question count, but this
time, for every question you ask me, I'll ask you one in turn.
Felix takes a second to think about this, but is so tired and confused he dejectedly sighs
and agrees to her conditions.
FELIX
...Okay, I guess.
GRACE
Remember, fair is fair: No lying. Complete honesty. No avoiding the questions.
FELIX
Fine. I'm going first though. Where would I go if you harvested me? Like-is there life after
death?
GRACE
Maybe, maybe not. I don't know. I just do what I'm told.
FELIX
Told? By who?
Grace wags her finger.
GRACE
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Nuh-uh-uh. My turn. I saw you talk to the girl down the hall the other day in the laundry
room. Do you have a crush on her?
FELIX
Wha- What kind of question is that?
GRACE
A yes or no one?
Beat.
FELIX
No... I mean, she seems alright but... no, I don't have a crush on her.
GRACE
Alright. Ask.
FELIX
When you said you do as you're told, who does the telling?
GRACE
I'm not sure. It wasn’t that long ago but I don’t really remember when I became a reaper. I
just remember knowing I was responsible for harvesting the souls of the people living in this
complex. I’m sure there are other reapers responsible for other sections. I can’t see them though.
FELIX
What do you gain from harvesting
them?
GRACE
You're not very good at the whole "taking turns" thing are you?
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FELIX
I feel like my questions are more important than yours.
GRACE
How vain of you.
FELIX
They are! Yours was frivolous.
GRACE
Well, here's another frivolous question for you then: How does it feel to know I've been
watching over you and everyone here?
FELIX
You've been watching me?
GRACE
Watching over you.
FELIX
What's the difference?
GRACE
It sounds better. Answer.
FELIX
I don't know... I don't know. I mean it's strange. But I don't feel creeped out about it?
(MORE)
FELIX (cont'd)
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(Felix squints his eyes at her suspiciously)
Maybe it's because you're so conversational. It does make me question why you'd watch
me though.
GRACE
Is that your next question?
FELIX
No. I should ask about something more important. How about... what happens if you don't
collect people's souls?
GRACE
Strange question. Honestly? I'm not sure. "Ours is not to reason why, ours is just to do..."
FELIX
That doesn't sound right, that's not how that goes.
GRACE
Sometimes the truth doesn't sound right.
FELIX
But I mean, what if you don't "do"?
GRACE
The soul is never collected. I leave them sometimes. There's a couple of coma patients who
will never wake up.
Beat.
GRACE (cont'd)
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I've had an idea.
Grace holds out her hand, and suddenly tendrils of darkness reach from each shadow in the
room and swirl in her palm.
FELIX
What are you doing?
GRACE
Don't worry about it.
The swirling darkness concentrates in her palm and forms one
impossibly black ring. Grace holds it up and looks at Felix through it.
GRACE (cont'd)
If you put this on, you might be able to take on a shadow form like me. Then you could
travel through the shadows...
(she stops looking through the ring)
...I think.
FELIX
(uncertainly)
"I think"?
GRACE
I don't know if it'll work the same because you're not a grim reaper, but let's find out! I
figure you've already died today, what's the worst that could happen?
FELIX
I die. Again. For good this time.

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GRACE
Now, now, don't be a pessimist Felix, it's a waste. Either things go wrong and you're right
or things go right and you're wrong.
(articulating the tautology with obvious glee)
Pessimists can never be happy and right at the same time.
FELIX
I think I could just be content with not trying and being neither wrong or right.
GRACE
But then you'd always wonder.
Ring in hand, she crosses the room and sits beside Felix on the couch. She then pulls
another identical ring out of her own pocket.
GRACE (cont'd)
Give me your hand.
Felix, surprised by the sudden closeness, tenderly obliges.
It usually feels a bit cold and tingly, and it'll take a second to take effect.
(MORE)
GRACE (cont'd)
Maybe it'll do other things too, I am curious what it might...
She puts her ring on her finger and trails off as she slides his ring down his finger. After a
couple of seconds, bits of black static swarm around the both of them.
For a moment longer than necessary Grace just holds his hand and studies it contently.
Felix looks at her looking at his hand and blushes.
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She drops his hand a little too abruptly.
GRACE (cont'd)
So yeah, let's uh, let's turn off the lights.
The room falls into shadow.
GRACE (cont'd)
I'll show you the coma patients. Hold my hand and picture the hospital. You've been there
right?
He pictures it. The scene shifts and they appear from the shadow of a tree just outside the
hospital.

EXT. HOSPITAL - EVENING
GRACE
Hey, that's not half bad for your first try -but it's not half good either. I don't wanna have to
walk all the way inside.
FELIX
How can it be not half bad or gooGrace grabs his hand and they melt into the shadows and emerge in a dark closet next to
the coma patients.
INT. HOSPITAL COMA WARD - EVENING
We hear the two of them through the closet door.
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FELIX
Whoa! Hey! What are you touching? What are you doing?
Felix tumbles THROUGH the closet door and onto the ground.
Grace walks out after him.
GRACE
Now we know the ring means you can go through doors too. Isn't that exciting?
FELIX
You didn't have to push me to find that out!
GRACE
You're right. I didn't have to push you. But I didn't have to not push you either.
Felix is about to protest but sighs instead.
GRACE (cont'd)
Notice anything else strange?
FELIX
...What?
GRACE
The coma patients have an excuse, but none of the nurses even deigned to look at your
feeble protestations. So either they take my side wholeheartedly, or...
She looks at him expectantly.
GRACE (cont'd)
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Or...
She again tries to get him to finish her sentence.
FELIX
Or... I'm invisible?
GRACE
Ding Ding Ding. How does it feel?
She asks him but he's not listening. A nurse comes into the room to close a window.
FELIX
(to the nurse) Hello?
(louder) Hello!?
The nurse finishes closing the window, and as she turns to walk away, walks straight
through Felix. Felix shivers.
FELIX (cont'd)
I feel disturbed.
GRACE
I'm not even going to ask what that means. Anyway, back to why we were here: coma
patients. There they are. They're pretty boring. They kind of just lie there. But! They still have
souls in there. As long I don't collect their souls they won't die. Well, don't get me wrong, if they
get taken off life support their body will die, but then their soul will just be taken to their grave.
FELIX
I don't understand. Why don't you just take their souls?

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GRACE
I can't be bothered.
FELIX
Don't you just have to touch them with your scythe? We're already here.
GRACE
Then I guess it's because I don't feel like it.
FELIX
Couldn't they just wake up?
GRACE
Nope.
FELIX
But what about their families...those who are waiting for them.
Grace shrugs.
FELIX (cont'd)
You shouldn't put them through that.
GRACE
What does it matter? Their families know they're not waking up.
FELIX
Why did you even bring me here?
GRACE

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Partially because I thought it would be fun to test out the ring. Partially because I felt bad
that my answer to all three of your questions boiled down to "I don't know." Mostly because I
thought it would be fun though. Anyway:
She grabs him by the hand and drags him through the closet door.
FELIX
Wait!
The scene shifts, and they are back in Felix's apartment.

INT. FELIX'S APARTMENT - EVENING

FELIX
You should go back and reap the coma patients.
GRACE
Why?
FELIX
It's the right thing to do. Letting their families worry about them is horrible.
GRACE
And what if I told you that I didn't know for certain whether they would wake or not? And
that really this is a test to see if I could save people?
FELIX
I wouldn't believe you. When you said they wouldn't wake up, I believed you then.

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GRACE
But if I did keep them alive for that noble reason, would you still be admonishing me?
Surely whether I think they will wake or not is irrelevant. I'm not stopping them from waking.
FELIX
You're- you're just using irrelevance to rationalize irreverence.
GRACE
Well then, I have a little idea for you Mr. Noble. Come over here.
She leads him to the wall.
FELIX
What?
GRACE
Walk through this wall.
FELIX
That leads to next door... Is it empty over there or is someone living there or what? I've
never seen or heard anything coming from there.
GRACE
Just do it.
Felix obliges.
INT. ABIGAIL'S ROOM - EVENING
Felix and Grace enter an immaculate apartment living room, without a single speck out of
place.
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FELIX
We shouldn't be here. This is
someone's apartment.
GRACE
I'm a grim reaper? I already told you I, uh, "people watch" in my spare time.
FELIX
Then I shouldn't be here.
He turns go back through the wall. Grace extends her hand and the ring on his finger turns
back into shadows that slip through the air and into her hand. Felix is out of his shadow form and
back to normal, which becomes immediately apparent as he walks straight into the wall he was
trying to pass through. Grace disappears.
FELIX (cont'd)
Ow! Uh, Grace?
GRACE (V.O.)
Wait, can you not see me any more?
FELIX
No, where are you?
GRACE (V.O.)
I suppose someone who isn't in shadow form can't see someone who is... but you can still
hear me...interesting...
FELIX
No it's not! Give me the ring back.
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GRACE (V.O.)
Shhh, Felix you don't want Abigail to hear you, do you?
FELIX
(in a whispered hiss) There is someone here?
GRACE (V.O.)
Relax, she won't actually hear you, follow my voice.
(jokingly making fake ghost noises)
OOOoooOoOOOhhh
Felix reluctantly follows her voice through the apartment.
GRACE (V.O.) (cont'd)
Now just open this door.
From beyond the door, the faint sound of singing and piano is heard.
Felix opens the door hesitantly and finds that the faint piano playing wasn't from inside this
room, but is coming through the wall of next door. What was in the room was Abigail, 31, a
conscientious woman with headphones on.
She was facing away from the door, so she didn't see as Felix quickly and quietly shut the
door again.
GRACE (V.O.) (cont'd) She can't hear you. She's got noise-canceling headphones. Top-ofthe-line. Sometimes she listens to audiobooks: the classics mostly, but a couple romances sneak
their way in too.
(MORE)

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GRACE (V.O.) (cont'd) But she keeps the headphones on most of the time, even without
listening to anything. She works online but she never even lets herself listen to an audiobook on
the job; she's very conscientious that way.
FELIX
(hissing) Give the ring back!
GRACE (V.O.)
I'll give the ring back, only if you promise to let me finish showing you what I have to
show you.
FELIX
Fine.

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