Daddy Next Door

by Tina Lee

  I needed to get away from my men, for I would only put them in harms way. It craved blood, and though I could partially control myself, I could not risk the lives of my men. And another thing, no has ever seen me transform, not even Rio, my right hand man.

  “Rio, take the men and return to base.”

  He looked puzzled. “You want us to leave you here?”

  “Yes. I will be fine.”

  “The Duo moon is out, Sir. So you better watch out for spirit creatures, especially Lugars. They hunt in packs.”

  “Yes. I’m aware. Watch out for my smoke signals. If you see it, immediately fly the dragon here with five men.”

  He lowered his brows and whispered. “The dragon? That means you’re up to something dangerous.”

  “Everything we do is dangerous, Rio.” I could feel it awakening inside me. The raw hunger eating me from inside. “Now go! And remember what I said.”

  “Yes, sir.” He nodded.

  They cleared the forest. Good. I fell back and allowed the pain to cripple me. Sometimes when it took over, I would forget everything, and wake the next morning feeling dazed and confused. I could feel the moon pulling the demon inside me, it was scratching at the walls which sealed it.

  I stripped myself naked. My transformation would only damage my garments. I already knew what transformation to expect and the amount of pain to expect, however, that did ease the suffering. The first part of the transformation were the wings. Bones pierce through from beneath my skin and turned into two huge wings, which extended and spread. Blowing away nearby shrubs and its wind whistling through the trees.

  My fingers nails grew into long claws, instruments to slit my enemies throat. Next was the most painful of transformations; The rapid growth of my bones. My body stretched as if two men were pulling my body in a game of tug of war. I had trained myself to handle the pain, but pain is pain nonetheless. My arms grew, then my chest, then my torso, then my legs. I stood taller than any man alive.

  My jaws broaden to make space for the new sets of teeth I was given. Long and sharp to rip the flesh off my enemies.

  The last of the transformation were my senses. I had pointy wolf-like ears. Able to hear even a centipede’s steps. A nose that smelled that faintest scents for miles. A pair of eyes that inferior to non. My eyes, the Teflon Supira, belonged to an old sage before the demon dispossessed him of it. The Teflon Supira now belonged the demon living within me, which made it mines.

  And finally, the demon’s gift to me on every Duo Moon was its stifling hunger. An insatiable appetite for blood and flesh, and lots of it.

  I was now it, and it was me. Bonded until the the sun rosed. I could hear its whispers speaking to me, reminding me of its need to eat. It thought I was weak. It laughed at me and my pitiful morals. It said I would never be strong, and a conscience would only hold me back.

  I could feel its power coursing through my veins. I was stronger than I ever was and ever could be on my own. I needed it, even if its whispers tormented me. Without this power, we have no chance of winning this war. I must make peace with this demon, for the sake of my people and their future.

  What is that?

  I smelled someone coming by. Could it be? It smelled like the queen, but that was impossible. I concentrated on the scent. There was only one person. The queen would never be alone in the woods. Could it be that there was another Pure human on this land?

  Its footsteps were getting closer. I hid behind a near by tree, the darkness was my ally.

  A brunette wandered while trying to understand her surroundings. She was obviously not from here. Her pale face looked of shock and confusion. She spun, as she was trying to get a sense of direction, then she whimpered and gave up. She smelled of vanilla. Why did she smell of vanilla?

  Her face revealed itself in the moons light. My heart skipped a beat and I could hear the demon laughing inside my head. This brunette…She was beautiful. Is this some trickery to lure soldiers out of hiding? Her allure had my heart racing in ways only one person ever could. And that was when I realized why I was attracted to this pure human, she reminded me of my dead wife.

  It was amused by my weakness. I could not escape its taunts. It told me to kill her. The Pure human flesh is tasty. It said. I cannot silence it.

  The Pure human took innocent steps, unaware of the grave danger she was in. She did not belong here. No Pure human has ever survived here except for the queen, and that was a mystery of itself. The brunette must have somehow entered the portal of worlds and ended up here, into a nightmare.

  She had eyes similar to my late wife too. Blue eyes that could drown you in its ocean. Lydia, is that you? Did you stumble from the heavens to seek me?

  No! I sank my teeth into the flesh of my arm. I had to snap myself out of it for I was becoming vulnerable. She is not your wife. Your wife is dead. I reminded myself.

  The closer she got was the more I had to fight the urge to jump from the darkness and devour her rich flesh. Her smelling of vanilla only made her more appetizing. I had to stop before it was too late. She didn’t belong here and would only suffer a brutal death.

  I revealed myself and immediately the brunette froze in her step. Her mouthed hanged and her breathing stopped. She looked into my eyes and looked with horror.

  “Human, what are you here?” I asked.

  Her body jump when she heard me speak. She had an expression of terror that I knew too well. I meant her no harm, but these eyes that I possessed, they struck fear into anyone who looked into them. Not many have seen them and survived. She stood there, motionless.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked again.

  “I fell into a pond and ended up here.” She finally spoke. Her voice was calming, it suited the sounds of the woods. That accent. Was that how all Pure humans speak? Melodic and serenading.

  “Ah. I see.”

  The scent of blood was strong. It wasn’t coming from her, it was further into the woods. The growls got louder as they drew nearer. A pack of Lugars were heading this way. They too had picked up on the Pure human’s scent. If she encountered them then she would positively die.

  “They can smell you.”

  “Who?” She asked.

  “Lugars.”

  If she had stuck to my side, she would have been safe. Anyone who saw these eyes of mine knew it death was near. It would be foolish for them to attack. “Don’t move.”

  Did she hear me? The motionless brunette said nothing. Suddenly, she dashed off in the other direction, running right into the Lugar’s mouth. Foolish girl. It was what anyone could expect from a Pure, they were foolish by nature.

  I had always been taught that Pures could not be trusted. They were too impulsive and often contradict themselves. If they could not trust themselves and the values they held, how could anyone else trust them? The Queen was a prime example of how untrustworthy Pures were.

  Neo humans are far superior to pure humans, in every way. We have evolved in ways they have not, at least not yet. Pures are weaklings, and should be treated as such. We Neo humans are the owners of this land, and I would see to it that that filthy pure, Queen Alexandra, is dethroned.

  Pures are seen as no more than meat, then why was a pure the queen of this land? Because of gems, that was why. At the border of this world and the next, gems are formed after millions of years of compression. These gems, although rare, are not valuable to Neo humans of this land. However, to a human, they seem to enhance their abilities to heights we have never seen before. Theorist speculated that the Pures energy balances with the energy of the gems and only then does it release spiritual energy which they could use to their will.

  I should mind my own business. I have matters that needed tending to, and first on that list was this hunger burning inside me. It was getting impatient. It needed to feed.

  I flew up a tree and stood on its highest branch. I could see the Pure running for her dear life. The Lugars would corner her, then the leader would make the kill. T
hat was how it worked.

  “Don’t get involved.” I told myself. I flew away, distancing myself from them. I was looking for a horse to kill. One benefit of transforming was that I had the demon’s wings. Flying through the sky under the magnetizing Duo moon was blissful. I could fly without end. I was free here, and my thoughts were less heavy. There were no men to bother me and nobody up here to kill.

  Lydia was in my thoughts. Her smile, they way how her nose crinkled. I remembered how she pinched my cheeks. Me, the leader of the rebellion, as if I was no more than five years old. The only woman I ever loved. I breathed a deep sigh, because I knew I could not let that brunette die.

  I quickly followed the Lugar’s scent, their vile smell blew strong into the night air. Getting involved was the last thing I should have been doing, not into a time like this, and especially me, a leader, helping a Pure. There would be many raised eyebrows.

  I arrived but it seemed my timing was way too late. The brunette lay motionless on the ground as the leader of the Lugars closed in. That must have been his easiest kill yet. Wait. There was no blood, and the Lugars were messy eaters, which could only mean that she wasn’t dead yet.

  I flew down between the Brunette and the leader. Immediately the Lugars in the circle began howling until the leader howled to silence them. She was lucky the Lugars like to boast with their food, or she would have been gone.

  Was she sleeping? How could she do that at time like this when she needed to hang on to her life. Pures are really a mystery. She was even more beautiful up close. Everything about her seemed gentle and fragile.

  I turned to the leader of the Lugar, making sure he saw my eyes, so he knew exactly what I was capable of. He made no attempt to retreat and leave the girl. He was determined to feast on a Pure.

  He knew that he, or his pack were no match for me, yet, he refused to run away for his life. Lugars were proud creature, and they would carry that pride to their death. He howled and all the others howled, showing their loyalty. The circle of Lugars got smaller as they drew closer, preparing to attack from all possible angles.

  The Alpha Lugar never took his eyes off me, staring death in the face with no fear. If it was a honorable death they wanted, then I would give it to them.

  I had two options: take the Brunette and fly away or fight the pack of Lugars. The problem was, I didn’t trust myself with the first option. It was speaking inside me, craving for her flesh. I was afraid of touching her, not knowing if I could control myself. Her scent was so strong from this distance, and I felt ashamed knowing my mouth was watering. I needed to eat, to calm the whispers inside me. If not her, then them. They had it coming.

  I saw their movements before they thought about it, predicting their every move. These eyes of mine reveal all. The Teflon Supira had no equal. The pack of Lugars all leaped in Unsion, aiming to kill me in a single blow. With a single flap of my wings, I sent the pack flying in all direction.

  The leader charged, thinking I was distracted. I could hear his heavy breaths, proving that he was not immune to fear. I respected the animals of the land, and because of this, I would make it quick. In this land, it was kill or be killed, and with no hard feelings. My claws ripped off his head with a single swing. Quick, with no pain at all.

  The pack came charging, avenging their leader. No longer could I ignore the hunger inside me, and with great shame, I feasted on all of their flesh. With every tear of the flesh and drink of their blood, I could hear it laughing inside me. It was pleased, however, its hunger was not quenched.

  It wanted the flesh of the Pure, which I could not allow. She was so beautiful under the moon light. I watched her chest rise and fall, knowing that every breath that she took from this night was because of me. I took comfort in that, knowing I did good, so I could try to forgive myself for the massacre I had just committed.

  It was better to leave her here. I needed to distance myself from her until the sun rises, and I return to my normal state. She was safe there. The scent of Lugars blood was strong in the forest, a warning sign for all the animals here, they would never venture in these parts.

  I looked once more at the sleeping brunette and flew off. I would return in the break of day.

  Kitara

  I woke up at dawn to the most gruesome sight of my life. There was blood everywhere! The ground was washed with red and terror lingered on the faces of the dead Lugars. Beside me, with its eyes wide opened and throat slashed, was the leader of Lugars. Whomever his opponent was last night, he stood no chance.

  The rest of the pack had their heads decapitated and scattered all over. Some of the ripped and crushed bodies had bite marks from when their killer bit into their flesh. I managed not to puke out everything I had inside, for I would need it. My eyes were seeing everything but it took a while to register the horror being displayed before me. I wanted it to be a dream so bad, I wanted to shut my eyes so tight that when I opened it again, I would be in my dorm looking up at my Brad Pitt poster and Jennifer would be sleeping in her bed next to mine.

  My mind took awhile to settle, and when it did, I accepted that this was not a dream. This was very much happening and if I am going to survive this; I must accept that fact. I was certainly happy to be alive but I could not help but feel sorry for those creatures. As my Biology professor once said; The weak are meat, and the strong do eat.

  “I see you are awake.” A voice came from somewhere. I looked around and saw no one.

  “Up here.” The voice said again. I looked up into the trees, and there I saw a man standing on a very thin limb looking down at me. He jumped from the trees and landed with such elegance, making barely a sound. How long was he watching me? He was human, and in that fact, I found a bit of comfort.

  I did not know who he was but I was really happy to see him. I had finally found someone that was not trying to kill me, or so I hoped. He was tall and muscular like those frat boys back home. The very thought of them made me scoffed. He had long dirty blonde hair which he flicked behind his ear. His jawline was so sharp that I bet it could cut diamonds, and little above the end of his perfectly chiseled jaw was his blood red lips. He was devilishly handsome and surely a man that perfect was up to no good.

  “Did you kill all these Lugars?” I asked.

  “No.” He said calmly. He took a bag from around his bag and threw it on the ground in front of me. “Eat.”

  He looked at me with his bright amber eyes, waiting on me to follow his order. “Thank you.” I said. The bag was filled with fruits that I saw last night. “Are you sure these aren’t poisonous?”

  He bit into one of the fruits then swallowed. “It’s safe.”

  I devoured them swiftly, which came off as unladylike but I could not stop myself. I surprised myself with how I handled the fruits. My hunger was taking over and I surrendered to the savage behavior. They tasted a bit bitter, which left an even worse aftertaste. I tried not to look at the severed heads as I ate, throwing was not an option. He watched me while I ate, like I was an exotic animal eating at a zoo.

  “We should go before they start to stink.”

  “Where am i?” I asked,

  “I will explain on the way. Let’s go.” He turned and walked, I grabbed the bag and followed.

  He walked at a steady pace, he didn’t tire or stop for any reason. I dragged myself slowly behind him, at a distance. My feet hurt and I was really thirsty. I ate one of the bitter fruits only when I needed to quench my thirst. I only had a few left and I had no idea where he was taking me.

  We didn’t talk, or say anything at all. I got the drift that he was not a friendly person, he barely had any expression, maybe he’s a robot. That was actually a quite plausible assumption given the things I have seen here. He wore an interesting coat, it was long and red and was made with what looked like Snake skin. On the back, there was a large feather stitched in gold, it was a symbol for something. My guess was; he was a part of some military, his golden sword which hid under the coat, his thick b
oot and black gloves also supported my suspicion.

  After about a mile, we were out of the woods and into an open land. We were now under the clear sky and were feeling the true wrath of the unforgiving sun. I think I was fortunate that unlike the moon, there was only had one sun. On the bright side (No pun intended) the land was breathtaking, to the right of us were tall, purple flowers dancing in the wind and the flowers whistled a serenading tune as the wind brushed them.

  I broke the silence. “How do I get home?”

  “The pond from which you came.” He answered.

  “So why are we heading away from the pond?”

  “The portal in the pond is closed. It is only open twice per month, that is when the Duo Moons meet and when the Duo Moons part ways. You came through while the moons met, in a week time you will able to use the portal when the moons separate.”

  A week, okay, don’t panic. I will survive this. Breathe. “What is this place?”

  He turned and looked at me, and in that moment, the wind blew his flowing blond hair and i saw the sun hit his bright amber eyes. It ignited like a beautiful fire, so fierce and mesmerizing. “This place is a bad dream. It’s where great evil resides and a girl like you should not be here.”

  “Trust me, I do not want to be here.”

  “The portal will open in a week. I will take you there.”

  “Thank you. I’m really happy you came along.” He seemed indifferent to my appreciation.

  I could see houses in the distance, about half a mile ahead. It was a good thing too, because I did not have another mile in me. I had wanted to ask for his name but his attitude felt so uninviting. He never smiles. “What is your name?”

  He took a while to consider if he should answer or not. “Dante.”

  “Im Kitara.”

  He was hot, so it was only natural that I fantasied about him during our long walk. Nothing serious. Just me being silly. I didn’t want to, believe me when I say that, but it just happened. He showed no interest in me, he ignored me and somehow that attracted me. I always thought that these things only happened to girls with daddy issues, but his complete disregard for me made me lust for him.