What Lurks at Night

7.

Hell. Hell wasn't like how people imagined- it was like earth. But full of evil, and chaos- home to demons, and demonic creatures- cryptids, faceless horrors...it had cities, it had skies, it had trees. But it didn't have pleasantry, or love, it didn't have hope or satisfaction. No happiness. No room for life. Just eternal hate, and eternal suffering. Before I knew it- I arrived at a massive palace, the stone was made of obsidian and white marble. Beautiful architecture- took after the victorian modeled houses, as I stepped inside holding firmly onto Val. The guards looking at me and eyeing the human I had over my shoulder, with a mix of lust and hunger. Not your typical sexual hunger- the physical, cannibalistic hunger and their minds twisted in ways that no force in this universe could undo.

I took my time waiting- a smirk appearing on my lips when he arrived. I bowed my head in respect "Asmodeus." Oh what I was going to do- would piss off my brother. But he deserved this, this wretched bitch was pure, untouched, and I was going to ruin that for my brother. And I was going to ruin her. She's just another wanna-be slut. So I'll form her into such a thing. I bring my head up, looking at the blue skinned sin of lust, many mortals often think red symbolizes lust- it doesn't. The original color associated with Lust has always been blue, red symbolized arousal.
He of course had red slit pupils, white medium length hair, a slim muscular build, no shirt, no pants either, and pointed ears.

"You've got some nerve coming into my house, Sadist." He spat, our last encounter didn't go so well...I had betrayed him. However- I came bearing the one thing he enjoyed the most...an innocent, virgin woman. "I come bearing a gift."
Placing her down on the floor of her own two feet. His eyes trailing her over, upon inspection.

"She's fat." Scoffing, unamused. "She's not fat, she's curvy, and gorgeous. Don't insult your gift. Especially when she's an innocent- and a virgin." I shot back. That got his attention- taking steps towards her reaching out, he grabbed her chin lifting it up to look at her. It took him all of five seconds as he wasted no time, destroying her long sleeve shirt entirely, ripping the fabric easily. Her back- I stopped and stared at her back. Scars on her mocha flesh, they were old but there. And they ran deep...they weren't caused by a whip, but rather intentionally carved into place.

"Never mind that- what do you want, Cody." I rolled my eyes hearing him say my biological name. Cody- It sounded foreign when hearing it after 3,000 some odd years. "She ruined my brother- I want to ruin her. For her crimes. It'll be like the old days, Az. You breaking her in, and me breaking her flesh and mind." Looking back down at her exposed back, except where the clasps of her bra were... she had a past of pain.

Was this my fate now? This extravagant room, of red marbled floors, and silver walls. Leather and cherry wood furnishings- I didn't fight it...I didn't mouth off, I didn't make a peep. Feeling Cody's eyes linger on my back- I forgot about them...those scars, I never really spoke about them. They also ran down to my sides. I suck in a breath looking at Asmodeus- names said in passing I didn't forget easily. "Whatever your heart desires." Empty hollow words my foster mother gave, her words in my head- don't fight if you can't. Words of survival, don't fight if I can't...and I certainly couldn't fight a demon. I didn't know exactly where I was- but the things I saw outside the people we passed by on the way here, weren't exactly normal people. So I took a wild guess that this blue man was demonic.

Memories of my life playing in my mind like a film- I had a good life...I really did I considered it sheer luck. But now- standing in this beautiful room with a cold embrace my luck was still with me, I consider it lucky that this will be my last adventure... I got to go somewhere living people never go to. Even if it's not a good place it's still somewhere new, and I loved to travel when I got the chance I loved a lot of things- daffodils, the color yellow being a favorite- the sun was yellow, and warm. I hope should I die, that my adoptive mother finds my journal under my bed back home in Arkansas- under my bed and I hope my roommate gets that record deal she's been working her ass off for, and my friends...oh my friends- I hope they go on being adventurous even when I'm no longer alive. My wishes being full of hope and care, rather than despair and fear, most women would probably freak out or scream or fight...but I needed to play this smart- obey, and comply...there's not many options one could do in such a situation. Pleading with a serial killer and a demonic man almost never worked. Watching true crimes or murder documentaries taught me statistics...pleading almost never worked. It gave the victims false hope and then heart shattering fear when the killer never did comply. Jeffrey Dahmer never did, and his victims pleaded even when he drugged them, some woke up early at least that was the report of a few cases. How I longed to be drugged right now though, to sleep peacefully through whatever sick desires they were going to do to me. Asmodeus lifted up my left arm and looks at the deep scar in my left side.

"What is this? Damaged goods?" Damaged was right. I was once apart of something awful.
"Damaged is correct-...I was in college at a party. I got drugged and woke up to three men, two held me down and one had a butchers knife and carved into my flesh in a cutting motion- claiming he was cutting the fat off the cow." It didn't make it easy to talk about. But it was in my past and sometimes you needed to talk about it, no matter how painful, and no matter if you're about to get raped or die or not. I have love for my body though, being insulted didn't bother me, I wore them like badges something I survived and didn't let destroy me, mentally. I walk with confidence whenever I'm out. Well I use too, now my situation has changed drastically.

There was silence in this soulless room. "That's unfortunate- for someone so beautiful as you. To deform a goddess is to deform a soul. It's a sin to do so." He let go of my chin, and straightened himself, I had to keep my eyes above his waist- this man had no clothes on. He calls me a goddess- but I never really believed in any compliments from men- not overly flattering compliments anyway... it felt fake. And I didn't like fake.
"Listen- I understand my fate most likely won't change. But if you'll allow me to say, just keep my face intact. So when I die, I look just as beautiful I did in life as I do in death." My tone was gentle, as if the room was upset. But it wasn't- I just didn't feel like speaking loud. Their eyes linger on me, I just stare at the walls behind him now.

"How do you know you're going to die?" Asmodeus asks. "Well- the sadistic god behind me, most likely intends for me to suffer until I die. My crimes are set in stone even if I never committed any of them. However when an innocent is placed in a court of unjust- I can either accept my fate or lose my dignity by begging. I'm already going to lose my virginity and be beaten black and blue, defiled, disfigured. My dignity however will still be with me." It took everything to remain this calm, but I wouldn't beg.

I look up from her, and to skull. This woman, was different than the rest of the whores I got as gifts. And looking at Skull he also felt the same, he was silent for once in his life. Skull only ever was silent once many centuries back, and that was when a mortal truly surprised him. I look back at the woman. "After some consideration, you'll be treated in no such way." I think I'll actually take my time with her. Being the embodiment of lust, I didn't always rush into things. Not even when it came to sex, or rape. Skull was most likely rethinking his choices...he use to have a wife ironically. She was just as crazy as him but she had similar views like this woman now. "You must be tired." Looking back at the guards to the far side of the room I beckon them over. "Take her to one of the guests rooms upstairs. Give her anything she asks for." I state. They do just that as they take her with them. Upstairs. The upstairs was for actual guests, downstairs was for whores and torture and gruesome acts.

I look at skull "you know which room is yours. We'll talk about this in the morning." I remark leaving. Vanishing. Back to my room. Mystery woman, she fills my thoughts even as I lay in my bed on my silk sheets. Even ignoring the blond haired bitch I have naked, and a metal collar around her neck, and chained short to the wall over. Red hair, kissed by the sun. And a curvy body, that Aphrodite would envy.