September 20, 1998. [10:00pm]

Jackie made sure to keep just enough distance as she stalked the cute brunette into the alley. Merging with the shadows, Jackie crept ever closer. Then suddenly, the girl turned around and stood her ground.

“What a beautiful sky, with so many beautiful stars. They are so close… and yet so far,” The Girl said, dancing under the heavens. Her face, fully ablaze by starlight.

“You know, Reaper, gods are not cruel. No, they are not,” she said, wagging her finger twice. “Cruelty - is a human condition.”

Jackie’s cover was blown.

“Despite being the ONLY sentient species in the universe, what do humans do? They build cities, they industrialize, they take away from nature, AND FOR WHAT?” She asked. Her face filled with disgust. “To build SHITHOLES like THIS?”

“Just, shut up already, will you?” Jackie said.

“Ah, see. Despite understanding everything I said, you default to violence. That is so human of you.”

Jackie grunted.

“Look, I am only here to deliver a message,” The Girl said, opening a long parchment. “By The Order of Saint Claudia Invicta, and in agreement with the counsel of the magical girl association, you, Reaper, have been sentenced to death. But worry not, I am only here to deliver the message. We normally give a twenty-hour grace period before we execute criminals. This is to keep civilian casualties at a minimum. Oh, and with that in mind, if you were to commit suicide that would do us and the civilians a favor.”

“Go to hell,” Jackie said, pulling her ice picker and lounging from the dark.

“Ah, but if you insist.”

Jackie’s attack was met with a powerful kick that sent her flying against the alley’s brick wall. Cursing, and with blood spilling from her mouth, Jackie realized this was not an ordinary opponent.

“Not so easy when they can fight back, huh?” The Messenger asked before coming down at Jackie with murderous intent.

When the distance closed, Jackie spitted at her. Blinding her with blood. Then slashing her across the chest.

The Messenger threw blind punches, some landing on Jackie, while others landed on the brick wall. Cracking them like a hammer cracks marble.

Using one of her agility based skills, Jackie transformed into a shadow and limped away.

“Where do you think you are going!?” The Messenger yelled. But she did not give chase.

*******************

September 21, 1998. [5:30pm]

Jackie was still in her pajamas when the Occult Club came to give her a visit. Not only were they annoying at school, but they were also annoying outside of it.

“What do you guys want?” Jackie asked.

“We heard you were sick, so we brought you pizza!” Amy said with a smile on her face.

“Who said I was sick?” Jackie asked. After all, she did not tell anyone the reason for her absence.

“Your brother, who else dummie,” Casper said.

Jackie made a mental note to murder her brother when he got home. But for now, free pizza was free pizza. She opened the box and munched a slide.

“Pepperoni,” Jackie said. Her favorite.

Alex took her gesture as a sign of consent. Her plan to kick them out after eating the slide had failed.

Dragged to her own room, Jackie at last devoured the slide that she had grabbed.

“I want more pizza,” she uttered. Upset that now everybody had seen how many panties, socks and other trash she had lying around the room.

************

While playing Ouija board, both Casper and Amy volunteered to go downstairs for water.

After they did not come back. Jackie found herself alone with a rambling Alex.

“See, your house is haunted,” Alex said. “Perhaps, could it be… that you have a corpse buried in your backyard!?”

“And why would I bury a corpse in my own yard?” Jackie asked.

“So cold. You are not even going to deny the murder!?” Alex said. “This sounds like a job for Detective Alex.”

“Whatever. Stay here. I am going to see what is taking those two so long.”

Jackie, for a second, almost activated [Shadow of The Night]. A skill that allowed her to walk without making any noise. But she decided not to waste any mana. After all, it was already almost impossible to hear her steps while she was not wearing any shoes.

All the lights on the first floor were off. “Weird,” Jackie whispered. She knew that when the club arrived, the lights in the living room were on.

Entering the kitchen, Jackie grabbed a knife. If Casper or Amy were spying on her, they needed to be dealt with immediately.

A noise came out of the living room. Jackie got closer.

“Not here,” Amy said.

When Jackie peeked, she regretted having night vision skills. They had no shame. Jackie could see a shirtless Casper and a blushing Amy getting too tight together. His oily fingers worming their way into his girlfriend’s chest.

Jackie had to stop herself from stabbing them for dishonoring her home. They were doing that on her favorite coach. Hiding two bodies while Alex was still in her room would be extremely difficult to pull off.

Jackie thought about perhaps just outright killing the entire club. But that also would be difficult, since their deaths might easily link back to her. Even if they did not, killing the entire club meant that she would no longer have an alibi after school.

Jackie did the next best thing. She went back to her room and told Alex that there was a ghost in her living room.

Detective Alex stormed out of the room.

He found no ghost in the living room, but there was Casper.