Scarlet Rain [completed]

Chapter Three

Next thing I knew, this old man walked into the women's bathroom. I would've let it slide except he was laughing like a madman. I didn't really know what to do.

"Are you okay?"

Trance butted in with his know-it-all attitude.

"He's obviously not. Don't you see the color of his eyes. We might have the first of our seven right in front of us. We need to find his mark."

I stared at his eyes, which were glowing with a vibrant orange. He must've noticed that I've caught onto him and lunged forward at me. I dodged just barely and fell onto my knees. Out of nowhere, the old man jumped onto my back. I collapsed under his weight. The old man started sinking his demon-enhanced nails into my scalp. The sharp points pierced my skin, and I felt blood trickle down to my neck.

I flipped over under his body and freed one of my arms. The only weakness I knew of without getting to know the man was obvious. I raised my fist high into the air and brought it back down with enough force to crack his poor balls open. A scream of agony escaped his lips. The old man curled up, and I managed to push his off. Trance was giggling to himself.

"Would it be so hard to help me out?"

"You can't always depend on my power in the future so learn how to defend yourself now. This guy should be easy. He's only an old man."

I hear the old man stand up and walk towards me.

"You got something behind you."

"I know."

I turn around in a swift movement to deliver a roundhouse kick in his side. The old man caught my leg in his hand and pulled me off my other foot. I crashed to the floor on my back. He ran his hand up my leg, looking for my mark. My other leg was used to kick him in the side of the head. I got him multiple times. 

The old man screamed in a demonic growl. A pair of gross hands pried open his mouth from the inside. I saw bright orange eyes in the dark hole. All of a sudden, a demon squirmed its way out of the old man. The host dropped to the floor like a rag doll. The demon wore a similar outfit to Trance except he didn't have a hat.

"Oh! Long time no see Mastema. How's it been?"

"Fuck off you asshole. Is she your fuckin' host?"

"Sure is. She's a charmer."

Mastema darted at Trance and wrapped his hands around his neck. Trance choked as Mastema desperately searched for something. I found a bag of old food in the trash can and whacked Mastema upside the head with it. Rotten food splashed all over his face, creating a distraction. Trance took the chance to escape.

"You really want me to go away that badly. You know...the mark isn't the only way to kill a demon but two can play that game." 

Trance whipped around Mastema and was followed with a great gust of wind. I shielded my eyes from the flying dirt and leaves. Between my fingers, I managed to make out Trance poking at Mastema with enough force to send him flying. The wind died down, and I removed my hands from my face. Trance pried Mastema from the dent he made in the wall. Mastema was out cold.

"You see Scarlet...the hosts and demons share the same mark in the same spot. So if you find the mark on the demon, you can kill them. The host will...well you'll see in a second."

Trance ripped off Mastema's shirt to expose his mark on the right shoulder. He stuck his finger nail deep into the shining, orange tattoo. Mastema blew to bits, leaving fragments of his body all over the bathroom. The old man was thrashing on the floor. Almost like a seizure. His breath became shallow gasps, and his eyes rolled back into his head. I was frozen in place. 

"Are you going to kill him or send him into a limbo? Choose for him or else he'll stay like that forever. You see why I said to protect your mark now."

I looked at Trance covered in demon guts. Then the old man on the ground. A horrible destiny this was. She turned to Trance.

"Can I get some of those long nails?"

"Coming right up."

Trance slit his wrist using his nails and black blood dripped from the gash. He casually walked over to me with a huge smile spreading from ear to ear. He used his other hand to finger paint a symbol made of his blood onto my forehead. When he was done, Trance took a step back to admire his artwork. A surge of incredible energy shot through my body, starting from the bloody mark. I saw everything through a red filter. My nails were stretching inch after inch until I had sharp talons of my own.

I stomped over to the suffering man and towered over his trembling body. A crazy laugh broke out of me from insanity. I jammed my nails through his neck. Blood squirted onto my face. My tongue collected the nearby droplets and brought back the intense flavor to my mouth. More. I took my other hand and slashed at his chest. More. Removing my hand from his neck, I gouged out his eyeballs. I needed more. More blood. More. More!

Trance slapped me across the face. I growled at him trying to ruin my fun.

"I think it's time to say good night."

He decked me before I could fight back. Trance knocked the wind out of me. My squeals for air meant nothing as I fell asleep.

Just before I was out, Trance whispered in my ear.

"One down. Six more to go."