The Reaper

Chapter 1

Living in the 21st century has become increasingly difficult. Don't get me wrong, the medical and technological advancements of this era are incredible! However, due to those advancements, it made existing for a being like me... arduous.

The cacophony of sounds from the city reverberated around me as I quickly made my way through the pressing bodies of the crowd. Living in the city had it perks, of course, but God, how I hated the masses. The incessant noises and smells coming off these people was enough to make me sick, but I kept my head down and kept marching forward. I didn't have time to wallow or feel bad for myself, I had other things to concern myself with, like making it to my f*cking appointment on time!

As I rounded the corner, I crashed into what felt like a brick wall, but luckily, my reflexes were good enough that I barely stumbled as I glared up at the offending d*ck that stood in my way. The man chuckled deep in his chest as he reached out, probably to steady me, but I flinched out of his way, continuing to glare.

"Sorry about that! I really should pay more attention to where I'm walking," he said, smiling.

I pulled my coat tighter around me and nodded before rushing past him toward my destination. Hurry up, dumba*s! We can't be late!

As my eyes landed on the sign dangling haphazardly from the dingy, brown building my heart rate kicked up, and I practically broke the door down as I rushed in as quickly as I could. The little bell above the door tinkled, giving away that I was inside.

A statuesque, well built blonde in a pristine white lab coat came through the door to the right of the nurse's desk with a clipboard in her hand. Without even making eye contact, she flipped through her papers and sighed, "You're late, Grimme. Follow me."

I rushed forward and fell into step with her as we silently made our way through the maze of halls within the doctor's office. As we neared her personal study, she darted her eyes over to me, a small smirk gracing her lips.

"You can't keep showing up late like this! You need to be on a very strict schedule if you expect the trial to work the way we hope!"

I ducked my head and sighed heavily, "I apologize, Grace. The nightmares are back, and I have been struggling to keep my powers at bay..." I murmured, trailing off.

"Well, come on then. I already have the next dose ready for you. Observation shouldn't take long, then we can get out of here and grab a drink," she said, smiling at me again.

I nodded enthusiastically and practically skipped into her office, ready to get this over with and get knee deep into some booze at my favorite bar.

She pulled up a chair and pushed me down into it as she got various tubes and monitors set up and running. While she worked, I removed my thick jacket and rolled up the sleeve on my right arm. She quickly grabbed the restraints on my chair and began fastening me in place. As I worked to control my breathing, she walked over to her desk and brought out a stiff piece of worn leather.

"Bite down on this," she said, a stern look on her face. "Hard."

I tentatively opened my mouth as she placed the hunk of leather between my teeth and bit down. Her eyes never left mine as she pulled a syringe off her little table next to my chair. She reached out and gently squeezed my finger, a sympathetic look dancing across her features almost too quickly to notice. "Whatever happens, Grimme, don't scream."

I braced myself, biting down on the leather so hard it felt like my teeth might break, and as she neared my arm with the needle, I gripped the arms of the chair so tightly the wood began to groan. Even though my eyes were closed, I could feel the air dancing as she moved to insert the needle into the crook of my elbow, and I involuntarily stiffened in response.

"Grimme!" she said sharply, "Relax your arms. Now!"

The command in her voice worked to soothe my taut muscles, and she quickly stuck me, pushing the liquid into my veins. As soon as the last drop was clear, she jumped back from my chair and watched me warily. Her eyes searching for any indication of shift or change.

The liquid felt like ice as it coursed through my body as I fought to remain quiet in my spot. The further it traveled, the worse the sensation became, morphing from liquid ice to a blazing fire inside of me. Harsh panting filled the quiet of the room, and I threw my head back as my body tried to escape its torture.

The seconds wore on as my frazzled body fought to remain seated in this horrible f*cking chair, and Grace slowly walked toward me again to check the reading from the machines. Her eyes darted back and forth quickly as she scanned the data the machines were so furiously pushing out. Her breathe caught in her throat as her eyes clipped through the mountain of data.

"Grimme, this is incredible! Your body is attacking the virus like an army!" she breathed, astonishment clear on her sharp features.

I grunted out before slowly forcing myself to relax back into the chair as the last vestiges of flame coursed through my system.

"It's like I keep trying to tell you, Grace," I whispered, my breathing heavy, "I've yet to come across any poison, virus, or bacteria that can survive in me."

"Do you have any idea what this could mean in the medical community? So much could be learned from just a sample of your blood! We could probably cure f*cking cancer with this sh*t!" she exclaimed.

I shook my head sadly as I worked the restraints and cuffs off, "I've already told you. No one can know. I'd be paraded around like a d*mn sideshow attraction! And what happens if my blood ends up in the wrong hands? We can't risk this becoming public knowledge. We'd both be locked up"

She nodded, understanding softening her features, "Let's get you cleaned up, and go grab that drink. You look like you need one."

"One," I scoffed, "more like 10. minimum."