"REDEMPTION"
The Taking
The prison bus approached fast, headlights flashing white in the blackness. The demon waited for it to be under him and then floated down on top of the bus. One hand ripped open the ceiling hatch and in a few seconds he was inside, a cruel grin directed at the inmate crouched inside the bus diminutive prison cell.
The guard standing nearest to the hatch reached for his shotgun and fired, but the inhuman creature was fast, far beyond human limits. The dark figure grabbed the guard and threw him through the window glass, the bloody shards showering the floor, while the bullet missed and hit a metal pole, whizzing over the other prisoners heads who, cuffed and chained to their seats, could do nothing but gaze at the scene.
The second guard aimed his weapon at the dark form with glowing red eyes and fired a round. The bullet hit the creature's torso and dropped to the floor, smoldering, dented and useless. Ignoring the second guard, who now stood petrified, clutching his jammed weapon in the back of the bus, the demon reached for the heavy prison door and tore it from its hinges with one pull.
The woman inside was still in the same position, sitting down on the bare floor, knees bent and head resting on her arms and legs, not looking up even through the sound of gunfire and screeching metal. Her psychopathic nature and a heavy dose of tranquilizer drugs kept her mind elsewhere, swarming with dark thoughts of her own. The demon lifted her up and put her across his right shoulder, the same evil grin always on display. The woman took notice now, and her fists struck the back of the creature, yelling curses and foul words and causing the demon to utter something unintelligible ("veni mecum") in deep raspy words.
The panicked bus driver felt an iron grip grabbing him from behind, and a second later he was hurled violently, smashing through the bus doors, bones shattering amidst the noise of breaking glass. The demon then floated out of the prison bus with the woman in his arms, as the large vehicle swerved dangerously close to a cliff, the men inside still chained by their ankles and powerless to prevent the inevitable fall. Paying no attention to the woman kicking and screaming, the demon levitated away from the bus and further above, until a large abandoned house loomed in the cold night, a mile ahead.
The Feast
The prison bus reached a steep curve and bursted through the guardrails, the weight of the vehicle slicing through the steel beams. It tumbled down the ravine, the men inside trying desperately to hold on while they were violently shaken and thrown against the walls and ceiling, their sinful existences coming to an abrupt end. Not far from this, a dark figure relished in their fate.
The demon ripped the blue-grey prison uniform the woman was wearing, while she hit him and hurled insults at him, her struggle as furious as it was useless. The demon then entered her, savouring her flesh as much as her malice, for the long list of evil deeds the woman had not only enticed him, but further placed her under his yoke.
A spark inside the bus engine started a fire and in seconds the flames had engulfed the front part of the vehicle, the sound of the fire mixing with the screams of doomed men.
The demon devoured the woman's soul in chunks and bits and she screamed horribly but no one could hear, for only the ghosts stood by, forced by the demon's will to watch every second of the gruesome feast.
The prisoners died one by one, some slowly burning and howling with pain while others were suffocated by the smoke, all still chained to their sits. Little more than a mile away the demon grew in power, consuming the inmates final moments.
It finally ended with a whimper, and as the life faded from the woman's stare the red eyes glowed brighter, brimming with energy.
The demon stood up. The woman lying before him looked calmly asleep, but her bloodshed days would never return. The dark shadow floated away from the house and further into the night, feeling the augmented power gained in the last few hours and sensing that yet more deviant souls were waiting to be reaped tonight.
The Greed
The man in the dark jacket accepted the small bag from the drug dealer, put it in his pocket, flashed a wicked grin and told the tall man he had no intention to pay. The pale skin man snarled an insult and drew a switchblade, threatening to gauge an eye from the dark man.
Still grining, the man moved closer and grabbed the drug dealer. In less than a heartbeat the hand holding the knife had few bones intact, and a muffled scream was silenced by iron fingers squeezing the tall man's throat. Never loosing his grin, the man in the dark jacket lifted the drug dealer by his neck and slowly strangled him, crushing his neck and savouring all the pain this man had inflicted on others throughout his life.
NEWS BROADCAST: "The prison bus transporting inmates from the local jail to the state facility suffered a bizarre accident earlier tonight. The bus fell down a steep ravine while the driver and one of the guards were found dead and mangled several yards back up the road as if they had tried jumping out before the crash. Notorious serial killer Belle Gunness's body is still unaccounted for and the sole survivor from the grisly accident was found in a catatonic state, constantly repeating that "the devil had come for them."
The Shelter
The dark shadow stood for a few seconds watching beside the closed window and after a moment he was inside, floating over the young woman lying in bed. There was no malice in this human, so even though taking her life would be easy, there would be no pleasure in doing so, and no sustenance could be yielded from a pure soul. The real challenge would be refraining from the kill, and so out of curiosity and enjoying his power over the woman's existence, the demon floated up to a corner near the ceiling and concealed itself in the shadows.
The Fasting
But the newfound sensation of serenity from staying close to the young woman at night was intoxicating, her purity soothing, and so the demon remained in the room and allowed his energy level to drop even more.
The moment came when he could not longer hide his presence in the shadows and was forced to sneak out one night and lay on the roof above, amidst the bushes and man-made fences that still provided some cover.
NEWS BROADCAST: "A drug dealer known to the local law enforcement was found dead tonight in an alley near the downtown area. The police report indicates the cause of death was suffocation, but the coroner in charge said the bones in the man's neck and right hand were broken "as if they had been crushed by a giant plier", which lead the Police to conclude that it was definitely not an accident but probably a targeted death warrant by rival drug dealers".
The Closure
“Who goes there?” - an angry voice spoke loudly from the shadows in the garden, and a security guard stepped out from behind the trees, his gun aimed at the demon in an unflinching posture.
The demon smiled and first tried to compel the human to lower his gun, but immediately found that he could not muster the will to do it. He then took one step forward to try and possess the human, but this man’s life was not guided by malice, and even if it was the demon was far too weak to make a worthy attempt.
The security guard lifted his gun, pointing it at the demon’s chest and spoke once more: “Move again and you’re dead”.
The demon did not know fear, but it could sense that this time a bullet shot would severely damage his human shell. Trying to find a means of escape but unable to sense anything nearby, the demon quickly raised his hands and tried to display a non-aggressive gesture. Two loud shots were fired by the security guard, the echo bouncing off the walls around the yard, shattering the quiet night.
The dark figure fell down. Even in human form the creature did not feel pain but it knew that in a few moments its current host would die and this existence would end.
A howl that could not be entirely heard by human ears bellowed from the demon’s throat, causing all the dogs in the vicinity to bark and whine in response.
Desperately seeking a suitable host, the demon left its shell and floated up above, mere seconds away from dissipating completely.
The Beyond
He had been studying the house for a few days, learning the habits of the people within, and making sure his prey would not escape him when he came for her.
His patience and planning had made sure his previous victims had met their end, more than five now, in the last year alone. The police was aware of his deeds and on his trail but he had always managed to elude them.
He had seen the man in dark clothes getting down from the roof, his encounter with the security guard and its aftermath. He heard the shots and saw the confusion that followed.
He touched the sharp blade inside his coat. The same one he would use to slit the woman's throat from ear to ear, watching with fascination as the blood gushed out warm and red. The outhouse would be a perfect place to indulge his passion for gore.
A shudder suddenly took him and for a few seconds he stood still, a trembling that was not from cold seizing him.
A moment later he got down from the wall to the road outside in a single movement and walked quietly through the empty street, the noise and commotion from the mansion slowly fading behind him.
He moved further away from the house and the sound of police sirens.
Even though his strength was only just returning, a wicked grin formed in his face, for he could already sense the night in all its promise.
NEWS BROADCAST: "A man was shot and killed by a security guard at an undisclosed location in the suburbs yesterday night. Apparently, what started as a simple case of trespassing quickly escalated to lethal heights, as told by the security guard involved, who mentions the intruder's aggressive posture and unwillingness to stand down as reason to fire in self defense. The deceased was later identified as a former romantic liaison of the mansion's housekeeper, who lives in the outhouse facing the crime scene. The man had been reported as a missing person some weeks ago."
