Willow managed to catch the items before they hit her in the face. “You can leave,” she said with amazing calm.
“Bitch,” the woman said and stomped out of the store.
Willow watched her go. “Bitch,” she muttered, then moved around the counter to put the items back where they belonged. “I hope her kids go no contact when they get older!”
I couldn’t let this woman’s treatment of Willow stand. I followed her out and grabbed hold of her car before she left. She drove recklessly, yelling at other drivers and acting as if the road belonged to her alone. I could smell the hate and cruelty with a hint of violence on her. I was curious about the violence.
I got my answer when she pulled into her garage, and I followed her into the house. Twin boys, probably around ten years old, came running. They didn’t look excited to see their mother. Instead, they looked scared. One of them had bruises all over his arm and the other was limping slightly.
“What have I told you about meeting me in the garage?” the woman scolded, making both boys flinch. “Now put on something nice. We need to do some filming to post tonight.”
When the boys didn’t move right away, she clapped her hands. “Move it!”
One of the boys spoke up. “You said we could eat when you got home. You don’t have to make anything, only unlock the fridge.”
“You can eat after filming,” she snapped. “I’m not going to tell you to change again!”
The boys stumbled back and disappeared around a corner.
Now I knew where the hint of violence came from. She liked to hurt those two boys. That ended today.
The moment the boys were out of sight, I materialized behind her. I could’ve dropped on her and made it fast, but I wanted her to know why she had to die.
She started to scream, but I grabbed her throat, cutting off the sound.
“You stink of cruelty,” I said, throwing back my hood so she could see my glowing eyes. I opened my mouth and flicked my long tongue in the air. Her eyes were wide with fear, and she held onto my arm as if she’d be able to get away. Her strength was puny, and her fate was sealed.
“I’m going to eat you,” I explained. “First, I’ll rip your soul out, then I’ll consume your flesh. There will be nothing left of you except the horrible memories you’ve left those boys. That’s the legacy you leave behind.”
Big fat tears poured down her face. If she had breath, I knew she’d beg for her life. She’d claim all kinds of things.
She would change.
Treat the boys better.
Pay me anything.
When that didn’t work, she would offer me her children. Men and women had done that before.
I’d stopped letting them beg many years ago. I was tired of it.
The one thing I did like was watching hope die. I held her there long enough for her to understand that her life was over and there was nothing she could do about it.
I put my face to hers and opened my mouth to pull her soul from her body. I could kill faster and consume the soul once the body was dead. But that wouldn’t be as painful as ripping the soul out.
The people I ate deserved to feel every bit of pain.
As her soul streamed into me, I saw a reel of images. The boys crying. The boys begging for food. For rest. For love.
I watched her slap them when they didn’t want to cooperate. I listened to her tell them they were annoying brats and if they didn’t do as they were told, she’d sell them.
Then her soul was inside me, and her empty body went limp. She was still breathing, but without a soul, her flesh was nothing but an empty shell. I stepped forward and turned to mist at the same time. Within seconds, her body was also gone.
I reformed and turned around to find both boys standing there staring at me. One of them was crying. The other one gave a pleading look and stepped in front of his brother.
“Please don’t hurt him,” he begged. “You can take me. I won’t scream or fight, I swear.”
I stared down at the boy, impressed by his bravery. I flicked out my tongue and tasted nothing but loyalty and fear.
