Prologue

WRAITH

C old. Dark. Alone.

Always alone.

Except when they come.

White coats. Needles. Pain.

Experiments.

Always experiments.

How long?

Years?

Forever?

No windows in cell. No way to mark time passing.

Scientists are gods.

They say I was born here. In this lab.

Breeding program .

Super soldiers.

Mutants.

Monsters.

My hair is dark. Theirs is light.

Not like them.

Have no mother. Only pain.

Always the pain.

Today, they have something new.

Can see excitement in their eyes.

Never good.

Makes my stomach churn.

New always means worse.

But they tell me I will see the sky if I'm good.

I do not know what the sky is.

But they say it is blue, like my eyes.

That I will know it when I see it.

"Drink," they say. Push glass to lips.

Liquid inside. Clear. Water?

Smells bitter. Sharp. Stings nose.

Their eagerness makes me hesitate.

Rough hands grab my jaw. Force it open.

Pour liquid down my throat.

For a moment, nothing.

Then...

Agony .

Fire in my mouth. Down my throat.

Flesh bubbling. Melting .

Face on fire.

Thrash against restraints.

But can't stop screaming.

Acid. They made me drink acid.

Why?

Don't know. Don't understand.

Just another test. Another torment.

Pain blurs everything.

Finally, it fades.

A dull, constant, cold, throbbing ache.

Scientists cluster around. Murmur to each other.

Excitement gone.

Faces pale. Scent of bile.

They are disturbed.

Sick.

Afraid.

Afraid of me ?

Why?

I am nothing to them.

They are my gods.

Then I spot it.

Something horrible in the window.

Monster stares back at me from glass.

All sharp teeth.

A grin from hell.

It has blue eyes.

My eyes.

Jaws open.

Can't scream.

Can only roar.

Needle straight to throat.

Scalpels. Tubes.

Breath whooshes in.

Rasp. Snarl. Roar.

Plastic mask over ruined mouth.

Sweet cold air rushes in.

Pours out through gnashing teeth.

Struggle and fight.

Darkness bleeds in.

Days pass. Maybe longer.

Scientists do not open my door anymore.

Horrified at what they've done.

But not sorry. Never sorry.

Just uncomfortable.

Can't stand to look at me now.

Their creation.

"Cover it," one says. Shudders.

Slot in door for food creaks open.

Do not care.

Want to starve.

"Put it on!" a god barks at me.

Jolt. Glance up .

Monster in window stares back.

All sharp teeth.

Reality settled in yesterday.

The monster is me.

Look away. Hug myself. Shiver.

White fabric on floor under slot.

A sack?

No. A mask.

They made it one.

Holes cut out for eyes.

Crude. Careless.

Pull it over head. Hide the horror.

Can't see their disgust now.

Can't see monster in window.

Cling to mask like lifeline. Only comfort.

More days. More weeks.

Could be months.

Hard to tell.

All blurs together.

Scientists avoid me now.

Unless running tests.

Quick. Efficient. No lingering.

Except some nights. When they drink.

Smell alcohol on breath. See glint in eyes.

Know what's coming. Brace for it.

Fists. Boots. Drunken laughter.

"Disgusting."

"Freak."

"Should just kill it."

Rip sack from head. Grab me by hair.

Force me to look in mirror until tears blind.

New words are learned.

Abomination is most dangerous.

Abomination comes before most pain.

But touch is touch.

Lean into their hands.

Into their fists.

When they leave, curl up in corner.

Shake, hide, hold myself.

But today is different.

Feel it in the air.

Excitement. Tension.

They are planning something.

A new horror.

Door opens. Light floods in.

Squint. Eyes hurt.

White coats. But not alone.

Small figure.

Girl?

Never seen one. Not up close.

She looks... soft.

Fragile.

Light hair like other gods.

So much smaller than me.

I could hurt her.

Don't want to.

Worry.

"It's your birthday," the god says to me. Puts hands on girl's shoulders.

Birth day?

What is a birth day?

What are they doing to me today?

"You are ten today," the god continues. Smiles. All teeth. "It's a special occasion. Even monsters deserve company on their birthday. She's just a beta, but she'll do. Won't she?"

Ten?

Ten years?

Feels longer.

The god leans down to girl's ear.

"Take his mask and you'll get a toy."

Please no…

He pushes her in.

I back away.

We stare.

She's shaking. Scared?

Of me. Of course.

Everyone is .

Even me.

White coats watch through glass.

Eager. Laughing.

Why?

Girl looks back at them. Back at me.

She steps closer.

I back away.

Hit wall. Nowhere to go.

She reaches out. For my mask.

No no no…

Can't let her see. Can't let anyone see.

Try to dodge. She follows.

Could stop her. Easily.

But don't want to hurt.

Never want to hurt.

She chases me.

Corners me.

I growl like animal.

Snarl.

No —

She grabs mask.

Pulls.

Screams.

Terrified. Disgusted. Repulsed.

I know what she sees.

Monster.

Freak.

Abomination.

Try to speak.

Try to say sorry. So sorry .

Can only snarl.

She strikes. Kicks. Punches.

Curl into ball. Hide face in arms.

Want to disappear.

Want to die.

Door bursts open.

Gods rush in.

Think I hurt her?

Never. Would never.

They don't care.

Fists fly. Boots connect.

Pain explodes. Familiar friend.

Worse than ever.

Nose breaks. Blood gushes.

Grind my face, my teeth, into the tile.

Maybe they will kill me.

Finally.

Close eyes.

No more fighting.

"Send it back to hell."

"It can join its whore of a mother."

"Even she wouldn't want it now. "

Body goes still.

Mother?

I had a mother?

Memory resurfaces.

A time before pain.

A gentle touch on my face.

Lips pressed to my forehead.

Something new blooms.

Rage.

Red hot.

Consuming.

What did they do to my mother?

Do gods hurt angels?

Uncurl.

Stand.

Roar.

Not human sound.

Beast.

Monster.

Good. I'll show them monster.

I'll show them abomination.

Lash out. Grab. Tear.

Screams fill air.

Their screams this time.

Gods can bleed?

No. Not just bleed.

Gods can die .

Alarms blare. Red lights flash.

Escape from cell.

Glass breaks. Bottles fall.

Acid.

Smoke.

Fire.

Don't care. Keep fighting.

Blood of gods on my hands.

Blood of gods in my mouth.

Tastes like freedom.

I am their devil.

More white coats.

Gray coats.

Black coats.

Guns.

Bullets sting. Don't stop me.

Nothing can stop me.

Walls shake. Floor trembles.

Explosion rocks hall.

Fire everywhere.

Wait.

Girl.

Where is she?

Spot her. Cornered. Flames closing in.

Reach for her.

Try to call out.

Can only snarl.

Another explosion. Louder. Closer.

No time.

Lunge for her.

She screams. Runs.

Runs straight into fire.

Chase her. Heat sears skin.

Don't care.

Have to save her.

My fault.

All my fault.

Smoke chokes.

Can't see. Can't breathe.

Flash of movement.

Reach out. Almost...

BOOM .

World explodes.

Concrete. Glass. Fire.

Flying. Weightless.

Pain. Sharp. Cold.

Glass stuck in clothes.

Stuck in skin.

Cold white powder all over me.

Dig hands into it. It crunches. So soft.

Cold softness soothes burning skin .

Can't see. Too much light.

Close eyes.

Lay on back for a long time.

Sirens warp from heat.

Sirens slow and fade.

Then silence.

A howl in the distance.

Not a siren. Not a human.

The soft song of a lonely beast.

Open eyes.

Ruins of concrete and metal above me.

Part of my cell, the walls blown off.

Black smoke pouring into endless blue.

Endless blue so big, so bright.

Blue as far as I can see.

The sky.

Impossible.

I wasn't good at all.