Lou screamed in pain. A loud, guttural sound that pierced me to my core. I felt my head ring, and vision flash. The Hunter's around me stumbled back as if physically pushed.
My eyes were still on Matt and his sadistic grin. He tightened his grip on the knife, twisting it in the flesh, making Lou's scream turn into a demonic roar. It cut through my lungs like a cold knife, pulling the air out of me as I felt the cold essence within me rise in response. My vision was shifting heavily, turning black and white as he continued to scream. The world felt cold and apathetic. It felt... dark.
I don't know how long Lou screamed, but I stayed in that state the entire time. When it finally stopped, my vision flickered, colours returning to it. My body suddenly sagged, only held up by the ropes as I... I felt drained. Matt had withdrawn the knife from his leg. There was fresh blood on it, but nothing dripping out of the leg. Right, that was a corpse Lou was occupying.
My head bobbed up and down. I felt extremely lightheaded. Exhaustion was filling every limb of my body. I was about to pass out again.
"No, no, no." I felt something cold press under my chin, raising my head to meet Matt's eyes. "You're not going anywhere. Let's have some fun with you."
The knife slid up my skin again, resting against my cheek. I didn't have the energy to even gasp as I felt it slide downwards, burning as it cut through my skin.
"Ry... lee..." I heard a rough whisper from Lou. "Ryl...-leigh..."
"Shut up, demon." Matt snapped, returning the knife under my chin. "If you-ah-"
He cut himself off, free hand flying up to his cheek as my own started tingling. Blood slid down his fingers as his cheek started peeling itself apart. I was barely conscious, but I did recognize it as the same place where he'd just cut me.
"The fuck..." He hissed, pulling his hand back to stare at the blood on his fingers. "How did you..." His eyes moved to me, then Lou. "Did you..."
"It's the knife." Mike's voice cut off Matt's accusations. "It can't be used on it's owner."
"It can't be..." His eyes moved back to me. "Owner." He whispered, cocking his head. "So, you are it's owner."
"Ryleigh..." Lou rasped again.
I couldn't see him without turning my head. My eye on that side was swollen shut. "W... What?" I replied, sounding equally dead.
"Stop talking to the demon." I felt the knife return to my throat.
"Make... them bleed."
Make them... bleed?
"The humans..." He chuckled. There was no humour in that sound. "Make them... bleed."
"You fucking piece of shit." Matt gritted out. I could see his aura shift to one of rage, the knife digging into my skin. "'Make them bleed'?" He scoffed. "Have you seen yourself? I don't mind putting a... more holes i... -u."
Make them bleed? Who? The Hunters?
Matt's voice was fading in and out- as was my vision. I have to make them bleed.
I... I have to?
I... can...
I just... did.
My lips pull up into a smile. Matt's own lips were still moving, but I couldn't hear him anymore. His eyes moved back to me as I felt my lip split again, blood filling my mouth.
What are you grinning at?
I could read his lips..
I'll make you bleed. I replied. Or I think I did. I couldn't hear myself either.
I pulled my head back, as far as it could go. The knife moved with me. As I wanted it to.
My eyes were glued to Matt as I gathered the rest of my energy and moved. I could see the realisation cross his eyes right as I felt the steel cut into my skin.
The sensation was horrible. Cutting through my skin burnt, and then it hit what I could only assume was my wind pipe or esophagus. The momentum kept my head going. The knife barely encountered any resistance cutting through those organs, sliding right through with barely a second of resistance.
I immediately felt my chest collapse as all the air left me. The second thing I felt was the blood trickle into my throat amidst the pain. I wanted to scream with how bad it hurt, but all that escaped me was choked sounds. I felt blood dribble down my lips, head titling back to stare up at the rusty rafter.
It hurt.
Oh God.
It hurt so much.
My throat was torn apart.
My insides all the way from my nose to my gut were on fire.
I was choking. Yet I wasn't. I was drowning, yet I wasn't.
My eyes were wide open, and the only sounds filling my ears were my own. My vision was starting to fade again. Had this been a mistake? Did I just fuck up? Was I going to... Was I going to die from a stupid stunt like this?
My vision shifted, going darker as I felt my eyes start to close. My mind was going blank, the pain was fading too. The only good thing that seemed to have come out of this.
Man, I feel so stupid. But... I might finally be free.
My eyes fell shut, a last gurgle escaping my throat as I felt the pain fade away. It was quiet, peaceful. Almost nostalgiv considering the last time I'd felt this was when I'd been shot. The first time, that is. It felt... nice.
But it didn't last.
My eyes shot open. The burning sensation returning to my throat as I gasped loudly. I could feel my lungs inflate. With that new air, a cough bubbled up in my now-sealed throat, forcing out the rest of the blood in my wind pipe in a wide spray. My body shook as my head fell forward, heaving and gagging on the rest of the blood forcing itself out of my windpipe. Saliva mixed with the blood dripping down my lips, vision blurring with tears forced out of my eyes.
I was coughing. I was heaving. I was breathing. And it hurt. But holy shit, it felt so good. It all felt so good.
My vision flickered, getting brighter and brighter. As my breathing got slower and more even, I realised I was feeling better than when I'd woken up. My body no longer hurt. Neither did my neck or my back.
My hearing started to return. The ringing Lou caused vanishing only to be replaced by not the most pleasant of sounds. Another human choking. I could hear liquid splashing on the floor. It was blood. I could see the splatters by my feet. It was vivid red, viscous, flowing... warm against my cold feet.
I coughed once more as I raised my head. My eyes going to the man on his knees in front me. Hisand pressed to his throat as blood fell through it incessantly. Like the water falling off a table when someone tipped over a jug. Dripping, and streaming, and trickling. I knew what he was feeling. The pain. The choking. The drowning. I had been there barely a few moments ago.
Watching him blankly, I vaguely wondered why none of his colleagues were approaching. Forcing my head a little more up, I met their eyes, glued to Matt's back as he choked and heaved and tried to get some air. Their bodies were frozen, eyes wide with horror, bodies covered in a familiar dark shroud. A fading, dark essence that coiled around the floor, slowly dragging itself back over to Lou. How had it escaped? Wasn't that circle meant to keep him trapped?
A tear fell down the only lady's face. "M-Matt..." She whispered. Now that I looked at her, she seemed to share features with the man dying by my feet. Siblings?
The black essence faded into the darkness of the warehouse. And as it did, I saw the other Hunters move.
The lady leapt to Matt, falling to her knees and letting out a scream. "MATT! NO!"
She wrapped her arms around his heavy form, twisting it in her arms so his head was facing the ceiling. His eyes were already glassed over, fingers lose on his dripping throat. His eye looked swollen. There was also a gash on his head that hadn't been there before.
Her hand joined Matt's by his throat, pressing and holding that weak bandage to that veins and arteries that had been slit open. The man was gone. His aura was fading away.
"GET THE BANDAGES! GET ANYTHING!" She screamed at the rest of the Hunters as they moved to gather around the two. "HURRY! HE'S BLEEDING OUT!"
"He's dead." I mumbled, voice rough. Speaking hurt.
"SHUT UP!" She snapped, aiming her similarly coloured eyes at me. "NOT YET! Not..." Her eyes felt back to him as he gurgled. "Not yet. Matt... please " Tears fell down her face. "Please don't go. What will I tell... What will I tell your daughter? Your little Tamara?"
The name seemed to make his eyes light up for a moment, but it didn't last. He gurgled once again. Maybe a goodbye.
"No..." She whispered as Matt's eyes rolled up to the ceiling. "No... please..." Her voice broke, head bowing over the now dead body. Her hand was still wrapped around his throat, tightening to keep the slick, wet hands from slipping through her fingers. "No..."
"He's dead." Mike echoed my words. "You were warned. The knife will not harm its owner."
"Matt didn't..." She sobbed. "Matt didn't cut her. She's the one..." The lady looked up, anger in her eyes mixing with grief. "She's the one who... She did it. He was just holding it."
"Tough luck." Lou drawled, I could hear the amusement in his voice. "That was rather interesting to watch. How do you feel, Ryleigh?"
I broke eye contact with the lady on the floor as Lou said my name. I met his eyes, vaguely realising my other eye was no longer swollen shut. I could only see out of a slit, but it was better. "What do you..." I paused, grimacing as it hurt. "... mean?"
"You look better." He flashed me a crooked smile. "Of course, you always look good."
I sighed, the air chafed my wound. "Are you never not horny?"
"Double negatives, Ryleigh." Mike called out. "Isn't that a grammar faux pas?"
"The only faux pas here at the moment are your knees, feathers." Lou rolled his eyes. "Give her a break. She just got her throat slit open to her spine."
"Welcome to the club." Mike mumbled dryly. "How do you feel, Ryleigh?"
I sighed again, rolling my eyes. Man, that hurt. "How do you guys want me to reply? I'm a fucking hostage alongside you two."
"Yeah, but you look better than either of us at the moment." Mike mumbled, groaning for some reason.
"That a confession, feathers?"
"Shut up, demon. I meant health-wise. She's reverted back to before that human child beat her up."
"I have?" I frowned, cocking my head as I turned my head to face front again. Any confusion I was feeling dissipated as I felt the pure hatred aimed towards me at the moment. Those short few moments we'd been bantering had almost made me forget where we were.
And that was- tied to chair, helpless, covered in blood and surrounding by people who'd just seen their friend murdered by a magic knife.
That can't be the punchline.
"Do you feel nothing?" The lady still on the floor hissed up at me. "Nothing at all? You just took a life."
"It's not her first." Sylvia hurriedly swiped at her tears on her face. "She's killed before."
"She hasn't." Mike piped up again. "She's never raised a hand against your group."
"Shut up!" She snapped in his direction. "We didn't ask you."
I sighed. Why was I still doing that? "I know you won't believe me if I say that. But you should believe the angel. Those guys can't lie."
"This angel collaborated with you to kill the others. I don't trust him."
"Angels don't lie." Lou repeated my words. "Oh, also, thanks, Ryleigh."
"No problem." My reply was dry. Man, I really wanted water. "I took revenge for you."
Lou laughed. "Really? Revenge?" Sylvia's eyes narrowed at his continued mirth. "I'm not that petty, Ryleigh. I'm too old for revenge."
I closed my eyes. "Are you really going to make me drag the reason out of you in a situation like this?"
"You'll see it soon enough."
Mike sighed. "The demon is su-'
"Shush, feathers." I opened my eyes, turning to look at Lou again. He had a calm smile on his face. An almost pleasant expression, as if he was calmly waiting for a drink he'd ordered. "Let it be a surprise."
"Surprise?" Sylvia mumbled. I looked at her again, seeing confusion in her form. "What did you... Did you just kill one of us for... for fun?"
"No." Lou rolled his eyes, they were slowly turning black. "Killing humans isn't fun. It's downright predictable." He rolled his inky eyes. "'I have a kid', 'what did I do to you', 'who are you', 'please, don't'- ugh! Get original." Lou saw me looking, he nodded at me. "Now what she did, that was entertaining."
"Thank you." I nodded back, watching the veins appear and darken under his skin. "It hurt a lot."
"I'll take your word for it."
"I forgot to ask, did the knife in your thigh hurt?"
"Like a bitch." Lou snapped. I saw some of his burner essence whip out in response.
"Oh, wow." I replied slowly, facing forward again at the still horrified audience. "I'll take your word for it."
"You two are so unbelievably immature." Mike groaned. "Can you hurry up, demon?"
"'Can you hurry up, demon?'" Lou mocked in a higher pitched voice. Quite an achievement with the deepened rasp of his demon form. "If you haven't fucking noticed, I'm also trapped. It takes a little concentration so some silence would be much appreciated."
"Maybe you could start with shutting up." I mumbled, still with no idea what was going on. I had never related to the Hunters harder. They looked equally out of the loop.
"Getting sassy, Ryleigh?"
"Shut up and finish whatever you're doing." I snapped, closing my eyes. "I'm really tired."
"Tired?" Sylvia hissed. My eyes slid back open as her fingers wrapped around my jaw once more. "You're... tired?"
"Yes, kid." Her eye twitched. "I'm tired. Within the last ten minutes, I've cracked my head and had my throat slit. Not to mention, I'm hungry, thirsty, freezing, and in pain because you broke my nose and fucked up most of my face before you knocked me out. Yes, I'm tired. What the fuck else would I be in the situation?"
Sylvia's eyes roamed my face, her own features contorting with frustration. "Why don't you... why don't you feel anything?"
"You really need me to tell you this again? She didn't reply, a tear falling down her cheek. I sighed. That still hurt. "Fine. Once upon a time, your friend- Gerheart, showed up at my bar and-"
I was cut off by a fist slamming into my face. My head jerked back, I stifled a gasp of pain as my head bobbed, making out the pain on Sylvia's face through my flickering vision. "Don't say his name." She's hissed
I shook my heavy head too fix my eyesight before raising it to meet her eyes. "Should I continue?"
She bit her trembling lip, but a sob escaped her anyway. Both her hands moved towards me this time, wrapping around my throat as she leaned in. "I'm going to... kill you."
Her hands tightened around my neck. Through my now-buzzing head, I vaguely realised she was serious.
My eyes widened slightly, head belatedly trying to move away, but her grip was strong. A choked sound escaped me as I started to feel the pressure on my airway. My mouth had opened wide involuntarily as I was unable to get a breath in. My spotty vision started getting more blurry. "N-no..." I gasped, my eyes going to the ceiling as I struggled to hang on.
Ah, man. Not again.
Second time being choked to death. But this time it was at the hands of a human. Man, my species sucked.
She was pressing down hard. I couldn't get a single breath in, but at least... it no longer hurt. The choking... I could feel her hands around my neck, but I could also feel nothing. My mouth was still wide open in its feeble attempts to breathe again. Body struggling and hands twisting in my body's instinctual fight for survival.
Ah, you're finally here.
I barely heard Lou's voice. And it was followed by a male scream. A guttural scream of pain.
The sound surprised my fading consciousness for a moment. It also surprised Sylvia enough to pull away. She jumped back, her hands releasing my neck and letting my body flood itself with air. I gasped loudly, immediately choking on the air and starting to cough. My burning throat welcomed the oxygen as my body heaved in an attempt to adjust.
I forced my head up, still coughing so I could see what had happened. My vision was clearing up as I spotted Gray on the ground. He'd been flung across the floor, lying against the crumbling walls with his thigh torn open and gasping in pain. The woman who'd been holding Matt's dead body was covered in a dark cloud.
I recognised it as demonic essence. And when the woman screamed, only for it to be immediately cut off with a gurgle as it ripped her throat out- it turned to face me.
Surprise passed me as I met the bright, red eyes through the dark mist. "Cloud?"
He growled at me. I didn't know if it was in recognition or warning. But he didn't maintain eye contact for very long, turning and lunging at the man standing beside him. He didn't even have a chance to comprehend the hellhound's existence before his throat was ripped out too.
Sara screamed in fear. It jolted Sylvia out of her fugue, joining her sister as she yelled. Sylvia took a step away from Cloud, stumbling backwards over my foot and making me hiss in pain as she tripped over my sprained foot.
By the time her back slammed against the ground, Cloud was done with the other two men. He turned towards Sylvia, upon her in the blink of an eye.
"NO!" Sylvia screamed. "NO! NO! GET BACK! GET OFF ME!" I grimaced as I felt a slight itching at the back of my head. It was that same mental pressure.
Cloud hesitated as she said that. Clearly feeling the same as he whined. The essence faltered a bit, but her effect didn't last for more than a few moments.
He suddenly roared, making my vision temporarily blur over with the fallback from the sound before attacking.
He knocked Sylvia back onto the ground, forcing the breath out of her as his form hovered on her chest. Sylvia wheezed in pain, deep claw marks appeared across her chest. Blood pumping out through the cuts and pooling over her, dripping down her shirt. She trashed under him, waving her arms about only for it to slide right through the essence. She couldn't breath. She was also choking on her own blood. Cloud roared again, and a deep gash appeared on Sylvia's neck.
My eyes widened, and so did hers as her hand whipped to her throat. Her eyes went to the hellhound. It made me realise she could see it. The others probably had no idea what hit them.
My eyes moved away from her, to the carnage Cloud had already caused. Gray was collapsed in the corner, aura fading. The lady had died almost instantly, body resting over her brother's. The other two older men who'd been accompanying them had their guts and throats ripped out. They were slowly choking on their own blood, groans of pain getting fainter and fainter. Sara hadn't been touched yet. Her knees had given out. She was collapsed on the ground, eyes streaming as her aura roiled with grief, pain and disbelief.
I almost felt bad for the kid. But not bad enough to stop the hellhound as it turned to face her.
A sob escaped her, eyes going to Sylvia through the hellhound. "I wanted to... I wanted to start a new life." She whispered, slowly dragging her eyes over to mine. "And then you showed up... because of Sylvia. Because of her... it's always her. I just..." Her head fell forward, a loud sob echoing around the empty warehouse. "I just wanted to be free. I hate this life."
I felt my heart twist right as Cloud lunged at her. He knocked her flat on the floor, pulling back to attack.
Sara didn't react. She didn't even trash under him in a misguided attempt to get Cloud off her. But her eyes widened and she gasped in pain as I saw the tears appear on her throat. Her back arched, eyes rolling here and there in search for help that would never come. I turned away as they locked onto mine.
I felt my lips press together as I heard her struggle. Despite everything she was a part, or whoever she was-Maya, Sara... I'd liked her. She was nice. And now...
My eyes fell shut as I decided to not look at the dying teenager.
I didn't even open my eyes once the choking sounds had stopped.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE
Whew, these were some heavy chapters.
Not a lot left though!
Hope you enjoyed them!
Vote and comment!