"People fear death even more than pain. It's strange that they fear death. Life hurts a lot more than death. At the point of death, the pain is over."

-Jim Morrison

This is so exciting. Fresh out of the academy and my FTO wants me out on the field. Well, he doesn't want me to come, it's more like...he has to take me.

I don't care if he doesn't want to take me. I'm an optimist. I see the brighter side of things and tend to be...bubbbly. And a tab bit annoying. Which is why I think I irk his nerves.

You see, we got radioed for backup and the "backup" included me and my FTO along with four others. Two of them being trainees. Everyone else was out in the field with their trainees. Plus, we're closer to the location.

As soon as the call ended, he looked at me and did a double take.

I stood there eyes big and hands praying that he would let me go with him instead of stay at the station doing paperwork. Everyone else was already leaving.

He sighed."Alright. Come on Rookie."

I clapped and squealed and when I walked past him I could've sworn he muttered something along the lines of "God, help me."

We all got into our respectable cars and off we went.

About one minute into the ride, I started tapping my fingers against my armrest to I'm a Little Teapot.

He sighed so loudly you could literally hear every piece of carbon dioxide exit his nostrils. I kept tapping while idly looking out the window and bobbing my head.

He was finally fed up with my tapping.

"Stop,"he deadpanned. My fingers stopped mid-tap and I laid them still. The car was quiet again.

Too quiet.

I started humming Row Row Row Your Boat.

"Don't."

I stopped...and started whistling We're Off to See the Wizard.

He hit the steering wheel with his hand and my whistling ceased." I swear to God if you don't stop I'll... I'll..."

I gasped and looked over at him." Oh my God." I feigned being surprised. "Is the almighty Chase Brooks tongue tied?"

He looked at me then at the road several times before leaning against the door with his hand over his mouth and eyes on the road. "I'll tie your tongue," I thought I heard him say.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"Did you just say you'll tie my tongue?" He closed his eyes momentarily and sighed again. He sure does that a lot around me. Sigh.

"Why'd you ask me that if you knew what I said?"

I shrugged."Confirmation."

"Confir-" he sighed...again.

"You sure do sigh a lot."

He peeled his eyes from the road to glare at me one last time before we made it to our destination.

I opened my door the same time he did. My foot was half way out the door when he said,"Stay here."

I whipped my head around."But-"

"Stay here."

I huffed and slammed my door shut, while he proceeded to leave. I saw the outline of his body until it completely disappeared into the woods with the others.

I let out a breath of air and looked around the car. When I looked behind me, I saw the other trainees in their cars.

This made me smile. I radioed them and said,"So y'all got left too, over?"

There was static before they both answered.

"Yep,over."

"Por supuesto, encima."

Come again?

"Uhh...repeat that Rodriguez, over?"

"Sorry,yeah I got left too,over."

"Do all rookies go through this?" Valentine asked.

No one answered.

"Over," he added.

"I don't know. My mom got to go out on her first day with her FTO,over." My mom was a badge wielding badass. She's the reason I'm here right now. I wanted to be just like her. Except...me. Now I get to be. She's retired now, but hey, she can still kick ass without a badge.

"How's your FTO,amigo, over."

Valentine answered before I could. "That old fart?!"

We all burst out laughing over the radio.

Then we heard gun shots.

Our laughing ceased.

"Guys?" Valentine's voice was laced with concern.

Then we heard another round of gunshots and shouts.

I peered out my window and swallowed the excess saliva that had gathered in my mouth.

I spoke into the radio,"I don't..." I didn't know what to do. They told us to stay in the cars...

I was already standing outside the car. I don't even remember opening the door and stepping out. The others were in the same position.

More gunshots.

The radio buzzed to life."We need backup! I repeat,we need b-"

Then nothing.

Just static.

I looked at Rodriguez and Valentine. I slowly pulled my flashlight and gun out its holsters. They followed.

A blood curdling scream ripped through the air and our feet started moving. We moved further into the woods.

"Hey, Palmer...how do we know w-" Valentine started.

More screams.

"Follow the screams,"was all I said.

We moved further. The screams stopped and so did the gun shots.

"Quick, stand back to back," I instructed. They gravitated toward me guns and flashlights raised and we stood in a triangle rotating clockwise.

There were no more gunshots or screams.You couldn't even hear any crickets. All you could hear was the sound of our labored breathing.

"What's that smell?" Rodriguez asked.

"What sme-" Then it hit me. The smell of metallic filled my nostrils. I was moving to my right when I tripped over something and fell on my back into something wet.

Lights moved to where I was to see what I tripped over.

The lights showed a body without a head and a missing limb.

"Is that-"

"The old man."Valentine gulped."That's the jacket he always wears."

I shined the light around me to showcase the blood I was currently residing in. My breath came out shuddered and when I tried to scramble to my feet something yanked me back down by my shoulder.

Immediately, I tried to get out of its grip. I turned my head. Lights fell upon my FTO.

"Brooks!"

He had gashes all over his face where blood was seeping out. Not as much as his neck, where I'm sure an artery was severed. More like...clawed. His left arm was ripped from its socket and his uniform was ragged and torn all over.

The guys came over to kneel on the sides of me to help him up.

He groaned in pain.

God,help us.

His breathing grew erratic and he breathed out one last sentence.

"Run...kid..."

Then his head flopped forward and I checked his bloody pulse on his neck."Brooks?Brooks!"

He was gone and we laid him back on the ground.

We cast our flashlights across the area. Bodies littered the ground,the trees, and over a few stumps and jagged rocks. Limbs were threwn everywhere.

Our lights started to shake. We were shaking. I was on the verge of tears. Forget my optimism. There's nothing optimistic about this.

"Now what?"Rodriguez breathed.

My breathing came in shuddering before I said,"I don't know."

A bush shook and we immediately shined our lights in the direction of the sound.

A branch snapped behind us. We all stood back to back now with our flashlights up and guns aimed.

Something scratched up against a tree branch. It sounded like nails on a chalk board except you could hear splinters popping off the tree with every rake.

Another scratch to the right. To the left. Behind us.

A bush shook in front of us and we followed the sound to the right and saw a blur.

My heart was beating out of my chest and adrenaline was pumping through my veins.

"Did you see..."Valentine didn't sound calm at all.

"Yeah, I saw."

We followed the blur until it stopped.

A growl came from above us. We all tensed and slowly looked up.

That's when we spotted it. Something that wasn't of this world.

It was big.

It was fast.

It was going to kill us.

Not until we litter its body with bullet holes first.

We lifted our guns and opened fire. It growled and lunged at us. We tripped over bodies and started shooting from the ground. Bullet after bullet penetrated its skin. It wasn't long before we ran out.

Damn this thing is big.

It wasn't even dead. Blood seeped from bullet holes, but it was like our bullets didn't even faze it. It walked closer. And the closer it got the more it seemed to grow. It was like the thing fed off our fear.

We were all tired,breathing hard, and covered in blood. No more ammo or extra mags.

"This is it,"Valentine whispered.

This is-hell no. I ain't goin' out like this. On the ground waiting to be killed. I'd rather fight. Given I have no chance at winning hand to hand combat with this thing. Still...

"No," I said strongly. They both turned their heads at me. The beast was ready to lunge any second now."What do you say boys, we go out with a bang."

I lunged the same time it did and we both collided to the ground. It clawed at my throat,but I put my arm up as a shield and it clawed it to the bone. I screamed out in pain.

It went for another swipe when suddenly,the beast arched it's back and growled.There were tiny currents of electricity going through its body. I took the time to shimmy out from under it to see what was causing it. It was Valentine and Rodriguez using their tasers. I pulled mine out and stuck it in its skin.

It whipped around so quick we barely saw it coming. It's arm lashed out at us and we all flew in different directions.

I looked up from my spot on the ground and saw the thing go for who I though was Valentine. My arm was heavily bleeding and I didn't have time to wrap it.

It was Val who it went for. To the left of me was a stray gun. I reached for it with my right hand and quickly checked for bullets. Only five. It'll do.

I aimed at its back and shot all five bullets into it. It directed its attention to me and let out a ferocious raor.

Val and Rodriguez start pelting it with rocks and I whistle to get its attention again.

We can't beat this thing. I know it. They know it. And that thing knows it too.

It's long strides bring it to me in seconds. It grabs me by the neck and hoists me up against a tree. I grab onto it's hairy arms because I have nothing else to grab on to.

It's breath wafts onto my face, blowing strands of my hair out of my eyes.

I spit blood on it's snout and it growls. Val and Rodriguez find guns and start shooting.

It's arm is out, ready to rip my face apart.

"I hope I give you the shits," are my last words before it's claws lash at my face knocking my glasses off in the process. It rips at my throat and it let's me go. I drop to my feet and slide down the tree trunk to the ground in a heap. I hold my neck and lean my head back. I can barely breath with my neck gushing out so much blood.

I can't see without my glasses,but I can damn well hear.

I hear their screams and the popping and cracking of bones. It's not long before they're thrown over to where I am. They're barely alive, but alive.

The beast comes up to us and just... stares. From up close I can see it a little clearly now. It's eyes move to all three of us and then the corners of it's mouth start to turn up.

Did this thing just grin at us?

It turns and disappears into the night.

Probably the one thing I fear most is death. Not pain and suffering, but that feeling of the inevitable. I'll never be able to experience what my mom did. Make enough mistakes to learn from them. Or even eat a donut to spite my FTO... Everyone wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die. I don't want to do die. I want to live. Now I won't even be able to do that.

Someone tries to talk and it comes out in gurgles.

I can barely talk, but I try anyway."Wha..." A weak arm lifts up and trembles and points to the right of us. My blurry vision settles upon something moving through the trees.

He's lurking in the shadows. Waiting for us. His long dark robe drags against the floor. His scythe gleams in what little light there is. We freeze in terror and just stare. He stops in front of us. Sits. Waits. His bony wings flex behind him.We're slowly losing our breaths. I speak my last words."Who... are...you?"

The creature replies in a deep, raspy voice."I go by many names."

I take my last breath.

"I am the Grim Reaper."