Wake up!

“Mmm… five more minutes…”

It’s cold… Why is it cold? Where’s my blanket? Did I drop it again? It smells like morning dew. Did Dominic leave the window open?

As I question my state of being not wanting to open my eyes: afraid I might lose the little sleep I may still have; my ear begins to irritate me.

I’m itchy.

Then my neck. I can’t take it anymore and unnaturally sit right up feeling drowsy while scratching the bottom of my back. As I try to stop the irritating sensation I feel a recent bruise on the bottom right side of my rib-cage.

Did someone kick me?

I finally open my eyes trying to look for the bruise.

“Grass? Why am I on wet grass?”

Confused and still dazed I carefully look around and notice buildings, a traffic light, and the sky.

Am I still dreaming? But this itch is unbearable. Last thing I remember was waking up from bed…

Get up!

“There it is again.”

I search for the person while still scratching, there’s no one around even though they sounded so close and at the same time far. I keep to myself while waiting for the voice again, it was from woman.

“Hello?”

Nothing. Only the sound of the whistling wind.

Stupid sack of meat, get up and move!

“Stupid sack of meat? Who said that? Where are you?!”

The wind begins to sound louder and sharper as it comes from my left; I lazily turn to investigate as I whisper to myself...

“What is it?”

DODGE!

I remember now! I was jogging and…

It’s too late, without even seeing it- I’m swiftly thrown backwards onto the ground, hitting head first, as my legs lunge themselves upwards by a projectile penetrating the middle of my eyebrows, a javelin.

“Yagh...ga...eh...ah…”

You idiot! I told you to move! Did you listen? No!

“Ga…aah…”

I can still clearly hear her voice as I try to cry for help, but my vocal cord cannot produce anything properly as my own thoughts diminish. I can only watch the soon to be clear bright sky as every so often my head twitches and my mouth repeats itself like a broken record. I’m already exhausted and the day hasn’t even started.

I don’t want to die.

Two elliptical vast eyes colored as the arctic appear in front of me.

Am I already hallucinating?

Without my will my own eyelids betray me but my curiosity is stronger. Before me stands a proud young female with fists on her waist. My retinas must be failing as her skin is gray as a foggy night and even though it’s short her hair is marvelous as red emeralds.

Now I know I’m losing it!

“Don’t worry. I’m not letting my vessel die here so soon.”

“Ar...yoo...an….an…gel?”

She quickly changes postures with one hand on her chin and the other on her elbow.

“Not particularly, but in your case- I guess.”

I’m saved.

“Oh shit! You’re bleeding from your nose and eyes! Don’t you dare go to sleep! Quick! Snap out of it! I can save you! Just give me your body!”

I only murmur gibberish as a heavy blanket of sleep snuggles me to sleep.

“Edison, feel it in your soul and grant me my wish- to live!”

With the remaining will in me I envisage to myself-

Whatever this angel needs, I’ll provide.

“Yes! Yes! Exactly! Just like that! Can you feel it?”

An explosion blazes through the middle of my chest, my body is cold, but it sweats from the blast. Slowly something heavy pushes down on my chest but there’s nothing to be seen. What still functions in the inside of my noggin scrambles and twirls. As all this happens I’ve notice she’s gone.

Where did she go?

As some miracle or a curse my right arm unexpectedly starts to move on its own. I have no force nor strength but it grabs the javelin in-between my forehead and easily pulls it out.

What’s going on?

As the javelin is pulled, my body unhurriedly stands on its own. The explosion that had burst through me rests itself in my gut with malevolence intentions.

“My name…”

It’s my mouth, it’s working again but those are not my words.

“… is Si… “

Before my lips could finish a faint whiz is heard and another javelin is flung; this time I can see it as my left arm leisurely catches it before it can even touch me.

Unbelievable! Was that really me?! How?!

Simple human, you’re my new prisoner.

Prisoner?

Who else? Get used to living in my new body, your new cell.

Nonsense! This is my body!

Then take it from me.

I try once more to command my body to move; internally I scramble, grunt, and scream but nothing works.

I’m limbless! What have you done to me?!

It feels as if I’m being held in the vast space of emptiness as the only thing I can do is speak through my thoughts.

Can you shut up?! I too can hear you. Now, let me concentrate or this disgusting body won’t belong to any of us.

I want to flare up but I watch as myself easily flips the second javelin on my hand, points it from where it came, and with inhuman strength hurl it with the same speed it was received; then the first javelin. I listen carefully as the intruder whispers under my breath while feeling my forehead.

“It seems I’m still weak; at least this healed.”

Chattel, let me show you what true power is but first let’s get away from these pesky pests. What’s this? Are you already plotting for revenge? I can feel your anger too. Don’t even bother, this is my new shell- well, until I don’t need it anymore. Then, you can have it back and die.

Demon, how do you know my name?

I must’ve hit a spot as her rage switches to a slight annoyance.

“How many times must I tell you savages: I’m not a…”

The javelins from before come back this time lit on fire, but she easily dodges them and starts to run away with unnatural speed; as she does she can only laugh and enjoy her new freedom. Something quickly catches my eye near a tree.

It’s a squirrel.

Hungry?

You’re not, please don’t tell me you’re really going to do it!

Fine. I won’t tell you, but I’m starving for more.

Suddenly, she leaps onto the tree and clutches the frighten critter. The poor thing reminds me of myself as it tries to get away from her grasp clawing and biting, but it’s no use. My mouth opens up with drool all over myself.

“A small tasty treat.”

‘With a simple crunch the only thing left are its hind legs twitching and bushy tail. I cannot taste the creature but I’m still abominated on what my body has just done- no, not my body but this villainous being! The wind whistles once more, now knowing what it is it doesn’t surprise me, as the next javelin destroys the tree we are on. Just in the nick of time, she jumps to the roof of the building next to us and keeps sprinting. Before long, we are plunging from building to building.

Where are we going?!

“Hold on. Did you hear that?”

Breaking the laws of physics, she pauses with ease on the edge of my local grocery store. I too listen to what she must’ve heard. There’s no wind, the city feels dead, then I hear it- it’s coming from the city’s public dumpster.

“Listen carefully, my chattel. What do they sound like?”

Stop calling me that, what does chattel even mean?

“Just shut up and listen will you?!”

The sound of waste bags being moved and ripped apart grabs my attention.

It sounds like maybe raccoons.

“Incorrect. It sounds like more snacks!”

If I could, I would’ve vomited several times already, but I don’t have control over my stomach nor anything.

Those poor bandits must assume today is their lucky day.

Without my consent, we sweep down into the dumpster with a wide grin for the taste for more blood. As my mass hits the piles bags we startle the raccoons; they must be a couple as instead of running away they get closer to one another and begin ravaging everything on their way toward us. One of them is faster and rockets for the kill! Except, it’s split in half like smooth butter with a swat of my hand. The second watches as their lover is teared apart. The raccoon’s mouth trembles as it tries to hold its tears, but it can’t. It wants to stop and grief for its companion but there’s no time; the only thing keeping it pushing its the fire in its eyes.

“Come and get me, you piece of trash.”

I know the raccoon is not going to win but a small part of me hopes and cheers for this nocturnal chubby guy or gal to define all odds. It screams in agony as it jumps for the final blow. Sadly, my body doesn’t give it that satisfaction as I bite its head off, spit it out, and begin slurping from its liver. All this time, I keep to myself as I have no words for what I’m experiencing.

I really don’t like eating animals as their blood isn’t as tasty as humans and their soul aren’t pure nor wicked; some kind of neutral order since they are born.

Why are you telling me this? It has nothing to do with me.

Oh, but I want you to confirm that souls are real and your soul- wait a minute. Did you hear that?

Someone is jogging.

Thank you, my chattel. You really are starting to serve your purpose.

No, wait! I didn’t hear anyone! It was just my imagination.

Even though it goes for the two of us, I can hear your thoughts. Lying is just going to foul your soul’s worth; so please, don’t lie.

“I want your soul to be as sweet as possible.”

She finally grabs the jogger’s scent, jumps off the dirty dumpster, and sweeps towards their direction.

They’re not alone.

No. Not them. Please let them live.

We race from behind; it’s the jogger I regularly see with their German Shepard.

“GRRROAAAWWL!!!”

The jogger quickly turns in horror wanting to know what made such an awful sound. It’s human, it’s “me”. He tries to shield himself as he watches a fiend covered in blood while in mid-air with raised claws. His trusty companion takes charge as he leaps onto the fiend and the jogger trips backwards at the sight of me. The demon only smiles as it opens my mouth wide

Don’t do it!

She bear hugs the German Shepard in the air, forcing it to gasp for breath but there’s no chance.

“Don’t take it personally, but you’re worth nothing.”

With ease and no remorse she twists its head while biting the side of the poor boy and uses their body to plunge onto their next victim.

This cursed monster has no limits nor decency!

As the jogger is about to fall he watches as his best friend is killed right before his eyes; this gives him the courage and strength to stable himself and swing with his good arm the hardest punch of his life with anger and hatred behind it. It’s no use. My body simply grabs his right arm.

“You’re not going to need this anymore.”

Rips it out of him and flings it out of the way.

“Ga-hahahahaaaa! This is too fun!”

The one arm jogger is traumatized at what has just happened, finally pain kicks in, and a sharp yelp is followed. It doesn’t stop there, as he becomes the no arm man in an instant as this monster cackles and snickers. The jogger snorting snout and tears turns around to run away, but she grabs one of his legs and rips it off from his hip. He’s now hopping and before he could fall, she grabs his waist and rips his last leg; effortlessly.

“They never learn.”

He howls in agony while bad mouthing her with spit and blood. He cannot stop sobbing from the pain and the raw anger for his ex champion. She slowly leans onto the helpless mortal while heavily breathing and dropping saliva in his mouth.

“You seem like a delicacy, let me make it up to you and crush your eyes. This way you cannot see what I’m about to do to you and your body, as my favor.”

Even though I cannot feel my hands my imagination goes wild.

How do his eyes feel?

My thumbs slowly press onto his eyes; I feel satisfaction from this monster.

It feels overwhelming. It feels like incredible, but my poor chattel this is not true power.

Five seconds feel like an eternity, and his eyes are gone- inside his head; only two round bloody holes lay into the abyss.

“You’re still yapping. Let’s fix that as well.”

She gets even closer as her warm breath bounces off his cold face. All of a sudden, she starts passionately kissing him; it soothes the man for a moment. She begins teasing him with my lips on his tongue then gently pulling out with my teeth still on his tongue. Finally, she becomes bored of the foreplay and doesn’t let go of his tongue. The man comes back to reality as he panics with no limbs or eyes; and now no tongue as she rips it off. The taste of blood must’ve made her aggressive as she bites the bottom of his lip just to rip it out.

How are you still alive?! Why are you moaning while being tormented?! Just end his life and keep moving or give me back my body!

“Thou wish to end like him?”

She sighs of disappointment and turned off slices his stomach just to let his intestines fall and dangle; ashamed of myself, I keep quiet and watch as this monster feasts.

“It seems this creature is about to expire. Let me share with you the taste of a human soul, my gullible chattel. You may even like it but probably not this one; this one is a little rotten.”

The behemoth pulls what’s left of this man up to the sky with my bare hand and crunches his chest with a hard fist. I taste nothing. Then, I begin to savor a weird sensation inside and around me. It’s sweet and like it said, a little bitter.

What is this?

This my chattel, is the taste of a human soul.