"Ugh!" I said as my hands slammed the door behind me. My feet pounded the floors, anger seething from every pore. With a jerk, I rip open the fridge door and take out my water. With a grunt, I open the bottle of water. Pouring it's contents into my mouth. What a day! Just... I just can't even describe it! It was horrid, awful, whatever else you can think of. Ugh, just... I just don't know. I just don't know...

Today was supposed to be the day. The day I would get on the debate team. Ever since the tryouts were announced, I poured every ounce of time into practicing for this. I practiced, I studied, and I even had mom help me pick out topics and debate them in the evening when I got home. I did everything I could. But, it just wasn't enough. Those stupid, spoiled, rich, idiotic, know-it-all jerks decided I wasn't good enough. That I can't make the team.

"Sublime." That's the word they said. Sublime. Ugh! I don't even know what that word means but I already can't stand it! They... those little... ugh!

Taking my water bottle, I plop myself down on the couch. Heat raced through my body, as my anger reached a boiling point. The heat spread farther and farther until it reached my eyes. That familiar feeling of wetness began to pool in my eyes as the situation began to replay itself over and over. Why? Why wasn't I good enough?! It's not fair!

Taking my hands, I rest my face against them just as the dam burst. Tears spread down my face like a flooding river. Washing away every good feeling I had left. Sobs echoing deep from the heart spilled out from my lungs as I cried. As I cried, a familiar presence plopped herself down beside me. With arms thin as wire, her arms coil around my shoulders. Sending a stroke of comfort to my heart. Mom...

"Shhhh. Shhhh. It's going to be okay Lydia. It's going to be okay." Mom. I forgot she was home today. I didn't realize she was here. Mom usually isn't. She typically comes home later in evening, after her shift at the police department ends. But, I guess today she didn't have to stay as long.

"Mom, I'm so sorry! I... I d-didn't know y-you w-were home."

"It's okay honey. Is everything alright?" Immediately I shake my head.

"No! It isn't. Mom I... I just had a really bad day. It was awful."

"Tell me about it," Mom said, her voice gentle. And so the floodgates open. I leave no detail to spare as I tell mom everything about the debate team tryouts. How I got there, how I debated my heart out. And how they rejected me and insulted me on top of that! When I finished, mom's gaze was cold and sharp. Goosebumps arose from my skin as I remembered that look. Uh oh.

"So, let me get this straight. You went to the debate team tryouts?" Immediately I nod.

"And you tried out?" Again, another nod.

"And after debating your heart out to these people, they told you your performance was "sublime"? And that if you ever showed up to a debate team competition they would have you thrown out of the stands?" Immediately I nod. Mom's gaze drifted to the floor as her hand went to her chin. Oh no. Oh no no no! That look! Not the look!

Anytime mom pulls out that look, it usually means either two things: One, she is deciding punishment. Or two, she is thinking up something dastardly. And trust me, you don't want to know the things mom can come up with. My mouth goes to open, I go to speak. But nothing comes out. Nothing but a sigh from mom.

"Lydia, let you tell you something about those rich kids. They're spoiled, rude, and above all else, stupid. Lydia, I know that what they said may seem like the end of the world. But trust me, it's not. The only reason they said that to you was because they were jealous. They were jealous that someone like you, someone smart, beautiful, kind, and common, could debate like that. Lydia, you showed them up. And they retaliated the only way they knew how. By being spiteful. By being mean. They wanted to hurt you, Lydia, because they were jealous of you." Jealous? Of me?

"They were jealous of me?" I ask, unsure of the words myself.

"Yes! Lydia, you practiced day and night for that competition! To the point you know the words by heart! I know you did your best. And in life, your best is all you can do. You can do no more and no less then your best. And if you fail, then that just means it wasn't for you. Besides, I wouldn't worry too much about those rich kids. I have their parents tax records on speed dial. If I say the word, those records will be faxed to me and I can almost guarantee that their parents have some kind of tax fraud going on. So don't worry too much about it. It will be okay." Mom immediately lets go. When she does, a smile creeps upon my face.

"Thanks Mom" I say, wiping away my tears.

"You're welcome." Mom stands up and heads for the stairs. Before she goes up, a quiet chuckle echoes from her lips. A smile forms on her lips as she turns back to look at me.

"Oh, before I forget, sublime actually means awe inspiring. Couple of idiots you got there huh?" Mom asks. Immediately, laughter roars up from within.

"Mom!" I say, my hand going to my mouth. Mom's laughter echoes as she walks upstairs. Mom... what would I ever do without her? Taking one last sip of water, I get up and go to my room. Opening the door, a fresh scent of pine enters my nose as I go to set my stuff down.

My room, in all honesty, isn't very big. I got a dresser, and a bed, and another dresser. But that one is just for pictures. Mom and I have collected a lot of pictures over the years. Mostly of us and my friends. But we do have some of dad. Dad... mom and I don't really like to talk about him. Not because he was a bad person or anything. But because he died a long time ago. When I was really young. Mom said he was good man. Worked hard. But dad had a knack for driving like a maniac on a sugar rush. And in the end, that's what got him. It's a shame. If dad was still alive, him and mom would have been celebrating their seventeenth wedding anniversary. But I guess that will never happen. Not now anyway.

Setting my book bag down, I cruise through the other pictures on my dresser. There's me and mom on that cruise we took one year. And there's me and mom again when I was little, playing mini golf. Oh! Here's one of me and Aneira! I remember this one.

Aneira and I take gym class together. Before high school, her and I kind of knew other through our moms. Her mom also worked in the police department for a while until this whole Reaper business started. I do remember seeing Aneira at the police department but I never really spoke to her. Not until high school when we started having classes together. Her and I spoke one day after gym class. And we hit it off. We became friends. And this picture right here was taken after a particularly nasty obstacle course we had to complete. In the rain. Her and I were soaked! But at least we had fun. Even though Aneira beat me like three times. But that's not important. Moving on!

My eyes lock onto another picture. Heat rushes to my face as my mind supplies the memory of it. This picture, I remember this one. This picture was taken at last years prom. Terrance asked me to go with him to prom and I humbly accepted. Okay, okay! I admit, when I got back home, I freaked out. But not because I was scared. No way! I was happy. Come on! Terrance is the cutest guy in school! I mean, look at him! He's gorgeous! With his slicked back blonde hair and his beautiful blue eyes. Of course, you know, Terrance is my best friend. But, he's just so handsome!

Anyway though, I accepted his offer and I went to prom with him. To be honest, if it wasn't for the fact I was going with Terrance, I would honestly say it was boring. I think we stayed there for like ten minutes. Just long enough to take our picture. After that, Terrance and I grabbed something to eat. And watched that new Tristan Lykanth movie. It was pretty cool and all. But in all honesty, sci-fi just isn't my thing.

We did dance a little at prom though. Before we left. But I was really nervous and kept stepping on Terrance's feet. Anyway though, we had fun. And that's all that matters. Putting down the picture, I head out of my room. Going down the stairs, I walk right into the living room and pass mom's desk. Grabbing a drink of water, I close the fridge door just as mom sits down.

"So mom, anything new in the world of police investigation?" I ask, taking a seat beside her.

"Well, aside from some brand new murders and kidnappings, no not really. Same old crimes same old Reaper shenanigans."

"I see." Mom grabs a hold of one the pictures. She takes it and looks at it for a moment before putting it back down. When she does, my eyes feast upon every detail of the picture. Everything from the victim all the way to the crime scene number. Shivers run down my back as my eyes look upon the victim. A name is written in the white space below.

"Susan Grimes" I read aloud.

"Twenty-four year old Susan Grimes. A college student attending the nearby Brookesdale University. A few days ago, her body was found on Harry Dale Avenue. According to eye witnesses, Susan was behaving quite oddly before the Reapers arrived. And you can guess what happened next." Yes. The Reapers no doubt shot her considering the obvious bullet hole in her skull. Ugh! Those monsters!

"Mom, have you been able to find out which Reapers did this?" I ask her. Mom shook her head.

"No, we haven't. I know their leader, Aiden, was there. But as for the specific person, I'm afraid I can't answer that." I see. The Reapers are a criminal gang operating within the city. They are vicious vile murderers who kidnap people just because they can. They're dangerous. So dangerous that a whole new department had to be created to stop them. They're leader, Aiden, has been at large for over a year now. No one's been able to catch him. In fact, no one's even been able to get a good glimpse of him except through security camera footage. He's as elusive as the monsters who serve under him. They're all monsters. And I hope the Reaper Hunters catch them soon. Monsters like them deserve jail.

Mom takes another photo from her stack and gives it to me. This one is of a man. A man named John Higgins. As my eyes take in the picture, mom spouted off her facts. Thirty-nine years old, shopkeeper, bad heart. It was a tragedy. But it was tragedy that stuck my heart with fear.

As my eyes scanned through the photo, they landed on a particularly strange thing. The man's eyes were purple in this picture. Dull, but purple. His skin was a ghostly shade of pale and his mouth was dripping with some kind of purple liquid. What in the world?

"Mom... this picture... are you sure something isn't wrong with it?" I ask.

"What do you mean?"

"Well... it's just... this picture is... kind of unusual isn't it? I mean, the purple eyes, the pale skin, the purple liquid. It looks like some kind of Halloween trick doesn't it?" Mom raises an eyebrow as a serious expression crosses her face.

"I mean, I know it's September and all. And I know that this isn't quite Halloween yet. But, still this looks like a prank." Mom's mouth goes to open, but before a sound could come out, the phone rings. Getting up, mom picks up the phone and answers it. As she does, my hands go to grab some of moms other pictures. Like the previous one I've seen, these too had victims with purple eyes, pale skin, and/or a purple liquid of some kind. These pictures look outrageous, ridiculous. Is mom really sure she isn't being pranked?

Suddenly mom hangs up the phone. Grabbing her coat and purse, she picks up the car keys and heads toward me.

"Lydia, that was the chief of police. We've got a break in one of our cases. I've got to go," mom says as she wraps me in a hug, "I'll pick up something from town but if you get hungry there's some leftovers in the fridge."

"Okay mom." Mom let's go of me. Heading toward the door, she opens it wide. But just before she heads out, mom takes one last look at me.

"Oh and Lydia, don't stay up too late reading those reports."

"I won't mom." Heading out the door, I watch mom drive down the drive way. A sigh escapes my lips as I sip some more water. Mom always has to leave like this. Just once I wish there would be an evening she didn't have to go. But, it's mom's job. And it's like she told me, you do what you have to do. Especially when you have a job.

Draining the last of my water bottle, I go into the kitchen. Grasping the faucet, I turn on the water once more. But when I do, the water, once clear turns a bright shade of purple. Immediately I drop the bottle into the sink. What the heck?! What is that?! Reaching for the faucet I pull the handle down as hard as I could. When I do, the purple water disappears. Shock surges through me like a tidal wave.

What... was... that?! Oh no! Oh no! Oh no! Please don't tell me I broke the water! Oh no! Mom's going to kill me! Okay, you know what? Let's just try it again. Sometimes the water is like that. Of course, it's not purple. But it does get a brown looking color sometimes. Of course that's when it rains and it hasn't rained in like a week. But! But. Let's try it again. Maybe it won't be like that again!

My hands shaking, I once again turn on the faucet. When I do, an odd choking noise comes from the sink. Uh oh... Uh oh indeed. No soon had the noise started then some kind of purple... sludge? Slime? Chunky liquid? Come out of the faucet. As it came out, an overwhelming smell swallowed my nostrils whole. My stomach lurked as the smell continued to come. Vomit arose in my throat but, with effort, I force it down long enough to shut the faucet back off.

Okay, you know what, bad idea. Very bad idea. No more turning on the faucet. Not until the plumber can come here. Speaking of which...

Picking up the phone, I dial the plumbing company. But when I do, a strange eerie static greets my ears. Huh? Hold on, let me try again. And I try again. And again, and again. No answer, not even a ring greets my ears. What the heck? Are the phone lines out? Let me try mom. Dialing her number I listen closely for any ring or voice mail. But... nothing. No ring, no voice mail, just empty static. Something's wrong. Something very very wrong.

First the water, then the phone lines. What's going on here? Putting the phone down, a knot tangles itself up in my stomach. Refusing to budge. Anxiety crawls up my skin as my eyes drift outside. The water is out. And so is the phone. There's no one I call or text. Not from here. But maybe Mrs. Perkins will let me use her phone. Mrs. Perkins has always been a nice lady. She'll let me use her phone to call mom. I'm sure of it!

But wait... mom told me never to go outside without her at home. She says it too dangerous. But yet, I can't just sit here with no phone or water. Besides, it's Mrs. Perkins. It's not like I'm walking all the way across town to Terrance's house. I'm sure mom will understand. She's my mom after all, it's not like she's unreasonable. Besides, it'll just be one trip there and one trip back. I'll be in and out. And the best part, no one will know anything. Well, besides Mrs. Perkins. But she won't say anything. Let's go!

Opening the back door, I quietly creep out into the night. A soft breeze blows through my hair as I walk down the hill. Goosebumps fly up my skin as the cold air wraps around my ears. Argh. I should have brought a thicker coat. It's chilly out here!

Making my way down the hill, I approach the house right in front of me. Approaching the front door, my hand goes to the door bell just as a scream hits my ears. My hand stops. My body freezes up. And my mind goes numb. Terror races through my heart as my legs begin to tremble. W-What was that? W-was th-that... Mrs. Perkins? W-What...? Slowly, my hand goes to the doorknob. My heart pounding through my chest as my quaking hand grasps the cold metal. Slowly, I turn it. Morbid curiosity sinking into my bones as the door klicks. Pushing the door in, my eyes are greeted by a terrible sight. A sight that almost made me scream.

The body of Mrs. Perkins lays dead on the floor. Her eyes still open. Still staring open. Her face painted with a dulled expression of fear. On top of her, eating her remains, was Mr. Perkins. For the second time tonight, vomit approached the top of my throat. Again I force it down. But when I did, I didn't realize I had spoke.

"Mr. Perkins?" It was a mistake to speak. I knew it was as soon as I opened my mouth. But I just couldn't help it. Mr. Perkins's head rolled up to look at me. Memories of mom's pictures surged through my head as my eyes met his. Those eyes! They're purple! Oh no!

Mr. Perkins stands up. Immediately, I back away. In vain, I try to speak. But my voice does nothing. Mr. Perkins shuffles toward me. His purple eyes locked squarely onto me. Turning around, I bolt up the hill. An inhuman growl sounds behind me.

My heart pounds out of my chest as my feet stomp up the drive way. Fear races through me as my hand grasp the handle of the back door. Flinging it open, I shut it behind me and lock it, just as Mr. Perkins slams into it. The whole house shakes as Mr. Perkins continues to slam himself into it. Oh no! Oh no! I need to do something! What can I do?!

The back door glass shatters. The whole house shakes as Mr. Perkins slams into the back door. Oh no! I have to do something now! What can I do? What can I do? Oh! Glancing around the living room, I see mom's desk. Picking it up, I slide it against the back door. Okay, now the couch! Sliding the couch to the back door, I move aside to the front door.

Taking a deep breath, I do the best I can to relax myself. It's okay Lydia. It's okay. He can't get in here. You're safe. You're safe. You're... Suddenly, the back door bursts through the house. The couch and table are sent flying as Mr. Perkins enters the house. Time to run again!

Going to the front door, my hands quickly unlock it. Flinging myself out of the door, I slam it shut hard as Mr. Perkins slams himself against it. Running as fast as my legs can carry me, I run into the woods. Running up a hill, my feet trip as I continue up the sharp incline. All the way to a road. Recognition floods my mind as my eyes take in the sight before me.

This road... I know this road! It goes directly into New Haven! Yes! I can go to the police station and report this. I know the police will help me. And maybe there I can find mom and tell her what happened. Tell her about Mr. Perkins and... Mrs. Perkins. Yeah. Yeah let's do it. Finding a nearby car, I smash the window and climb in. Grabbing the keys from the floor, I turn it on and drive right into a disaster.