The Storytellar (Shadows Of A Massacre)

Nightmare I

The Storytellar

By Firelorn P. King

[Greetings, let me tell you a story, it's a pretty long story too, a story about murder, betrayal, fantasy, magic, and yeah, the occasional romance, hehe. Ah... But the most important of them all is... Revenge.]

That night began it all, that one stormy night...

A human and Another were passing by the district in the pouring rain when a sharp scream erupted from somewhere in the neighbourhood.

One of the passersby asked their companion, "Did you hear that..."

"Heard what?"

"It sounded like a scream."

"Screaming? In this crazy storm?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"I mean, maybe you're imagining it?"

"No, I'm sure of it, damn it!"

The other sighed, "Haa... Fine! Where pray tell did you hear the scream come from then?"

The companion took a moment to listen, "Hmm..." Then, he heard another... "I heard it again! It's coming from over there!" He pointed towards the third floor of a building a few blocks away from them.

"You're sure...?" She asked him to confirm.

"Very..." He assured her.

"That's some good hearing, babe." She took another look at the building that her companion pointed out, then sceptically uttered, "So..." As if to get confirmation.

The two stared at each other for a short moment then with a mutual nod, the two ventured towards the source of the scream, they hurried into the building and took the stairs up to the third floor, where they suddenly bumped into a man in an oxblood trench coat.

"Oh! Sorry about that, we were in a hurry." The female companion apologized to the mysterious man but her companion said nothing.

The man with his face covered by a dark hood replied, "Oh, no worries... I'm in a hurry too, just passing by... Tick tock now, time waits for no one...!" He had a sort of eerily way he spoke. But the lady didn't think anything of it.

Once he said what he said, he carefully passed them by as he mysteriously limped on his way. It was obscure but for a brief moment, the lady in passing caught a glimpse of the man smiling a very devilish smile just before he exited. She wanted to catch up to at that moment but was suddenly grabbed hold of by her male companion...

"Babe, what's the matter?"

His oddly seductive, charming and soft voice suddenly deepend, "Love, I smell... Blood!"

Her eyes widened, "Did you just say just say blood!?" She asked in a whisper.

"Yes love, I caught the scent from the man that left just now."

"Oh, but that's alright. Maybe he's just injured and was in a hurry to get medical attention."

"Could be, but why did it smell like he had more than one person's blood on him?"

"You can tell that there are oth- Whoa!" He suddenly grabbed her close, holding her steady in his well big strong arms, like he was trying to keep her safe.

"What the hell, hun!? What's going on!?" She demanded, not leaving his hold despite her displeased expression.

Once his nerves relaxed a little, he pointed towards an apartment door just a few steps ahead of them and said, "Love, could you then explain why I can smell all of the different blood scents coming from over there, in that apartment? Didn't the creepy man say he was just 'passing' by?"

She gulped, "You don't think..." He did have a point after all, even as a normal human, you could tell that somehow, whatever was behind that door was...

"I hope it isn't what I think, love."

They mustered the courage to carry on and reached the door only to find it...
"I-It-It's open!" She shrieked and took a step back.

He grabbed a hold of her and comforted her, "Calm down, love. Maybe h-he just forgot to lock it. I hope..."

With a lot of gall and bravado, the male companion took the lead and cautiously opened the door ajar, only to witness...
"Love, I don't think that man was just passing by." Right inside the apartment was a brutal slaughter of bodies, guts, blood and flesh, it was a massacre.

At the very corner of the living room was a small closet and within it was a weeping boy with silver hair and deep blue eyes.

...