The Unholy Bride: In God's Name, I Kill

Chapter 13: Her Name

"That will be two hundred thirty-four dollars and sixty-nine cents, ma'am," the cashier said, prompting me to pull out my wallet for the payment.

Tip #1: When committing a crime, always pay cash.

After paying, I rushed to the parking lot, lowering my head and adjusting my sunglasses to avoid drawing attention. I loaded the bleach and cleaning supplies into the backseat, then slid into the driver's seat, started the car, and sped off toward my hideout.

Upon arrival, I immediately put on a mask and long gloves to prepare myself. But the moment I opened the door, the overpowering stench hit me, and I recoiled, gagging as I stumbled backward to escape the rotting smell that clung to the damp air. It had only been two days since Noa's death, but his body fluids were already oozing out from the cracks in the closet where I had placed him.

"Idiot," I muttered to myself when I realized I had accidentally forgotten to turn off the heater, so I braced myself and took a few brave steps forward to switch it off, hoping it would reduce the foul smell lingering in the air, knowing that the heat had sped up the decay of Noa's body.

I shut my eyes tightly and held my breath, unable to stop myself from gagging every time I inhaled. I stayed like that for a few minutes before finally opening my eyes and taking a deep breath, finally getting used to the stench. I stared at the closet, some of its parts in disarray as the man's bodily fluids inside it seeped out. The floor underneath it was also covered in blood and a thick liquid I couldn't identify.

"Deal with your action's consequence, Mary," I whispered to myself to steel my nerves, then I dragged another deep breath before pulling the key from my purse to unlock the closet.

Twisting it into the lock's hole, a crack broke the silence, but I overlooked what might happen next, making it too late for me to respond.

"AAHH!" I screamed as the closet doors burst open, and Noa's massive body crashed down onto me, knocking us both to the floor with him landing on top of me. I wiggled and screamed underneath him, desperate to get away, but it made the situation even worse as his thickened blood rubbed all over my body—making everything slippery and my stomach turning. With frantic pushes and kicks, as if he were resisting, I crawled away and vomited everything I'd eaten, still careful not to let any of it touch him so my DNA wouldn't be left behind.

I huddled in a corner, heaving, trembling, and trying to fight the bile rising in my throat, but just when I thought I had regained control, I noticed a maggot crawling on a strand of my hair, dangling at the corner of my face, tearing a scream from my lungs as I recoiled, squirming in disgust and wriggling in horror like the maggot I had just seen.

"You're a stupid asshole!" I shouted at Noa, as if he'd respond. "You were not in my plan... this is not on the fucking plan!"

Unwanted tears streamed down my face as the emotions I had sought when I killed him finally surfaced, and the vows I had etched in my heart when I pledged myself to be a nun surged, sparking a flash of conscience within me.

The Book of Exodus (Chapter 20) and Deuteronomy (Chapter 5), the 6th Commandment of the Lord states: 'You shall not murder.'

"I-I already told you it's your fault for getting yourself involved in this twisted game, but... I'm sorry," I whispered, deeply genuine, then my expression swiftly shifted into something even I didn't recognize.

My reflection in the floor-length mirror was a nightmare—my body stained with thick, dark blood, some of my hair tangled in the mess, and my eyes, once soft and fragile, now unrecognizable, staring back at me with a haunting emptiness. Then slowly, I returned my gaze to the decaying man on the floor, whose blood created a painting.

"Anyone who stands in the way of my redemption for revenge will meet the same fate as you because I'm not the bitch you believed me to be. Conscience will always be a part of me, but vengeance is only my name now."

After speaking with him, I wasted no time getting to work on disposing of his body. I dragged him by the ankle, but he was too heavy, forcing me to improvise a way to carry him. I left him for a moment to find a large piece of cardboard, just big enough to hold his body as I dragged him, hoping it would prevent making more of a mess on the floor.

Laying the cardboard out, I knelt beside Noa and began rolling his body, grunting with each movement, holding my breath as the stench grew unbearable up close. After what felt like an eternity, I finally managed to get him onto the cardboard and stood up, ready to drag him once more. Sweat rolled down the side of my face, trickling down my neck and mixing with the blood that clung to my skin, but I didn't stop. It wasn't until a deafening noise roared from outside the house that I froze involuntarily, my heartbeat pounding so hard it felt like it was about to burst from my throat.

Despite the fear and anxiety creeping through every fiber of my being, I quickly acted to control the situation. I left Noa behind and crept to the window, where I saw a red Mustang parked nearby.

"Shit," I muttered under my breath. Only my father knew about this place, but he didn't own a damn red Mustang.

Adrenaline rushed through my veins, and I was strangely grateful for it because it gave me the speed to rush back to Noa's side, lifting him with a strength I never knew I had. I hauled him over my shoulder toward the bathroom, one step at a time, but my hands were trembling violently, slick with sweat and his blood. I gritted my teeth, my mind racing to stay focused. If I lost control now...

I turned my head toward the window again, half-expecting to see someone outside. But there was nothing—just shadows and the distant sound of something... moving. I couldn't see them, but damn, I could hear their footsteps, each one growing louder, which means they were drawing closer. 

The sound echoed in my ears, thundering like a countdown. My throat tightened, and I could almost feel the blood draining from my face. They were close.... too close.

Cold sweat rolled down my skin, mixing with the dirt and blood that clung to me like a second skin. My breath hitched, and I fought to keep it steady as I tried to swallow the overwhelming fear building in my chest. But then, before I could brace myself, the door flung open, exposing one of the last people I ever wanted to see here.

"What the fuck?"