The Reaper of Brooklyn

My name is Jack Morrison. I’m a Brooklyn local, broke as can be, and my death was sudden too. I got taken out by a truck while saving a woman pushing a stroller. By rights, I should’ve gone to heaven. But heaven was swamped and short on angels, so Gabriel had to outsource me to the Chinese Underworld. Now I’m the only unofficial grim reaper in the Brooklyn district. No official position, no uniform, no benefits. My bosses are two Chinese ghost enforcers, one in white and one in black, and they whip me with iron chains whenever they feel like it. My job is to deal with all the things in this lousy neighborhood that don’t want to die, refuse to move on, or have slipped through the gates of hell. The Grim Reaper won’t do his job, the angels are working overtime, and the demons are waiting for me to die a second time. Me, I just want to finish smoking the half-cigarette in my pocket.