Prey

This was originally written in April 2003 and I gave it a quick revamp one night. It was inspired by a short story I had read. I was also angry at many people at the time. I still love the concept though. I really like revenge plots and never knowing the good and the evil. This content is © copyrighted to Ashley Langdon a.k.a. Eve Reaper 2003 - 2006.

She sat peacefully by the lake one autumn morning. The glassy surface of the pool reflected the grey skies that promised a dreary day. The grass was still soft and the trees were alive with the fiery colours of the season. The decay of foliage and the early morning dew left a bittersweet smell that the cool, damp air intensified. Still, it was rather warm for this time of year. She was very often compared to a grey day - the calm before the storm - mostly because of her pale skin and grey-blue eyes. With a quiet sigh, she inched closer to the lake's edge and peered into the waters.

Dressed in her finest black skirt and soft chiffon top, she gazed at her own reflection. Tucking her tawny coloured locks behind her ear, she watched a few of the shorter strands stray and dance against her pale cheek. The dark rings of fatigue staining her eyes gave her an unearthly appearance. She followed the v-cut of her blouse to her small breasts and was reminded of how unlike the paradigm of feminine perfection she was. It hurt. It was a small hurt. That selfish insecurity many people have about their appearance. Her friends always told her she was a pretty girl. She didn't really want the contorted image of beauty or the intelligence of standardized tests or the success of the savvy. No - it was what lurked behind her blue-grey eyes that bothered her. Suddenly she felt the heat of tears welling up in her eyes and quickly looked away from the water's surface. She hid behind one shaking hand lest she accidentally catch a glimpse of her reflection. Finally, she found the nerve to look over the edge once more. A final tear streaked down her cheek and fell into the water. The red droplet swirled with the clear liquid and sent ripples throughout the glass-like surface. The embrasion on the water distorted her reflection until she could only make out the colors but they suddenly went black.

She was taken aback but did not flee - no, she suddenly felt no fear. She watched the ripples in the water shift and change. She watched her reflection twist and mutate. She watched as the reflection in the water watched her. His face was sharp and hawk-like. His flesh was ashen and his eyes were hollow. Those eyes were a bright red with tiny pupils as black as coal. Ram-like horns curled from his temples and around his ears to the bottome of his face. He snorted and then his chapped lips curled into a vicious grin revealing perfectly fitted, razorsharp teeth. She jumped back but too late as she realized the being leapt from reflection into solid reality and pinned her to the ground.

The water that fell back from his movement fell to the earth as blood and singed the soft grass turning it to ash. The leaves of the trees became hungry flames while their decrepit branches reached towards the darknening sky. His cold dead hands tightened around her wrists as his claws dug into her flesh and his weight bore down on her. She could only stare with wide eyes at his twisted face. He laughed sinisterly and began to grunt perversely while rubbing himself against her. She tried to squirm, tried thrash with all her might, but it did nothing. He growled at her pathetic attempt to free herself and stopped grinding against her. He raised one clawed hand and slashed at her chest, tearing her blouse to shreds effortlessly without leaving a mark on her tender flesh. She wanted to scream but she was paralyzed in fear as he bowed his head to her navel. He took long, drawn-out breaths of her and worked his way up to her face. He snorted, a blast of warm air and she closed her eyes tightly. She opened them again only to meet the flaming demonic eyes of her...

"Master?" She whispered breathlessly and he jerked his head back. He sat back on his haunches, releasing her wrists, while his cloven hooves dug deep into the earth nervously. For a moment he was completely bewildered but then narrowed his eyes threateningly and backhanded her across the face. His claws left angry wounds on her cheek... that healed in seconds before his eyes. His eyes widened but - too late - she threw him back and tackled him to the ground. Snarling, she revealed her unnaturally longer, sharper canines and next to them equally sharp incisors on her upper jaw. He tried squirming at first then attempted to throw her off simply by sitting up. He paid for his arrogance. With one hand she shoved him back to the hard earth and slapped him with the other. Eyeing his neck, she held his chin away despite all his resistance and bit down ruthlessly on his neck, gnawing on the tender jugular vein until he growled in utter protest. She sat up abruptly, tossing her head back, blood dripping from her lips. She ran her hand down her throat as the hot, thick liquid made its way to her heart. She grinned as she looked back down at him. His face contorted from absolute terror to a sadistic amusement. He growled and pulled her down fiercely.

Now he dominated her - he was definitely not going to be played by a human. The demon snarled angrily and nearly roared at her defiance as she snarled back. He would not show this one any sick humour or torturous patience. He was going to do what he came here to do. Without further hesitation, he quickly dragged his clawed hands down her waist and legs. Her skirt flew to shreds immediately. His lips twisted in a smile as her eyes widened. When she grinned back, he roared furiously. She did nothing but smile, her eyes glittering with innocence or was it something else? Yes. Something else lurked behind the blue-grey of her eyes. She sat up, wrenching herself from his grip, and screamed. It was a sibilant shriek so painful that he had to cover his ears. Still they bled and he clenched his eyes shut roaring in return as he cringed in agony. She stopped and he swiftly, without a moment to lose, pinned her down with one hand over her mouth. She began to laugh. He snorted and wasted no more time. Just as he positioned himself, in two seconds flat, two hands with sharp, needle nails stabbed into his chest then withdrew. He looked at the small, bleeding wounds and nearly laughed until he looked at the human. A forked tongue licked her lips. He didn't even have the time to blink before her nails struck at him again and this time she darted up toward the sky. Long, black feathered wings sprouted from her back as she carried him a good ten feet from the ground. She shook her weapons free from his flesh and he dropped to the earth. He hit the ground hard, dust and ash flew up and into his eyes and nose, but he could still make out her form circling above. Like a mad harpy eagle, she dove at him again and again. He managed to fend her off by flailing his claws and kicking out with his back legs until he could get to his feet. He almost managed to headbutt her before she finally ceased her attacks.

He couldn't believe the sight above him. Her layered light brown hair was now platinum blonde and her blue-grey eyes had become a deep blood red. Silky black scales began to snake across her naked body in an array of black tribal tattoos. Her ears elongated, pointy and acute, like a cat. The nails on her hands grew even longer but not thicker, though he didn't doubt her strength. Her feet were like talons and a snake's tail unfurled from the end of her spine. He lowered his body in anticipation of another attack but instead, she landed a few feet from him. Now she stood stock still with her eyes dead on his. Waiting. He snorted and pawed at the ground impatiently. Shaking his head with another derisive snort, he composed himself. He would have to find meat elsewhere. With a backward glance to the siren, he leapt into the pool only for his face to meet unbreakable glass. He groaned and rolled over, she was hovering over him with a grin.

Before he could sit up again, before he could even think of retaliating against her, he felt a burning sensation in his ankles. He screamed as it felt like fiery little termites were eating away at his feet. A loud snap sent a violent shockwave of pain up his leg to his brain and it was followed by another loud snap and another violent shockwave of agony. He grinded his teeth together, resisting the urge to scream again, as he watched his feet tear away from his legs. He managed to sit up with some effort as his own cloven hooves turned around and then kicked him in the face. His head flew back and his brain reeled. He did, however, see his feet trot off without him. Still witholding his screams as his blood pooled around him, he looked up at her and managed to speak. At first, his voice came as short, dry coughs but words found their way passed his tongue.

"What. The fuck. Do you want. With me." He growled. She was still hovering above him, still smirking. with her arms crossed neatly over her chest. She raised one arm and a single, long finger began to swirl in the air. He felt himself rise as she moved his body upwards. Sharp shards burst forth from the ice beneth him and began to sway like tentacles. They caught his wrists and his calves just above the stubs of his ankles. He tried to squirm and the moment he tried to resist, he knew he had erred terribly. The tenacles tightened and tightened and the two grasping his wrists sliced through his flesh. The bones snapped much easier and it seemed a little less painful. He would have rather not had his severed hands slap him across the face though. He watched them depart with their veins flowing elegantly behind them. The pain was undescribable but the endorphins in his body seemed to be slowly numbing it. His vision was becoming hazy and he hoped he would pass out. His head slumped against his shoulder and he almost welcomed unconsciousness but her face came into view. He snapped his head back up and spat at her.

"What. Do. You. Want." He growled between laboured breaths suddenly filled with raged. The adrenaline now killed the sensation of pain as he began to struggle once more. She touched the ground without a sound and walked up to him, sashaying her hips hypnotically until it was all he thought about for a moment. A moment, that is, until he felt his innards squirm. Charges of pain surged through him unlike anything he had ever felt before, in life or Hell. It wasn't long, though it seemed an eternity, that his genitalia were torn away from his body. In complete shock, he watched his penis float up and couldn't believe it as his severed testicles tightened. Somehow, his own genitals ejaculated into his face. The hot sticky liquid oozed down his cheeks and he gagged hoarsely. He shook his head vigorously to try to get it off of him. Then he watched his genitals dance away after his hands and feet. Surely he would lose consciousness from this amount of pain? Please? He began to beg in his mind.

The demoness seemed to read his thoughts because she grinned draining him of all hope. He tried to growl at her through the unrelenting, throbbing pain. His nerves, still sending pain signals from his torn body, made his damaged corpse twitch uncontrollably. An abrupt jolt of white hot agony made him scream and his mind finally cracked.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!!" He yelled, tears flooding his eyes, and he roared, and spat, and cried. His head jolted to one side as a force slapped him. His head was tossed to the other side by a similar stinging force. Her eyes never left his so he figured if he closed his eyes, he might awaken from this horrible nightmare. Shutting his eyes tight to block out the image of the calm and serene she-demon, he felt a tingle in his face. It was like his face had fallen asleep until he felt the burning pain as something began to pull at his cheeks. After several excruciating minutes of hearing the flesh being torn clean off the muscle, he seemed to see through his mind as his face pirouetted after his other appendages. Now, for certain, he would die. Sweet Death would rescue him from this atrocity! Her laughter slowly drained that last bit of hope from him.

"No more heartbroken, lost lovers for you to tread upon. No more innocent souls for you to tear apart. No more pretty little girls for you to prey on." He knew she was grinning. He couldn't get her face out of his head. For some reason, through the pain, he wondered why she had torn off his face.

"What? You want me to be staring at that all day long while I wait for someone else to play with?"

Her sardonic laughter echoed hauntingly in his mind.