He's starting to get the hint. I won't budge. "Ione. Now, don't be like this. I'm asking you cause I know you're good for it. That money your parents left you? I know you ain't spend it all on this." He finally lets go of me to hold his arms out and indicate my home. "Help me, Ione, I'm asking real nicely, baby."
The door behind us opens slowly. I know Athanasius is standing there, all 6'5" of him just inside the doorway. "Rabbit." He says darkly. "Why do you always attract strays?"
"Strays?" Chris scoffs. "Who the fuck are you?"
Backing up, I can feel as Athanasius reaches out and grabs my waist, pulling me into the house. "Athanasius Necrothys, the Veil between Worlds, The Withering, Harbinger of the Final Silence." Athanasius looks down at me and back to Chris. "Would you like the same treatment as the other fool?"
Chris holds his hands up and begins to back away. "This conversation is between me and Ione. You don't have anything to do with it."
"On the contrary," Athanasius ducks his head and steps onto the front porch. "Anything to do with my rabbit, has to do with me. I hate repeating myself, so I will ask again," He stands in front of Chris, looking down at him. "Would you like the same treatment as the other fool?"
I'm turned on. I shouldn't be. There is nothing sexy about a 6'5", pure muscle, black haired, red-eyed, tattooed, split tongue Primordial hovering over your ex asking him if he wants to shit his pants every night from nightmares or die where he stands.
"Athy," I call, stepping from the house. "Let him leave. Please?"
Athanasius grunts. "You don't give orders, woman, you know that."
Chris looks confused. "The fuck is happening here?"
"Not fucking,"Athanasius sighs. "Something much deeper, human." Turning around, Athanasius heads back towards the house. "Leave, and if you return, you won't live long to see what happens after."
"Go, Chris." I echo. "My answer is no. Do not come around here again."
"Girl," He's getting brave watching Athanasius walk away. "Fuck you and this oversized goth weirdo."
"Why does every one keep calling me that?"Athanasius growls. His lower set of eyes appear on his face. Turning around, I watch as Chris pales, his chest rising and falling heavily as Athanasius shows him his true visage. "Do I look like a Visigoth to you? You pathetic, whimpering mortal? Begging a woman for coin? Have you truly sunk so low you can't stand on your own feet? There’s nothing bold about leaning on a woman’s purse while calling yourself a man."
Chris stutters. "What are you?"
I was enjoying the moment, but of course Ms. Taylor is outside at the wrong time again, and she screams upon seeing Athanasius.
Athanasius ignores her and steps forward, the shadows lapping around Chris's feet. "I am death incarnate, the breath you choke on when the night grows too still." The shadows lift Chris from the ground, pulling him towards Athanasius. "I am the darkness that crouches in every corner your kind pretends not to see—the whisper in your bones that saysrun, even when your feet won't move." Here comes the zinger, because I knew he couldn't just leave me out of it. "And as for your precious ex? She's with me now. Screaming my name in the dark—though not out of fear." Tossing Chris on the ground, Athanasius backs up. Ms. Taylor has run inside of her home. I can hear her poodles yapping. "Now crawl back to whatever hole you came from, and take your pride with you—what's left of it."
Chris hightails it back to his car, which sputters to life and peels away nearly taking out my mailbox with it. As I stand in the doorway, Athanasius shakes his head at me. "Your elderly neighbor has terrible timing."
"I have no idea officer," I smile at the cop standing outside my doorway. "My ex was here and yes, he had a heated discussion with my boyfriend, but my ex left." I shrug. "No violence, no assault. I would have called you otherwise."
The cop nods his head. "I understand." He sighs." From what your neighbor was saying, ma'am, I—" The cop clears his throat. "I don't know how to describe, but I'm going to chalk it up to paranoia? Hysteria?"
"That might be best." I smile and nod.
"She said he was a monster." The police officer chuckles. "What is that about?"
"He's a cosplayer." I nod. "Sometimes he tests his costumes in the yard and she doesn't care for that."
"Ah," He nods. "I see." He continues to write something down. "Is your boyfriend here? Can I talk to him?"
Now, in my mind, that would be bad. Very bad.
"Uh,"
"Local law enforcement," Athanasius comes to the door with a towel around his waist. "Have you come to arrest that woman and her foul screaming every time I set foot outside my domicile?"
"He loves Shakespeare." I blurt.
Athanasius looks down at me before continuing. "Everything is as my…lover, has stated."
"The ex, he just left?" The cop is staring at Athanasius like he's some sort of odd specimen.
