A bit of an overreaction on my part, but unsurprising, seeing as I was still trapped by monsters and got violated willy-nilly. I froze up in a realisation. He knew somehow what I felt back there. He knew. Of course. That’s what the writhing skin carpet was for. And he did nothing. Since this was a given, I wasn’t even disappointed.
Subterfuge was not working so I gave up and sneered condescendingly, “I sell my body, not the soul. You’re not entitled to know my feelings.”
“I don’t want your body. And I can force you to have any feeling I like,” monster threatened offhandedly again. His growl went on, “And whilst I can just extract the information, I don’t want to ruin you. I enjoy experiencing you. So tell me.”
I was but a science experiment. A twisted suicidal maniac to psychoanalyse in the spare time. I forced out a smile.
“Didn’t you say talking is inefficient? Just do your flesh magic and leave me alone,” muttered, lighting up a cigarette.
“Alone you will die,” creature said as though it was a problem.
My fiery psyche was suddenly all spent and exhausted. The threats, the actions and implications left me hollow. “Will you even understand it? It’s just human issues, boring ones too.”
“No. It’s why I rather you explain it.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and wished to not be here.
“Remove your hood,” I demanded in a spur of the moment. If he wanted my secrets I’d at least get his in return.
The probing growl ticked on and it felt like I scored a point. He then extended a hand for me to take. I didn’t and he spoke, “I want to know how it makes you feel.”
I rolled my eyes and took the damned hand. With the other, he pulled the imitation of a hood backwards. Seeing a crook in place of a head didn’t feel real. Everything I knew rejected the sight witnessed by my own eyes. This felt like I was dreaming. I gaped at the impossible malformation, torn between wanting to touch to make sure it’s real and cover it up, pretending this has never happened.
Avoiding the delicate hearing apparatus I ran a finger through a thicker band just before the peculiar organ split into two.
“You’re not scared. And no longer even upset,” he commented. Truly enough, I was mesmerised. No wonder he couldn’t fake an expression. There was nothing to work with here. The monsters really didn’t need anything remotely resembling a face.
I shrugged, tugging my hand away. Started slowly trudging towards where the pavement ought to have been.
Spoke eventually, “It’s a human thing. We don’t eat one another unless something went terribly wrong.”
“I’m not human,” two-pronged headless being said and accentuated, “I’m a monster.” I could have sworn he was making fun of me.
“Human enough to me,” I shrugged and pursed my lips. “No offence?”
“Is that why you’re so unafraid of me?”
Wow, I must be on top of my game today at least in some areas. This creature was by far most terrifying thing in my existence. A cruel god which forbade me to die. “You’re a monster. And I guess I’m used to dealing with such.”
“That wasn’t what got you worked up,” cloaked demon snarled after a while as though he’d been patiently waiting for me to go on all that time.
Of course flimsy excuses wouldn’t make him drop it. I sighed deeply and reached for some other lie which could potentially pass for truth. After all, everything can get used against me. As benevolent as this creature appeared right now, I’ve seen him discontinue the people under his care without qualms.
“Hey, why did you kill the girl? The one from when we met,” I dared to wonder out loud.
There was no hesitation in the answer, “She asked me to take care of her for the rest of her life.”
“So you did what? Drastically shortened it?”
“Essentially.”
Well, this did not come as a surprise to me. And yet, the betrayal of that youthful naivety left a bitter pang in my chest.
“Fantastic. In two days we’ll have that exact conversation,” I informed Mister Literal.
“We may have any conversation you like, but the result will not be the same.”
It sounded truthful even to my jaded ears and as much comfort as cruel honesty offered, that outcome did not inspire confidence either.
“Why?” I asked with some degree of annoyance.
“You amuse me far too much to waste.”
“Amuse,” I spat out utterly mirthless.
“She was but a lost child, unable to even fathom things coming her way. It would have been cruel to let her experience them. After all, I had no intention to safeguard her.”
“What a humanitarian,” I bit out sarcastically but was actually fully on board with the philosophy. I wish somebody had gently offed me when I first ended up on the streets.
“I wouldn’t dare to call it so. After all, humane killing is specialty of your species,” monster from hell dimension ridiculed the irony played by words.
I rolled my eyes, unimpressed. “So, why are you being oh so cruel towards me?”
“Because it is in my power to make it so nothing cruel will ever befall you again,” monster in a cloak guaranteed as though it was nothing. Had it come from a human I would have simply dismissed, but this ageless being? It was probably well within its power. I almost wanted to believe the baseless claim.
“But why? What’s the fucking difference between me and the girl?”
“You’re young for your species but cagey enough to seem to have lived several lifetimes,” he ticked thoughtfully. “It is rare.”
Overtaken by incredulity I scoffed, “As much as I want to imagine I had it rough, there’s an entire city dead ahead where most of the inhabitants had world fall apart on them quite literally.”
Everyone was haunted and bitter, my defeatism hadn’t remotely approached those who have seen the old world. I was of firm belief humans weren’t meant to live that long. Thirty had to be solid enough time to firmly come into the peak of existence and experience only gradual decline afterwards. Granted, it came little earlier into my life but I merely got a firm head start.
