Love Sucks

Burnt and Bloody - Chap. Thirty-Three

Thunder rolled, and lightning shot into the room, a big blast of luminous light -- but not only did it delineate the corridor, but also the figure standing somewhat five feet away.

Those seconds, in which lightning lit everything, Abigail saw the smile curving those thin lips; she saw the look in his eyes, the eyes of the predator finally seizing his prey. And when she, terrified and shaking, turned back to protect the helpless woman -- recognition pulsed in her familiar eyes.

Although the last time Abigail had seen her was just a couple weeks ago -- there couldn't have been a bigger difference in the woman then, and the one standing here now. Her frizzy hair hung in limp strands, and her once profound brown eyes had sunk into her head, then bleached out their depths. She stood there, mouth hanging open, gazing at her daughter. Abbi couldn't help but stare back, but unlike her mom, she did not look overjoyed -- she was horrified.

Then the night washed over them again and whatever words Abigail had planned on saying were plugged in her the moment that same cold skin brushed her arm.

Abbi flinched, suddenly grabbing a hold of Marcee with desperate hands, and pulling her further behind. "Mom," She choked, holding in the emotions preparing to spill and shatter any and all containment that she had on her self-control. "Stay behind me."

Lucifer started laughing -- a slow and arrogant chuckle that seemed to echo in the air. "Isn't that just sweet?" He lulled in a smooth voice, made of perfection. "The humans are protecting one another; a touching notion, really."

Abigail's jaw set. If her hands weren't still blocking Lucifer's view of her mom, they would have been tightly fisted. "We had a deal." She said, ignoring the man's taunts.

She could imagine him cocking his head to the side, but with the darkness shrouding every corner, there was no way she could possibly tell what he was doing ... except, of course, laughing; that same cackle resounded in the hallway once again.

"A deal?" He laughed, again. "Deals are like Pinkie-Promises, Abigail. Just empty vows made by naive children."

Abbi tried to unsuccessfully raise her head in defiance, studiously glowering at him. "Are you calling yourself a naive child, then?" She retorted.

There was a snort, then the seemingly distant clapping of shoes against wood flooring. "Your juvenile mockery gnaws on my patience." He said quickly, all humor gone from his person. "I think it's far past time to handle the issue directly myself, just as I had to decades ago."

She cowered away from the voice that had started to get closer. Behind her, Abbi's mother whimpered, her feeble, bony fingers gripping her daughter's shoulders. "Abbi ..." She warned in a thin tone.

Abigail's heart knocked against her ribcage, she panted, eyes fluttering around -- unable to see past anything in the thick, infernal gloominess.

"I can hear your heart, girl." Lucifer hissed, the sound followed by more shuffling.

She could somehow feel him draw closer; dread beat its frantic fists in time of her heart's pounding. With another step backwards, Abigail was pressed against her mom, both of them cowering away from the monster they could not see.

A clap of thunder signaled the familiar pursuit of lightning. As the flash brightened the hallway, clearing away any remnants of gloom, Abbi could tell he was there without having to look. Unfortunately, she had not assessed how close, and when the current brought the light with it, she was greeted with the close-up image of a distraught looking face ... long canine teeth jutting from his lips ... the smallest, thinnest lines of blood slowly trickling down his chin, like twin contours of red-