In 2013 I wrote a script for a short play simply entitled "Death"; after six revisions, the first and sadly last draft of the one-act "Mortimer" was released, produced and performed to moderate local success. Though my production manager, cast and family insisted to me that the script was perfect the way it was, I always thought that Mortimer was lacking something. It felt like I had not done the story justice, that I had done a half-assed job and that I needed to somehow make it right. One controversial script and (so far) unpublished novel later, and I still feel like I haven’t made amends. So here I am, going back to the original tale. Here is the story of Mortimer and his friend David.

Mortimer is a Reaper who, though a fairly awkward soul, does his absolute best to be the best agent of Death he can be. David Grey is a nineteen year old layabout who, upon discovering that he doesn’t qualify for the Afterlife, is desperate to find a way out. With the help of Mortimer’s boss, Lilian, the pair strike a deal that will allow David to return to life, and help Mortimer catch a rogue soul that had been giving him a bad name for some time. Only one problem: the soul in question, Cory Daniels, is in league with the literal children from Hell.