Fifth Avenue - The Replacements
Chapter Eight

“You idiot!” Trix screams running to hit Hartley but Flicker holds her back, she growls and tries to pull him off but he was much stronger than her. “you let them take him, he could be being tortured right now because you let him go!” Hartley winces at her words.

Flutter rolls her eyes and turns back to the table where they had set up a marked map of the area “Shut up Trix, yellin’ at the poor girl ain’t gonna bring Doc home any soona” she groans “now we knocked off tha places he can’t be, but these” Flutter points to the red circles “are the places he could be at” Hartley looks over nodding in agreement.

Whisper walks over and places a piece from the local paper over there map, Flutter looks from the paper to him weirdly “Um okay Whisper?” she says, he doesn’t say anything but instead points to the small news heading.

‘Local Inn Owner Dies in Sleep’ Flutter read aloud “So an old man dies in his sleep and you feel as if this is something we need to know?” Whisper visibly angers and taps even harder on the paper so Flutter rolls her eyes and picks up the paper “Michael Smithers dies tragically at the age of fifty-three, with no living relatives his broken-down inn has been closed until the council deems it liable” she stops “Oh you think they killed the inn guy don’t you?” Flutter asks and Whisper nods looking visibly calmer.

As Flutter ended her realisation Trix kicked Flicker in the crotch running from the room, slowly he followed along with Whisper “So does Whisper ever talk?” Hartley asks curiously and Flutter shrugs putting on her jacket over her wings.

“Well I mean I’ve never heard him do it but you know his entire ability kind of revolves around talkin’ doesn’t it?” she asks “What I figure is somethin’ happened in his part or somethin’ hence tha no talkin’” Hartley nods understanding what she was saying.

The girls meet the others in the car and Hartley drives them to the inn, in the dark the inn looked menacing, the windows were either boarded up or smashed in, the grass was overgrown and browning “They’re in there then?” Hartley asks and Whisper shrugs.

“Helpful” she mutters and nods for everyone to go in. They entered through the giant double doors at the front making their way into the main hall.

Candii’s giggle echoed down the hall making everyone look around making sure they’re gun was pointed wherever they looked “Hey Hartley” Reaper whispers before covering her mouth and pulling her back “keep quiet” he warns and she nods.

Hartley squeezes her eyes shut as a headache begins to cloud her mind, she grows limp in Reapers arms and white overtakes the room.

“Mr Wright, Marco, I don’t think she can take much more of this” a woman dressed like a nurse says “she’s too weak” a very human looking Reaper looks up to the woman.

He rubs his tired eyes “she’s all I’ve got left” he says standing up and pacing the white hospital halls “one more round and I’ll stop, I promise” he assures her before walking into a room.

It was pale white, like the hall way, machines were scattered across the room all keeping his little princess alive, in the corner was a bed with a tiny girl tucked under a small white blanket “Papa” the girl says weakly pulling herself up, showing how small and thing she was “Hello papa” the girl says smiling and she removes the bandana which was before covering her balding head.

White flashed through the room and Hartley was now standing across from Reaper in a doctor’s office.

“It’s a miracle” the doctor says staring at the young girl’s x-rays “but you were right in keeping Emerson in for another round of treatment, looking at her latest x-rays the leukaemia is gone” he looks to Reaper “Congratulations Mr Wright”

Reaper gives a look of glee and happiness before the room flashes with white.

“Ice-cream” Reaper laughs “Emmy it’s almost bed time” the little girl, Emerson, giggles and pats her dads head chanting to get ice-cream, her big poufy dress almost blocking her father’s sight as she sat on his shoulders.

Reaper laughs and they turn the corner to the ice cream parlour before being stopped by a man dressed in black pointing something metallic that looked like a gun towards him “Hey watch it pal” Reaper says calmly “what do you want?” the guys looks at him worriedly, his hand was shaking and his body seemed to tremble along with it.

“G-give me all your money” the burglar orders “hand it over” Reaper reaches into his pocket for his wallet which scared the man, he shot and hit Reaper in the chest making Emerson scream in fear.

The burglar shoots her twice to silence her which made her fall instantly from her dads shoulders to the ground, lifeless. Reaper in weakness falls to his knees “Emerson sweetie, please be okay, please” he begs as blood begins to drip from his lips.

“Stop talking shut up!” the burglar yells before unloading his magazine with his eyes closed.

“No!” Reaper screams.

Everything goes white.

Reaper was lying on the ground, his breathing was shallow, his eyes moved up to his daughter who to tried to reach for “Emerson” he sobs, Hartley could see his skin slowly beginning to skin in and on his left hand the skin seemed to be scabbing away to nothing but bone.

He looks up to the sky and in the moon-light she sees that he is no longer Marco Wright but instead, Reaper. He rose to his feet and angrily ran at an inhuman pace in the direction the burglar had gone.

When he caught up the mans screamed at the sight of him which made Reaper smile showing his new razor sharp teeth before lunging at the man and biting into his neck, warm blood coating his teeth and chin, the man screamed as Reaper continued to eat him alive.