Every room.
Vacant, alone.
But the front door
open.
“Aurora? Are you out there?”
New feeling flooded.
Panic, misery, denial, anguish tore from his stomach, splashed at his feet, and bought Sol to his hands and knees.
“Nononononononono.” Whispers.
He crawled to her.
Innocent, beautiful.
Her mouth, eyes open. Her body, too white.
Too changed.
Only two colors:
Dirt.
Blood.
Brown and red fingerprints painted morbid petals across her slashed frame.
So much blood.
Too much blood.
And a word.
He saw it as he bundled her back in the blanket.
She looked so cold, alone.
She looked so cold, alone…dead.
A word carved.
A word carved into a cheek.
FREAK
He touched the leathery lettering. She had left him one last gift. Images flicked through his mind.
Of a man.
Of a knife.
Of Below.
A new emotion began to breed beneath his skin.
Rage?
Yes.
Always.
He tucked her into his bed.
Keeping her safe.
And robotically exited his home and stepped off the edge of the deck.
Dry leaves crunched under bare feet as he landed.
Blood, her blood, had dripped a trail of success that led to Below.
Sol followed. Feet so fast, he flew.
This man was no more. This lover, friend, companion, shelter, home
no longer in existence.
He had died with her.
Fourteen
The tall black figure twisted the guard’s head.
Off.
Surprise.
No noise.
Only rage. Always rage.
The Other proceeded to the doorway, feeling along the walls as he went.
Blind.
His throat began to descend to his stomach, and he forced it back.
Only rage. Always rage.
He reached the corridor. No one. This was their night. Their time for rest. He possessed too much power, was possessed by too much fury for their sleeping numbers to affect his plan.
The nightmare drifted from cave to cave. A twisted shadow stealing life.
Collared by loss, led by wrath.
As he coasted through Below searching for more to extinguish,
he smelled it.
He smelled her.
The creature rushed the scent and was greeted by a ticklish laughter. “I knew you’d come. I could feel it. Just like I felt her.”
The glowing figure twirled a blade in his hands and pressed its flat surface hard down his
nose
lips
tongue.
Eyes rolled back with every lick. “That freak.”
The word was barely finished, yet the creature had pounced and pinned its prey. The wall of dirt, hard beneath the man’s shoulders.
Laughter kept falling.
“It
was
fun.”
The Other’s grip on the glowing’s shoulder squeezed tighter. Thumbs pushed past flesh, muscle, struck bone. “And so is this.” The Other unleashed his teeth and tore down the man’s face. He ripped through his neck.
Shucking skin.
No more laughter.
Only loss.
Fifteen
He again reached the entrance.
It had set her free and now confined him.
The sun was fading, but to this creature, his light was already gone.
He had nothing
and yearned for everything.
