Bound by the Devil

Chapter 3: The Marking

He sat at the end of my bed, his eyes looking at me stiffly. No blinking and no breathing, this had gone far enough for me to put this as me having hallucinations. There was some dead man sitting on my bed, and I had finally come to terms with the fact that he was the one reported in the news and it was his grave I presumably destroyed, whilst sleep walking.

The thick waft of ashy scent drifted through my room. Why does he even smell like a burning log when he was just buried alive? Maybe he was torched alive for being a creep like he is now, and then his ashes were put into a grave. Well, I'm clearly being haunted right now, and I have zero sympathy for him. If it was up to me, he definitely deserved being torched alive, that is if he was.

As if he was reading my mind, his lips twitched up into a smirk, and maybe for the first time in like ten minutes he blinked.

"Um..." I cleared my throat, "didn't you say you'd come back on my 21st birthday?" I don't know why but asking that out aloud I felt like I sounded dumb.

He snickered, as he got up from the tip of my bed, leaving behind a rounded dent on the mattress where he had been sitting.

Don't worry, I didn't come to take your soul, in fact I came out of the genuine goodness of my heart to check up on how you were doing.

Unbeknownst to me, a chuckle slipped through me, "yeah right," I scoffed.

Well, maybe I was a bit selfish. – his eyes darted towards me and he gaited in my direction. I scurried towards the wall side of my bed.

I cannot take your soul until your 21st birthday, that is when the bind becomes undone, however seeing as you have 365 days left, I must ensure you are untouched and safe until then.

What on earth is this guy on about, my mind was racing from all these weird things he was saying. What bind is he even talking about.

The bind was formed when you unleashed me from my grave.

Okay, for sure he was reading my mind and just as I had thought that I looked up at him to find that he was grinning sheepishly at me.

"There is no bind, you are a freaking creep and I want you to get away from me. NOW!" I yelled, hoping my mum would hear me from downstairs.

Don't worry darl, your mother cannot hear you, let alone save you. – he sneered

He looked out the window into the darkness of the night – I must go now – he said somewhat solemnly, - But before I do I must give my oath to protect you until you turn 21.

"I don't need any protection, why even protect when your apparently going to kill me anyway," I grabbed a pillow and chucked it at him which I thought was quite aggressively, but he caught it in mid-air.

He didn't reply to what I had said, instead he edged towards me, his pupils turning a dark murky black. It was as if though thousand shadows were reflecting in his eyes.

This won't hurt for too long – he said in a hushed voice. Before I could ask what won't hurt, a searing pain tore through the back of my wrist. I fixed my gaze upon my hand to notice my skin was throbbing in pain, red and inflamed. Something had been carved into my hand, it was the letter M.

When you are in trouble, I will come to save you. – he said matter of factly, before he vanished with a whooshing sound. I stared at my wrist for the longest time ever and the only thought that crossed my mind was, how on earth did I put myself in this situation. In that instant I realised I couldn't keep this to myself any longer and did what any girl would do, I told my best friend.