Ruin

Prologue

Trey Havor was a beautiful human with a beautiful soul and a beautiful passion for survival. Perhaps that's why I fell in love with him. Perhaps that's why I destroyed him.

When I first saw him he was a tired wreck, with eyes hallowed, drowsiness and, skin pale from the cold. He slumped into the hotel I was inhabiting at the earliest hours of the morning, when the sun was barely casting a faint glow on the black sky. I sensed him before I saw him, the stench of depression and anger wafted from the lobby to my room, as if screaming; iwanttodie iwanttodie iwanttodie. I peered out my window, glancing at the shagged boy while he dragged his makeshift bag up the iron rotted stairs, and wondering just what caused him to emit so much despair. Of course these emotions were quite the snack for my kind, but my human side wished to appeal to him.

Don't.

I stumbled up from my position throwing on my flip flops and sprinting out the door, hoping I could catch him before he reached his room. He was coming up the last few steps when I purposefully ran myself into him. I just need a taste. Upon impact, I became overwhelmed with waves of anxiety rushing from his body to mine. Oh the pleasure it gave me, so much so I lost my own balance and allowed us to collapse to the concrete floor. He groaned beneath me but firmly clasped me to him, as though he was saving me from the impact. I winced accordingly, feigning shock, and glanced up at him.

I believe it was his hair I liked first. It clung to his forehead, heavy with the rain which made his already dark hair appear black. Then his eyes, which were gleaming against the light of the nearby lamp post in the courtyard. And then, all at once, a smile burst across his entire face. And that's when I think I finally fell for him, that was mistake number one.

The first words he uttered to me were standard to the situation, "Sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going."

His voice was sweet, masculine but tender. And his hands gripped my waist as he shifted me to the side of him. I didn't want him to leave, but what could I have done? Other than fake it that is...

"Ouch!" I cried, gripping my completely healthy ankle. "I think it's sprained..."

A quick intake of air and the feeling of guilt began to emit from the boy. He shifted immediately and grabbed my shin, rambling about how sorry he was. "Jeez, I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking- I- I-" he stuttered like this until I couldn't take it anymore. His speech reminded me of a puppy dog and I couldn't help but chuckle. "D-did I say something stupid?" Concern immediately masked his face.

"No no no," I shook my head and took hold of his shoulder. "It's just you're cute is all." A deep flush covered his face. Embarrassment was a weird feeling to experience second hand, makes me sick. "I don't want to bother you, but could you take me to my room?"

The boy looked at me for a minute as if he didn't hear me, then he gripped my hips and lifted me up, wrapping my arm around his shoulder in an awkward attempt to assist me. "Where to?" He asked. This feeling was unfamiliar, it was somewhere between disappointment and hatred but not quite either. I absorbed it as I gave him directions to my room, easing into his personality. He made three less than graceful attempts at opening my door while holding me before he gave up and just rammed into the door until it opened. We stumbled in and he made quick time putting me on my bed and trying to run out the door. The attempt was futile though, I was far from finished. When it comes to experiencing humans, I like to divulge myself into their personality and past. This one seemed intriguing.

Don't.

"So," I started, causing him to pause his escape. "What brings you to Seattle?"

He paused to watch me for a minute. "Why do you care?"

That response shocked me, I didn't quite understand the hostility in his tone, but I let him off. If any human ever spoke to a god like that, they would be dead or in the process of being tortured before they could register where they went wrong. I was seething at his disrespect but persisted. "Just curious, I suppose."