Angel Face

23: Starving Pains

I had been in and out of sleep for hours. Each time I woke up, it was to the nightmarish sound of someone screaming bloody murder in my head.

A growl ripped from my chest as I woke up. Terrible hunger pains settling into the pit of my stomach made me feel almost feral. It was so unbearable that I could no longer sleep, no matter how hard I tried.

The thoughts of tearing someone limb from limb were ingrained in my brain at this point. I was almost scaring myself, but my primal senses were starting to take over.

I was fighting every instinct in my body to get up and find the closest person to me, rip their heart out, and eat it right in front of them. It wasn't just about satisfying my hunger, no. I was hellbent on watching someone die tonight. My need for blood seemed to be at its peak.

Half of my brain was fighting against the other, telling it to sit down and not hurt anyone. Deep down, I knew I didn't want to hurt anyone, but that very prominent part of my brain was getting the better of me.

I needed to watch someone die.

I could feel nails start to grow out of my nailbeds. A pressure weighed heavy in my mind, but this time, it was different. It was deprived of what it needed.

It needed a gushing, bleeding, pulsing heart.

My gums were starting to bleed. My back was beginning to burn, and my vision was wavering slightly, allowing me to hone in on specific things.

With my hearing enhanced, I heard a very fragile heartbeat just down the hallway.

I couldn't stop myself, no matter how hard I tried. The need, the hunger was taking over, and I had no control of it.

I ripped the door open and stalked down the corridor to where the light heartbeat was coming from. I could hear her tiny footsteps pacing around the room, probably cleaning the place up a bit. Her obliviousness to my presence only fueled my craving.

I could almost laugh at how stupid she would feel if she got to go back in time and see what I was about to do to her.

I made it ten steps into the room, but she had yet to notice me. I knocked a book off the shelf, trying to gain her attention. She gasped and fluttered around to catch sight of me. Her eyes widened, and then she let out a sigh of relief.

Then, my ears picked up on a second, just as faint, heartbeat. I turned my head and caught sight of Clarita standing in the doorway with a smile.

"Samuel. You scared me." The first nymph giggled.

I had seen this particular servant around but had yet to catch her name. I need to know what to call her as I watch the life leave her eyes.

"My apologies..." I prompted for her name. She blushed, bowing her head before answering.

"Oriana."

"Oriana," I let the name dance across my tongue. Yes, her name would sound nice, as I hushed her screams. I wanted nothing more than to tell her how perfect she would look strung up by her wrists with blood dripping from a long, clean gash in her neck.

"You have a lovely name, Oriana." Another blush graced her cheeks.

"Was there something we could help you with, Samuel?" Clarita asked, grabbing our attention. She took a somewhat standoffish attitude. She walked into the room and finished cleaning whatever it was she was working on. I was very interested in her friend, Oriana.

She kept looking back at me, making sure to keep her distance. Clarita was wary of me at this moment.

As she should be.