Prologue

      1:00 A.M. 

      Outskirts of the Pits

 

      Munir Clayton ran down the broken sidewalks of the poverty stricken Pits, a cold sweat running down his face. It was dark and the streets were empty, the gangs ruling the night in the Pits. Disease ridden dogs and cats barked and hissed at him as ran through numerous alleyways.  He knocked down overflowing garbage cans and climbed over rust covered fences.  As he turned into another alleyway, he dared a glance behind him.  At first it didn't seem like there was anything there, just old trash cans and abandoned cardboard boxes of the homeless.  Sudden movements in the shadows caught his eye.  They were quick and precise, moving so fast that Munir had barely caught them.  Munir had seen them when he had entered the Pits but had not paid them any attention at first.  It was only after he had seen them again moments later did he realize that he was being followed.  So he ran; having planned to lose them in the maze of alleyways and destroyed buildings that he had become so familiar with. The problem was that they kept up with him no matter what he did.

       As Munir climbed another rusted fence, his foot slipped and his hands dug deeply into the rusted steel on top of the fence.  He let out a cry of pain and fell to the other side, hitting his head on the stone ground.  The world seemed to be spinning and his vision became blurry but he managed to get up and continue to run.  He ran towards the shanty town areas that were close by.  If he managed to make it there he'd lose his pursuers in the mess of lean-to's and makeshift houses.   

       Munir knew his body wanted him to stop and take a breather. His lungs were as empty as a deflated balloon.  His head was spinning and his hands were screaming from the still bleeding cuts across his palms.  He glanced over his shoulder and was surprised to see that there was nothing there.  No shadows, no sudden movements, and no mysterious people chasing him.  He stopped next to an alleyway that led into the shanty town area.  He braced a hand against the brick wall of a building to steady himself.  He sucked in the air that his lungs craved so desperately for.  His hands still hurt like crazy but he would take care of them later when he got clear of his pursuers.  Munir smiled at the thought of making it out of the Pits alive; something that outsiders rarely did.  A crash behind him shattered his hope.

       Munir looked over his shoulder to see a sight that filled him with dread.  Standing at the end of the sidewalk, next to an overturned trash can, was a tall figure.  His face was concealed by the hood of the black cloak that he wore.  He was advancing slowly towards Munir.  Munir bolted down the alleyway, knowing if he made it to the other side he'd get away scot-free.  His pursuers must have anticipated his plans because as he made it half-way through the alleyway, a second, smaller cloaked figure stepped into view on the other end of the alleyway.  Munir stopped in his tracks, his only escape blocked.  He turned around, thinking that he'd be able to backtrack.  That too was taken away from him when the first figure stepped into view, effectively boxing him in. 

       Munir looked around for another escape route.  A fire escape above a pile of trashbags caught his eye.  He ran towards it, jumping off the trash bags to grab on to the ladder.  His hope rekinded as he hastily climbed the ladder.  Just as he got to the top of the ladder, a boot connected with his face and sent him flying off, into the pile of trash bags below.  Munir quickly got to his feet and looked up to see a third figure now leaning over the fire escape railing.  In despair, Munir realized that he was trapped with no way out.

       The first figure started to approach Munir. He was walking at a slow pace, clearly trying to intimidate Munir.  "Where is it?" The figure asked, his voice threatening.

       "Where's what?" Munir answered, starting to back up slowly.

       "Don't play dumb, give us the flashdrive."

       Munir felt a lump in his throat. If these guys were going this far for the flashdrive then he couldn't let them get it. "I don't know what you're talking about."

       A scythe suddenly appeared in the figure's hand.  Munir didn't even see him pull it out. It was taller than the figure and was completely jet black except for the blade which had stange etchings on it that seemed to glow a ghostly purple.  "Where not fooling around, we know you gave it to someone and I want to know who."

       "I suggest you do as he says.  All that chasing you made us do seems to have worn out his patience."  The third figure said.

       "Look I don't have anything that you guys want."  The first figure's grip on the scythe grew tighter.

       "Please, just give him what he wants." The second figure pleaded. Munir was surprised to hear a girl's voice.

       Munir weighed his options. The second figure seemed to have a reluctance about hurting Munir. Maybe she'd let him get by if he charged her.  He shifted his footing subtly in the direction of the second figure.  "Just who are you guys anyway?"

       The first figure sighed as if he was dissappointed that Munir had actually asked that question. He lowered the scythe so that the blade was pointing sideways. Munir thought that maybe they were going to let him go after all. "We're Reapers." First said.  He then drove the scythe into Munir's chest so fast that Munir hadn't even register what had happened to him before he died.  His body was now hanging a good five feet above the ground. The figure pulled the blade out of Munir and Munir's body hit the ground, his blood coming completely off the figure's blade and spashing on to the nearby wall.  The other two figures converged on the first.

       "You didn't have to kill him." Second said.

       "He wasn't going to tell us anything and we're exposed enough as it is."  First replied. The scythe he had been carrying disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.

       "He's right you know.  We don't need to attract more attention." Third said, agreeing with the first.

       "This coming from the guy whose a necromaniac." Second said.

       "Says the girl who can barely hurt a fly." Third shot back.

       "We still could have captured him and gotten the information from him somewhere safe."

       "I work with the dead, not the living."

       "ENOUGH!" Both Second and Third looked at First, who was apparently fuming under his cloak. "We've wasted enough time with your bickering.  Both of you cut it out, we've got a job to do."  He pointed to Third. "Do the usual."

       "SOP?"

       "SOP."

       Third nodded and walked over to Munir's body.  He dragged Munir over to a garbbage dumpster and took off the bag he had been carrying.  He started to rummage through it when First said, "Wait."  Third looked up at First. "Look through his pockets first."  Third checked Munir's pockets and pulled out a cellphone.  He tossed it to First and then checked the rest of the pockets.

       "Nothing?" First asksed.  Third shook his head.  "We'll take a picture and send the confirmation." Third nodded and took out a phone and proceeded to take and send a picture of Munir's dead body.  He then went back to rummaging through his bag.

       As First looked through Munir's phone, Second spoke up.  "Do we really need to do this to everybody we kill?"

       First looked up at her and then went back to the phone. "Better this way then letting people find out the truth."

       "I guess."

       "Go keep a look out on the other side of the alleyway. I'll keep a look out on this side."

       Second looked at him for a moment, as if questioning his judgement, then nodded and walked down to the shanty town end of the alleyway.  First stayed on the other end and put Munir's phone in his pocket.  He then pulled out his own phone, typed in some words, and pressed the send button.

       "Are you almost done? Someone might see us."  Second piped in after awhile.

       "You cannot rush perfection." Third said as he worked.

       "Besides if anyone does see us, we'll just kill them." First said.

       "That's what I'm afraid of." Second replied.

       "I'm done." Third said a few moments later.

       "Is it good?" First asked.

       Second looked at Munir's body. "Yeah, it's good."

       "Then we're done here. Pack your stuff, we're heading home."

       A few seconds later all traces of the three cloaked figures were gone. 

Reviews

[Ace D Portgas]

EDEN!!!

Man while reading this whole thing I just felt bad for Munir...Geez the guy cuts his hands open, knocks his head against the ground, then finally dies...Sucks to be him

I really enjoyed this and thought this was a GREAT prologue that hooks the reader in. The dialogue between the reapers was amazing and with just the little that you showed I think readers should be able to point out each reapers personality which is amazing you did that in such a short time

You already have readers wanting to know more about what is on the flashdrive and wanting to know more about the reapers backstory and what exactly is the truth.

There weren't even that many spelling mistakes. I did notice when the reaper asked Munir for the flash drive it says "Don't play dump" and the second was when it was said "It was only after he had them again moments later did he realize that he was being followed." I think the wording is a bit confusing there, I think you forgot to add seen so it should say "It was only after he (seen) them moments again later"

But overall AMAZING story and I am going to be looking forward to reading more of it