Page 6 of Velka Manor

Bad

Bad

Bad

A scream gets stuck, my voice stolen as I desperately try to shout for help. I claw at my throat, nails digging into my skin, pain flaring underneath them, but it doesn’t work. The world is melting away, turning into a liquified nightmare, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it. It’s all falling apart, and I’m stuck helpless in the carnage.

Cold sweats cover my skin, the sheets sticking to my body, wrapping around so tight that it makes it difficult to breathe. I kick my legs wildly, bucking underneath the heavy death sheet. They need to get off before I’m trapped and the sticky tar consumes me. A scream finally breaks free, the covers whipped away, and I fall thrashing to the ground on my hands and knees, landing in a puddle of red, warm liquid. Blood fills my entire floor, growing deeper and deeper, trying to suck me down. I pull my arms out, but the blood turns to slime, wet, thick, and sticky, pulling me back.

I slip, my face smacking against the wood floor, thick dark red covering my cheek. I screech, my mouth open wide, giving the blood a chance to invade me, a copper taste filling my mouth. Whispers of sick poison and bad blood taunt me. The blood speaks to me, telling me that I don’t belong in the world of sinners.

Sick

Twisted

Wrong

I sob, pleading with the blood that I’ll be good, that the sins plaguing my soul will stay buried.

“I promise, I’ll be good. I’ll be good. I won’t love them that way. I’ll stop. I’ll be good. I’ll be good.” I scream each word, hiccupping between with sobs. I don’t want to die. I’m finally back with them; I don’t want to die yet.

The blood believes my lies, releasing my arms, slowly turning into a shallow stream instead of a flowing river coating my floor. My racing heart doesn’t calm, though; it beats faster and faster, because as the blood disappears, I hear a creak. The hairs on the back of my neck raise, and I freeze in place.

“Hmmm, naughty little sinner, lying to the demons like that,” a dark feral voice tuts, getting closer and closer.

“Maybe she believes the lies she tells. What a foolish little girl,” a sadistic voice adds. A scratchiness in his tone sounding like nails running down a stone wall.

“No, no, no, no,” I mutter, scratching my fingernails down my face, trying to claw at my eyes.

They’re back. The demons of the castle are back.

Their footsteps get closer, stomping, making the floor shake. My body vibrates violently, and I grasp at the hissing snakes to keep my balance. Their monstrous feet make the world move as a snake bites my hand, causing a sharp sting. I whack the snake away, cradling my hand, my eyes welling at the pain, but my terror is drowned out when a sharp, clawed hand digs into my hair. Searing pain pulls at the roots of my hair, my head wrenched up, putting me face to face with one of the demons.

His entire face is melting like the room, dripping from his hollow eyes right down to his fanged, unnaturally large mouth. Letters on his forehead glow bright in a deep, dark red, saying ‘kiss me’. I recoil away from the creature, but that only makes it laugh, bringing my face closer until I can smell the burning of flesh.

“Our angel has returned home at last, but where are your wings?”

He cocks his head to the side, and his words bring them to life. A heaviness fills my entire back right before excruciating pain. My skin tears apart, the flap of wings filling the air, white feathers falling all around us.

“There they are. Such beautiful wings. I can’t wait to watch them turn black when we catch you, when you admit that you are just as dark and venomous as the demons who chase you. Our sinful angel pretending to be good,” the other evil creature says, laughing cruelly.

He grips my chin, forcing me to face him in the other’s grasp. Neon string has been sewn over his black void eyes, creating anX over both. The same is all over his mouth, with slits so he can speak, blood dripping down his chin. I forgot how terrifying they are.

“You know the rules, little angel. You have an hour to run through this castle and find safety,” Neon demon says—not that I need to be reminded. I know this nightmare well.

“And if you don’t,” Kiss-Me demon continues, “then you will be all ours.”

His tongue extends, licking from the bottom of my cheek all the way to my eye. I shiver, repulsed at his action and the way it makes me feel. His cold, hollow laughter echoes through my bones as he licks up the other side to match.

“Stop,” I plead, hating myself and them.

“Poor little angel, always denying what she wants most,” he taunts, dragging his claws on my neck and chest.

I struggle in their grasp, trying to pull away. They cackle once more, dropping me to the ground. I fling my head up to keep my eyes on them, crawling backwards, scurrying away. They laugh maniacally, never taking their gaze off me. The liquid tar moves across the room, slipping past me, crawling over the walls and ceiling, joining them, making them grow taller and taller.

“You best hurry now,” Neon says, gripping Kiss-Me’s shoulder, holding him in place.

Kiss-Me’s melted jaw unhinges, black shadows flying out, racing in my direction as he roars, “Because we’re fucking famished.”

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