Free Reaper I: The Beginning by Amanda Holt

 
     
    REAPER I: THE BEGINNING
    Amanda M. Holt
     
    The first time that I turned into the Dark Thing, I was just as terrified of my transformation as I was of my attackers.
    That evening had begun normally enough.
    I had just left my workplace and, for the usual reason, had chosen to take a shortcut home by walking through Lincoln Park.
    Cutting thought the park at night was something my mother would have scolded me for, but I was far too bold to heed her warnings.
    Instead, I brushed them off as mere motherly paranoia.
    She was always paranoid about one thing or another.
    Always worried, usually without reason.
    Besides, it was the Suburbs for God’s sake.
    Nothing ever really happened there.
    I didn’t share the same fears as my mother.
    I didn’t believe in things that went bump in the night.
    Nothing bad had ever happened to me in Lincoln Park, day or night, and this route was, after all, the quickest way home from my part time job at Bo’s Ice Cream Parlor.
    Plus, I was in a hurry to get home because I was really looking forward to the episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer that was playing that night. It was a repeat episode, but one of my favorites… Spike was in love with Buffy, little good that it did him, as she was still in love with Angel.
    I loved watching Spike suffer through his unrequited love.  Something about seeing that gorgeous bleached blond vampire lusting after a woman he couldn’t have made my fifteen year old pulse quicken.
    I had never even been kissed by a boy.
    I was innocent of many things.
    In my innocence, I felt as long that as I stuck to the lit paths that cut Lincoln Park into its sections, I should be fine. I wouldn’t run into any wild animals, trip over any tree roots, or meet up with any of the homeless people who sought out refuge in the deeper shadows of the park.
    I had traveled this path during both the daylight hours and autumn evenings numerous times without a single unpleasant incident.
    I probably could have walked my favorite path with my eyes closed.
    From my point of view, it was a much better route home than walking the several blocks around the park to get to my neighborhood.
     So yes, I dared that night to cross Ol’ Lincoln, sticking to those well-lit paths as best I could.
    My lucky stars had never led me astray before…
    Nevertheless, on that cold October night, I would not be so lucky.
    I heard the gruff voiced men well before I saw them.
     Their intentions came to me in bits and pieces of conversation.
    “Now there’s a sweet piece of ass if ever I saw one,” one of them hissed, in my general direction. 
    “I’ve been craving a piece like that all night,” said another man, from the same place as his unseen companion.
    Being the only piece of ass that I could see in Lincoln Park that night, I would have been stupid not to assume that he was talking about me.
     I began to walk faster, hoping that my footsteps would carry me further away from their voices. Put me out of sight before they could get any other vile ideas, make any other gross comments.
    My quick breaths formed little puffs of mist in the cold night air.
    Another rough voice drifted to me.
    “Man, I wanna tear that ass up.  Tear it to pieces.”
    Another hoarse whisper from the shadows.
    “I could eat that ass up in two bites!” A third voice growled.
    I glanced nervously to the left of my field of vision, looking for the faces and bodies that belonged to the crude words.
    It was then that I saw the three of them walking toward me from the shadows of the park, blocking my way further along the path.
    The short heavyset man was the first one I saw.
    He wasn’t dressed for the brisk cold of the night, in a sleeveless shirt that showed a collection of tattoos. He was leering at me, his vicious smile splitting his face from ear to ear.
    The dark skinned one of the three had hooded eyes that made me feel uncomfortable as his glance swept me from head to toe. He was tall, well built and moved