A steady dripping sound rings out as a girl stands amidst a pile of corpses. Her white hair dyed red with blood flows behind her as her scarlet eyes examine a document. 

 

“So that’s how it is… no wonder.” 

 

The page flutters to the floor landing in a pool of blood as the girl steps over the bodies toward the door. 

 

“As if I needed another reason to see them dead”

 

Her red eyes seem to glow with anger in the dark as she mutters one last string of words before disappearing out into the night.

 

“Pray. Pray I give you a quick end…”

                               

Feels weird. 

 

Thinking back on life before this. 

 

I was such a simple girl. Slightly above average in studies, and somewhat attractive. Or at least liked to think I was. 

 

Wow, it really seems like it’s been years despite it only being a few weeks ago…

 

 

“Alright everyone hand in your written test on Gifts and their history by Tuesday morning. Remember that with each day past the due date, I'll be taking you down a letter grade so do this fast.”

 

Sliding my papers into my bag I sling it over my shoulder and start heading for the door. 

 

“Just a moment Charlotte.” the teacher calls out to me before I can leave.

 

 “I know that you already know this stuff, so I’ll go ahead and exempt you from this one. He gives me a smile.

 

A fake one.

 

Shivering from the almost predatorial look in the teacher's eyes I could already tell what his intentions were. Placing my hand on the door handle I give him my own fake smile. “Thanks teach.” 

 

Dropping his papers on his desk, he gets up and places a hand on my shoulder, giving me his signature greasy smile as a shiver of disgust goes down my spine.

“I do know a good way for you to thank me…”

 

Quickly shrugging off his hand I grimace before replying with a simple “No thanks” and heading out the door to my waiting friend.

 

Noticing the expression on my face my friend frowns. 

 

“Tried to hit on you again? What a creep. The disgusting fucks almost 50…”

 “Well whatever. Let's head down to Robins for some ice cream. Should cheer you up a bit Rose.”

 

Despite my name being Charlotte, I preferred to use my last name. My first was annoyingly long. 

 

Shaking my head I looked down at the ground with a sigh. “Thanks Jaiden, but not this time. I’m really not feeling well. I just want to head home.”

 

She pats me on the back with an understanding look on her face. We’ve been friends for years, and I shouldn’t brush her off like this but… today just isn’t the day. 

 

“No worries mate. You get some rest. We can go some other time” she pats me on the back again before walking off to another group of friends.

 

I watch her back slowly fade off into the distance while cursing myself for not agreeing to go instead. The teacher's words left me feeling dirty somehow. 

 

Shaking the thoughts away I readjusted my pack on my shoulder and started walking home. My house was only a few blocks away from the university so I always walked home.

 

 It was my last year of college, and I had learned the walk like the back of my hand. I didn’t need to focus on where I was going, so I let my mind wander while I walked. 

 

I sighed to myself as I looked up at the sky. 

 

“Seems like even a support gift like mine can’t heal everything…” 

 

My gift “Rising symphony” allowed me to make music. In a weirdly literal sense. When I used it, my body would give off sound in any way I wanted. Generally the sound did nothing unless I “told’ it to. 

 

I could make people faster. Stronger. 

… better, if you get the pun. 

 

Sadly none of these effects worked on me. I was just the music box; others did the dancing.

 

 In a world at peace like ours though, my gift wasn’t particularly useful. When I got out of college I planned to join the gifted association. 

 

Story went that years back the gifted were heavily discriminated against, and a few high ranked gifted had gotten together and made a group with which to defend themselves, and even fight back against the people who suppressed them. After years of establishing themselves in society, the gifted association, or the “GA” for short, became the number 1 power in the world. Even transcending the world government in influence. 

 

In today’s world the peace was well maintained. Criminals with gifts were one of the only worries, and with the GA’s law enforcement task force, even that was taken care of in short order. 

 

As thoughts echoed back and forth in my head I frowned. Someone was walking behind me.

Were they there the whole time? How did I not notice them? As sensitive to sound as I was, I should have heard something, but there had been silence up till just a moment ago. 

 

Feeling slightly pressured from the look on their face I picked up my pace slightly. My breath caught in my throat as I noticed them doing the same. Whoever they were, they were matching my pace, neither falling behind nor getting closer. 

 

Something was wrong. The world we live in may be a “peaceful” one like I said earlier, but that didn’t make the 1% chance into 0. If it came down to it, then I was just unlucky to meet with misfortune here. 

 

But I still wasn’t going to make it easy for them.

 

Slamming my foot down, I instantly burst into a sprint. Seeing the person following me start smiling, I gulped down the rising bile as I felt my blood run cold. 

 

Maybe you think I was slightly paranoid to act like this. Maybe they were going the same way I was right? Who knows, you might be right. I might be a bit paranoid, but I don’t consider that a bad thing. 

 

A healthy bit of paranoia keeps you alive in my opinion. 

 

As I had many times before, I wished my gift could be used on myself. If I could make myself just a bit faster, I could have lost them already, but there was no use in wishing. 

 

Wishing couldn't keep me safe, but running just might.

 

Listening to my paranoia had been the right decision. I WAS being followed, but that wasn’t all. I was also being herded. Like a sheep toward the block upon which the axe waits to fall. My paranoia had been right, but it wasn’t enough to avoid what happened next. 

 

Panting I turned a corner only to smack face first into a group of people with clearly negative intention. Spinning on my heel to go back the way I'd come, I kicked up dust as my foot slipped on loose gravel.

 

One of them grabbed me from behind, placing a piece of fabric over my mouth and nose, and as my vision began to fade, I looked toward the road to see my friend Jaidens car drive by. If only I had the strength left to call out. 

 

If only I had gone with her instead of going home

 

The “If onlys” echoed over and over in my head as my eyes drew shut.

 

It seemed as if only a moment had passed before my eyes opened again to a room full of people in white coats. Standing directly in front of me was a man in a suit with a white collar. Like a priest or a pastor.

 

My eyes once again began to close as I heard his words echo in my head

 

“There’s no need to fear. We’ll purify that gift of yours! You’ll be holy!”

 

The fuck?