Modern Reaper

The Red Room

Shirley stayed in the corner of the white room, curled and twitching. "S-stop it, please..." She begged. The room was filled with a strange purple smoke that burned her eyes, so she clamped them closed. Everytime she opened them to look at it, she saw the faces of the dead; unhappy and distorted. She cried and gripped her hair. "No... stay away from me!"

There was a deep pain in her head and chest. The longer she stayed in the smoke, the more it hurt. But there was no escape. She was trapped.

Suddenly, she felt a reassuring hand on her forearm. Strong and firm, she looked up into the blurred face of her savior.

"Hero?" She called out hopefully. The hand paused at the name before pulling away.  "No!" She screeched. "Come back! D-don't leave me here!"

"Subject number two is coming along very well." The voice concluded shakingly. Her eyes widened and she instantly regretted it when the fog burned her. But she couldn't keep her shock hidden.

"Miles?" She cried. "Why are you doing this to me?"

"As President of this private company, I and the council can assure you a secure position in our higher ranks if you continue."

"Yes President Cathill. I will continue." Miles' response was one that was unconvincing, but he said it with such a ferocity that the person on the other side of the speaker had no choice but to respond in silence.

The loud speaker that had blared someone's deep voice throughout the room showed a red light before sucking the smoke through a hole. When Shirley felt it safe to open her eyes, she did so and saw her brother in a radioactive protection suit. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Miles..." She quietly called, and his bloodshot eyes flickered to meet her's. "Tell me it isn't true." She began, a mixture of negative emotions surrounding her words, her anger fueling them. "Tell me you aren't doing this for them."

"Shirley, it's all Hero's fault-"

"Stop blaming him!" She screamed. Miles went over to her in a second, and she could see the bulging purple veins on his skin as he gripped her shirt to get her onto her feet. "Miles, you're infected-"

"He killed Danny!" He bellowed, his face red as he hollared at her face. "These people told me the truth!" Shirley looked at her crazed twin, unsure as to whether or not she should believe him. He dropped her and she fell to her knees hearing them crack from beneath her. In a second she was screaming at the pain her broken kneecaps brought her. "I... I infected you so that you can be strong..." Miles rambled. "This way I won't lose you too-"

"Miles, Hero he... he isn't like that-"

"He killed Danny and he was going to kill you too!" He screamed as he kicked his sister in the face. Her jaw cracked and she fell to her shoulders. They crushed underneath her weight and she began to sob uncontrollably.

"It hurts... Miles help ... it hurts so much!"

"I have to do this." Miles whispered, a sudden calamity over him. "Death's minions need to get into you through your wounds. Don't worry Sher, you'll be safe this way." The light in Miles' eyes when he assured her she'd be safe through him beating her utterly horrified Shirley.

Miles disappeared to the opposite side of the white room and reemerged with a sledge hammer. Shirley's eyes widened, and she began to scream at Miles for her life until blood was gurgling from her mouth. He raised the sledge hammer over his head, his eyes dark and his hands shaking.

"...safe. I'm keeping you safe..."

"Hero..." She cried as she faced the white ceiling. Her blue eyes widened and she felt her hot tears roll down her cheeks. "Save me!" The sledge hammer came into view seconds before it crashed down into Shirley.

Her blood splattered across the white room,

painting it red.