Inferna Nuntius

Chapter 14

14

            As their bodies grew closer and closer, Eddie could feel the electricity pulsing through the air, charging his body and mind. He was but two steps behind the woman, close enough that he could smell the fragrant sweat the poured from her, filling his nose and mouth. The sweet smell was almost overpowering, causing Eddie to momentarily lose focus on the task at hand, the chase. He opened his mouth to breathe in her scent deeper, but a guttural scream from his drive kept him on track.

            Focus! The deep voice reverberated within his mind. A quick shake of his head brought Eddie back to the here and now. He followed the woman as she rounded another corner, making sure to keep just enough distance between them. He had followed her from the coffee shop yesterday, trailing behind her until it was no longer safe. He had left her sitting in a park behind the coffee shop, watching from a distance as she plopped down on the grass, stretching her legs and the rest of her body. His eyes roamed over her near perfect body and he felt his own body twitch to life, filling with lust and greed. His drive had picked out the perfect woman for him. By the looks of her long, lean legs and expensive clothing, she was a runner. He loved chasing after the physically fit-they provided so much of a challenge for him and would have been an idiot to deny his drive such a thrill. His latest victims had been anything but physically fit, resulting in him taking as little time as possible with them, completing only the absolutely necessary acts in his ritual. But this one was different and he would take all the time he could with her, letting her become what he truly wanted.

            When will this end? He asked his drive

            This? The chase? You love this part! His drive answered him.

            That was not a lie. It was the farthest thing from it. Eddie loved the chase. He loved the pure flow of adrenaline he felt as he closed in on his prey. He loved how at peace he felt in the last moments before he finally had his victim in his hands. That was the only time in his life that he truly felt at peace. The calmness that took over his body was so welcomed and yet it was just a fleeting moment. As soon as his skin made contact with his prey, the calm dissipated, replaced by an emotion Eddie could only assume was a mixture of anger and excitement- a dangerous combination. Even more dangerous was when he felt anxiety creep into his body as it so often did in the moment’s right after his victims died. If he was lucky he would skip the anxiety all together and move onto sadness and repulsion, the two emotions he welcomed almost as much as the peace. Those too were fleeting moments-quickly replaced by nothing; no emotion at all. It was as if his mind ceased to produce emotion for a time-completely void of anything. It was these moments of nothingness that he truly craved. It was at those times that his drive was dormant, quiet for a time, giving him some space even if it was only for a few hours.

            Peace. He told himself. Peace. Now.

            This time he didn’t wait for his drive to tell him to act; his body moved on its own accord now. The afternoon sun beat down on Eddie’s back, warming him inside and out. He picked up his pace, quickly closing the gap between them, bringing them closer and closer. With his right hand he reached out for her; the electricity flowed from his fingertips, charging the air with static. As his fingers came closer and closer to her skin, he felt it.

            Peace.

            With one last push, he grabbed at her neck, his fingers finally connecting with the delicate skin that covered her bones.

            And then it was gone. The peace. Such a fleeting moment, he told himself.

            As his fingers moved to tighten around her neck, the woman cried out and jerked away from Eddie, evading his grasp. Her shriek was loud enough to cause the anger in Eddie to explode into full blown rage. His face flushed and a loud growl escaped his lips, causing the woman to cry out again. His fingers grasped at her again he felt disappointment as he realized peace had evaded him this time. His fingers once again found themselves wrapped around her neck, but she slipped away easily. The loud growl was replaced with a frustrated cry. Eddie launched himself at her and knocked the woman to the ground.