Dead Wrong

by H L Goodnight

  The beast fell as I kept grinding his flesh and bones with my teeth. Its shrieks began to fade. It was still trying to get away but was too wounded to move much beyond twitching. I crawled out of the hole and out from under the creature.

  Black stained the snow like ink spilled over fresh white paper.

  Swallowing a last bite, I looked down at the creature. It was still alive. Its dark body shook with the effort to exist.

  I looked at Kian.

  He had moved closer, crouching nearby.

  "How does the disc work," I asked. My voice sounded different. Like there was an underlying metallic grinding to it.

  Kian looked at me without saying a word. Still unspeaking and unmoving.

  I fell into the dark blue-green eyes and said, "If you help save Alec, I am yours, Kian."

  Kian leapt down and said, "Move your dead friend over here and put a hand of his touching the box. Put the disc inside it. Put the box on the creature you want to sacrifice. Turn it on. The more powerful the dead, the more sacrifice required."

  I nodded and headed to Alec.

  Dominick was looking at me with horror. As I approached, he shouted, "No!" He held Alec's face to his chest. "Shadow demon! Monster! Stay away from him!"

  I punched Dominick lightly.

  He fell to the ground unconscious, blood bursting from his nose.

  I looked around. Sure enough, Jay had brought a small cupboard looking box that the disc fit into perfectly like an old turntable. The cupboard had a tile mosaic of a phoenix on the door.

  Following Kian's instructions, I placed Alec next to the dying beast, his hand touching the music box. I dragged part of the Shadowed Man so that it touched the box. I turned a crank as I counted to sixty. Then pressed the switch on the side.

  A haunting beautiful rendition of Mozart's Firebird came out in pings of metal noise.

  Darkness swirled as the monster bolted upright one hand grabbing for me!

  I jumped back.

  Its other hand still touched the music box. The creature whispered as its long, disjointed hands reached out to me, "Why? Why not feast?"

  It coughed as a swirling pillar of fire erupted from the music box engulfing it.

  The dark red and orange flames danced around the large beast. The blaze ate hungrily at the Shadowed Man's papery flesh as the heat from them melted the snow. It shrieked; the sounds of it dying sounding like the most joyous music. The creatures head started to crumble into ash.

  Alec's body lit with the same flames. The fire covering Alec changed and became an orange glow as he levitated into the air. Alec's eyes opened while the flames poured into him.

  The nightmare I had named the Shadowed Man burned into ash and the hungry fire lit and consumed those small bits as well. Once the last speck of dust vanished, Alec arched his back and shouted out a strange bird-like cry.

  He landed upright, covered in the fire. Wings of flame erupted on Alec's fiery form, spreading out and up. Alec had been altered, but he remained whole and unarmed. The flames and wings entered his body as he closed his eyes, but I could still see them. Resting against his back tucked in like a bird’s.

  Alec opened his eyes. His once warm golden brown eyes were now yellow-gold irises surrounded by a dark orange. His pupils widened and then shrunk as he stared at me. His face held no recognition. Ignoring me, his head moved around. He stopped moving upon seeing Dominick.

  Alec walked over to Dominick and knelt down. He gently shook him awake.

  The music box and disc had vanished. The snow was melted with a large scorch mark filling the space where the two bodies had been. Snow had started to fill the spot.

  Kian came up next to me. "Are you finally ready to know more, Dianna?"

  He held out his hand. "I am no demon. No fallen angel. And I can explain everything." He nodded to Dominick and Alec. "They see you as a monster now."

  I looked down at my hands. Shadows swirled around me, masking my red aura. My arms were soaked in various colors of blood. My stomach stayed quiet. Finally sated.

  Whatever I was, it wasn't a holy warrior.

  Grief lanced through me gazing at Dominick waking up. There was no place for a monster in their life, except at the end of a blade.

  I turned to Kian and saw his open palm. Putting my gore-soaked hand in his, I felt the desire to please him fill the misery and emptiness.

  I don't know what answers Kian will give me. If any. But I know certain things now. I am not part of the Order of St. Theresa. I am not a superhero. I am not human. I gain power through flesh and blood.

  I am Dead Red Girl.

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  About the Author

  H.L. Goodnight is obsessed with the Doctor, Starbuck, and Poe. Her favorite holiday is Dias de los Muertos. And at one point was banned from DMing Ravenloft adventures.

  She has lived in many states, but ended up in Texas after falling in love with Austin. Her two daredevil spawn and husband keep her on her toes.

  She graduated from college with a useless degree, but a few close friends.

  Her love of horror, romance, art, gaming, and storytelling have culminated in this series.

  Sweet dreams.

  Also by H L Goodnight

  Chronicles of the Dead Red Girl Book 3

  Dianna has quit Burke & Walsh after falling under Kian’s spell. But when Kian leaves town for the weekend, Dianna realized that after months he hasn’t revealed anything. Frustrated, she heads to Whisper.

  Whisper tells Dianna of a recent vision and warns her that the longer she stays with Kian the more he will drain Dianna’s willpower.

  Determined to not be a slave to her passion for Kian, Dianna seeks to solve the murder in Whisper’s vision.

  But the murder victim was closely linked with Dianna’s old flame, Roth.

  Can Dianna fight the demon responsible while wrestling with desire puling her in two directions? Or will more victims fall to the devil responsible?