One night, while driving along the national route with no other company than the starry blanket, a dense fog enveloped me, shaking me from my course. I continued cautiously, but it grew thicker and thicker, invading the cabin with an intense smell of fire that burned my eyes. I stopped on the side of the road, took courage to get out and found myself enveloped in a burning reddish cloud, feeling an embracing heat. I moved forward covering my mouth and managed to make out the flashing beacons of my car in the distance. I felt the grass of the surrounding fields under my feet, and the heat hit me like an indomitable current. I understood that the fog was the product of a voracious fire that was consuming everything in its path a few meters away from me. I saw metal debris and structures, and as I brought my hands to my face, unable to think due to the sweat and heat, I made out what appeared to be half of a burning airplane. As my lungs filled with smoke, I tried to comprehend what had happened. I found no fresh marks on the ground, how could this accident have happened without leaving a visible trace or anyone hearing it? Far away from my car, the only thing I could think of was to keep going. At that moment, from the fire focus, what looked like a stampede of people approached. I didn’t see them injured, but their behavior was strange and their faces were blurred, they were dressed in black, shouting screams that made my blood run cold. They gathered around me and their hands embraced me, I could not breathe. I could not breathe. What was happening? Suddenly, a white light from the sky covered us completely and a metallic, distorted and strident sound was heard. In a second, as I blinked, I found myself back on the road, paralyzed with fear and with the car a few meters away. Everything seemed to be calm. The night lay quiet, the stars shone with their usual radiance and the whisper of the night breeze filled the air. However, as I looked down, my attention was caught by a metallic flash. A shiver ran down my spine. It was an airplane belt buckle.
Rating: 15+ Because cussing and gore
Authors notes: This is some original fiction that I have wrote and been developing for 20+ years. Welcome to the world of reapers
Summery:The Banished are on a mission to make things extremely difficult for the reapers and what better way to start tipping things in their favour, than by provoking the hunters and setting up a trap.
Warnings: There will be a lot of blood and death in this chapter. Absolutely it is nightmare fuel.
This is available on Wattpad so if you are a member or have an account, please, I encourage you to leave a comment :)
Tales from the reapers scythe Wattpad link
Tagging mutuals but please do tag on, reblog, comment, whatever you need to do :) Story beneath the cut.
Lee wanted to test his theories on how to stop the beast within and whether Adder liked it or not, every night he would take his young apprentice to a feasting spot and literally make him fend for himself, knowing damn well the overwhelming numbers of hungry Banished would provoke the beast to emerge and make light work of the horde; and like every night, Lee would use one of the two ways of calming the beast, adapting them to be more effective.
Screaming out Adder's name in Japanese seemed to be effective enough and if that didn't work, creating a high pitched ringing noise was a fail safe even if it did bring him to his knees in agony. Regardless, they worked and the more they worked on it the more control over the beast they had. It was soon learning to relinquish control once it cleared the horde of Banished. Didn't mean to say there weren't any mishaps or moments where the beast saw red and needed bringing back into line.
Yet Lee couldn't help but shake the feeling that the Banished were plotting something, something big and possibly catastrophic. Of course, Lee would be right to be concerned of that feeling because down in the darkest depths of Manhattan they lurked, pockets of tribes that hid, biding their time for the right moment to strike. Supply was limited, the reapers were on top of things, fighting to keep down numbers and keep the balance in check but that was all about to change.
News travelled fast amongst the Banished. Polar was back and the numbers were slowly growing in their favour but the exciting news was that of a reaper with a monster that lived within them. The chatter was loud, they were all talking about it within their little pockets and soon enough that news got to the man himself, the big cheese. Polar.
So about the man they call Polar. He's 6ft tall, broad shoulders, thick set and intimidating. His arms were muscular, his biceps bulged, his forearms looked to be chiselled from granite and his hands were big enough to crush skulls and gripped stronger than a vice. His hair was as white as snow, cut short and slicked back. He had deep lines across his forehead that disguised the scar over his left eye, inflicted on him from a fight with a reaper. He had a strong, square jaw, thick neck and wouldn't do a bad job passing off as a wrestler. The man had a strong presence, you knew when he entered the room, everyone would fall deathly silent as the sound of his heavy steps echoed around you.
Where he lurked was in an abandoned subway station known as Worth Street, it was covered in graffiti, soot, general grime, dust and god knows what else. Trains still rushed by the abandoned platforms, an ideal viewing platform for Polar, who had placed his throne slap bang in the middle in order for him to view the trains that went past and fuck with the minds of those on board. He got a sick kick out of seeing the looks of terror on their faces when they caught his gaze.
The throne in question was made from old twisted rail tracks, sleepers, discarded panelling and pipes. It wasn’t pretty but to be fair none of what the Banished had was pretty.
For years the throne sat vacant, nobody dared to fill the space or attempt to rule the Banished in polars absence, They knew he was still alive, they knew he was licking his wounds in some dark quiet corner of the world and they knew it would be a matter of time before he returned.
So now you're probably wondering what happened to Polar. Well like all Banished he was once a reaper and he was a former understudy of Lee. He came before Adder and like Adder he was a quick learner, fast and a very good fighter, powerful even but it all fell apart. He was coerced down the dark path by another strong Banished leader known as Alpha and the rest was history. Lee couldn't save him or turn him back, he was lost and the damage he caused reverberated through the years.
Polar disappeared on the night Adder was reborn as a reaper. Him and Lee were locked in a heated battle, one Polar was losing before Lee got the call. Lee assumed the monster was going to lick his wounds and come back with a vengeance; he didn't anticipate it would be over thirty years before he resurfaced again. Yet he had his reasons, he knew Lee would have another apprentice to bring up. He could have struck when the iron was hot, when Adder was still finding his way but what would be the fun in that? It would have been too easy to kill his old master's new apprentice, less satisfaction too. No he had his eyes on a different target and the fact Adder had a dark streak was music to his ears.
The message he sent to the pockets of Banished hiding within the city was simple. Dominate. He needed to increase numbers, be seen as a threat and be strong enough to overthrow and do tremendous amounts of damage to the balance, enough to tilt it In the favour of the underworld, opening up portals to hell and other horrific, nightmarish realms that only ever existed in fever dreams.
He was that kind of man, hell bent on punishing those who wronged him and on top of that list was none other than Lee. His former master had left his mark on Polar, a deep scar across his chest, a constant reminder of the time he undermined Lee's ability.
Like every day, Polar sat on his throne, watching the trains go past while he plotted his next move.
"I bore witness to the beast Lee is keeping under wraps" Came a voice from behind, thick with a Boston accent.
Polar paused a moment before looking over his right shoulder, smiling a little when he noticed his right hand man. He was roughly five foot ten, lean yet athletic. He had short brown hair, sharp cheekbones and jawline and sported a goatee. He always wore a long black trench coat that went down to the floor, a black suit and shirt and was always well presented.
"Nice to see you Titan" Polar gruffed as he flashed a smile
“Welcome home boss” Titan responded calmly as he emerged from the shadows, eyes fixed on the tracks.
"So…what kind of monster are we dealing with?" Polar asked
"He made light work of the starved, most reapers do but he was fast, exceptionally fast, as strong as you, maybe even stronger and, the best bit, if you kill Lee you take away the one thing that keeps it under control." Titan explained.
"You mean to say this reaper has no control of his wild side?" Polar asked intrigued
"Think of the chaos we would cause if we took out Lee. We'd throw the balance, hell would rise and we would be the rulers for once" Titan replied with a Cheshire cat grin "And we have the key to provoke this beast"
"Ah yes, how is their training coming along?" Polar asked.
"Well-"
Polar quickly raised his hand up to stop him while a train approached the platform. The lights illuminating the gloomy station, sparks flying off the tracks as it maintained speed. It emerged from the tunnel and screamed past the platform, Polar and Titan watching on, grinning when they caught the gazes of worried onlookers peering out the windows. In mere seconds the station was plunged back into its gloomy state and Polar allowed Titan to continue.
"As I was saying, our newest member is picking up things rather quickly and is on course to be the perfect match up. They'll be the distraction you need in order to exact revenge on your former master." Titan continued
"Excellent news" Polar purred menacingly before he rose from his throne. "Fancy joining me in leaving a message for our favourite reaper?"
"What do you have in mind sir?" Titan asked.
"I feel like ruffling a few feathers, sending a few hunters chasing the wrong tail"
"I'm liking your style" Titan responded
"Glad you do. Let's strike while the iron is hot, give Lee something to think about."
Titan nodded as they walked over to the platform edge and waited. Unlike the reapers, the Banished are unable to fade like their counterparts but it never bothered them, they could move fast, use the darkness to their advantage and utilise what was at hand, which in the case of Polar and his men, was the subway and since they were boarding from a station long since abandoned, they had to board by other means. I'll leave that to your imagination.
The hunters in question often congregated within Central Park after midnight, mainly because of it being known as the "witching hour". Midnight has always been peak time for the nasties in the world to come crawling out and cause Havoc and unfortunately reapers always ended up in that bracket as well.
Most hunter families saw a reaper as being a valued trophy in their collection. Being able to bring down the grim reaper was a badge of honour in their eyes, yet none were victorious in doing so.It didn't stop them trying though and in doing so, they would become an irritation to the reaper population which is why Polar wanted to stir things up between them.
There was no plan, no money or wares to be used in exchange, no begging or negotiations, just Polar, walking into the meeting nonchalantly and announcing himself. Of course he was greeted with crossbows and guns aimed at his and Titans head but it didn't stop the sickening grin forming on his lips. He studied the group of hunters carefully, taking note of the small six year old boy hiding behind his father's legs, fear in his eyes.
"Tell me, is it normal practice to bring a young boy to a hunting party?" Polar asked.
"The boy needs to learn his trade, so you best tell us what you're doing here if you want to leave with your head on your shoulders" The father growled.
Polar smirked a little as he began to circle like a trapped hungry shark within the group of hunters, keeping eyes on the father; He was tall, thick set, in his forties and had short, greying brown hair, piercing green eyes and stubble. He wore a long chestnut coloured coat, the clothes underneath were black and Polar could clearly identify that he was wearing a protective vest and leg holsters. He then noticed the stunning redhead beside him, similar height, sharp facial features and wearing the same clothes. Obviously the wife, along with several brothers and sister, all looked similar in appearance to the father.
"A family hunt then?" Polar asked with intrigue.
"Yeah and we ain't got far to look for our prey" The father growled.
"Well I have a message for you?"
"Best say it before we spill your guts." Replied the father as he readied his finger on the crossbow trigger "Cause I'm running out of patience."
That's when the grin on Polars lips spread wider. Music to his ears.
"The reapers send their heartfelt regards" He purred before launching himself at the father, the father managed to pull the trigger but Polar managed to dodge the bolt and was already tearing into him, his talon like nails managing to slice open his skin while the father wrestled to take control, meanwhile Titan was making light work of the others, he was a master of using the darkness for cover, blending in and pouncing when they least suspected it, gouging out their eyes with his fingers, blinding them before turning their weapons against them, he either shot them in the head with their own guns or slit their throats with their knives, or worse.
Titan's face was covered in blood, a demonic grin on his lips as he caught sight of the young boy running for the bushes, his mother marching towards him, a shot gun raised and trained on his head.
"Oh no, did hubby not make it?" Titan mocked.
"He's hanging in there, can't say much for you though" she replied calmly
"And what makes you say that?" Titan asked as he shoved his hands into his coat pocket "Just taken out half your family and you think, you alone can take me down? Very bold assumption for you"
“A mothers bond is far greater than anything else in this world, even stronger than you blowing smoke up your masters ass”
“Feisty. I like it” Titan remarked
He casually started to walk towards her, pausing when he heard the shotgun being racked.
“One step closer and I’ll blow your fucking head off” She growled
A sigh escaped Titans lips as he hung his head a little before slowly lifting it again to look at the red head before him. She was a fighter, she was determined and she wasn’t going out with a whimper.
“I was hoping it would be quick” Titan replied Nonchalantly
“What? Your death?” She replied
“No… Yours”
Before she could pull the trigger, Titan had gone, moved into the shadows, stalking his prey, eyeing up her weaknesses and plotting his moves carefully. She wouldn’t have much weight behind her but he knew she would fight like a lioness to protect her cub. His only viable option is to get her off her feet, immobilise her and keep her hands away from him.
He waited for her to drop her guard momentarily before he pounced, snatching the gun out of her hands, using it to strike her across the jaw and laughing when he heard the sickening snap of her jaw bone. He waited for her to regain her balance once more before grabbing her by the throat and lifting her, easily off the ground, her feet frantically trying to kick him but he held strong.
“You would have been a good one” He says flatly, his grip tightening around her throat “but you’re not a reaper, seems such a waste”
“Fuck you” She garbled while struggling to release his grip.
"Oh honey you wish," Titan replied
She put up a fight, struggling to break free so she could save her boy, but Titan was strong and the more she fought to break free of his grip, the tighter he made it. In the end Titan grew tired of her attempts and swiftly ended her life by crushing her windpipe. He then tossed her lifeless corpse to the ground, leaving it in a heap.
"Now where is your boy?" He growled while he scanned the area.
It was quiet for a moment before Titan heard a rustling coming from one of the bushes nearby. A grin grew across his lips as he strode over to the bush and saw the young boy curled up, knees tight to his chest, eyes slammed shut as tears streamed down his face.
"There you are brat!" Titan snarled
The boy's eyes flew open, he turned his head and yelped in surprise when he saw the vacant white eyes glaring down at him. He began to crawl backwards on his elbows, trying to get away from the monster that he just witnessed kill his mother.
"Daddy!" He screamed in terror.
"Your dad can't hear you, he's getting chunks ripped out of him. There's no one to save you now brat!" Titan growled as he marched after him
The boy gulped hard, desperately picking up speed but finding it impossible to get away, the monster was getting nearer and nearer. Then suddenly black smoke appeared in front of him and what manifested from the smoke was a man. Tall, blonde hair, black t-shirt, jeans and boots. Then he saw it, the Scythe held tightly in his hands, the blade glinting menacingly in the moonlight. A gasp fell from his lips, causing the man to look over his shoulder momentarily.
"Oh this is perfect" Titan said cheerily "Lee and his prized pet, to the rescue"
"If you want the boy, you'll have to get through me first" The man replied with a thick London accent.
"With pleasure. Adder." Titan hissed
Titan lunged at Adder but Adder had faded and reappeared behind him, pulling him back by the shoulders, causing Titan to hit the deck. Titan scrambled to his feet, turning to face Adder, noting how there was an air of calm about him.
“Nice trick. Now fight properly!” Titan growled
“If you insist,” Adder replied as he readied his scythe.
Titan scrunched up his face and charged at Adder once again,a guttural growl forcing its way out of his mouth as he pounced and tackled Adder to the floor, raining punches down on him, Adder using his scythe as a guard before striking Titan across the jaw with the end of the snath, this allowed for Adder to overpower Titan, using his scythe as leverage while he rolled Titan onto his back, pushing the scythe down onto his throat and applying pressure, not paying attention to what Titan was doing with his leg. Titan was slowly positioning it underneath Adder’s chest, waiting for the right moment to present itself to him.
And he got it. A lapse in judgement and Adder was soon launched off of Titan, his back slamming against a tree, causing Adder to yelp as he slid down the trunk.
"Oh that was sloppy" Titan mocked "Was expecting more from you"
Adder quickly got back onto his feet, shook himself down and went after Titan again. He went in swinging, left following after the right, over and over in the hopes one of them would land but Titan had his guard up and delivered a few body shots, causing Adder to buckle over.
"Seriously?" Titan asked with a chuckle "I thought you were a better fighter than this?"
Adder laughed at his comment and as he stood up, he elbowed Titan in the throat, causing the other man to gasp for air, Adder then moved in, swiftly grabbing Titan by the head and hurling him across the floor. It dazed Titan and as he staggered to get back onto his feet, Adder moved in and kneed him in the face, causing his nose to explode with blood before he was unceremoniously dumped on the ground. Adder wiped a speck of blood off his chin with his thumb and loomed over Titan.
“Hold still while I put you out of your misery” Adder growled, reaching his arm out to summon his scythe.
The scythe flew into his hand, Adder tightened his grip and prepared to swing yet he was interrupted by something heavy striking his shoulder, causing Adder to drop his scythe and Titan to scurry away into the shadows. Adder quickly spun round to see Polar standing in the distance before he too, casually walked into the shadows and disappeared, a twisted chuckle following after him.
"Fuckers!" Adder growled.
Yet as Adder looked down to see what struck him, he made a gruesome discovery. It was a leg, clearly been torn off. Adder gulped hard and looked over to where he saw Polar, noticing a familiar figure standing nearby. Lee; He was on his way towards his master when he heard the whimpering of the boy close by. Adder turned around and slowly approached the bushes where he could hear the boy crying.
“Hey, it’s okay little one…it’s safe now, we scared off the monsters” Adder said softly as he scanned the area, summoning his scythe once more and making sure the Banished were gone.
“I want my daddy” The small boy cried
Adder looked over at Lee, noticing him crouched over a body that was laid out under a street light. He feared the body was the small boy’s father.
“I know you do kid but your dad has gone to the next world. I’m sorry” He says softly, struggling to break it to the boy.
There was a moment of silence and then he heard the bushes rustle once again as the boy emerged and stood before him, Grey, blue, watery eyes gazing up at him. His cheeks were stained by his tears, hair short, brown and scruffy, clothes slightly torn, dark coloured and padded, indicating that his family were teaching him to be just like them. A hunter.
“Let me say goodbye” The boy pleaded
“I don’t think-”
“Adder” Lee interrupted, the man appearing before him “Let him see his father, he has requested to see his son. He doesn’t have much time left” Lee said softly
“Hold my hand kid” Adder said as he offered the young boy his hand.
The boy grabbed his hand and held it tightly as they began the sombre walk towards his dying father. Lee was already present, holding the man's hand while he fought for every breath. Adder approached him with the young boy, letting go of his hand when he felt him pull away, wanting to hold his father one last time, despite the state that he was in; his clothes were cut to shreds, stained in blood, wounds cut deep, leaking the crimson nectar that pooled around him. The small boy threw his arms around his father and sobbed quietly. Adder and Lee stepped a few paces back to allow them their last moments.
“...Daniel…What I taught you about reapers… forget about it, they are not monsters, they are not evil, they are guides… and they saved you” His father said weakly
“I don’t want to be alone Dad” Daniel sobbed as he clung onto him
“You won’t be… You go round to Joseline’s and you tell her dad, the Woodmen have fallen” his father gasped.
“I love you dad” Daniel sobbed “Please don’t go”
“Stay strong son… Remember what we taught you.” His father said as he gulped hard “...I’ll always be with you”
In the distance Adder picked up on some commotion that was quickly heading their way, he looked at Lee with concern, the man nodding his head in agreement as he looked at Daniel and his father, Daniel’s father looked back at Lee, he understood their urgency to leave quickly and gently brushed Daniel’s hair with his bloodied hand.
“Go with them…Tell them where Joseline lives… trust them to get you there and when you get there… keep living…keep the Woodman legacy going…do you hear me?” He asked Daniel
Daniel nodded his head.
“Go…” He gasped and looked at Adder “Get him out of here…get him to safety”
“Yes sir.” Adder replied
He quickly scooped Daniel up into his arms, his heart sinking when he could hear the boy screeching and trying to reach for his father. Lee hung back and watched as a crowd of fellow hunters marched towards them.
“We will protect him, I promise” Lee assured the man before both he and Adder slipped into the shadows, trying to get as far away as possible but Daniel's screeching had caught the attention of the hunters and a small group of them split and began following Daniel’s noise.
“We need to silence him” Adder said quickly
“I know of a way” Lee replied “It’s not something we should do but if we blindfold him he won’t see it”
“Lee-”
“We have no choice,” Lee replied as he pulled out a piece of silk cloth. “Hunters are merciless and they get worse if a child is involved. I need you to hold still.”
Adder stopped a moment as Lee wrapped the cloth around Daniel’s eyes, just as the small group started to close in fast; within seconds Daniel’s screeching had stopped and the small group that were quickly descending on Lee and Adder's location, found nothing while the larger group of hunters had come across the grisly scene of the Woodman family.
Corpses laid strewn across the pavement along with discarded limbs and chunks of flesh. Some of the hunters' stomachs were unable to handle the grisly sight while others needed answers. A tall older gentleman led the way, he wore a black stetson, sported a white beard and wore a black denim jacket and faded blue jeans. He marched his way over to Daniel’s father, the man was barely holding on, his breathing laboured but he still had strength left to turn his head to the man.
“... Jasper” He croaked
“Save your strength Rick.” Jasper said softly as he held the man's hand “Where’s Daniel?”
“...Safe” Rick gasped “Joseline-”
“He’s with Joseline… who did this Rick? What monster did this to your family?”
“...I don’t know…The reapers-” Rick gasped, struggling to get his breath
“The reapers did this?” Jasper asked
“...No…The Reapers…the Reapers-” He gasped again but he was losing the fight, he gripped Jasper's hand as tight as he could before he took his last breath, his hand lost grip and flopped onto the floor. Silence fell over the group of hunters, they had lost one of their own and as a mark of respect, they all bowed their heads and stood in silence before it was broken by Jasper.
“As of this day, we hunters declare open season on all reapers. Kill 'em bastards on sight"
It was cold. My feet were utterly freezing. The house socks I had put on doing my absolutely no good. Tiredly I drag myself to the bathroom.
Washing my face, brushing my teeth, and tying my long dark locks behind so as to not get toothpaste in them. The water was warm, not hot but warm.
If I made it any warmer, I would simply put myself back to sleep. The old floors of the sun light room of mine creaked as I attempted to quietly walk to my closet.
“VINCENT. BREAKFAST.” My father Tom’s voice boomed from the kitchen as I heard the glasses being placed onto the counter.
Grabbing a black sweater and pair of jeans too big for me, I quickly threw them on following my canvas shoes that I couldn’t bother to tie.
Bracelets, rings and my phone I shoved into my pocket as I swiftly closed the door to my bedroom and made my way into the kitchen.
Vincent. Vincent St. Moore. Odd name I am well aware. Vincent happened to be my grandmother’s maiden name and my parents had already named me expecting a boy.
I didn’t mind that much. It made me unique and a little odd. I didn’t mind being odd. At least outside of home I didn’t. At my home I wasn’t odd. I had to blend in. So as to not get unsolicited attention or scolding.
The kitchen was cold, the whole apartment was cold. It was New York. I really should be used to it by now- spoiler I wasn’t.
My eyes were barely open before my father pushed the plate of food in front of me, briskly walking to get ready. Perfect.
My dad worked at some printing business. I truthfully don’t know the full detail of his job. By the time my breakfast was eaten and the plates in the sink I was alone.
I spent a lot of time alone. Mother worked day in and day out, Father worked every night shift. Neither was home ever.
I would tell Father I was getting ready for school. Lies. I couldn’t tell you the last time I sat the entire 8 hours of school.
I would go for a few hours. Take the assessments then leave as soon as no one was looking. I would then go sit in parks, cafe’s, stores.
Father and Mother would both get home for the few hours I was sitting in school. By the time I walked away from school they were back at work.
Sometimes they left notes, or money for dinner. I saved it. Put it in a jar for a rainy day. Today was no different.
I was quickly walking out the front door of the school and down the road. My converse were helping me, and making me grateful I didn’t pick my heavy shoes.
I landed myself on the subway. Soho. I loved Soho. Living in Brooklyn it was a small 30 minute subway ride. The bookstores and restaurants were what kept me sane.
Soho people were interesting. They all seemed to always have something going on. Me not so much. I was a people watcher. So I would watch them and their important errands.
Nights in Soho were my favorites. I would rent out a cheap motel room and sit on the concrete balcony being able to see all the city lights. Mother and Father weren’t home so being caught was the least of my worries.
Unlike in school, in the illuminated streets of Soho I could be anyone I wanted. I could be the very best version of me.
I found myself waking down the cold streets of Soho a 30 something minutes later. I had maybe $100 on me for today. Enough for food and a cheap cheap room if I so pleased later.
My classmates would talk about making it home for dinner or movie night. I just thought about did I bring my overnight things and a book.
I sometimes found myself wishing I went home to family dinners. Saw Mother and Father more. Wished they were interested in my life.
Then I look at the talk buildings, the hustle and bustle, the sound of cabs honking in traffic. And remembered I am exactly where I want to be.
I have everything I need in my backpack and in the streets of Soho.
-
The sky was pretty. The stars bright and full of possibilities. My baby hairs blowing as the cold air blew everything within reach.
My hot coffee now room temp, goosebumps on my back coming up my neck. I sat on the roof of an apartment complex.
The beeping horns and chatter filling my ears. A figure down the roof from me. A hat on their head, a few layers of clothing hung on their thin body.
“Hey.” I called out softly, the figure’s head turning to look at me. It was too dark to make out a face, I assumed they were attractive. Judgement rots us.
“Hi.” The thin frame spoke back. Their hand slightly raised as they waved.
“What brings you out here?” I asked scooting a little closer to the figure.
“Just thinking.” The voice answered, the voice was small and gentle. Yet had the same feeling as when you enter your grandparents house.
Warm and inviting. Loving and safe.
“I do that a lot. I’m Vincent.” I said with a sudden burst of confidence.
“Anastasia but call me Ana.” The figure said kindly scooting closer to me as well.
I still couldn’t see Ana’s face. I bet she was beautiful. Like Ana Steele from the novel that made me want to never go near my best friend’s phone ever again.
But Ana Steele was pretty. Maybe this Ana had bangs too, or blue eyes. I don’t know and I wasn’t going to flash the light at her, don’t want to blind her.
We sat in silence staring at the stars and the moon. I heard rustling as I began to doze off. I could see Ana beginning to stand.
“It was nice to meet you Vincent. I hope you enjoy your night and Soho in general. If you’re ever back here come find me.” Ana spoke, her voice tired but still kind.
“I will. It was good to meet you too Anastasia.” I said with a genuine smile covering my face as she walked away.
With one simple turn back, the moon reflecting her shadow. She spoke one last time that night.
“Like I said, just Ana. Have a good night Vincent.”
I am curious, if you could create a film to any plot and theme you want—what would it be about? Use your imagination. Describe to me your ideal movie and I will create the soundtrack that would accompany your creation.
Send your story to my ask inbox (only) or I can’t organize your playlist properly. I will limit themed lists to 10 songs. If you have a genre of preference just let me know beforehand.
[for example, here’s my plot]
A young girl discovers and explores a parallel world. A world through a mirror.
It is an impossibly beautiful opposite of our reality with large forests that stretch across countries. There is no crime or pollution. No wars. Humanity is at harmony with nature. Time seems to move more slowly. Or is it more quickly?
At the center of this world is a Crystal Palace. Here, the nobility dresses in all-white with luminous accents. To walk among them is to feel like a gray pebble within a deep sea of iridescent diamonds.
Except, the servants.
They wear red.
She meets the King that rules this realm and he is the pinnacle of human perfection—polite, generous and wonderfully charismatic. He is adored with a reverence. He walks with the confident stride of a God.
His eyes are black with lashes as long and dark as the feathers of a crow. He has a smile that cradles the heart in unseen talons. His hair is silk against the sharp contours of his clothes. He never makes the slightest rustle as he walks. He is so disarmingly quiet and soft in his movements, that she can’t help envisioning the procession of a funeral.
When she catches his smile entering the palace, her whole world freezes. Something passes between them that she can not define...not yet.
He invites her to a royal dinner, but no one eats during her arrival. No food is brought to any tables. People talk in whispers as if afraid to awaken the dead from their graves. The dinner party continues like this for hours—silent chatter on empty bellies. No one seems to notice. Or perhaps, they do not mind the absence.
How do people survive in this world? Or is it simply against custom to eat at royal functions? She sees the King leave for the kitchens and decides to follow him. She had to know.
What she discovers as she sneaks between passageways stops her cold. She finds the King gnawing on the throat of a servant. He holds the servant delicately so the blood only runs down the red of her dress. Oh.
She slips away quietly before she can be seen, but a butler in a tailored ruby-red suit counters her retreat. He redirects her to a better hiding location. “You’re not from here.” It wasn’t a question.
“Does he always....eat people?”
“We all do. Is it not custom in your country to devour the living?” He asks this with the same air as someone inquiring about the weather.
“No...I mean, yes. We do, but—what we eat is birds, fish, animals of all kinds. We do not eat people where I come from. Humans do not consume humans. It is seen as a perversion. Taboo. We have laws against it.” She resists the urge to squirm under his scrutiny.
“How strange. We don’t have those creatures you describe here. We do not have these birds or fish. No animals, but ourselves. It makes the diet simple I think. I can’t imagine anything else, but the taste of human skin. Do these animals have skin like us? I guess it doesn’t matter. Your people have your way. We have ours. Our way is what you saw: you are either one of the nobility or you are their meal.”
“What do the poor eat?”
“Whatever is left over by the rich.”
“It appears obvious when you are looking at the King, but can you always tell the rank of others around you? Everyone dresses so finely in your country, even the servants. They look exquisite and cut like gemstones. How can you tell who is poor?”
He raises an eyebrow like that was the most ridiculous question in the world and smirks, “We are the only ones wearing red.”
She felt struck and began to peer down at her own attire, the dress the servants gifted her earlier that evening. A new glaze came into her eyes. Something hot and feral. She was dressed in a fiery ball gown. A crimson so dark it looked like wine...or blood set ablaze.
The King had told her “you look ravishing” just hours before he went to consume the servant girl. Oh, is that so? She thought.
She heard stories of this world where replicas of the self existed: a world where you can make anyone disappear for eternity. It was a mirror copy to the physical realm. What your mirror self did dictated your physical world experiences. How it exactly did so remained obscure; but here, you knew you were either predator or prey. If you were lucky—you got to be the predator. Predators had better outcomes in both worlds. Survival of the fittest, or something to that effect.
However, she knew the King better than he knew herself. It didn’t surprise her he was the predator. After all, they were paramours in the physical world. He was used to playing with women’s hearts where she came from, so it appeared fitting to find him consuming their organs here.
It explained why every relationship failed, but he survived the damages. You can’t keep what you destroy. She escaped before she could become his next plaything.
She wondered how long it would take before his two selves caught onto her great scheme: how long it would be before they both realized and comprehended that all along she was not their prey, but hunter? He wasn’t the only predator in this story. She was a wolf circling another wolf.
His appetite was boundless and so was hers. If she couldn’t have the man of her dreams than no woman would. He could dress her up in any shade he wanted, but she knew what needed to be done to destroy the funerary-silence. She knew the peace he designed was a veiled threat.
She would make him disappear from the other side. No one would know where he went. It would be her darkest secret. Her greatest sin. She would go to Hell for a single bite. Red? She knew exactly how to wear red. It suited her just fine that it would be the last color he saw on her; because, she would eat him, skin and bone, before anyone else could.
[and a few sample songs I would use for my soundtrack]
I'm the one who always has to stay late. They say it's becuase I know the process the best. I'm sorry that I'm good at my job maybe they should pay me more. This place always gives me the hebijebes at night it's so quiet and dark. The alarm on my computer starts going off to remind me it's almost time. I stand up and walk to the elevator and go down, so far down that the ride takes 5 minutes. I hate this job I feel like a trained monkey just doing what I'm told for bananas.
The elevator doors open two armed guards are standing on the other side. The same two armed guards that are always there, the never talk to me. We walk in silence down the hallway to a door that takes a sample of my blood when I touch the handle and opens. I give my blood and sweat to this company and they give back nothing.
The guards dont follow me in, they probably cant stand the smell. The lights turn on as the door closes behind me. Screams and moans fill the room as I walk further into it. The rotting corpses of the undead are chained to the wall screaming at me like a starving shipwrecked crew trying to grab a pig. These poor souls were part of a drug trail that went horrible wrong and now I'm the one stuck feeding and testing them. This company doesn't care about them or their families. I cant stand this place I cant stand who I have become.
I hear a chain break behind me but before I can react I feel the sharp pain of something biting into my arm. As I turn around I push the corpse off me. It bit me.. i know what happens when someone has been bit. I walked over to the corpse that was having a hard time standing up and stomp on its face. It's motionless, finally at peace. Blood drips from my arm but I'm not afraid. I know exactly what I want to do, a finally fuck you to the jobs. I walk to a computer in the middle of the room and begin to type something, then I push enter. All the chains on the wall open and release the undead. They follow me as I run over to the exit and open the door. The guards on the other side look in fright at the chaos that I unleashed. They open fire as I run past them to the elevator. I push the button to call it down and the gunfire stops. The guards scream as they are being eaten alive. The few corpses that couldn't get to the guards start walking slowly to me. The elevator wont make it to me in time but that's ok. I just want the world to see how horrible this company is. I laugh as the undead rip into my body and devour my insides. The last sound I hear is the ding from the elevator and the doors opening.
