The Soul Reaper's Daughter - Prologue

(This is actually the prologue to a novel I am working on, unfortunately I don't have the membership required to upload in the proper setting,lol)

Prologue

         Gabrielle walked into her apartment, her body numb and on autopilot. She turned to lock her door, but couldn't seem to hear the familiar clicking sound over the roaring in her ears. She walked through the living room and into her room, barely able to focus on where she was going, due to the heavy red haze that was coloring her vision.
Slowly she walked over to stand in front of her mirror, trying to find some sense of recognition with the girl who was standing there facing her. This girl looked nothing like the one who gone out the night before with their boyfriend for a evening of dancing and fun. That girl had been dressed in a cute sapphire colored gown that hit her right at her knees and wrapped snugly around her lithe torso. That girl's hair had been perfectly curled and arranged to reflect how faceted her burnt red highlights really were against the inky black of her mid back hair. She had looked like the essence of youth and vitality.
         She looked nothing like that now; in fact she wasn't even sure if it was really her staring back at her from the mirror. This girl, this person looking back at her was gaunt faced, and tear stained and looked like she had gone through the worst nightmare ever. Her hair was hanging lifelessly around her face, and the beautiful dress was now sticking to her body and stained beyond all repair. There were cuts and bruises’ running the length of her arms and her face was sporting a long scratch running from forehead to chin.
         Elle reached her hands behind her to unzip the gown and watched her reflection struggle with the zipper before pulling it slowly down.  Letting the ruined gown fall to her feet she stepped out of it and walked blindly into her bathroom, stepping into the shower and turning on the water to full force. Raising her face to the spray she closed her eyes and allowed the water to wash over her, feeling it grow increasingly hotter and hotter. Normally she would adjust it, but this time she needed the comfort of the heat to heal her. She remembered then, remembered and began to sob.
         "Charles, come on!!! We are going to be late!!"  Gabrielle laughingly said, leaning over and kissing her boyfriend on the cheek.
         Charles laughed and wrapped one arm around Gabrielle, pulling her close while steering his Mustang with one hand.  "Say you love me, baby, and I will go as fast you want," his husky voice whispered near her ear.
         "You gotta ask, baby?" Gabrielle replied, stretching up in the seat to kiss and nuzzle the side of his throat. She breathed in the deep piny scent of his aftershave and smiled against her throat, thrilled at simply being alive and in his arms
         Gabrielle snuggled into Charles' side and smiled as she watched the road whiz past the window.  Suddenly she became aware of the back tires squealing as the car fishtailed. Letting out a squeal she set up slightly and watched as Charles fought the wheel to control the car.  Due the rain earlier that day, the streets were still a little bit slick and the car had hit a particularly wet spot.  Charles struggled to regain control as the car began to spin out of control.
         She was aware of herself screaming as she felt her world spin in a tight circle.  Finally the car came to a halt and she was thrown back against her seat, her breathing labored and panicked. She felt Charles hand cover hers, and looked over to see him reach a hand out to brush back her hair before leaning in to brush her lips with his. "You okay, babe?", he whispered.
         Before Gabrielle could answer she became aware of lights suddenly glaring into the wind shield.  Looking up, she witnessed the most terrifying sight she had ever seen, a car barreling down the road heading straight for them. The car's spinning had stopped with them halfway in the opposite lane, but Charles hadn't had a chance to correct it yet.  Charles began frantically trying to start the engine to pull out of the way, but was met with only the sound of gears grinding, as the starter refused to cooperate.
         Finally, the last thing Gabrielle was aware of, was the sound of the car getting closer, horn blaring, as Charles threw his body over hers, shielding hers. Right before the impact, she heard him whisper softly to her, "I love you."
         After what felt like hours later, she became aware of flashing lights blinking in her eyes and a weight being slowly removed from her body.  She heard voices calling her name, and a mans voice yelling directions, as hands slipped under her arms to pull her from the wreckage. Slowly she opened her eyes and was greeted with the garish yellow of a fireman's jacket as she was carried away from the car and placed on a stretcher. "Charles...Charles," she weakly called searching for him.
         Finally she spotted a stretcher on the other side of the scene, and what appeared to be a blood covered body laying on it surrounding by EMTS working on it. Slowly she became aware of the fact that the front of her dress was wet with something, and so was her arms and legs. Raising an arm she shook off the person who was working on her and examined it for the source of the liquid. Her eyes widened in horror as she witnessed the blood that was streaking her skin. Looking down, she saw the rust colored stain that was staining the front of her gown and felt the air constrict in her lungs.
         Lunging off the stretcher, she stumbled across the scene, dodging EMTS in an effort to reach the man she loved. She finally made it too his side and felt her entire body shudder in grief. Charles body was severely lacerated, and there was blood everywhere. His eyes were closed and his breathing was labored. Gabrielle, screamed and struggled to get past the EMT holding her back, fighting to get to the person whose life had become more dear to her than anyone else.
         Finally, she tore away from him and run up to the stretch, reaching one hand out to brush it over Charles' cheek. Tears slipped freely down her face and landed on his skin, and felt like her entire world was going dark.
         "Please, God,” she prayed, "please don't take him. I need him, please, please, please.", she repeated over and over again, all the while watching as the love, and her life, slowly gave up his spirit.
         Suddenly, his eyes cracked open, and he looked up and coughed slightly blood staining his lips. "Hey, baby....you... you look....good. Sorry...you got..hurt though. t I..love...you...so much.  Remember that, okay?"  Charles reached one hand up to cup her face, before coughing hard and sliding the hand back down to rest lifelessly on the stretcher.
         "Charles?? Charles???"  Gabrielle called fearfully, knowing in her heart he was gone. She allowed her knees to buckle so that she was soon kneeling by the makeshift bed, crying helplessly. She was only vaguely aware of hands lifting her and moving her away.
         An eternity later, she was released from the hospital and allowed to return to her apartment. She felt so much pain that she almost numb inside. She stood under the water until it began to turn cold, letting it wash Charles blood off her and cleanse her soul. Wrapped in a towel she returned to her room and slipped into a clean shirt...Charles' shirt that he had given her to mend yesterday. Sliding into bed she stayed there lost in the essence that was pain at its richest.
         He was destined to be one of her many lost loves. The ones who fell victim to her curse, those who she could never fight to get back. Rolling over on her side her hands clutched the markings that circled her forearm, marking only she and few others could read.
         "Many will come and fall prey to her beauty, many shall try to sustain. Yet nary shall a one live, for her love is her one true bane."
The curse of the Soul Reaper's daughter...