The Devils Gift

Chapter 30

"You weren't supposed to see that." I froze. My eyes couldn't go any wider. I stayed where I was, not daring to turn around and look him in the eye.

I was so scared I couldn't even speak. Tears pricked my eyes. I wanted to scream out, to run, run away from this monster I called my lover. No one would hear and if they did would they even care. This place was full of them, monsters.

"Why?" I whispered out. My eyes still lingered on the contents of the box. My vision blurred slightly from the tears. "A ghoul gets bored. But I did those for you." A chill ran up my spine. He was referring to the ones on top.

Those four photos. Polaroids to be exact. The pictures were more dirty than the other ones. More of the blood spilt on the forest floor. The fountain in the back just added to the horrible act. That being the place where Sodo and I first kissed, first fucked. The place I wanted to cherish in my own memories. No longer could I do that.

Sodo grew closer. The soft shuffle of his feet grew louder until I felt him right behind me. I made no movement, no plan to leave my spot on the floor. Why couldn't I leave?

Sodo moved again. This time going around and moving in front of me but behind the box. He knelt down. I looked at him with tear filled eyes, my body shaking with fear.

He seemed different now. Not like the man I once loved. No he was a monster now. He seemed so dark to me now. The fangs below his top lip no longer cute. They were dangerous. Those glowing red eyes that once held love for me still did but I thought differently. They were a warning, a warning to stay away from the monster he was.

Sodo picked up the four photos, revealing stacks on stacks underneath. Countless dead bodies. They were random people, people I had never met, and never will. Old, young, big, small, innocent, and guilty. They were all here.

In this stack of death. Towards the bottom the polaroid picture grew more yellow with old. "You know, I did all these myself." Sodo flipped through revealing more different mangled bodies. He was so casual I wanted to throw up.

With each flip of a new picture my stomach churned more and more. I wasn't hungry anymore. I wanted nothing to do with food. Each body made a new tear fall. I was crying but made no sob, no noise.

Sodo stopped going through his victims. Placing the four photos down, he laid them out for me to see in plain view.

"Your father struggled the most." Sodo pointed to the picture of my father. He laid face down in a pile of mud. His body held bruises but it was hard to tell if it was from Sodo or my fathers lifestyle. His throat slashed open as a large pool of red, almost black, blood sat under and next to him. I didn't feel pity for that one.

"Your mother pleaded for her life the most. But she soon shut up when she knew it was inevitable." Sodo pointed to the next one. My mother laid on her side. Her eyes were still open in a wide look. On her bare arms were needle marks, something I was used to. Her neck remained untouched but her stomach had been sliced open. A slow, grueling death is what it looked like. Still no pity, but sadness did enter my body.

"You know, Josh never said a word. I think he knew all along what was going to happen." I choked back a sob. Josh's body laid on his back. He looked more peaceful out of the three so far. His eyes closed, his body relaxed. Only a single slice to the neck tainted his body. Blood didn't pool as much but instead was all over his shirt. I only felt pity for he died the way my father did.

"Now Marie was different." I looked to the turned over photo. Sodo didn't reveal it. He seemed a bit hesitant. I knew what it was. I hated it, I hated all of it. I wanted to cry, to die with my sister, to never see what I have seen. Run away and never look back but I was planted to the floor.

"Marie cried for you." A sob escaped my throat. I wanted to run away but my body didn't let me. Sodo was controlling me again. I knew it. Keeping me here, torturing me. "She wanted you to be ok. For me not to hurt you. Silly girl. I would never hurt you. She should have pleaded for her own life." Slowly Sodo turned over the picture.

I sobbed at the sight. I almost threw up but I didn't, Sodo's control. I needed to run. To close my eyes but I was forced to look. To take in every small detail of the picture.

There was Marie. She had the pleasure of being placed on a large cut down tree stump. Her arms and legs all detached but were just a few inches from her torso. Her mangled and bloodied torso. Cuts slashed onto her bare stomach, making a pentagram. Blood pooled in the cuts. Her head was severed from the body. It sat upright. Her eyes open but only black pits replaced the once beautiful eyes she had. Blood stained the wood beneath her. A pentagram carved into her forehead.

"Marie," I whispered. This was a sight no one should see. No one should know about. This needed to be buried with the bodies. "I did this for you." Sodo took the photos and placed them back in the box. He shoved the box to the side and moved to me.

His fingers placed on my chin, forcing me to look up. I flinched back, disgust in my eyes. He frowned at my movement. "You aren't leaving now. I hope you know." He stood up and I was forced to my feet. No longer in control of my body.

"I can't let you go after what you've seen. Besides, I love you, Lana. No one but me can have you. It's a dangerous world out there. Men gnawing at the ankles of women. Forcing them to do things they shouldn't. I can't have that." His hand forced its way onto my cheek, cupping in lovelingly.

"You are mine. Got that." It was a statement. I had no freedom anymore. Since the beginning I had no freedom. No will to leave if I wanted. No freedom to see other people.

"Don't worry, this place will be a great home for you. As long as you have me everything will be just ok." A kiss was placed on my forehead.

I couldn't believe this was real. "This is real." My head told me. "You are trapped. No way out." It echoed in my head. No way to leave. Sodo had what he wanted. The whole time he hid this side of him away. The side that I would have repulsed at. The side that would make me steer away from loving him. I was trapped with no way out, no way to leave.

I couldn't believe I loved a man, no monster, like him. A monster I had kissed, a monster I had fucked, a monster I had loved.