Hopelessy Devoted

Chapter 17: Destruction

I never really took the time to think about how I would kill Zach, being that I'm dead and all. I figure if I want to learn how to kill a mortal that I should probably talk to someone who had. From what Daryl told me a long time ago, Fleshgaits are the natural killers of the spirit realm. He also that that many of them live in secluded dank places- in nooks and crannies one might say. The only really dank place I can think of is the town sink hole. It's rumored to go all the way to the mantle. A huge gaping whole the size of three houses engulfs a good part of the woods behind the cemetery. On many occasions Daddy had taken junk there to be devoured by the sink hole.

When I arrive, I can tell I found what I was looking for when I smell rotting flesh. Lurking down the mouth of the hole I see body masses of gooey, nearly gelatinous, grotesque flesh sacks laying against the dirt walls. When I approach the base of the hole, they turn into terribly tall and frightening skinny bones creatures with sunken black eyes and razor sharp teeth. Their nails are long and nearly curled and their flesh is in fact peeling from their bodies. It is something from a Steven King book or Tim Burton. Truly horrifying.

"Flesh...." A low demonic hum crescendos from the pit and the monsters jolt from the pit at me.

"Stop!" I yell and they seem to stand still in their places feet from me. It is as though no one has ever stood up against them.

"Such a demanding little meat bag." The larger of the fleshgaits says as it crawls up from the dirty Hell below.

"I have come to ask you a very important question."

"Oh...and what might entice us to answer your question?" Of course they would want a bribe.

"I... I am offering to you a tasty morsel. For one of you, who can answer this question properly and effectively show me how- I will reward you with an ounce of my flesh."

"Your flesh? Your flesh is worthless- how about, your soul?" The leader from before asks."

"My soul is worthless compared to others. My flesh is more supple than my soul."

"Your soul worthless? Ha. Ha! Darling- a soul as pure as yours could feed my colony of fleshgaits and several other colonies, it's so bountiful. Your flesh is dead, just as you are! Someone has fed you lies. We eat souls not flesh!" He snaps inches from my face and I jerk backwards to the ground. Sitting there, they loom over me. "Hold on a dear second...you have....ahh! You carry a child's soul!"

Fierce growls and groans pool to my ears as the deformed creatures close in on me.

"Give is your child's soul and we will answer your question."

"I could feed you my baby!"

"Yer child has been dead longer than yourself! Reading souls is what we do! Yer baby was bound to die before it came to term anyway. It never was going to know life and now it's suffering in death. Give me that soul and all is healed!"

"Yer lying! My baby was alive!"

"In some way yes. But whatever you think could happen for it now is a waste of your time and effort."

"How about this... if you help me conquer what I want- I will give you my soul. BUT! Only after I set something important in motion." The leader turns his head at this and thinks upon it.

"You drive a hard bargain Meat ball. But I will hold you to your deal. Now, what can I help you with?"

"I need to know how to kill a living human being."

"If you do that stupid girl, then your soul is tainted and becomes worthless."

"But...but I have to exact revenge on this evil being who murdered me and give his soul to someone." I stand up and the Fleshgaits glare at me, sizing me up and searching my eyes for dilutions.

"Tell you what. To keep your soul pure and clean- we will kill this soul and bring it back to you here. You transfer it to your holder and then we take your soul. Deal?" He stops his jagged hand out to me and I reluctantly shake it. The skin is cold and slimy like Thanksgiving turkey that isn't cooked well enough.

"Deal. The person's soul I need is Zach Grey's."

"Alright. It shall be done." They disappear in a blink of an eye. Closing my eyes, I place my hand on my stomach and I feel nothing. The life inside me is gone. The soul I received couldn't have been my child's. I poof home and head to the quarry. As I sit on a rock, I wait for hours watching the sunset into the blackness of night. The stars above me don't shimmer tonight. They exist merely as small beams. I wonder what my death will be like? I wonder if this golden soul could replace the soul I'm giving the fleshgaits and bring me back to life? Oh what I would give to be alive again. To be able to run again and grow old, never having to worry about anything. If this soul can restore life, I wonder for how long. Is it a day? A few years? For eternity?

I would take a day over the Between any day. Just to be alive long enough to tell my family I love them would be enough time.

But what about Daryl? It was obviously that Merle lied to me about the Baby. Maybe Daryl was telling me the truth about baby souls I don't know what to believe because this whole dead thing doesn't even remotely make sense to me.

Looking up at the sky, I close my eyes and then open them. As I do a shooting star passes over head and I make a wish.