"No excellent soul is exempt from a mixture of madness" 

~Aristotle

11:49 PM            

              

          I nervously licked my lips while staring at the black alarm clock on my night table. I don't even know why I was wasting my time staring at it, it wasn't like my stare could stop time. I let out a breath, I hadn’t realized I was holding and held my pillow tightly. I was sitting on the edge of my bed. Jess was at the kitchen; I had asked her to spend the night with me. I didn’t want to be alone after that strange guy with the red shining eyes talking crazy and hurting me. I didn't know what he was but I was sure wasn't anyone good .

  11:52 PM             

                 Seriously? Three minutes passed while I was thinking? I needed…wanted time to go slower. I needed to think of a solution, or a good way to escape if that crazy unknown creature decided to show up again. A part of me was sure he was going to, after all, his servant had said he would be here at midnight. For some reason, I knew he wasn't lying.   

11:56 PM    

             The alarm clock showed its red numbers as usual.  Red... It reminds me of his eyes. When I had seen him in the elevator's mirror, his eyes had shone so bright and strong in the dark. His servant has red eyes too but they didn't have the same intensity.  His servant... God, I was really starting to believe all of this? I even thought about the toilet dude as “the servant”, not just as his servant. The master... I bit my lower lip. He had marked and physically hurt me. I could still remember the pain where his nails sank into my skin. I winced at the memory as I involuntarily rub my hand over the place he had marked me.     

          Who was he? What did he want from me? I froze as I realized midnight was getting closer. I glanced nervously at the alarm clock again wishing time would slow down.  

12:02 AM           

            Shoot! It’s past Midnight...he’s late thankfully. What was taking Jess so long? I wanted no wait I needed her in here with me to support and protect me.       

         "Jess!" I called her, "Jess” but she didn't reply. That was weird; she usually screamed something back like 'I'm coming' or 'wait' "Jess?” I called to her a little more urgently this time. I walked to my front door and opened it very slowly. The hallway appeared empty and the lighting in it made it semi-dark. I had a really bad feeling about all of this. I closed the door and turned to head towards the kitchen. I could feel the cold floor under my bare feet giving me a slight chill  "Jess?" I called again starting to worry about why she wasn’t answering. The apartment was way to quite. I swallowed realizing my throat was dry. I reached the kitchen and frowned, it was empty.

        "Jess?" I yelled really worried about her now. My heart was pounding desperately inside my chest. This wasn't a coincidence Jess couldn't just disappear when the alarm clock struck midnight. I could tell I wasn't alone here. I squeezed my sweaty hands together while fear was making my blood runs cold through my veins.     

          Was he here? Would he come to end what he started earlier that night? Was he going to kill me? I had to many questions going through my head.   

         I stood in the kitchen's doorway, slowly looking around my home. There was a pot of water boiling on the stove; Jess was probably going to prepare a tea. “But where did she go?” I wondered with trepidation. I crossed the kitchen and went to back the living room. My heart was threatening to beat right out of my chest. Concern invaded my mind, Jess had to be okay. I couldn’t tolerate anything happening to her, too. I already had enough to deal with since Raven's disappearance.          

           When my bare feet stepped on the soft carpet covering my living room's floor, I knew I wasn’t alone I froze. The lights were off, so only the light that came in through the windows and balcony doors leaving the room in semi-darkness lit the room. The furniture's shadows gave it a menacing touch of gloom. But it wasn't my furniture's shadows that had me paralyzed; it was the figure standing on my balcony. The glass doors of were now wide opened, I know they were closed when I walked through this room moments ago.

            My chest was moving up and down quickly, due to my rapid breathing and fast heart beats. His red eyes watching me as he stood there in silence. His amazingly tall figure looked powerful built to instill fear in those around him, making my small balcony look even smaller. I tried to talk, to say something, to ask for Jess but no sound left my lips. He remained motionless. I had to find the strength to react, to move but I couldn’t.

         Then he moved, he crossed my balcony's threshold walking towards me with long strides. A small shriek left my lips with his sudden purposeful movement. He stopped a few feet in front of me and smiled grimly using his signature smirk showing his sharp very white teeth that were gleaming in the darkness.

          "Are you afraid of me?" he asked sounding amused. I didn't find my voice to reply, "You are, are you not?" he tilted his head aside "That's good" he said pleased. My fear was replaced by anger and confusion. That was what I needed to find my voice again.     

        "Where's Jess?" I finally demanded but my voice was weak and it came out almost in a whisper. I was still scared as hell of him but at least I had found my voice

.          "Jess?" he replied as if he didn't know who or what I was talking about. Then he continued, ignoring the tone of worry in my voice, "What? Who? Oh, you mean, that annoying human"        

         "What did you to her? Where is she?" my voice sounded stronger this time. I needed to make sure Jess was okay.      

          "She is fine, just taking a nap in your bathroom"     

         "What do you mean?"       

         "Let us just say, I forced her to sleep so we could be alone," he said coldly. I frowned "You do not need to worry about her. You should probably worry more about yourself since I am here for you." He said still wearing that smirk.  I stopped breathing for a moment.  

        "Who are you? What do you want from me?"   

        "You are asking all the wrongs questions," he answered indifferently.     

        "Where's Raven?", I demanded.     

       "I have no time for your stupid questions, Angeles. You just need to know you are mine now." his tone was harsh.     

       "Yours? What are you talking about?" I was extremely confused "I'm not an object."      

       "Humans are objects for me." he stated ruthlessly.  

      "What are you?" he looked at me with a grin.

       "I'm your worst nightmare, Angeles. I'm going to break you down slowly and painfully until you cannot think of anything or anyone else but me. You are going to be entirely mine." his words sent a chill through my spine. His tone was deadly serious and promising.

        "I...I,” I trailed off because I couldn't speak. What was happening? What was he? Tears of fear formed in my eyes.

       "Why? Why are you doing this to me?" I asked with my voice shaking.     

       "I have my reasons," he paused, his red eyes burning a hole in my forehead "you can not escape from me now that I have marked you."    

       "What are you? Why can't you just say it?" I asked frustrated. I couldn’t even think straight; fear of him and the unknown had clouded my mind.     

        "Do you really want to know?" he asked throatily as he stepped towards me. I backed away until I was trapped between the wall and him. He raised his hand and my fear increased. Was he going to hurt me again? He grabbed my wrist so fast move I didn’t even see his arm move his hand was freezing cold. I struggled to release myself but he was obviously stronger than me. He used the nails on his other hand to scratch my wrist slowly and painfully. I chocked back a scream. I could see the blood starting to drip from my wrist.   

       "Please…stop! Please!" " I begged him as I was writhing in pain. He laughed as he let me go. I looked down at my wrist there were no signs of blood or wounds. What? But he had just scratched me, I saw the blood and had felt the pain.

      "I'm the master of confusion," his tone was deadly cold "I have had many names,” I tired to look at him but he was no longer standing in front of me. I could feel his icy breath on the back on my neck. He was right behind me "I have been everywhere, tormenting you humans and enjoying every second of the suffering I cause." he whispered in my ear.  

     "What are you?" I asked shaking wanting, no needing to know the answer even though I knew it would scare me even more then I all ready was.     

     "I'm a demon," he replies with ice dripping from his words, ”And my name," his cold breath brushed my ear again causing me to shiver,  "My name is Madness."