Prologue

He was one of the last ones to leave the rave. Emily Quartermaine had long been forgotten. Juan Santiago had no time for girls that led him on. Emily was just a tease. He had given her back some of her medicine, partying up with Allison Barrington and Lark Scanlon. She would come back to him; after all she was his girlfriend. He hadn’t exactly wanted to hurt Emily, but he had been hurt too.

Juan cut through the park at a steady pace. He had to get back to the apartment before Taggert’s shift ended at 7 AM but until then, his time was his own. Juan felt more exhilarated then he had at any time in his life, and gratefully stripped off his clothes when he saw the fountain in the middle of the park. He had always wanted to be so carefree. With a childlike laugh, he splashed around enthusiastically before running to the swings and monkey bars.

He couldn’t remember how long he played in the park reliving his childhood, but suddenly he wasn’t alone. Thankfully he had redressed shortly before the visitor had arrived. His expression turning sober, he greeted his companion. "I guess I owe you some explanation about my behavior tonight."

Hours later…

Juan gasped for air as a hot wet feeling attacked his lungs. He had been napping after having spoken to his visitor, but the sharp pain spreading through his body had awoken him with a start. He touched his chest in shock, then looked up at the visitor. "Why?" He gasped before his world went dark permanently.

"Because you’re a scum sucking pig who doesn’t deserve to repopulate this earth. Now you can never hurt anyone again." The cold statement hung in the trees for a moment before it too disappeared into the night.