Angel Reapers

Prologue

Seven years earlier

"Come on Cher, just a little farther," daddy coaxed as we made our way behind the supermarket. I clutched the gun in my hand harder. I was scared and starving. I hadn't eaten food in the past two days and I was going to have a little brother or sister. Mommy was getting fatter and her tummy was growing bigger so we gave mommy most of our food, but she was getting sick and needed medicine. That is why we were at the supermarket, we needed food and medicine. Daddy had given me a gun so that I could shoot anybody down who tried to take our food. 

"Don't trust anybody," daddy told me before he gave me the gun. "You're my back up Cher bear, I need you to make sure nothing happens to me while I get the food and medicine. If you see someone in a red bandanna shoot."

"What if they aren't wearing a bandanna?" I asked.

"You will know if they're good or bad, I trust your instincts," daddy told me. He then gave me his serious face, "And if that person has wings? What do we do Cher?"

"We shoot them," I said confidently. I had shot angels before, it didn't kill them but it slowed them down quite a bit.

So daddy had given me the gun and we were making our way behind the store. I quickly looked around to make sure no one was hiding in the corners. The place had been trashed and most of dry foods were gone. Instead of going deeper into the store like he usually did, daddy went around the fence enclosing the cigarettes and towards a door marked "Storage Area" and lifted his gun up. He moved his head towards the door. I nodded and quietly walked to the door and put my hand on the door knob. Daddy silently mouthed one, two, three. I twisted the knob, yanked the door open and stepped inside. There was a man with a red bandana tied around his head inside, he looked the same age as daddy but not as scary looking. Bang, bang, the sound of his gun firing sounded off the walls. The man had fired when I had stepped through, he was expecting someone taller, so he aimed high, for the chest, they always did. I lifted the gun up higher and aimed at his stomach like daddy taught me. I let out two shots. Blood spurted from his body and the man screamed, dropping his gun and clutching his stomach. Daddy quickly made his way into the room and brought his gun down on the man's head, knocking him out cold. 

"Nicely done, Cher bear," daddy gave me a smile, but it wasn't like his normal smiles, it looked wobbly.

"What's the matter daddy?" I asked worriedly.

"Nothing, baby, here," He gave me his big brown gym bag to fill it with food. I looked around the room. It was incredibly large but it didn't have as much food and supplies as it should have. "Grab as much food as you can and anything you think we need. I'm going to the pharmacy to see if I can find anything for mommy, okay?"

I nodded my head then stopped. "Don't you need back up? Here take my gun," I turned the safety on and handed the revolver to him.

"No Cher, I don't need it, I have this one now," He lifted up bandana man's M16A4 gun. Daddy had taught me "gun lingo" as he called it; so I knew my types of guns ever since I could talk. He also taught me how to use a gun, what all parts of the gun were, and how to clean them. I didn't like guns though, I liked daddy's throwing stars were better. 

"Are you sure? What if there's more?" I asked.

"Don't worry, Cher bear they would have come running after hearing those gunshots. Come find me when you're done," he reached for my blue backpack and took it off my shoulder. He headed towards the door then hesitated. He looked back at me then at the body on the floor. I turned and went looking for a blanket. I found a lot under a huge load of pillows. I grabbed a really soft green one and brought it back to daddy. He took it from me and placed over the man. The man was bleeding out rapidly but he had probably killed more people than my dad or I. 

Daddy nodded to me one last time and headed out the door. I took the big bag and went to go collect food. I had to keep my family fed.

***

"Daddy?" I called as I left the storage room, bag full of food,and made my way to the pharmacy. I saw a box of Twinkies on the floor. "Twinkies!" I cried and quickly grabbed the box. I stuffed it into the heavy bag and moved some other boxes until I found another one. "Yay, mommy loves Twinkies, we can each have our own box now," I smiled and started to get up when I heard a noise. It sounded like the noise birds make when they're flying and it was near the front of the store. I pulled my gun out and turned the safety off. Then I heard footsteps making there way across the floor, towards me. I squared my feet like my daddy showed me to and stood up and turned, swinging the revolver around with me. No one was there, all I saw was papers, empty boxes and open cans littering the floor in between the broken down shelves. I shrugged and was about to turn around when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Why, hello there, little one," a deep male voice rumbled.  His voice was so pretty, it sounded like that music mommy like to listen to sometimes when she was feeling good. "Do you not speak? Why I heard you squealing just a minute ago over a box of...what was it? Ah, right, Twinkies. Such a lovely voice you have, why don't you speak again?"

I didn't turn around, I put my head down and looked down at my gun, maybe I could shoot him when he wasn't expecting it. I hope daddy got everything we needed. Daddy would find me and help me, I just knew it.

The man continued talking, "still no response? Is that anyway to treat someone who is giving you a gift?"

I gasped, this man was an angel, I didn't know from what side. Daddy had told me about angels and how they like giving out "gifts" and when an angel gave you one they took you and made you into a soldier. Daddy said it wasn't good to get a "gift" because it meant that you had to fight in their war and you never got to see your family again.

"Ah, that is interesting,  I'm assuming that you have heard about our gifts then, have you not?" he asked.

I spoke, "yes, my daddy told me about them."

"I am assuming your 'daddy' is the man that's currently raiding the pharmacy?"

I nodded once.

"Interesting, very interesting. I guess you don't know, oh well. Anyway, I have the feeling you, my dear Cherice, are the key into turning this war around. I have been watching you, your skills are quite outstanding for one so young. I cannot wait to see you out there on the field."

"Who are you?" I asked.

"No one you need to know now. Maybe later I'll tell you."

I tried to turn around but he tightened his hold on me. The angel reached around me and pulled my gun from my hand. I tried to move again but I couldn't. It was like I was frozen. 

"Now that we have that out of the way let me give you your gift. Or, in reality, awaken you. It seems like a more appropriate term in your situation."

I opened my mouth to scream, but I couldn't get a sound out.

"Try, my dear Cherice, just try to scream or move, but it's useless. I have immobilized and silenced you. Just imagine, you will be able to do this too one day and so much more. I just cannot wait." I felt a shiver go through my body. "Do not fret my dear, after I have awakened you, I won't whisk you away like you have been taught to believe. On the contrary, I will let you live alongside your family. The only thing I ask in return is for you to fight when I tell you to. If you do not, there will be consequences; so I suggest following orders. Now on to business." The angel grabbed my right arm and lifted it over my head. "Ready, my dear? This might hurt just a tad bit." He wrapped his hand around my wrist and traced a spiral all the way to my armpit. I didn't feel a thing initially, then all of a sudden my arm felt like it was on fire. The scent of burning flesh filled the air as I tried to scream but I couldn't get a sound out, I was still silenced. I started to see stars and everything was going black. 

"Cherice," someone called.

Daddy, I thought, I'm here.

Then, all I saw was black.