Demon of Desire

The moon hid behind the thick black clouds as the stars competed for attention. The diamond-studded night passed slowly with the cool breeze blowing time with it, while he stood at the bedroom window watching the world, his world. People served as a source of amusement for him as they ran around, occupying their insignificant minds with plans and troubles that to him were merely specks of dust. Their inconsequential decisions of what, where and when could never outweigh the role he had. They didn’t know him, and yet he had the power to tip the world to the side of evil with a mere thought.

He opened the curtain wider so that the moonlight could pour in. Its beautiful crescent shape gazed into his window, the silver swirling lights of the stars reflected on the Hudson River. Most people couldn’t see that far, but he wasn’t most people.

A slight tap on the door had him spinning around, his body poised for any attack.

“What is it?” he growled.

“Sir, your dates are here,” his right hand man grumbled.

Gabriel was always too punctual for his own good. But it was time for him to enjoy the beginning of his weekend, before he hit the clubs of Manhattan.

“Show them in.” He opened his robe to expose his well-chiseled body and ruffled his short blond hair. He was fairly attractive for a man his age and, because of it, he never saw the reason why he should waste it on one woman. Monogamy was something of the eighties—this was two thousand and twelve, and casual relationships were in. He was lucky enough that his dates never called him back, or dropped by.

They were too busy not living.

He stood in perfect light as the women made their way into his room. When they saw him, their reactions were obvious. This wasn’t new to him—it was a look he had enjoyed for centuries and yet he still basked in it each and every time.

His toes dug into the red velvet carpet as he sat on the gold string-sawn sofa.

“Ladies, please make yourselves at home.” He flashed them his devilish grin.

They sat on the sofa away from the bed; not where he wanted them, but they would soon make their way there.

“Can I offer you anything…water or juice?” He left the option of alcohol out. He liked his girls sober, fully aware of what was happening to them. He never understood why people filled their bodies with such garbage considering they had a time limit on life.

“No thanks,” the blonde answered.

He was drawn to her…something about her boldness called out to him.

“Okay, shall we get started?” He stood up, then eased off the robe and let it slide from his body. He took slow steps toward them. He was in no rush, and the last thing he wanted to do was frighten them.

Not yet anyway.

He reached for the blonde and stroked his finger along her arm. He never bothered asking them for their names. They weren’t going to know each other for very long and that kind of a relationship suited him.

She shivered once. He pulled her against his stone-hard chest and cradled her little body into his. She stared back at him, her eyes strong and direct. Kellan relished fear, he fed on it, and when she didn’t look shaken it annoyed him. He pushed her back into the chair and grabbed the brunette and moved to the center of the room.

“Should I do this one at a time or should I take you all at once?” He ran his nose along her neck, taking in her delicate, rose-scented skin.

The blonde jumped to her feet and purred in his ear. “What do you have in mind?”

She was being overly aggressive and this turned him off. This was his game but she took charge, making him look like a subordinate. He never took orders, especially from a mere mortal. Smiling, he pushed the other girl back and then cradled the blonde’s jaw in his palm and pulled her closer. With a flick of his finger he paralyzed her.

“I like my idea much better.”

She whimpered in pain as he sank his teeth deep into her skin, letting the warm blood fill his mouth.

His mouth was covered in blood, as if he had just bit into a juicy red grape. He looked up at her frightened face and a feeling of satisfaction overcame him. He sighed then went back to feasting on her neck and the other two began to scream.

They grabbed at the door, only to find it locked. With disregard, he tossed the lifeless body to the ground and sat on the bed. Listening to them scream in fear was music to his ears. The power soared back into his veins. He stalked toward them, moving fluidly and quickly about the room every time they turned to look for him.

“Where did he go?” the brunette asked.

Cautiously, they moved from the door to the sofa for their jackets and purses. He watched and waited for them to get dressed, and then he opened the door. He loved this game, giving them hope of the possibility of an escape then taking it away from them.

As they rushed to the door, he banged it shut and stood in front of them. “Leaving so soon?”

The girls started screaming again, running about the room, trying to escape. He watched them, relishing the thrill of the game, but when the clock chimed midnight it was game over. Time had escaped him, and he couldn’t play anymore. It was Friday night and he was hitting the clubs. He didn’t want to waste a second as he had only had a few hours to sunrise and so he had to finish this up quickly.

“You’ll only feel it for a second.” He rushed to them and grabbed them by the necks. One by one he sank his teeth into them, letting their lives fill his mouth and quench his thirst.

* * * *

“Gabriel,” Kellan called out when he was done.

“Sir.” Gabriel unlocked the door from the outside and entered the room.

“Dispose of these and tell the men to get ready. We are going hunting tonight.” He brushed the back of his hand over his lips, wiped the blood away and revealed a sadistic smile.

He looked over at the bed and saw what a bloodied mess it was. “I will lay your clothes in the other bedroom for you.”

“Do that.”

Kellan jumped into the shower for a while before stalking naked to the room across from his. Quickly, he got dressed and went down to the foyer where his men waited for him.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes, sir, we are.” Gabriel answered on behalf of the rest.

“I hope you are, because if you mess this up the ones who are going to be dying are you,” Kellan threatened. Like shadows, they drifted quickly out of the house and across town.

“Wow, this place is so small. How are three people able to live in here?” Kellan criticized, standing in the dimly lit corridor outside the apartment door, the sounds of Brooklyn wafting in.

“Should we go in?” Gabriel asked.

“It depends…are you waiting for an invitation? Of course you should go in, you idiot,” he chided and then turned back to the door with callous smile. “Use the front door, it’s more polite.”

“Yes, sir.” Gabriel and his men knocked down the door and entered in a mad rush. Kellan stood outside until he heard the sound he cherished the most, frightened screams.

“I love this part.” Kellan strode into the dimly-lit home and followed the screams to the master bedroom.

Gabriel was restraining a man on the ground with his knee, while a woman cringed in a corner, weeping. Kellan went for the woman first, it was in his nature. He took her chin in his hand and raised her face to his.

“You are beautiful, Chemtai. I always wanted to get close to you but your husband has always been a hindrance. But now that I have you right in front of me, in the palm of my hand, I don’t know what to do with you,” he taunted, watching the fear and shock play on her face.

When Chemtai tried to crawl away, Kellan caught the heel of her foot and pulled her close to him. “Where are you going, my love? You are so beautiful. I don’t know whether I should kill you or take you with me, just for tonight.” He added the last part with a snicker escaping his lips.

“I’d rather be dead,” she screamed as she tried to free herself.

“There is no doubt about that, you will die. Killing is an art and the secret behind it is timing. Isn’t it, William?”

“Please, don’t kill my wife,” William pleaded.

“Why not? She is trying to kill me. You think I don’t know that you and your lovely wife have been trying to…how should I put this…exterminate me?”

“She has nothing to do with this.” William fell to his knees.

“She has nothing to do with this? You used her as bait and, when she succeeded in luring me in, you tried to behead me. As I see it, she was very much involved.” Kellan grabbed Chemtai’s elbow and pulled her to her feet. “Your husband is doing all the talking, my love. Don’t you want to say anything to defend yourself?”

Chemtai spat in his face. “I will not beg the devil for my life. If this is my day to die I will accept it.”

He wiped his face with the arm of his jacket and tossed her back into the corner. “So be it, but William goes first.”

In one fluid movement Kellan picked up the helpless man, lifted him off the ground and snapped his neck.

“No! No!” She screamed and covered her face with shaking hands.

“Now it’s your turn, my love.”

Kellan was taken aback when he felt something small rush into his legs. He watched as the little girl clutched tightly onto her mother’s arm.

“What do we have here?” Kellan gazed at the fear in the little girl’s eyes and marveled at the fire that burned behind it. “She’s beautiful and looks just like you. What’s your name, little girl?”

The girl remained silent, watching Kellan’s hand as it moved toward her. When he stroked her hair she beat his hand off, shaking her head violently as if trying to get something off.

“She’s just like you. Too bad she is just a baby; I don’t have time for babies.” Kellan grabbed the little girl and, when she struggled, he tore into her flesh.

“No! Christy!” Chemtai cried, reaching for her daughter, but Kellan pushed her violently back to the ground.

“Christy?” Kellan stared at the girl’s quiet, paling face for a moment before he shifted his gaze to her mother. “Well it’s time you joined Christy and William in the land beyond. Say hi to Hades for me.”

* * * *

Sloan

Christy watched through the closet door, where her mother had hidden her a few seconds ago, as her father was torn to shreds. She couldn’t see what they were using, but whatever it was, it was effective. She covered her mouth with her hand and forced herself not to cry.

“Stay here and be very quiet.” Those were the words her mother had said to her as she shoved her into the closet and piled some clothes on top of her. She then took an insecticide and generously sprayed it over the clothes and into the closet, trying to mask Sloan’s scent.

“Stay very quiet and don’t come out. Mommy loves you.” She gave her terrified daughter a kiss on the cheek and a tight squeeze before closing the closet doors.

She hid under the clothes, choking on the pungent smell of the insecticide. She stayed quiet, heeding her mother’s words and at the same time terrified at what they meant.

She could see it in her mother’s eyes, hear it in her mother’s voice, and feel it in her mother’s tight embrace and longing kiss. Finality.

Something was dangerously wrong and she knew that would be the last time she would be with her mother.

Her father’s arm was tossed to the side after a searing, ripping and breaking sound rang in the air. Her eyes followed the decapitated limb as it soared into the air and landed a few inches away from the closet door.

Her mother was on the floor, her head forced to the ground. She could see how she was struggling to look in the closet’s direction and at the same time willing herself not to give away her daughter’s hiding place.

Christy watched as her mother mouthed out three words, I love you. She wanted to tell her she loved her too, but she was sure that her mother wouldn’t be able to see it through the peeping holes on the closet doors.

“No!”

She couldn’t help herself. Christy ran out of the closet and launched herself at her mother’s attacker. She didn’t know exactly what impact her thirty-kilogram body would do to the large man, but she had to try something.

With one strike on her back the blonde man subdued her, tossing her to the other side of the room. Christy could feel the blood ooze out of her lacerated back. The pain ripped through her, numbing her from the waist down. She couldn’t move and neither could she scream.

Christy could hear her mother cry out for her but, after a few seconds, all their voices sounded like they were faraway. She lay still as the darkness consumed her. She was dying and she knew it, but at least this way she could be with her father and they would both wait for her mother who would very soon follow.