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Chapter 1

January 14, 20:34
    I could hear my heart beating in my ears. Sweat poured out of every pore in my body. I felt as though I could collapse at any moment. But I knew that I couldn't. I turned around for a split second; my first mistake. The Exterminator was not even two feet behind us. It wasn't like what you'd expect after reading out them. This one wasn't wearing a cloak with a skeleton mask as expected. She had a strange black dress that looked somewhat like what a dead person would wear, and black stockings. That's where it ended. She had bright blue converse and pair of red headphones around her neck. Her long purple (yes, purple) hair was braided down to her waist. Her eyes were covered in a thick cataract, but she seemed to be able to see clearly. Her skin was so pale, it was almost translucent, through which I could see purple veins. Although she wasn't that much taller than me, she towered over me with her long scyth and brought it down suddenly.
    "Shit!" I screamed. I tried to get out of the way again, but she had ensnaired me in her trap. "Who are you?!" I screamed again, pulling at the sickle.
    "I'm," she started, "your new mentor. So pull the damn sickle out of your shoulder, you're coming with me!"
    I stared at her, my eyes wide. "Wha...?" I mumbled.
    She sighed dramatically, and reached for the whip at her side. She threw it high in the air, and, expecting it to crack down on me, I braced for the impact. Instead of a sharp pain, I felt something wrap around my ankle. I looked down and saw her red whip and-
    "Ugh!" I groaned as I pumbled to the ground. She dragged me through the rest of the forest. "I... I didn't c-catch your name," I stuttered, trying to avoid the roots.
    "It's Anya. But I go by Art. Call me Anya and see what happens," she said, looking me in the eye.

"Ha!" she suddenly burst. "My hunch was correct!"
    "What?"
    "Your eyes. You have Reaper eyes!"

January 14, 19:29
    I opened the door. "Knock, knock," I said after walking inside. I held Link's hand tight. His name wasn't actually Link: it was Linard. But we all thought it was a bit rediculous.
"Come in," said a deep voice from down the hall. Link looked up at me, fear deep within his eyes. I prodded him down the hall.
"It'll be alright..." I lied, dragging him around the corner. We were immediantly greeted by a puff of smoke. As my vision cleared, I saw the large man, smoking on his couch. Link looked up at me with the same expression.
"Hello, dad," I spat.
"You're late," he responded.
I bowed slightly, out of impulse. "Sorry."
He turned to Link. "Boy-o, how've you been?!" he produced a yellow grin. He was missing at least four teeth.
"Good..." Link muttered, avoiding eye-contact. He grabbed my hand tighter.
"How's school been treatin' ya?" he asked, letting out another puff of smoke.
"Fine."
"Good, good..." the man responded. He turned to me.

"Any luck finding a job?" he asked. He was so insistent that I get a job. I had just graduated college as a psychology major. I had been wanting to become a therapist, but couldn't find any openings.

"No," I replied.

"Sir," he corrected me.

"No, sir." I stared him straight in the eye. "Bye, Link," I said, stepping out of the room.

"Be careful, it's the beginning of another year!" my dad screamed after me. He always said stupid stuff like this to me. What's going to get me? Stomachaches?

Once I closed his door behind me, I started running. I didn't know where; just away. I hated that man. After Link's and my mother died seven years ago while giving birth to Link, our dad became addicted to drugs and alcohol. I hated dropping Link off there, but it's required by law. He'll throw a big fuss and call the police; it's happened before. As soon as I was old enough, I moved out of that house as quickly as possible, so now, every other week, Link stays with me in my apartment.

I continued running down the block, and made an abrupt right turn. I immediately bumped right into someone.

"Sorry!" I screamed. We had both been thrown to the ground. A girl not much younger than me clutched her nose, groaning. She had an unnatural shade of purple colored hair. "Are you alright?"

"No, I think you broke my nose!" she shrieked.

I leaned toward her. "Let me see."

She removed her hands, an as I leaned in closer, she reached behind herself. In one swift motion, she had a tall, shiny scythe in her hand. She brought it down hard, and I narrowly missed slitting my throat.

"Hey!-" I started. I jumped to my feet, and she lunged at my ankles. Although I tried jumping out of her grasp, she pulled me down. "Who are you?!" I screamed.

"I'm what you'd call..." she readied her weapon. "an exteriminator. I'm dead," she finished, as she struck down again with her scythe. It cut right through my arm. Well, it should have. For some reason my skin just... absorbed the blade.

"Ha!" she screamed. "I knew it! You are a demon!" she reached into a pocket on her dress and pulled out a small bottle. She poured the contents onto the sickle, and looked at me with devilish eyes. I lay petrified, as she brought the scythe back down, this time stabbing my leg. The sudden stab of pain was all that it took to bring me back to reality. I jumped onto my feet, and ran. I sprinted down the way I had originally been aiming to go, and the girl followed at my heals.