Haunted (Alastor x OC)

Ch 4

Aria's POV

My eyes were glued to his. The dim red glow they produced had me frozen in place. My mouth hung open slightly, my breath shaking.

He stood just in front of me, looking down his nose at me. His skin looked to be a light brownish grey, his hair a bright red.

I looked in dismay at the sight before me, with each feature of his I observed, the more an icy fear settled into my bones.

He had ears on top of his head...as if he were some type of animal. Small, but very sharp, antlers sat between those ears.

He had a human face...save for the golden shark teeth sitting in his mouth.

The entirety of his eyes were varying shades of red. His clothing was also red, and one look told me he's from a completely different era.

A whimper slipped past my parted lips, my feet taking me two steps back away from him. He held his arms behind his back, that golden smile widening.

Suddenly a flash of that man from the attic went through my head. Comparing their features, this monster looked...just like him. The only differences were the very inhuman features this monster possessed.

Small noises left my throat as I tried to form a sentence, the little squeaks sounding pitiful. He tilted his head, his eyes narrowing on me.

I swallowed, my throat feeling incredibly dry from the amount of time I just had my mouth hanging open.

"You seem as if you're trying to speak, have you gone mute?" He mocked, keeping that smile plastered to his face. It was violent and intimidating.

"Y-y-you're the m-man from t-the pictures...the serial killer..." I said, barely above a whisper. He chuckled lowly, his shoulders bouncing as he did so.

"That I am...this is my estate," he said, glancing around, "you've...decorated I see."

I glanced around, seeing my things scattered about the bedroom. I had replaced the mattress, but kept the old bed frame. The furniture in this bedroom I'd moved to storage, my own replacing it.

"Yea...because this is my house..." I said quietly, keeping my eyes on him. I was afraid if I looked away, he'd disappear.

His eyes widened just slightly, a glint in them, "oh? You don't sound too sure of that, darling," he said amusedly.

I didn't reply.

He took a step towards me, and something about that action kicked my ass into gear. I immediately stumbled away from him, putting distance between him and I.

I held my hands close to my chest, guarding my vulnerable areas where my heart and organs were.

"Get out." I said firmly, and he scoffed.

"Me? I've lived in this house for over 100 years...and you're ordering me to leave?" He asked, his voice growing dark, yet still his smile remained. Somehow, that made him scarier.

"I-it's not your house anymore...g-go on, move on somewhere else," I said, shaking my head.

He eased an eyebrow at that, "do you think I'm a specter? My, you're dim-witted," he insulted me, another chuckle coming directly after.

"You're...you're not a ghost?" I asked, lowering my arms slightly. He shook his head, the ears on top of his head swishing as he did so.

"No, ma'am," he answered, "I am a demon."

Well, that's ten times worse.

"D-demon? As in from hell, you're a demon from hell?" I said, exasperated. My fear was mixing with confusion, creating the illusion of confidence in my speech.

"Yes," his smile increased and he took two very large steps towards me. I tried to back up, not realizing I'd backed myself straight into a corner.

He, however, was very aware.

He bent at the waist, extending his hand towards me and making me turn away and shut my eyes tightly.

"Alastor, pleasure to meet you...?" He said, and I slowly opened my eyes. He had his head tilted, eyebrow arched as he awaited my reply to his greeting.

I went over about every option in my head. The smartest one was to play along and not piss off the demon.

I hesitantly reached forward, and his very large hand enveloped mine, his warmth throwing me off.

"A-Aria..." I replied, and he hummed, squeezing my hand gently before bringing my knuckles to his lips and planting a kiss against them.

As soon as he released me I roughly wiped my knuckles against the fabric on my sweatpants. He glanced at my hand as I did so, furrowing his brows.

"Interesting reaction..." he mumbled.

He then stood back up fully, sighing.

"No one has lived in my house since the day I died. No one ever dared, not after figuring out who I was...so, what compelled a weak little girl to buy my dwelling, hm?" He asked me, his tone taking on a more condescending note.

I can't figure out if he's a gentleman or if he's an asshole. He seems to be standing in a neutral grey area, and I can't figure him out by just looking at him.

"T-they didn't tell me who you were....I just saw how cheap it was..." I answered, shuffling to the side, trying to escape this corner he has me trapped in.

My entire body jolted when his hand slammed into the wall next to my head, halting my action. My eyes widened and I looked up at him. His eyes were glowing a deeper red, narrowed onto me.

"Then I suppose your blood is on their hands," he said lowly. I pressed as far into the wall as I could when he leaned forward. He got so close to me I could feel his heat.

I turned my head away, shutting my eyes tightly. His nose brushed against my cheek as he got close to my ear.

I could hear the low growl rolling through his chest, his voice coming softly, "how should I kill you?" He asked quietly.

His voice was almost calming, however the words he spoke made me tense up. My heart jumped to my throat, my fight or flight blaring at me to run.

But I couldn't.

His lips just barely brushed against my cheek when he moved. He grabbed my chin, moving my head that was turned to the side to the other side so he could whisper to me in my other ear.

"Quickly...?"

I felt paralyzed. My breathing became labored, my nose stuffing up as tears burned the back of my tightly shut eyes.

He hummed, moving to be directly in front of me, his tight hold on my jaw creating an ache. He forced me to face forward, I could feel the tip of his nose just barely pressed against mine.

My mouth formed a thin line as I sealed my lips shut tightly, holding my breath. Tears began leaking from my still shut eyes.

"My, darling, why so upset? I'm being generous here..." he said sweetly, and tilted my chin up with his finger.

His thumb swiped away a tear that had just slipped off my lashes.

He hummed, sounding dissatisfied, "tears don't suit that pretty face of yours...smile for me," he said, still using that gentle voice.

I ignored him, a ringing setting into my ears. My heavy breathing was all I could focus on at the moment.

"Just get it over with," I whimpered, my voice shaking through that entire sentence. He stilled in front of me. There was a brief moment of him just doing nothing, but I couldn't have told you his expression because my eyes were glued shut.

Then he sighed, seemingly disappointed.

"Very well."