Stitched

Chapter 4. The Soul

Content warnings: Gore

On the outside, I remain calm, while on the inside, my emotions swirl around like the rage of a whirlpool, sucking me into it and drowning me under endless tons of treacherous waters.

I hadn't expected for her to admit it, at least not this fast. And she's fucking smiling, as if this is something she is proud of. The bitch who had killed my mother. 

"Oh, come now," she says, baring her teeth like a pterodactyl. "Did you really think I was going to just outright deny it and claim you're being a mentally deranged patient who's suddenly having episodes of delusion?" She snorts. "Although, that would have been fun to watch, but I suppose that wouldn't have worked on you."

She's right. It wouldn't have worked on me, because I've made sure to get the correct information before gutting my friends and boyfriend like animals. Sure, Lucas sort of deserved it, but I would have never killed him for that. He, and his two bratty friends, were just my offerings to the witch so I can guarantee my way to the bitch in front of me, the one responsible for the death of my mother.

 And, of course, to heal my brother. Oh oops, almost forgot about that part. Ha. 

So now, it is taking every last miniscule of my energy to not lunge at her and tear her rotten heart out. My fingers dig into the harsh, leather couch, nails bending against the pressure. Slight pain stings the tips, but I welcome it. I need to control myself, because one of the terms of the deal is to make sure she reveals everything. And so she can suffer just a little before passing her on to Hell. 

I tilt my head, a smile making its way onto my face. "You're right, it would have been a waste of time. But what if I wanted to play that game? To watch you trying to deny, to further feed the devil's hunger for people who continue to lie, and lie."

She chuckles, the sound a low haunting rumble through the room. "Perhaps that's exactly why I admitted it." Leaning forward, her eyebrows furrow together in curiosity. "What I'm having trouble understanding is why did you need the ritual to get to me? Surely you could have found and reached me without killing people."

"But that would have taken a long time, so I took the faster route. Besides, I don't give a fuck if I die. I don't really want to live with the blood on my hands."

"Why? You don't have regrets."

I crack my neck to one side, then the other, the popping sound echoing through the room. "No. I don't have regrets. But that doesn't mean that I don't know what I did was wrong."

She laughs, sounding more like a hyena than a human. "Oh dear, don't you know that you'll continue to live on after you die?" A haunting grin spreads across her face. "The devil wants your soul, Mila."

"I know that. Our bodies are just vessels on this planet, chosen by our higher selves before we are born. Our souls are what drives us to make decisions, to feel love, hate, anger. All influenced by experiences, and the negativity or positivity of the world around us. Like you. When you killed my mother, it turned my entire world upside down. But, I suppose it also allowed me to connect with my true self."

"And what is your true self? Sacrificing people?"

I smile. "All I did was release them from the confines of a prison keeping them from seeing for what they truly are. You were actually a stepping stone in my journey on this filthy planet. You allowed me to find out just how powerful a human being can become when their ego and spirit are fed through the terrors of the human psyche." I tilt my head. "But the clock is ticking, Dr. Ryan."

"Glad I could help then," she says, the corner of her mouth twitching. "Although I don't see how anything of what you just said has any relevance to the fact that you gutted your friends like animals."