✗ FATE, s 'ghost' riley

04

Reaper stopped at the high pitched cry, turning to a child. She had her hands wrapped around the bars of her cell, the cage separating the two beings. Reaper, who had sympathized with the children, couldn't leave them here. She ran out of unison with her team, opening each cell and taking each kid, bringing them with her. The rest of her team ran to the ruined wall, escaping the basement crawling on the muddy water not noticing her disappearance.

Reaper carried some children in her arms and held some by their hands, dragging them with her as their cries echoed from the disappearing building. As they were running out of the ruined wall, pavement crashed onto her left leg. As fragile as she seemed, she quickly pushed it off and kept moving.

She pushed the kids up the hole, one by one, as the rain and mud poured onto them, making it hard to see. After helping them all up, it was now her turn to crawl out, making it hard with her throbbing leg. She ignored the pain and kept pushing through, knowing their lives were in her hands.

She and the children made it out, only to see contact with the enemy and her team going back and forth. It wasn't safe outside either. She ran, taking the kids with her towards the woods and resting them all behind a bush, her leg throbbing even more.

After getting the kids to safety, she was exiting the woods to assist her team, only having someone approach her from behind. The unknown being turned her around, making her see the gun In front of her head, also revealing the person to be a man, and of course, an enemy.

The man didn't hesitate to cut the gun sling around her shoulder, dropping her weapon to the floor and kicking her carbine out of reach. Now, she had no gun. Even so, she continued to wear no expression through her night goggles. The man, amused from her pretty face, spoke.

"Such a shame someone as pretty as you is on the battlefield." He whispered seductively, leaning in close to her ear, breathing on her neck.

Now that the man had no eyes, only seeing behind Reaper, she twisted his arm, kneeing him in the stomach and reaching for her combat knife as he groaned. Within a heartbeat, she had slit his throat. A smooth red splattering her uniform and goggles, spilling from his neck as his corpse fell.

This familiar feeling, the feeling and excitement she hadn't felt in years. She couldn't obtain this using a gun. The reason she was imprisoned, the reason she was even considered a reaper or ghoul. Her weapon wasn't a scythe, but a knife. The short blade, eating the lives of her victims.

The sparks she felt in her fingertips, shocking her body. Reaper had felt as if she was reborn. The one thing she loved and was best at,

stabbing.

December 24th, 2012

6 years after being sold into human trafficking.

hours had went by, the pair sitting side by side as they tried to keep each other warm with their body heat.

her mother held her close, combing through the teenagers hair as they sat on the floor against the corner of the room.

"do you know what today is?" her mother asked, not looking at her daughter.

the girl didn't respond, even though she spoke no words, her mother knew. The teenager had lost track of time as she gradually lost hope with each following day. these thoughts, brought a tear to her mothers eyes.

"todays christmas eve."

finally, a lightbulb clicked in the teenagers head, eagerly turing to face the woman beside her.

"Tomorrow's that holiday? i've only read about it in books!" the teen exclaimed, slamming her hands together in a clap position as she spoke.

the mother laughed softly.

"you've never gotten a christmas gift before, have you?"

the teenager pondered before answering.

"no."

the teenager's face was one of genuine confusion, she didn't understand what was so special.

"Then this year, I'll definitely get you one. What do you want this year?" her mother proudly said, putting her hands on her hips with a smile.

her daughter let out a laugh, "you're all i want, mom."

her mothers smile grew wider as her vision only grew more of a blur before becoming full of tears.

The daughter watched her mother, her mouth agape as she blinked continuously at a fast pace.

a loud knock at the door was heard, following by a voice of a man who hadn't seemed friendly at all.

It was evening. meaning her mother had things to do, a certain place to be.

the voice of the no face man had seemed to have startled the middle aged woman, a bead of sweat running down the edges of her face as she quickly put on a smile.

"i'll be back, okay? we can keep talking about what to get you for christmas once i return." her mother says, the teenager's nose scrunched up slightly as a wide smile stretched from the corners of her mouth.

"okay!"

The daughter still had no idea why the gifts meant so much, but she eagerly agreed since her mother was so enthusiastic about it.

The girl brought her knees to her chest as her mom quietly left the room beside a group of bulky and ugly men with smiles on their faces.

Her arm rested on her knees as her fingers caressed her long black hair, roughly combing through knots as she stared at the small and narrow window on the poorly painted wall that was unusually high.

It was snowing and unbelievably cold outside, and inside.

The window was just a frame with a few bars to prevent anyone from escaping, freely letting the chilling air infiltrate.

Even though the temperature was so unbearable, the snow was peaceful and mellow as it painted a comforting picture for the teenager to freely see.

if the girl could get whatever she wished for as a gift,

She wished she would be able to live comfortably with her mother in a small cabin that was surrounded by a field of flowers with colorful green healthy grass and large trees.

For her wish, she wanted to provide her mother with those fancy master bedrooms with windows made out of real glass as well as mirrors where she could check how much beauty she really carried.

In her fantasy, she would dream that when it stormed, she'd run to her mothers fancy bedroom that was covered in full flooring and rest in her arms for safety.

in her dream, she would regularly go on walks and maybe even get a few pets where they'd carefully and lovingly take care of together.

That was her wish.

and that night, her mother never returned.