A Slayer's Tale

--

Constable Forsythe sat in his office, behind his large desk. His working space was littered with files and evidence from a half-dozen different cases. But what held his interest now was his latest case: one Larissa Colmes. Quite frankly, it was the most gruesome scene that he had ever witnessed. But in his capacity as acting Watch Commander, he had behaved incredibly well under fire.

His current role as Commander of the Watch came about by the inexplicable disappearance of Detective Gruden. Noone had seen or heard from him, in the entire time since the discovery of the girl's body. He had been scheduled to report in this morning, but had never come to the station. After sending a man to his home, the message came back that there was noone there either. Not even a trace.

Now, being the next in the chain of command, Forsythe found himself in charge. So, he sat dutifully at his desk examining one of the few pieces of evidence that they had been able to salvage from the scene. It was a small box, sized just so that it could fit perfectly between the palms.

Its six sides were lacquered in black and gold. His reflection, which was distorted and scattered along its surface in the areas of gold ornamentation, stared back at him.

Absentmindedly, he ran his fingers along its surface. Then, shaking it slightly, he heard an almost imperceptible rattle from inside. It was a puzzle. How very interesting. He ran his fingers along it again, grasping for any clue as to the secret of its solution.

It seemed that the more he explored the box's mystery, the more he was drawn to do so. Strangely he was entranced by it, every pull or tug leading afresh into new possibilities and curiosities that he wished to experiment with.

Over the course of the next hour, he became so intent on solving the puzzle box that he did not even notice the faint sound of the music that began to emanate from it.

--

The demon stood in the front foyer of the Slayer's home. He looked from one corner to the other, surmising his surroundings and drawing in a perception of the current Slayer.

He held one servant in his grasp already, his grip on her throat silencing any possible complaint that might have been uttered from her. The serving girl had been the only one to hear his entrance into this reality and had mistakenly come, out of plain curiosity, to the greeting area to ascertain the source of the sound near the front doors.

Now she was held in the grasp of death, the demon's hand digging into her throat. Her head was swimming from the lack of oxygen from the unknown being that now held her.

-

When she had first entered the front room, intrigued by the sound of someone mustling about, her first reaction had been dumbfounded silence. It was as if she had entered another dimension. The room that she knew and had been in at least a hundred times no longer existed.

What now greeted her eyes was a display of darkness, which gave way to the menacing figure in the center of the scene. She became aware of the sounds that echoed around her, at the same time that the visual acuities had become apparent to her. It was a theater of pain, plain and simple.

Gone were the hardwood floors, the alabaster table, and padded chairs that normally sat a short distance to the left of the receiving area. The fine tapestries and velvet curtains were gone as well. What was now in it's place was a dank void. Blackened walls and floors that were bare and wet with an undetermined substance that oozed in droplets from an unknown source.

From the ceiling hung intermittent chains, each tipped with either a razor or large barbed hook. They rattled with an almost fixating melody, apparently caused by the slight wind that was blowing through the room even though there appeared to be no windows.

The room was illuminated by a faint bluish light, which while giving a repast from total darkness did little more than give outline to the gruesome beast, which stood in the center of the room.

The girl's heart beat fast, and she felt her adrenaline start to release. This caused the fight or flight response that is present in every human. The survival mechanism which was a throwback to the time in man's history when, on a daily basis, it was necessary use violence on an almost daily basis. It was human evolution's answer to aid them if the need for either ever arose.

The response that came from Jennifer was the same as would come from most any other human in her position. Flight. She turned to run back through the hallway that she had entered through, letting out a small shriek.

She was met with two glaring obstacles. First, the hallway was no longer there. In its place was a wall that was as bereft of doors and windows as the rest of the hellish nightmare that she had stumbled into.

Next, the beast was on her faster than she could move. It had grasped her by her throat and began to squeeze limiting any noise that she could produce to draw attention to her plight.

Now, when she was close to losing consciousness, the gruesome thing lightened its grip upon her allowing her to draw in a breath. A breath, which was followed by another scream.

Yes..scream! the demon said, its voice filling Jennifer with even more dread. Let's call out the Slayer shall we?

--

Faith looked up at the sound of Jennifer's first shriek. This wasn't right, not right at all. She shook Elizabeth gently.

Beth..Beth wake up! Something's wrong!

Elizabeth's eyes opened groggily, looking up at Faith curiously. When they both heard the second scream that emanated from the foyer, they sprang from the bed. Faith immediately grabbed her dress and pulled it on in frenzy.

Elizabeth, on the other hand, only adjusted her undergarment then ran to the foot of her bed and threw open the elaborately decorated chest that sat there. This could not be happening! Not in her own home. She arose from the chest holding a double-edged sword and ran toward her chamber door with Faith closely behind.

--


At the foot of the stairs Elizabeth stopped dead, frozen in shock at what she was witnessing. Her living area was gone and in its place was an open space that was decorated with horrific items and a being more horrible than any that she had ever faced.

Faith looked over at her, now feeling a certain amount of fear now herself. She looked from Elizabeth back to the demon, which held the young girl with a certain confidence on its face. What she could ascertain of its face to better be said. Its ritual disfigurement marred its features into a mask of constant horror. But from what the two of them saw of the intermixing of its features, it was most certainly not afraid.

Acolistes smiled up at them, the gesture pulling its face in a myriad of odd directions. He still held the young servant girl around the waist. Its grip was so strong that she knew she would never escape, and though the demon had let go of her throat she still uttered not a word. She only sobbed uncontrollably.

Ahh, girls..so nice of you answer my summons.

Elizabeth fought down her fright and moved forward with her sword. She was stopped by the sudden movement of two sets of chain that shot toward her at the will of the dark prophet. One knocking the sword from her hand, and the other stopping less than an inch from her face, tipped with a long razor sharp blade.

Easy Slayer.. its voice was like a knife, itself. I did not come here to do anyone harm, regardless of how it may look.

He released his grip on Jennifer, the serving girl, allowing her to fall to the ground and scramble over to the staircase where Elizabeth and Faith stood at the ready. He then took on an almost serene countenance as he began to speak further.

I've only come to speak to you, Elizabeth. it said.

Y-you know my name? the Slayer spoke to the beast.

Oh yes. the creature said in a tone that could be interpreted as calming. I know everything about you.

Faith only looked back and forth between them as the banter took place.

I know that you live an existence as a slave.. she made to respond, but Acolistes raised a silencing hand, so that he could continue.

I..I..

You are nothing more than a servant. Holding more power, in your body, than most people even now, yet under the thumb of mortal men who appreciate your skills no more than an old shirt sent to launder.. he waited for his words to sink in. ..but imagine a world where you are in control, Elizabeth. Where you are the one who gives order where once there was chaos.

Wh-what are you?! Faith finally stammered.

The demon scanned the surface of this girl's thoughts also, searching for purchase. However, it found something completely unexpected. She had the power also? Now there were two Slayers? Acolistes did not flinch at this knowledge, only turned his head to her with the same slow and graceful movement.

Faith.. it said. Don't think that I don't know you either..the things that you have suffered over the course of your sorrowful life. The mistreatment and pain.. I could show you both a world that is hungry for new possibilities.

They were silent, and again the demon took its bait.

N-no.. Elizabeth said reluctantly.

You have both lived lives based on the wills and whims of others. Now imagine this.. He leaned his head back, basking in the mere thought of the darkness they could create together. Oh girls..imagine a world where the humanity that you protect, now feeds you both! Imagine that the stinking face of human existence is nothing more than a canvas and your will (for a welcome change) is the brush..That, THAT is what I offer you both..


---


After two hours, Constable Forsythe was almost ready to abandon his quest to find the box's secret opening. Then, and only then, did a chance gesture of his thumb, middle, and little finger offer some encouragement. A part of the box slid free, giving way to the revelation that the inside of the box was as oiled and polished as its outside.

Each pull and half twist led to another clue, and to the next. The way this miraculous device had been created to open. Forsythe was fascinated.

Finally, after ceaseless and enamored attention upon the puzzle, he heard the audible click.

--

~click~

Acolistes heard the noise of the box's activation, as clearly as if he were in the room where it were being solved. Reluctantly he staved back from his seductive conversation with both of the young women who held the bloodline of the Slayers.

Hell, after all, is bound by laws as well. Plus, he knew that his information had been wrong. The Slayer did not have the box. It was being opened now, summoning his essence for the work of human art which the box demanded by its solving. There are conditions of the human body which open the doors to pleasure, the likes of which you cannot hope to imagine. Acolistes pointed a finger at them. Even greater than the pleasure that you recently found with each other.

It could smell the scent of sex upon them from where he stood.

Do not underestimate what the Order has just offered..


--

Acolistes disappeared, the room flashing for a brief instant. Now it was Elizabeth's living room again. What was left was only the three girls, on the staircase. Everything else was perfectly normal. Faith held closely to Elizabeth who teared up in fear, hugging tightly against the brunette. The servant girl was between them, finding some slight comfort from her trauma in their grasp.

Faith rocked back and forth, embracing the two of them and feeling them embrace her.

It's ok.. Faith repeated over and over, finding herself the comforter for the first time in her life. Ok..don't be afraid..don't be afraid.

Then she broke into frightened tears herself, at the horror that she had just seen.

---


TBC