Page 23 of Hollow Nights

The rain tapped gently against the windows, creating a peaceful, natural lullaby, soothing me as I sank further into the warm water of the tub. Candles burned all around the bathroom, their candlelight soaking the thick steam in the air as the room fell into an orange, cloudy haze. I was tired, drained from crying and sulking over Axelle’s disappearance. He left me. Hereallyleft. My hand scooped the bubbles from the bath water, blowing them into the air as I sniffed, alone and depressed.

I closed my eyes, letting the warm water and bubbling suds soak into my skin as I began to drift to sleep. Ever since Axelle left, I couldn’t rest or sleep in my bed, not without him there. It felt wrong. And all I wanted to do was sleep…

Sometime later…

My dreamless sleep had been interrupted as I suddenly found myself staring at the air above the tub. I tried to move, toturn my head or move my eyes, but I couldn’t. My body was paralyzed, an all too familiar sensation.

Axelle?

A dark, towering shadow stepped into view, its eyes glowing as the candles in the bathroom began to dull, their light slowly fading. As I stared helplessly at those eyes, I realized they weren’t his. This was not my monster.

No, not again.

My heart raced as the shadow inched closer, my chest feeling as though something was sitting on it, preventing me from breathing properly. I wanted to scream, to run away, but I couldn’t. The monster made a menacing noise, shaking my soul as fear consumed me. If this wasn’t Axelle, would this new monster hurt me?

My eyes began to water as the shadowy frame began to solidify, the monster’s face and features revealing themselves to me. He looked somewhat like Axelle, only this sleep demon was larger, his horns long and twisted, branching from his dark head of hair, his skin pale orange, covered in tattoos like Axelle’s. He opened his mouth, two long, snaking tongues coiling from it as he spoke through black, sharp teeth.

“I can sense your fear, human. I can taste it in the air.” The words vibrated from him, his long black claws gripping the edge of the tub as he leaned down. “Oh, how intriguing. You can see me, can’t you?” I tried to scream, but nothing came out, his hand pushing against my chest as the air escaped my lungs. “You last demon must’ve broken a rule,” he tsked. “And now, they’ve left you all alone, ripe for the picking.” His double tongue ran along the side of my face. “I must say, I didn’t expect to find aseeingfleshbag like you. But think of how fun our nights will be.”

The monster’s claw raised the chain attached to the thick, belt-like collar around his neck, the end unattached to anything. One of his tongues dipped into the bath water, picking whatlooked like Axelle’s chain up, the metal loop fading into my chest. He yanked it, the end tugging at my heart as I felt the pain.

“I’m going to rip your soul free from the demon who abandoned you.” He tugged again, grunting. “I will claim you as my own.” The chain remained intact, hurting as he tried to pull it free. “Stop resisting,” he snarled. “I will claim you, and you will becomemyfleshbag until the day you die.”

A familiar hiss filled the room as the monster stopped, slowly turning his head. A shadow appeared, bearing a set of glowing orange eyes—eyes I recognized immediately.

Axelle.His body formed as he stepped closer, his mouth wide and snarling at the new monster.

“Step away from her,” he warned. The orange monster lunged back, roaring in laughter as he stood.

“You left her free for the claiming. I’m only following the rules,” he wagged his tail, “unlike you. Tell me, what kind of a demon kills for his human then abandons it?”

“Step away from my fleshbag.” Axelle’s voice was distorted, deep, vibrating the bathroom.

“Or what?” The monster tugged the chain around my heart once more. “You can’t kill me, demon. If you do, you know what will happen.” He grinned, purring as he raised his own chain and turned to face me. “Say goodbye to you?—”

Axelle wrapped his chain around the monster’s thick neck, choking him as the two fell back into the bathroom sink, knocking the remaining candles down. The room fell into darkness as the storm outside grew. I remained frozen, unable to move, listening to the demons as they fought.

Axelle,I cried to myself, listening to the growls and bangs of items clattering to the floor. Lightning flashed, its bright light illuminating the small room as I saw Axelle clawing into the monster’s bare back, his mouth wide, black blood dripping from his teeth. I could hear the two roaring and growling as thedarkness returned. An unfamiliar howl pierced my eardrums, something hitting the side of the tub, knocking my body under the water. My eyes stung from the soapy bubbles, lightning revealing the two monsters above me, grappling with their chains. It was terrifying to watch, my lungs screaming as I tried to breathe. Water quickly filled my lungs, my body frozen and unable to do anything but sit there and drown.

I had almost given up when a set of orange eyes peeked over at me in the darkness. My heart ached as my chain was tugged, pulling my body from under the water.

As my mouth broke through the surface, my body suddenly tensed, able to move. I gasped, coughing and gagging on the water, desperately trying to breathe as I clung to the side of the tub. Something wiggled beneath my chest. My hand grabbed the chain, feeling the links as I tried to see who it was attached to.

I pulled the chain lightly, feeling something heavy following as it stepped towards me, the sound of its heavy breathing making my nerves scream in terror.Who is it?I pulled the chain.Who is my demon now?Another flash revealed the monster before me as I gasped. I could hear the sound of a match striking as a small, fiery glow appeared in front of his face.

“Axelle,” I exhaled, relieved he was okay and still mine.

He lit a few of the remaining candles on the bathroom counter, lifting the darkness as I looked to see the other sleep demon’s body on the floor. It was covered in black blood, his flesh clawed and torn, as if Axelle had shredded his entire body. His eyes remained open, staring back at me, their glow faint and fading.

“Is—is he…dead?” I asked, gripping the side of the tub.

Axelle, covered in black blood himself, positioned himself over the demon’s body, digging his claws into its head. He grunted, pulling and twisting the skull until it ripped from the monster’s thick neck. He held the head up by one of its twistedblack horns, the monster’s faint glowing eyes dying out until only the blackness remained.

“He is now.” He tossed the head across the room as it rolled, hitting the bathroom door. He raised his head, rushing to me as his claws lifted my face. “Are you alright?” He lifted my head, moving it around as he examined me closely.

“I’m fine,” I wheezed. “Axelle,” I choked on his name. “I’m sorry, I didn’t—” His tail covered my mouth, pressing against my lips as he shook his head lightly, his white hair rustling across his forehead.

“I told you before, no one touchesmyfleshbag.” He growled the statement, causing my body to react in an unexpected way. He leaned down, tugging the chain from my chest, pulling me closer to him. “Not any of your measly humans.” His tail dragged the demon’s body to the side of the tub as its blood mixed with the water, blackening it. “And sure as fuck not any other demons. You’remine, Libra. The only one who gets to touch you.” He removed his jacket and pants, tossing them aside, his chest smeared in demon blood and his dick hard as he stepped into the tub with me. Axelle grabbed my neck, squeezing it tight as I gasped, our bodies facing one another, stained by the tainted water. “Is me.” His tongue branched from his mouth, licking up my stomach to my chest. I shivered at the feel of it, my fear morphing into hunger.

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