Kisses from Hell

waiting.”

Waiting?

Captured, hooked, snagged.

Hostage.

Murderer.

The Other wrung his mantis fingers, cracked his giraffe neck in preparation.

Ritualistic.

His kill. His feelings. His movements. All planned. Forever the same.

Murderer.

Sol opened the front door, calm.

Murderer.

Eyes closed, arms opening to embrace the scream that would engulf him. Part of his present.

Murderer.

But nothing. His gift echoed no noise.

Murderer.

“Nothing?” Sol deflated. Eyes cracked open. “Wait.”

A something.

He robotically approached.

“What are you?”

The rope and leaves released, spilling the nameless. A young woman. Wrong color skin. He yearned for cloud white.

Wrong. All wrong.

Birdlike, he twitched fascination, curiosity. No emotion, never any.

She is unseen, alone, new.

He carried her inside. Placed her in his bed.

Effortless power. Strength of the gods. Speed stolen from wind.

Was this act compassion?

No. Never any.

This was wonder. Emotionless.

Six

With the sun awake, watching, he stayed hidden beneath dead leaves, dead bark, dead dirt.

Separated from the other hunters. There could be no witnesses.

Coward.

“Whore thinks she can run away and we’ll just forget about her. Fucking freak.” Psychotic laughter fell off worm-wet lips and wrapped around the knife. His knife. “No, no, no. We weren’t done playin’. I say when it’s over, an’ it ain’t over yet.” He slept with the stink, waiting for the moon.

Killer. Coward.

The torture tool whispered, sadistic. Craving. Happy. Kill her.

We will kill.

Bleed her.

Bleed her, taste her, lick her dry.

She asked for it. For us to kill.

Born a freak.

Kill kill kill kill killkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkill. Yummmmm.

Seven

The girl awoke to touchable sounds.

And sun.

Thick vibrations twisted in its heat, comforting waves uncovered consciousness, washed over her body, healing, empowering.

Black pulled back from her eyes, revealing alien surroundings. She sat up. No words could roll from her mouth. A mind sinking heavy and blank. The music that had pulled her back to life ceased. Allowing pain to drill holes, invade from skull to spine. She winced, teeth grinding, reality fading, sleep racing to catch her. It was interrupted, cut off by deep molasses.

“You are safe here.”

Emotionless wonder.

Safe. You, girl, nameless, unwanted, abused, discarded. Are safe.

She turned to him, corking pain. Every beat of her heart matched a blink of his eyes, eggs dipped in emerald mystery, suspended in a face smooth and unlined. Below could be consumed, wither in those eyes.

Sol nodded and continued to play.

Music. But this was different from the harsh beats from Below.

This was passion.

The Other’s smooth black frame melted into the female-shaped string instrument, becoming fluid. Ink plucked off the pages he played from, constructed as man.

His music choked her insides.

Reshaping.

Making new.

Tears pricked her eyes, jumped from her chin, slid through her neck. Seen by the sun. Nude. New. Exposed.

His song ended and his eyes toured the wet face. Innocent, beautiful.

Beautiful. You, girl, nameless, unwanted, abused, discarded. Are beautiful.

“I have upset you?”

Pause

only the leaves rustled in reply.

“You need not be frightened. I will do you no harm. You are too…changed.”

Emotionless wonder.

The girl blinked slowly, pushing doubt from her eyes. He was next to her. An Other.

Five feet took only a moment.

Cold blew from his smooth frame. Sewed chills through her arms.

“Well, I should be afraid, but…”

I am too changed?

“But I’m not.”

Pain from the journey upward, to protection, sprang active. Her head burned hot, angry.

Eyes closed

she coiled her legs to her chest.

Sinking again

into opaque sleep.

Sol caught the nameless new girl, kept her from crashing.

A mistake?

Their species was not destined to feel without murder. Not designed for natural emotion.