What Lurks at Night

Monster

What am I?

I was a human, I had a life, I used to harbor dreams of success, and I had a family - your average, every day, abusive family. But all of those assets were taken from me. I am no longer part of society because society has openly rejected what I became, or rather what I am.

Where ever I lurk, someone ends up taken and eventually found dead. I never want to kill them, but the look in their eyes simply triggers my mind to violence. I know when they look at me all they can see is a hideous monster. So I simply return the gesture and prove that their fearful thoughts of death were not a waste after all.

I prefer couples it gets my blood pumping. The thrill awakens in my body. Occasionally I will take one and spare the other as a gift of mercy. I can't help but chuckle and grin. Their love sickens me. This world was never made for such weakness to exist. I would much rather have the boyfriend soaking in his crimson blood while the girl screams helplessly on the sideline.
It's quite sad how they place other people's needs above their own. Every single one of their lives could be ended within moments, yet they are willing to go so far as to gamble their souls on another. Pathetic.

I keep glancing anxiously at my phone. I've been waiting at the docks for my friend Josh, but now it's after 11pm and it's dark. Very dark. With no new notifications from him.
These are the same docks that many have warned us about. And the tales? Well, they seem too gruesome to be true. Why he wanted to come here this late at night, especially with rumors of a disfigured murderer who haunts the docks at night was beyond my understanding, but like always, he manages to talk me into things I don't always want to do.

I eventually gave in and started to head back, until a shrill scream echoed against the darkness. It hit my ears like someone had put nails to a chalkboard hitting my eardrums. A part of me wanted to just run for it, but another part wanted to find out who needed help. Perhaps I could investigate this criminal that was feared amongst many.

Letting out a sigh I gave in to the curious part. As I turn back around and began walking further along the docks, the hysterical cries were coming from just up ahead, sounding closer and closer, until a sudden quietness fell upon the atmosphere. My breath hitched; I went silent too.
I shifted my slow gait into a sprint to get to my targeted destination. Turning the left corner; I was now frozen still. As I felt a knot form in my throat, and unable to make a sound at the scene because before me: there was a body of a woman lying on the ground, bleeding with deep claw marks on her back.

Knowing I shouldn't have come here, and knowing whatever did this could still be around somewhere because no one would be stupid enough to leave a body lying around - not in this town.

Beginning to panic, my panicked heart, beating like a racehorse and I felt as though it would give out at any second and leave me lying helplessly on the freshly coated red ground like the woman. My train of thought halts once a deep, low growl behind me bellows eerily. I was now visibly shaking from fear as I turned around slowly to face the creature.
I am met with a man who looked like a skeleton with pale olive skin; So very pale that he looked dead. His eyes were black, and his face looked like a skull that was rotted, without having that putrid smell as he looked at me with a wide grin.

"You're very unfortunate to be here in the wrong place, simply at the wrong time...but I will enjoy causing you pain, nonetheless."

Who is this woman? Why isn't she running? Normally my victims would run as soon as they set eyes on me, but this girl hasn't...maybe she isn't scared? I started grinning, like a mad man. I walk closer to her until I'm a few feet in front of her. Looking down at her as I put a single finger under her chin lifting her head.

"Well, aren't you a brave one? Most of my victims run from me as soon as they see me. Tell me puppet, why don't you run?" I looked at her facial expression; There is fear in her eyes but also curiosity. Curiosity is going to get this little bird killed.

I look at the thing before me. It didn't make sense to call him a man seeing his current state, why didn't I run? I wanted to run, everything at me screamed to run- but I didn't. And I dared make up an excuse.

"I'm curious... as to what you are."

My voice came out soft as if a child was caught doing something wrong, my heart was pounding loud in my ears, feeling my eyes grow wide, my eyebrows raising up on my face that was most likely pale. My breathing was shaky, after all this could be the last night of my life.

Looking at her in utter disbelief, What am I? Is she serious? The absolute gall, she has is downright amusing.

"What am I? well my dear, I am a monster. The kind parents tell to their children, so they stay in their beds, but unlike those monsters made up of tentacles and horns, I am very much real." My brother would like this girl. Humans like her are rare. The ones that don't run from you, while screaming at the top of their lungs. The ones that dare take steps towards you until you are face to face. Those humans are what thrill my brother and me.

The humans that are brave and don't know what common sense is, the ones that don't have survival instincts where it's only fight and no flight. Those humans are what we live for, ones we will keep alive for a certain amount of time because it gets dull when you meet the same human that runs from you, that screams at you and then runs off crying 'MONSTER!!!'.

Those humans, I will gladly kill without a second thought because they make me sick. Perhaps I won't kill this one...yet. I'll let her live for a certain amount of time to entertain me until I get bored with her, and oh what joy it would be to see her cry from the pain I can cause her, pain that she won't be able to endure for long.

I was wandering around the docks looking for my brother. I had just killed a young man and left his body bleeding openly on the ground. As I'm walking, I come across my brother and this girl with wavy short ginger hair, brown eyes and mocha skin. I cock my head, she wasn't running from him. How Peculiar.

     "Skull, brother, why is this girl still alive?"

I keep my focus on the young woman, there was a look of curiosity in her eyes, but also fear, I guess curiosity got the best of her, and the fact she's not dead means that my brother has taken an interest in her at least for now. I'd give it no more than three months until he's bored with her.

But I, too, also took an interest in this young woman, she is beautiful, and fierce, and doesn't seem to know fear. From the looks of it, she didn't care to know fear even with both of us here, in front of her gracing her with our presence. I smirk knowing this would be fun for my brother and me. And I began to wonder if she ever got nightmares or if she denied her body to feel any sort of emotion? Maybe she didn't or maybe she did, she just didn't want to admit it, either way, what a turn of events that this precious flower has ended up in, a fate that was now in our hands.