The Collection Of Murders

Oh, Lighten up!

I was told that these woods were haunted, plagued by a beast no other has seen before. When the beast would stalk their 'prey', the air around them would cool, and they would feel an uneasiness. But after that, there was no existing record of the beast. It is thought that the victms of the stalking were killed, executed. With fear in my heart, I decided to traverse through these unnaturally dark woods.

I will say, I am a pretty good fighter. I had a rifle with me, just in case the beast attacked. Surely, nobody could take a shot from this one. I also had enough food and other supplies to last me through the whole travel. The beast would not take another victm, not today.

I felt the air cool unnaturally cool after the first hour. Maybe it was a denser part of the wood, making natural heat unable to penetrate the long and intertwining branches. Maybe, it was the beast, stalking me. I looked around for any signs of this, but found none.
I decided to settle down for the day.

Cautiously putting down my belongings, I held my rifle in hand at all times. The beast would not take me as the next victm.

However, as the day came by, I started feeling tired. I could not help it- I was on edge, and that made me use a lot of energy. Once or twice, a heard a faint rustle. However, I shrugged it off as a nut creature, gathering its food. How wrong I was.

A sudden flurry of footsteps made me snap to attention. Terrified, I took my rifle in hand, and shot. It made contact with something that was definetely not a tree. There, staggering into view, was the face of the beast.

This dissapointed me. It was no beast, but a normal person. The bullet had shot straight through, leaving a small hole where their blood dribbled out slowly. Their eyes met mine, a terrifyingly blood red.

"you reaLLy thInK that wILL stop me? you aLL get dumber every tIme."

I was mortified. How was he talking, moving, advancing closer to me? Closer and closer, I was backed towards the fire. Maybe I could fake them out-

I was met with a sickeningly painful strike to my lower abdomen, or my hip. I screamed in agony, the pain of not one, not two, or three or four, but five blades, splattering my blood on the neat grass. I tried to shoot again, but he struck with his other hand, my chest. Just enough to keep me alive in pain, but enough to be able to bend my will. The blood ejected onto him, though he did not seem to mind, or notice the blood staining their clothes. I was already feeling weak. He then, proceeded to push me back, closer towards the fire. He laughed maniacally.

"oh, don't LooK so grIm! LIghten up, my frIend!"

I was terrified beyond description. They were still bleeding through the stomach, though it was not a large puncture wound. Their mattered black hair seemed to reflect the madness in him. I could, however, no longer worry about that. I was in danger of meeting death, too soon.

"say hI to death for me."

Surely, he wouldn't do it-"

I was met with such pain, such monsterous pain as i was released from the blades, and forced into the fire. I screamed in pure agony, a scream with so much pain, and fear mixed in that I believe I scared myself. I felt the fire, licking at my body, burning off my skin, trying to curl its body into mine, to scorch me completely. I heard laughter, as I felt being torn apart by such a painful force. I tried to stagger out of the fire, but the blades struck me back in. The fire seemed to be fueled with my blood, desired to take everything. I fell, the crimson flame burning at everything. I survived just long enough to see my skin being burned away, able to see the bloody mess I was underneath.

The laughing sent me a goodbye as I had an unplanned meeting with Death.