Birth of Reesh
by Thomas McDaniel
Cold… Why am I so cold? What happened?
Him…
There’s blood everywhere. Is it my blood? It can’t be. I’m not hurt…am I?
What did he…do to me? Why did he leave me here?
I’m so thirsty. Why am I so thirsty?
Where is he? I have to find him. I…I will find him. If it’s the last thing I do.
A flood of memories forced their way into my broken mind. I could see the wall of faces surrounding me. The hungry look in their eyes took me apart piece by piece while he watched. The man that had taken me in when no one else would asked me to do him this favor. I couldn’t say no. How could I know what he truly wanted?
One by one they sunk their teeth into me. One by one they bit and tore and drank until there was nothing left. He didn’t even check on me when they were done. I could hear his voice. Hear him laughing nervously while he asked if they’d enjoyed themselves.
The group seemed dissatisfied with me. I could hear them complaining while I lay dying in a pool of my own blood. They left as silently as they’d arrived.
“You failed me you miserable nothing.”
They were the last words he said to me.
I didn’t recognize where I was. I raised my weary hand to my face, trying to wipe away the sand that stung my eyes. There was sand everywhere. It was night. I couldn’t discern anything in this darkness. I knew I was no longer within the city walls.
Fear gripped me as I began to understand. The momentary adrenaline gave me the strength to push myself onto my knees and study my surroundings. So these were the wastes. I had awoken in the worst place imaginable.
I fought hard against the fear. It would do me no good here. The dangers of the wastes, the creatures that called this place home, wouldn’t hesitate simply because I feared them. If only my legs had the strength to do something about that.
“Isn’t thissss fascinating!” a cruel, nasty voice hissed out from the dark around me.
I managed to twist far enough to discover a pair of glowing eyes in the darkness to my right. They moved in on me slowly. The hideous creature was rubbing its boney hands together in anticipation. Only scraps of hair clung to the waxen skin above a ghostly face. Shorter than myself and maybe half the size, it was a wonder to think when the last time this monstrosity had eaten. It seemed he had just found his first meal in a very long time.
“What...do you want?!” I shouted. My voice scratched in my throat, carrying with it every ounce of strength I lacked.