[The Meeting]

Comments an criticisms are welcome.
I apologize in andavantage for possible grammatical mistakes.
Warning for gruesome scenes and language.

-------------

It started as a day similar to all the others.
I was wandering around the forest without any destination, searching for familiar faces, when I felt it again.

That smell.

Gunpowder indeed, and something poisoning, unnatural.

That feeling.

Being found. Being spyied, from the shadows.

This time the presence was near in a disturbing way.
I stayed still, and after, a start of the head, quick and unexpected.
Quick enough to let my eyes without pupils to see it:
an odd tail whipping the air, belonging to a bigger creature which, rapid, retired behind the forest's trees.
This time it was so close that I could do nothing but follow the shadow, the source of my paranoia from several weeks.

The beats of my butchered heart accelerated togheter with my breathing while I went through the thicker part of the wood, chasing the being which keeps tormenting me.

" I saw you ! Who are you ? What do you want ? Do you work for Them ? "

The yelled words fell into the emptiness, unheard.

Again some steps, and the creature's tail disappeared. Around me, only thick woods, which were looking quivering and unknow, bristling with blood-thirsty eyes which were spying me.

" Show yourself ! "

The desperate scream echoed in the forest.

There was silence there ... Too much silence. There were no birds twittering, nor squirrels scampering around. Even the air seemed hostile. At this stage it was impossible even getting back: I was lost.
My breath became laboured and my eyes were moving feverishly in the sockets, I was an easy prey, and I could almost hear the predators' heavy breathe on my nape.

Then, a shuffling noise, and again a shadow appeared.

Anguished, I approached it. Each step of mine was careful, measured, silent. It looked like the figure had its back turned: it had deerish features ... Almost.
The fear shut tightly my throat, I wasn't able to talk anymore.
The creature was breathing, with indolent pose.
After it moved, slowly.
The light hit with violence the right half of a feminine face. Red Hair.

" Did you lose your way, little ghost ? "

That voice ...

ARIEL.

I gasped, in a state of shock.

It cannot be actually her, that aggressive tone couldn't belong to her, neither that body ... That monstrous body, full of black quills which came out from the crimson fur, and those twisted antlers, that twitching tail ...

" Don't worry little ghost ... Luckily I've found you, right? So, now, I can bring you back to the fold, yes? Poor lost sheep ... "

She talked slowly, each single word dripping with a fierce hate.

" A-a ... Ar ... Ariel ? "

" What? Let me guess ... I don't look anymore like a little terrified creature, is that? A weak one? In need of ... Protection? "

Each single word cut him to the quick.

" I have serached for you ... Tirelessy ... Since forever ... You are alive, I knew it ... But ... What happened to you ?"

Questions kept crowding in my broken mind.

" Is that so? You searched for me? It looks like you haven't made a great work... Your dear friends ... The Angels ... Thanks to their huge pity and mercy they discharged me like garbage! I was inconvenient, right? A mortal wretch which knows so many secrets about the paranormal ... Which drank from the Lethe without being dead ... All pleasant happening that I owe to you, mighty Guardian of my soul! "

" But ... But I ... I did not imagine ... I did not want ... I just wanted to save you ... "

" I was so blind ... I trusted you! You were at that time and you are now so childish! You and your fake promises ... You promised to protect me ... You promised! All lies! You even stole my memories! YOU RUINED MY LIFE!"

" I ... "

" Do you know where I got to? Do you know where your fanatic friends send me? They sank me to the Inferno without killing me! I wandered for years ... I saw things ... Tortures ... AND IT IS YOUR FAULT! "

Her features were disfigured because of the rancor in her soul, but still I could only see the right half of the face.

" I ... I still love you ... Give me ... A second chance ... I will fix that ... Sorry ... I beg you ... "

I stumbled over my own words.

" Yeah sure, and where's MY second chance? You make me sick. You're pathetic. You're nothing but a pawn under the control of the others. You're an object. You're such a coward that you even crept here to hide yourself ... But I found you. This will be my revenge. The price to pay. "

The world fell down, crumbled. The gound could disappear under my hoves without gaining my attention. May the sun go out, and with it the moon and all the stars, there isn't any light which could save my soul, anymore.
My pitiful body collapsed on the grond.

" Kill me... Please... "

" Yeah, you'd like that! It's convenient dying, right? You don't even know how many times I hoped to die. But you ... No, We need you alive. "

" We...? You mean They ? How all this involves They ? "

" I am one of them, Balthamos. I am no longer a prisoner, I have no more rules to respect. "

Then, she moved her head, showing the left half: one antler was broken and splintered, a long scar engraved the side of the skull were the hair was cut, the ear had been halved between by something... And the eye. The left eye had something disturbing and supernatural, like it didn't actually belong to the doe ... It seemed different in size, with crimson shades and it was moving lightly, without synch with the right one.

" You are... How is that possible ? How it happened ? "

" It was the only way to get out from that hell, the only one to stop my punishment. They saved me. I'm an half demon now. I'm free. "

I was in somekind of apathetic state, a coma of the emotions.

" Demon ? They... You are called The Will Of The Abyss ... It looks like you are a slave as well, neither more nor less than me... "

" SHUT UP! I'm FREE! You are the SLAVE, here! And you'll come with me.... It's time to serve your Masters, one more time! "

" I ... Do not want ... I will not come ... "

That was my voice? So weak, so feeble ... Just a breath of wind ....

" Do you think you can chose? Pathetic, you're nothing, and you'll come with me! "

Was that a light? But it was so far away from me ...

" No ... "

" What the fuck...? Let me take a look ... "

I felt like an incandescent dagger was making its way through my brain, and I screamed with all my residual will.

" What's this shit in your head? They are names ... Names of creatures? Migisi, Leviathann, Cypher, Nat-Nat, Djinn, Bright Eyes ... "

This was too much.
A sparkle, in the darkness.

" DO NOT... STOP THAT! YOU HAVE NOT THE RIGHT TO SOIL THEIR NAMES WITH YOUR FILTHY TONGUE ! "

With a strenght that I've forgotten to own, I got up, the chest full of rage. The spectral aura around me grew thicker and brighter.
Some involuntary spasms ran through her limbs.

" After all, you overlooked an aspect ... You could be an half demon now, nevertheless, even if renegade, I am always a guardian angel ... I do not want to leave this place. Home is where the heart is, and my broken heart lies here. "

" Poor foul! You actually think that their feelings for you are ... Enduring? We'll see. Do they know that you steal memories? That you wash the undeserving evil's souls? Maybe I could pay a visit at those 'friends' of yours... "

" DO NOT DARE! I WILL PROTECT THEM! "

" Sure, like you made with me, right? If so it's coming a new army of demons I guess ... "

" STOP THAT "

White light radiated from my body, hurting her eyes.

" MAD BRAT! I'LL BREAK YOU! I'LL BREAK ANYTHING, IF NECESSARY! "

On what happened next, I have only vague memories. Blood indeed. Pain, sorrow. And quills. Black quills which were tormenting my flesh. And that face. That butchered face of her, divided in two. I'll never forget that face.

I had seen it so many times in my dreams, for years.

Now it was going to be my worst nightmare.