APEX PREDATOR
As I turned around, my eyes met his. Somehow he had managed to sneak into my mansion without making a single noise. I started to pray that this was just a bad dream; that he wasn't really here. I knew what this man was capable of – and for that reason I knew I was doomed. I was damned to die: painfully and slowly, without mercy.
I was frightened. Yet, I still managed to ask an obvious question, maybe prolonging the inevitable: “Sin Vulpes… What are you doing here?”
I saw a mad gleam in his steel grey eyes. He was like a predator, a beast. Demise dressed in green. I sensed anticipation: like a fiend that was waiting for a perfect time to attack its prey. His whole body indicated of bloodlust. He was a beast in a form of a man. He had a gun in his hand; and I knew that this gun would soon point at my head – if I was lucky.
He wore a wide grin in his face: the smile of a madman. “You know very well why I'm here.” He took one step closer. “You have pissed off someone. They have paid the blood money. They want me to rip your guts out!”
“But you worked for me!” I plead.
“It was then, now is now.” His grin only grew wider. “You know damn well that I don't choose sides.”
I was trembling with fear. “What if I pay you more?” I tried to convince him to save my life.
“I don't need your dirty money.” He laughed. “Now, look at you, you pitiful old fool! Trying to save your wretched skin!”
I couldn't speak anymore. Fear was taking over me. My legs were shaking and clumsy as I tried to take more distance from Sin Vulpes. His piercing gaze followed me, looking amused. I swear that he was feeding on my fright.
“You were my client once”, he stated. “Maybe I should give you a chance.” He chuckled. “I'll give you thirty seconds. Better start running.”
And I ran.
BEAUTY IN THE MIRROR
Dreams. That's where it all started. He had started to dream of a black and empty castle. Night after night he kept visiting this place, wandering alone in its lonesome corridors. There didn't seem to be any destination set ahead of him. Even though he didn't meet a single soul, he couldn't shed the feeling that something was threatening his life. But as he was forced to visit the castle every time he fell asleep, he started to become strangely more ease.
Then things made an unpredictable turn.
Once again he travelled into that isolated place. This time, however, something had changed. As he wandered around the castle, he found a large room which he had seen never before, even though he had memorized the layout of the building pretty much perfectly. Yet, this was a dream, so it wasn't really surprising that it would play tricks on his mind.
The room was almost completely empty. There weren't even any windows. But somehow, there was enough light to see around. Dreams don't make much sense, though. The most notable thing, however, was the huge mirror that covered the whole back wall.
Instead of seeing himself from the mirror, he saw a reflection of a woman.
He was stunned. The beauty in the reflector was the most beautiful maiden he had ever seen. She looked perplexed, as if not being sure where she was. In that sense, they both were similar. The man walked across the room and stopped in front of the mirror. He raised his hand and pressed it against the glass. The woman was confused for a while, but soon she did the same gesture, pressing her hand against the mirror at the same spot as the man. They smiled at each other.
Then the dream ended.
Something in that woman had made him feel really thrilled. He hoped that he would see her in his dream on the following night.
His wish was granted.
From then on, he could see in his dreams that same room with the mirror and the lady in it. And night after night, they started to become more and more fond of each other… Even though they couldn't talk through the glass or touch each other. But they shared same feelings through their small gestures. They had fallen in love.
Maybe one night the mirror wall separating them will shatter and they can finally embrace each other.
YOU WILL BECOME THE BRIDE
He was trapped. That was for sure. There was no way out from this place he had ended up in. He also couldn't tell which time of the day was going on. That awful man had knocked him out and dragged inside this strange cavity. He had trusted him and with what price? He had kidnapped him. He wanted to own him, make him his little bride or something. He was the sovereign of this place and everything in here would happen according to his will.
He had felt his lust. Just some time ago he had pinned him against the wall and he could feel his desire. The hot breath on his skin… the hunger in his eyes… the bulge in his pants rubbing against him… He wanted him. And yet, he had not done anything. However, he had made it clear that he would if he wanted to. But he wasn't in any hurry. After all, he had all the time in the world, since this was his world and they would play with his rules.
For now, he was stuck in this place with that maniac. He knew that a certain painting on a wall and the amulet which the kidnapper was wearing somehow acted as a doorway out of the cavity. Apparently that man was a mage and setting up a place like this was one of his tricks. And he… well, he had no understanding of how magic works. Even if he managed to steal the amulet, he would have no idea how to use it.
He probably had no other choice but to play nicely. Maybe one day he could earn an opportunity to escape.
EVERY NIGHT I DIE
Suddenly, it began. She had started to see these weird… dreams… or… no, they were more like nightmares. In these visions she acquired, she witnessed different deaths. But, somehow, they felt so… real. It was as if she herself died multiple times. It was like her soul was inside of all these wretches that experienced demise, along with their own souls.
She had suffered many shots across her body, caused by a certain hitman's shootings.
Her body that was half human, half machine, had gotten thrown into a large container of acid.
She had been a little kid who was playing on the banks of river, then got swept away onto the strong current, resulting in drowning.
She became a victim of a horrible serial killer, and got her guts teared out slowly and painfully, and thus was butchered like a pig.
An accident in a hunting trip occurred and she got an arrow to her head, shot by one of her friends.
She got burned at a stake due to being suspected of heresy.
She died of blood loss after being brutally mauled by a large beast.
Her head got cut off as a form of execution.
She died by the hand of her crazy boyfriend and her body was cut to multiple pieces.
And so on.
She wasn't sure what she should think about these dreams. Partly, they were unpleasant and filled her with dread. But on the other hand… They felt quite interesting, in a way. They gave her thrilling sensation. And it felt good. It was something she hadn't known that she needed. But now that she had gotten a taste for it, she wanted more. Maybe she could put this strange skill in a good use.
Maybe.
KNOCK, KNOCK
It was a dark night. A thunder roared outside, wind was howling. Rain was whipping the windows and occasionally a flash of lightning would illuminate the world for a blink of an eye. A lonely man was sitting in front of his table, staring at the mirror, not caring at all about the storm outside. A candle standing on the table was his only source of light.
Knock, knock.
Someone – or something – was on the door. But the man didn't even flinch, he just kept staring at his own reflection.
Knock, knock.
The knocking seemed to get louder and more impatient. Still, the man didn't respond. He was completely focused on his mirror. He was miserable, poor excuse of a human being and he knew that it was about time that he would get punished. In the end, all he had was his wretched soul, so he wanted to look at himself before he would be gone and lose everything.
Knock, knock.
He kept ignoring that sound from the door. It didn't matter though. A black mist began to infiltrate through the gaps of entrance. Soon it started to engulf the room.
Knock, knock.
Finally, the man looked away from the mirror to greet the one entity who had come its way to fetch him. The black mist was swirling in the air in a menacing manner, slowly getting closer to the man.
The knocking stopped.
The door burst open and in came a giant fist that grabbed the poor man. In a blink of an eye, he had been snatched from the safety of a place that was his home. Shadows took him away, leaving nothing behind. Now he was gone forever.
