WiHM: Angel of Death in Horror
It’s the ultimate high.
Here, why don’t you come on over and try it?
Everyone is doing it. All you have to do is give in. All you have to do is take a step, and then a leap and I’ll catch you because that’s what I do. Didn’t you know what you were getting into before you decided to take my hand? There’s no going back now. Look down, you’ll see where you came from, but only I know where you’re going.
Death. It’s the end of everything and yet something we all have to face. Don’t you agree?
Death comes in many forms as it does within the confines of horror. Just the very thought of it makes one shiver. The definitive end of life and yet the state of passing into another consciousness. Some have made the act of death into a thing to fear and claimed its messenger as an unholy creature who preys upon those who are on his list. Most authors or other artists have asserted the angel of death or the reapers who bring the act upon us hapless mortals, are uncaring evil monsters who drag souls either to the other side or off to be tortured by some demon or devil depending on which storyline you wish to follow.
Nevertheless, not all Grim Reapers are horrific. Some actually have compassion and I see this trend more within the horror genre coming from the women who take up the scythe and cut away the dark cloak and peer into the darkness of death. A good example is the character of death in Graveminder by Melissa Marr. Death is a sympathetic character who offers a bit of advice as the main character descends into the underworld to fulfill her duties. Or take some of the other female writers who are turning death into a woman. As women, the reapers have emotions and life situations they encounter just as their live counterparts do. A good example of this would be the reaper in First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones. Her reaper is actually alive and must deal with life as it happens to her as well as crossing over souls to the other side. Death for her is not an angel, but she is the embodiment of the angel.
For me, Death is an angel who helps those crossover and he has feelings. He also oversees a battalion of other grim reapers who work for him. Death is a close friend and traverses many universes. I use him to scare my characters. I also enjoy showing others his compassionate side. My death is a five thousand years old angel named Azrael who was lifted up from a darker path to become the head reaper. He had spent so much time within the cold reaches of space all he knew was his job until another softened his heart. Making Azrael feel within the confines of my horror novels, to me, only brought out a little bit more of his eviler nature because he has to battle the demons he has long since thought he tamed. Interacting with actual humans instead of just their souls, gives him a different perspective and makes him question his role in the universe.
But in the end, death is Death. It doesn’t matter if the author portrays the reaper as a human woman, a vampire who has been elevated to angelic status, or just a lonely woman who is offered the chance to ferry souls into the hereafter.
I only hope Death will be there at my demise to offer me his cold hand.
In horror or in real life, it is inevitable.
Crymsyn Hart
BIO
Crymsyn Hart is a National Bestselling author of erotic romance and horror. Her worlds are filled with luscious vampires, gorgeous gods, quirky witches, and everything else that goes bump in the night. Crymsyn worked as a psychic for many years in Boston while attending Emerson College. She graduated with a BFA in Writing, Literature, & Publishing. Crymsyn shares her life with a small zoo, three playful puppies, and her hubby Mark.
Visit her on the web at: www.RavynHart.com
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Jerry Benns comes from a varied past in the entertainment industry. Having spent the end of the previous century owning/running a marketing, graphic, and management company, he has worked to coordinate many project launches. Some might say he knows his way around the creation and promotion of a plethora of different visions, directions, and dimensions. Not to be stagnant, he moved into the corporate world to become a manager of projects throughout North and South America. His travels are vast, the personalities met are legion, and his broad perspective of the world is…broad. Through all of this, he has been a rabid reader of a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction, closet writer, and constant networker. You can find his musings published at http://tripthroughmymind.com.