Phantom Chained

Chapter 18. I'll return with a shovel and then it's over for you! Elm.

Just the thought of what is to come in the next couple of days makes me feel sick. My gut feeling is screaming enough as it is, although I could be imagining things.

Decline the offer? As if I have a choice!

The boy drove me into a corner by making a proposal that solves all of my problems: a possession. Of course, I justly decided that I was being made fun of so I flung the time up to half a year. Simply out of spite.

However, the boy started to bargain with the passion of a Florentine money changer in an Arabian market. This made me realise that he was serious, so we moved on to discussing conditions.

The whole fiasco lasted until sunrise. When we finally got tired of shouting, arguing and insulting each other the deal came out as follows:

One: I gain full control of his body for three weeks as long as I promise not to bring any harm to it. Changes in the social status within the human society should also be minimal.

Two: I gain full access to the memories that are connected to the body in order to successfully adapt to my new residence. The owner subsequently goes into hibernation and in no way can interfere with my actions.

Three: In return, I have to banish all harmful beings from the possessed beauty and put up a barrier to prevent any further attempts at intrusion and possession.

The boy's sense of guilt surfaced at the last moment and he demanded that I also release my damsel. However, this was not something I was willing to follow. I told him that I wasn't exactly keen on starving but if he insisted then I would not provide any food to his body either. Having to stuff organic material into me is disgusting enough as it is.

The second option, which involved switching to another source, I also rejected.

"Listen, kid," I said, irritated from the need to explain the obvious. "To catch another chick, I'll have to leave the body. What do you mean, 'What's the problem?' are you retarded? Outside of your body awaits me a shiny chain! The only things that protect me against these shackles are flesh and a change of identity, and even then all of my troubles will be for nothing if I merely get a single cell outside! Then, the abandoned body will fall into a coma that may or may not turn out to be lethal. Do you want that?"

We finally agreed that the girl will remain under my supervision until the end of our deal.

Maybe I won't even need the three weeks. Of course, I'll still fulfil my end of the deal; we'll make a contract using runes of the Faceless, so there's no avoiding it. But the thing that's most important, that I shiver in anticipation about is the imminent chance to exact my revenge against Clara!

The first chance I get, as soon as possible... Oh, the things I'm gonna do! I will come here, to this grave, bearing a shovel, acid and maybe even some napalm. I'll dig up the wretch, dissolve her and burn the rest to Hell! If I find some explosives for good measure...

Oh, I definitely will.

How exciting it is to even think about it, how sweet!

It's finished, Clara! Do you hear me, you bubbling bitch? You're finished!

I can actually hear the quiet bubbling from within Clara's flesh sack which grew over her bones over the last few days, taking them in and swelling like a monstrous placenta. Now, she takes up all of the half-rotten coffin, boring deep into the soil with silvery tendrils of mycelium, sucking in nutrients that are needed for a developing body. I admit I'm more than a little curious; I've come up with numerous guesses on how this will turn out. Oh, if it wasn't for the chain...

I haven't got a clue how far the process inside her has gone but it doesn't matter, it's time to destroy it once and for all. I can't take any more risks, every hour counts.

And then...

Freedom! An escape from this chilly edge of twilight where I foolishly travelled to admire the celestial sheets of light under the name of Aurora Borealis.

I want to return home, to my dear to heart Italy; drinking cocktails from the sounds of rain amidst the ruins of Pompeii, singing along with Neapolitan street musicians, getting drunk on the languor of young beauties spread out on hot sheets, illuminated by moonlight, with the sound of waves crashing against the cliffs of Sorrento in the distance.

Sul mare luccica l'astro d'argento.

Placida è l'onda. Prospero è il vento.

Sul mare luccica l'astro d'argento.

Placida è l'onda. Prospero è il vento.

Venite all'agile, barchetta mia,

Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia,

Venite all'agile, barchetta mia,

Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!*

How have I missed you!

*(Elm sings the Italian song "Santa Lucia")