Chapter 13 #4
Movement on the screen pulled my focus as I witnessed Lavender slowly stepping into the hall.
“Oh?” My eyes followed the cameras, seeing the opened exit.
“Ahh, I see.” I turned my head to find a rat standing next to me on the desk.
“Go to her. Wait for me there.” I tapped the monitor.
“And as for the rest—” I turned to speak to my little army.
“Bring all my pieces to the dining room here.” I pointed to a different monitor.
“We shall complete everything there once I finish what I started.”
The rats squeaked and scurried about as I turned back and smiled at the monitor.
“Oh this is going to be so fun!” I shot from the security office and into the hall, swiftly sprinting my way through to the kitchen.
“Do you feel that, Crissa?! The adrenaline pumping through your veins and into your human heart! Oh, it is a sign that your revenge is nearly complete!” I shot through the kitchen doors and into the pizzeria, taking a large whiff.
“Mmm. We are so close!” More laughter filled my lungs and rolled from my mouth as I made my way through Big Top and towards the old party rooms.
Is it true?
Crissa’s meek voice graced my thoughts.
Is it almost done?
“Yes.” I grinned. “Soon, all of those who harmed you will get exactly what they deserve.” Excitement filled my body, soaring through it. I wasn’t sure if it was mine or Crissa’s but I didn’t care. I was so close to serving her vengeance, and that was all that mattered to me.
My pace slowed as I inched closer to the party room hallway.
“Oh, Lav–en–der,” I sang out into the pizzeria, stepping to the end of it blocking her escape.
The woman was standing in the middle, surrounded by a few of my rats.
Her head spun to face me, her eyes burning blue as tears flowed from them.
And in her hands was a flashlight, its beam aimed down at a giant pile of blood, the very spot I had murdered Ryder.
Oh, how interesting.
“Crissa,” she whispered. “Where’s Montey? Or Sybil?” I didn’t answer. “Where’s Ryder and Token? What did you do to them?” My head tilted. “Where is everybody?!” I refused to answer her, too swept up in the smell of her immense fear and regret. “Where are they?” she shouted.
I took a step, growling as I slowly approached my prey.
“Your friends are all dead. I picked them off one by one and ate them.” My lips curled high as I smiled, exposing my teeth.
“First, I started with the thick and juicy Token. Oh, he tasted absolutely marvelous! Then, his sensitive brother, Ryder. Though, his taste wasn’t nearly as good, not that I’m complaining.
I then had myself a nice cheesy slice of Sybil Supreme, which I also fed to dear Montey…
before devouring him as well.” I stopped inches away from her.
“And now, I shall finish my meal with the taste of you, sweet Lavender. The one who betrayed my dear Crissa most.” Tears rolled from her vibrant blue eyes as I reached out and gently played with a coil of her hair.
“From first glance, you’d think Sybil would be the one she hated most, taking her friends and pretty boy from her.
But alas, she was third on her list. Even Montey came in second only to you.
” I dropped her hair and wiped away her tears.
She shuddered at my touch, her breathing frantic and uncontrollable.
“Her dear, sweet childhood friend who she cared for most in this wretched world. The one who turned her back on her and never looked back.”
“Please,” she cried. “Crissa.”
“Crissa isn’t here, my flowery friend. It is only me, her demon. And my name is Zeth.” The woman tried to run, but I gripped her neck and lifted her off her feet, raising her to my face. “You might as well learn it, for I am the one who will erase you from this world.”
“Cr-is-sa,” she wheezed. “Please!”
Her nails clawed my wrist as she kicked her feet, squirming as she tried to break free. I dragged my claw faintly along her face before whispering along her ear. “Begging will do you no good, human. Your fate is sealed. And I am here to deliver it.” I licked a fresh tear, savoring the salty taste.
“You-re—wrong,” she wheezed loudly.
Hmm?
The woman swung her arm out as I noticed something metallic in her hand.
“What is—” She pierced my eye with a fork.
I shouted, stumbling back and screaming out as I released her neck and touched my eye.
“You bitch! You fucking bitch!” My claws wrapped around the handle, ripping it and my eye from the socket.
Blood spewed all down my face and out into the air. “Ahh!”
Lavender rolled to her feet, gasping as she aimed for the exit.
“Fool!” I raised my other arm and used my power to slam the door shut, locking it. “You cannot escape me! Ahh!”
“No!” She pounded her fists against the door, screaming and crying at her doom. “Please! Somebody—anybody! Help me! Help me!”
I ran after her, bleeding from my hollow socket.
Before she could even open her mouth, I swung my arm and hit her across the face, knocking her to the ground with a loud groan.
She coughed and rolled, feeling every bit of my rage.
“I’m going to relish in eating you,” I growled, pinning her down as I straddled her. “Every little bit!”
“Crissa! Please!” her screams pierced my ears.
“Please! I swear—I never meant to hurt you! I swear!” Her face nearly burned red from how intense she was yelling.
I shoved my claws into her side in the hopes of silencing her.
She coughed, spitting blood on my face. “Crissa,” she whispered.
“Please. Please!” She sobbed, choking on her blood.
“I swear, I never meant to hurt you!” She wheezed loudly.
“I tried to stop her! I tried so many times, but she wouldn’t listen! None of them would!”
“Lies!” I growled at her, piercing her eye with my claw.
She screamed and cried out, blood oozing from it as I pierced the squishy eye further, laughing.
“Fucking stings, doesn’t it?” Her legs kicked uncontrollably as I pressed even deeper until I felt the tip of it hit her skull.
I then yanked my arm back, taking her eye with me.
“An eye for an eye!” My head flung back as I cackled, thunder booming above, shadowing my glee.
Lavender wailed, tears of blood flowing from that eyeless pocket on her face.
I leaned in close, licking it with my tongue. “Now, back to where we were.”
“No,” she sobbed uncontrollably. “No! Crissa, please! You have to help me! You have to believe me! You know me! You know me!”
My mouth widened at the base of her neck when I felt an odd flutter in my stomach.
Something stirred within me, deep in the pit of my vessel, reacting to the woman’s immense cries.
I tried to shove it down and ignore it, but it was too powerful, clawing its way to the surface, surrounding my essence.
Crissa—don’t.
She ignored my voice and reached out, forcing her way back into control.
“Lavender!” she gasped.
The woman’s single eye bulged at the sound of Crissa’s voice.
My face ached, throbbing with an immense piercing pain as my human clawed her way forward, forcing herself through. I tried to resist, refusing to relinquish my control. “No!” I shouted, clawing at my skull. “No! I’m not finished!”
My flesh tore and split as Crissa emerged, the two of us now sharing the same body. Half of her face had returned to normal while the other remained mine. She regained partial control of her body, the pain of sharing one vessel beyond excruciating to us both.
Lavender watched us struggle. “Crissa?”
“Ahh!” We both cried out in unison as our voices overlapped, morphing into the most unnatural howls.
Crissa used her arm and leg, flinging us back and we hit the floor. Lavender crawled from where I had her pinned, slamming her back into the wall as she watched in horror as Crissa forcefully reached her hand to our mouth, scraping past my teeth.
“Crissa—stop!” I growled, unable to control her.
She ignored me, screaming as I shredded her arm, reaching down our throat and down our esophagus, grabbing something from our stomach.
We both gagged as she pulled at it, reeling her arm back, vomiting blood, flesh, and acid onto the floor below us.
And in her fist were the pizzeria keys. “Take them!” she shouted, tossing them to her friend. “Take them and run! Go while you can!”
“No!” Our body flung forward, my arm clawing at the floor as I tried to crawl to the woman. “We are so close! You can’t let her leave!”
Lavender fumbled to her feet and ran down the hall as I continued to slowly chase her. She hesitated, looking back at us as the electricity flickered.
“Go!” Crissa cried out, fighting me. “Run!”
The woman used the keys and quickly unlocked the door, forcing it open. She paused, looking back one last time at us both. “Crissa,” she whispered. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…for everything.”
Crissa raised our head and looked at Lavender, tears rolling from her one good eye. “Then leave me.”
Lavender’s face twisted, tears flowing from her eye. “I—”
“Go!”
She did as Crissa said and ran, letting the door close behind her.
“Crissa!” The hall shook as I shouted, forcing her back and regaining control. “Why?” I shouted, stumbling to my feet. “Why?!”
Because I’m tired of killing!
My body hit the wall, weakened by what had just occurred.
“Crissa!” I slid down the wall, forcing my way back toward the dining room of the pizzeria.
“Do you not see? By letting her live, you have broken your vow to me!” I nearly fell over, stepping into the dining area, trying to regain my strength. “I cannot leave your body!”
Yes, you can.
“How?” I snapped.
Because, by letting Lavender live, you have delivered me the most delicious vengeance of all.
I stopped, listening to her voice in my head, confused.
Don’t you see? What better way to get revenge than to force someone to live, spending the rest of their life in suffering that’ll never end. Lavender will never forget what happened here, and she will always blame herself.
My head tilted as I smiled faintly. “Oh my. It seems I have taught you well, dear Crissa. And, thus, you have completed your vow. It’s a shame, really. I have grown rather fond of you.” I looked down at the collected parts, saved from all our victims. “But I have one last surprise."
What?
My grin grew, reaching my ears. “You shall see.”