Page 64 of My Hunger, Your Soul

“You’ll regret this. If I don’t get back home, people will be looking for me,” Tim says.

“But they won’t be looking here as I doubt you’ve told anyone at work about your secret little mission, have you, Timmy?” I say, a step ahead of him. There’s no way this guy has told anyone, as he knows they would try to stop him. I bet he’s even lied about his whereabouts.

“Where's my daughter?” he shouts from the floor.

“Will you shut the fuck up about your daughter? She’s back at her college house with her friends, dickface,” Lev says, and it's true. Simon dropped her home and left to come back to Grinston straight after.

“We only threatened her to get you to fall in line, Tim. You should’ve just walked away and forgotten about us. But here we are. And now you will have blood on your hands by involving this piece of shit who you had working for you,” Dima says.

“Let him go, please. I’ll stay, just let him go,” Tim begs.

“I can’t do that,” Dima says, and looks over at Lev who subtly nods. It's time to work.

“Doe, you wanna go first?” Lev says, gesturing to Kane.

“What do I do?” Aaron asks, and Kane lets out a booming laugh.

“What do I do?” Kane mocks in a high pitched voice.

“How pathetic. He’s super scary, guys,” Kane says, continuing to laugh. This guy has lost his mind. I’m about to smack him around his face but Aaron beats me to it, rushing over to Kane and stabbing him with his knife into his thigh. Kane groans in pain, but tries to hold it in. Aaron kneels in front of the chair and gives Kane his best Joker smile.

“Pathetic? I’m not the one strapped to a chair, about to die, cuntface,” Aaron says, his giggle that follows sounds manic. This is the Aaron that resulted from trauma and this is the Aaron that needs to be fed to keep the demons at bay. I’m so proud of him right now, and the way Lev is watching him, he’s proud and turned on by his little monster.

My body begins to vibrate as we all watch Aaron stab different parts of Kane’s thighs, before moving on to cutting his face. This is what I fucking live for. There’s a distinct smell when you do work like this, the sharp stench of blood coats your taste buds in the metallic flavor as if you have just licked the knife clean. The smell of pheromones, you can genuinely scent the fear in the air like it's a solid thing. It encapsulates me, opens up that part of my mind where anything is possible, making me want to open their bodies and play with the parts I find inside. To touch the sticky warm blood as it pours from open wounds. I want to bathe in it. Enjoy the euphoric power of being the executioner. The decider of death.

“I want to watch Ivan kill him,” Aaron says, and I remember our conversation weeks ago where he said he wanted to watch. To see the true me. He doesn’t mean it in a sexual way. He wants to witness the art, feed his curiosity.

“Ivan?” Lev says, and I go over to my bag that's stored against the back wall.

“You fucking murderers! You belong in hell!” Tim screams, mortified by the little show we are putting on.

“Nobody gives a fuck what you think,” Noah says and walks over to him, kicking him in the stomach.

I ignore the commotion and pick out a new device that I’ve modified. I haven’t used it before but I hope it works swiftly like I planned, otherwise it’ll be a chore.

“Is that a pizza cutter?” Dima asks, his nose scrunches in confusion.

“Not just any pizza cutter, I’ve had it upgraded. The wheel is a thin blade. The sharpest thing you'll ever see. This fucker cuts through leather like butter.”

“Cool,” Lev says, walking over to it to have a look.

“You’re so fucking weird, Ivan,” Dima says.

“Kaney boy, do you know how lucky you are to be the first to christen this bad boy?” I say as I show Kane the pizza cutter. He’s not so smug now and is quiet as his head lolls to the side. I think it's the blood loss from all the stabbing. It’s not the reaction I was hoping for as I put a lot of money and time into this weapon.

“I don’t think he can hear you,” Aaron mutters as he comes up beside me, getting a front row seat. His face is sweaty but he looks happy, lighter. Not so haunted. I knew I was right about him and I will keep rubbing it in Lev’s face after we’re done.

I look down at Kane and start to zone out as he comes more into focus. I place the cutter on his forearm and roll the blade up his arm towards his shoulder. Holy shit, would you look at that? His skin opens like a ziplock bag and he isn’t quiet anymore. The shrill screams that come from him make me shiver, I lick my lips, needing more. When I get to the top of his arm, I glide it across his chest, just above his nipples, and concentrate, trying to make the perfect line. The screams turn to gurgles and grunts and the skin opens beautifully, you can see the sinew and muscle beneath the skin. So beautiful.

I stand back and take a look at the art that my new device has created. I think it's my new fave.

“Wow,” Aaron whispers, looking at me with awe.

I smile, because this is me. Totally bare in this room right now and you couldn't stop me if you tried.

I step forward, pull Kane’s head back, and with a harder pressure I run the cutter across his throat, ending this fucker’s life. The gush of blood reminds me of a waterfall, but bolder in its beauty. I run my finger across the gaping wound as he takes in his last breath, closing my eyes while I relish the sensation of the blood and flesh that is open to me.

“I want to use that next time,” Lev says, and I turn to him and laugh.

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