I just had to redo the opening chapter. I suck at starting stories and always go back to rewrite the beginnings. I need to build up momentum in order to write something passable. So now, here is the real prologue. It’s an actual chapter and everything. I had to finish writing it and get it up here or it would nag me during finals. It’s past 1:15 in the morning and I’m still going. Hope you like it!

Prologue
The Death of Gabriel Frasier

He watched the people pass with patient calm, taking his time, downing his final coffee slowly to savor the bitter taste. He could see them all around him closing in but gave no sign of his awareness. He had known this was going to happen eventually. He was impressed by his own will to survive. And his luck; he expected to die a lot sooner. He’d been running for years and it was past time they caught him.

Gabriel looked just like a human, from his light freckles to the casual clothes he was normal; his defining mark was hidden from view by his blond hair. Anything that would give him away to the public was disguised: the white iris of blind eye—the result of a nasty encounter with them—was hidden with a lens; and an ugly pink scar from shoulder to waist hidden by his plain shirt and jacket, a lighter one concealed by a bandage on his bicep. With the tell-tale signs out of sight, he could walk down the street without getting lynched.

His shadows stopped where they were. Gabriel stirred up the last dregs of his coffee idly as he waited. Moments later, another man sat next to him. In his early twenties, the same age as Gabe, he had dark, dull hair and a perpetual bored looked on his face. His eyes, too, fixated on the bustle beyond the glass though he was obviously less content than his friend and partner.

“Are you all right?” he asked, getting straight to the point.

Gabe downed the last of his drink in one gulp and said with a smile, “For now.” His friend challenged him with a gaze and Gabriel returned it with a steadfast conviction. The silent message received, his friend gave up and reached into his pocket. He placed a small white package the size of his hand on the counter slightly between them. As Gabriel put his empty cup back down, he swiped the package and put it in his jacket pocket. The other man sighed. “Of all the people it just had to be you.”

Gabriel smiled at this. “It’s my gift—”

“More like a curse.”

“—and I personally have no problem with it. Getting in trouble is what I do best,” he finished proudly.

“You still have a chance!” He was doing his best to reel in his anger and annoyance, but the bored mask had already slipped from his features. “You don’t have to throw your life away.”

“Chris, I’ve been dodging death’s scythe for almost ten years. He was going to get me eventually.” He yawned. The coffee had been decaf and not very strong. He didn’t get much sleep either. “I wanted to spend my life helping those like us who didn’t have a chance. And I did that. I’ve been hanging around longer than I should’ve.”

Christian Phillips rubbed his temple and drummed his fingers erratically. Gabe could tell he wanted a smoke and didn’t blame him. After everything that’s happened he wanted a few himself. Not that he’s ever had one in the first place. “And what do you get out of this?” he muttered.

“Don’t worry about me. Concentrate on helping the kids.”

“Kids?” Chris said. The drumming stopped as he looked to the side. “What kids?”

“You’ll see,” Gabe said with his all-knowing smile. He got up and put some cash on the table. Chris muttered darkly; he couldn’t believe a dead man was worried about the bill at a time like this.

Gabe blew a strand of hair from his eyes and faced Chris, holding out his hand. “Good luck, man. You’ll need it.”

Chris rolled his eyes and grabbed the hand. “Not as much as you do.” They finished their signature handshake and Gabriel turned to leave.

“Oh! And one more thing. When you see her, tell her I’m sorry.”

Chris knew immediately who ‘she’ was. He scoffed. “If I see her.” Gabe wasn’t going to last the day and there was a good chance he wasn’t going to either. But Gabriel said with certainty, “You will.”

Those were the last words Christian ever heard from his best friend.

As soon as he left, Gabriel felt them move again. He took in the sparkling city, felt the people around him, listened to the calls of conversation before he headed for the trolley and jumped on. He wind playfully toyed with his hair and jacket as he leaned out of the car. He felt like he could fall into the wind all day. If only those guys weren’t here, he mused.

He wasn’t really worried; he aimed to live his life without regrets and did that. For the most part. Only one thing still bothered him. She’ll be alone when I’m gone. His only regret was that he couldn’t ensure her safety.

The park was coming up on the left and he jumped off at the curb. Suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit him and he almost stumbled into traffic. He wondered if he should’ve got caffeine after all. He had to hurry.

He crossed the street at a jog as soon as the dizzy spell wore off. He walked into the wooded park and instantly began to feel more peaceful. Dark green enclosed him into a small, private world. It was quiet and the silence grew the further he went in. He never really enjoyed crowed places. And it was convenient. They were so close now he could see flashes of them in the trees. Gabriel came to a clearing with a circular fountain and stopped. He waited for them, breathing in his last air of calm.

It started with a single shot.

Hundred of bullets rang through the air, but not one of them hit the man by the fountain. With two fingers, he sent the rounds back into the trees. The gunfire stopped and shouts of pain echoed from his surroundings. Fortunately for them, most of them hadn’t been fatally wounded. The agreeable young man from the café was gone. Now he was Gabriel Frasier, enemy of the Messengers and the biggest threat to their organization.

The presence of accepting tranquility but now there was an edge to his face, his one good eye scanning for threats. He took the package Chris had given him and placed it on the edge of the fountain. When he stood up, several men had surrounded him. He raised an eyebrow; they were all dressed normally but wore their marks out in the open. It was a miracle that he was the only one who spotted them. Or is it? Gabe wondered.

“Sorry guys, but you’re not the ones I want to talk to.” Before they could attack, he grabbed hold of their conscious minds and had them laid out in heaps. It was as effortless as strolling through the park, so he knew the bigger threat was still in hiding. “Come on out, Seraphina. I know you’re there,” he called. He couldn’t see or sense her, but he had seen Sarah Barnett in the vision and she was the only one who would go this far to have him.

A young woman appeared from the opposite side of the fountain. She wore a pleasant, courteous smile and was in semi-formal dress. Her golden white hair was up in an elegant yet ordered messy bun. “A vision of beauty as always,” Gabe said. Unless a spectator knew their history, they would believe that his courtesy was heartfelt.

“You’re epitome of handsome yourself, Gabriel,” she said in a melodic voice, her hazel eyes dancing with mirth and a hint of distaste. “How are you?”

“Slowly being eaten from the inside,” he said pleasantly. “You?”

“Just dandy, thank you.” She slowly walked around the fountain, their eyes locked and never wavering. But when she was two feet in front of him, her eyes drifted to the package. “Is that it?” she asked.

“I’m as good as dead so I’m the perfect delivery boy. Take it.”

The woman smiled kindly at him. “I have the cure you know. If you—”

“I know what you want, Sarah. And I’d rather sell my soul to the devil.” It was time for this game to end.

“Oh? Is that so?” she sang. Gabriel had seen it happen the day before, as soon as the poison entered his system. Her hand would go to his chest and crush his beating heart without breaking the skin. His suffering would be mercifully short. As he fell, her smile would become insane and deranged, and she would say, “You are not worthy to be God.” He would fade right after and see the white light. He knew it would happen but he couldn’t see it with his naked eye. His last thoughts drifter to her and the friends he would leave behind. Watch over them…

Seraphina laughed as his lifeless body fell to the ground. She snatched up the package and greedily tore at the wrappings. “Finally, it’s mine. It’s finally—RAAAAAAAAAHG!” The package exploded in her hand, taking both her arms with it…

She looked at Gabriel’s dead body. He hadn’t seen the moments beyond his death. He just knew her greed. And she should have known he wouldn’t die without a fight.

“You bastard! I’ll kill you! I’ll get you for this!” she screamed at the corpse, her once beautiful face contorted and deranged. “I’ll get the rest of you!” She kicked the limp body. “And when I find that little bitch I’ll get her, too!” She staggered off into the trees, leaving behind her fallen men and a trail of blood that led nowhere.

Ok. Any religious references you see are not religious references. I didn’t realize I had named them like that until afterwards and didn’t feel like changing it. And some may notice I changed the title formula. Those really long ones are hard to keep consistent. I must have been in a loony mood when I came up with them. And I didn’t pass up the chance to do a bit of editing.

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Read and review and I’ll do my best to return the favor (after finals). Good night, everyone!