To Know You

Eight: Seth

A thick layer of sweat covered my body as I awoke and jumped from my bed. The windows only allowed darkness to shine in and as my eyes locked onto the clock, I realized it wasn't even five in the morning. My fight or flight switch has been turned on and my body is reacting with adrenaline cursing throughout my veins. I refuse to believe that my Cheyenna was in that dream, only a demon was, and it was trying to tempt me, but it failed for I have resisted far greater temptations than its games.

I rub my hands down my face in an irritated manner as sleep is a precious commodity to me, but that demon stole most of it and with emotional wounds bloodied once more I fear even if I tried my eyes wouldn't close for all I see is a little boy sitting in a darkened room while crying as he couldn't understand why nobody could love him. For over fifteen years I have successfully pushed my nightmares to the back of my mind, locked away in a wooden chest and the key long forgotten. However, this demon had found it and brought forth imagines that no mind should be haunted with.

I cross the room in a stalking motion before opening the closet door with a slam. Pushing inside, I begin to grab clothes. Most of what I own are suits for I can never wear anything that does not reach at least my wrists and ankles. I wouldn't want to cause anyone nightmares because of my skin. Dry laughter bubbles out as I wouldn't even consider what cloaks my body skin for it's far to disfigured and cut-up to have any complexion.

Do you really believe that a stunning woman like Olive would ever want a hideous monster like you?

A snake-like voice hisses in my head and my hands slow as I cuff my sleeves. Only five witnesses have seen my skin and three of which were the monstrous creatures who caused me to appear this way. But it does not please me to imagine Olive's innocent eyes seeing such disfigurement. She would run for the hills claiming to have seen a monster far more hideous than Rumpelstiltskin.

And possibly the devil himself, for he is the ugliest of them all...

While my breath echoes with growls, I storm out of my room and run down the stairs like a wild animal in a fit of rage. My destination unknown, but the pulsing feeling of needing to escape this cage drives me from the manner and onto the dirt path that will lead me to the horse stable.

The moon provides enough light to guide me along the path without stumbling. But my mind is clouded, my ears appear to have headphones on, and the music is a replay of a young boy begging and screaming as they held him down. My eyes clouded with the images of the boy telling his social worker about the abuse and begging the older woman to believe him. However, this older woman already drew a picture of who the boy was and did not believe his cries for help. The boy was me, and I went on to endure two more years of abuse that should have only existed in history books when describing the Nazi concentration camps.

My head slumps towards the ground while I pull at my hair, ignoring the pain and fear of ripping the roots out. My appearance is that of a homeless crazy man as I stumble my way down the path, and I wonder if anyone would truly question a crazy man in a three-thousand-dollar Kiton suit. Through the thick canopy of trees, lights soon begin to shine, and in a few steps, I was entering the barn through the side door, but the action causes me to frown as this door should always be locked as you never know who or what is lurking in the dark shadows of the night. I make a mental note to have a talk with the stable hands about having the safety of the horses at the top of their priority lists. 

The malodorous stench of horses burns my nostrils as I enter the dimly lit barn. Horses snort at me as I pass, most of them not even knowing I was the one who saved them from their intended futures as dog food. Despite this, I don't regard myself as the master of them. My worth in this world might as well be beneath them. Humans judge me for I am rich, the devil hates me because I am a child of the almighty God, the demons fear me for I can rebuke them with a simple flutter of my lips and so that leaves only the animals to have soft hearts and open minds towards me, as I to them.