Lost Souls

Chapter 4: Past Dangers

I stretched carefully in the tree, making sure I wouldn't fall off. Staring around, I took some time to admire the bush and all its beauty. The sun was just coming up and it glared off the lake ahead of me. The birds sang off into the distance and frog croaked in the water's edge ahead. Sighing I grabbed the bag hanging from the branch. Untied myself and then grabbed my bow. Once down the tree, I ate the second last can of food. Once I was done eating I stormed off, making sure I didn't leave any tracks behind.

Today was day five since I left home. Five days of long grueling jogs though the forest with no one to talk to. I still haven't figured out what my other half was up to too. And that was personally driving me crazy. Why would she suggest getting together with a guy? I might as well kill myself now. Grim Reaper didn't make exemptions for those in love. It didn't do that to anyone. Grim Reaper was made to kill the human race. Well at the beginning it wasn't. It was a program based on a Coco coal commercial. that had a inceptive message in it. When you would watch it, you would go buy that thing. This is what my Mom said. From this commercial started, project Willow.

Project Willow was responsible for Grim Reaper, they wanted to utilize the commercial to make other people kill themselves when they saw it. Pretty gruesome...I know. But it didn't work at first. Because the mind subconsciously knows what's good and bad. I still don't get that part. Anyways, they found a way around that by tricking your mind of what you were seeing. For example, when you are going to pet a puppy, you are really petting a starving wolf. Once they had it under wraps, Grim Reaper was born. And the elimination of the humans started to decrease. What a great idea the people had! Reaper Idiots.

I slowed down to a walk, scouting the area, seeing if there was any place I could call home. I was far enough, I think... I could start to look around. But nothing seemed to call to me after finding a electric free home. I guess... I have gotten soft... I cringed at the thought. Coming to another clearing, I spotted on the other side a forbidden zone were trees had started to sprout out of the hard mixed grey rock. Glancing down, I made sure to look away from it, just in case a piece of technology would turn on and infect me. Making a wide circle I made sure I didn't end up too close to the empty, hollow, homes.

It took me a good hour to finally get around it. I even had to pass over the empty grey roads a couple of times. Once around them, I was able to get a good distance away, then suddenly I froze on the spot. A chill traveled up my spine as I had the distinct feeling that something was following me. Looking around, I searched the dense, but spotted nothing. There nothing there... I tried to convince myself, but I couldn't shrug the feeling that something or someone was following me.

I started to walk forward again and tugged off the bow that was around my body. Then just for the heck of it, I grabbed a arrow and nocked it to the string. While doing this I was trying to convince myself that I was not paranoid. Not really... Thankfully my other half decide not to comment on that. Maybe she will finally leave me in peace, but the likes of that happening was zero to none. Smiling, I turned my head to look behind me to see movement. What! I turned around and drew the bow back in one swift movement. I aimed the bow at the tree where the thing had hid. What was it? Food? Foe? I paused, waiting for the thing to make a appearance, but nothing moved. I swear, I saw something. But as I stood there with my bow aimed, I grew less convinced. I am not going insane or paranoid, I swear. Movement flashed by the tree again and my fingers tighten around the string of the bow. Mentally I had to talk back to myself to loosen my grip. The arrow wouldn't hit its target that way.

Slowly the object peeled itself from the trees shadow and into the light. Showing me in all of its glory of what it was. Foe... A Reapers Gift. Blue dazed eyes started right into mine with his brown ragged hair hanging down into them. His clothes was dirt filled and covered with the seasons matching leaves. Even as I stared at him it was almost impossible to make him out. Shit! Aiming quick I realized the arrow that was pointed at his heart. But in that one moment he had moved, hitting his shoulder, just missing his heart. Reaper Scythe! I grabbed another arrow. Nocked, pulled back and then aimed. But before I could shoot him, he jumped behind a tree.

Crap... Aiming my bow at the tree. I made a wide circle around to shoot him. Breathing heavily, my body hummed with adrenaline. I kept my joints lose, in case I had to dodge flying objects. Like a dagger. But when I came to the other side, his body wasn't there but there was blood at the bottom which I could barely make out... He must have inched around the tree, keeping out of my arrows reach. I clinched my teeth together making them throb from the pressure. How was I going to get it out into the open? My nerves shook as long seconds passed, listening because I had lost the blood trial, tension hung in the air like a fog. Patiently, I waited near the tree but backed up behind another to block oncoming attacks, but I made sure nothing would be in my line of sight which could block the tree.

Once I see movement, I would shoot. I scanned the edges of the tree for any sign of it. But none came and the fear that I was able to block out before, came back with a vengeance. I was up against a Reaper Gift, that usually equals death if you were the only one up against it; no one gets away from them. At least none that I use to hear of. That was a long time ago... Crack, went a branch above me. I Looked up to catch a glimpse of the Reapers body before it came crashing down on top of mine. How?... I crumbled to the ground from his weight, landing on my back with him on top. And my bag behind me, making me bend over it painfully. Quickly, he made sure to pin me, hooking his legs with mine and then ripped the bow from my hand. Now with my hands above my head...I was at his mecery. I didn't like the sounds of that one bit.

I stared up into the glazed eyes above me and whimpered. Flashes from the years before came to me and further back. All of them reminded me of how worthless I was and still am. I couldn't do anything about the Reapers then and now. Soft, warm tears trickled out of my eyes as I stared into the infected human face. He was once human... he had a life, but now that was all taken away when the virus activated. What was the last thing he was doing? Did he live alone like me?

The Reaper switch up his hold, so he could hold onto both of my hands in one of his. With his other hand free. He reached for my neck and clenched down, hard. I tried to scream out in shock, only to realize I needed air to do that. Air. My lungs started to scream for it as my brain sent signals to my mouth that made me keep opening up to get some air in. But little did my brain understand was a hand was choking me. Struggling, I tried to get lose from his grip up to the point that it felt like I was rubbing my wrist raw. I didn't want to die like this, I had to keep my mother's promise. I needed too! The more I seemed to struggle the weaker I got. Stars shone in my eyes and the world around me faded out. My last thoughts that filtered into my head was, I didn't try hard enough... people said it was impossible to beat a reaper... I wanted to be the first one and prove them wrong...