Page 33 of Haunting Phantom
She flings open the door, wide-eyed and terrified when she takes in his disheveled hair, the look of fear in his eyes, and the blood crawling down his arm like lava creeping down the faceof a volcano. It’s almost two in the morning; I’m pretty sure she wasn’t expecting to have a bleeding biker on her doorstep this late.
“Goodness, are you okay?”
He lets out a breath. “Pretty sure I’ve been shot.”
“Come in,” she urges, looking around her door to see if anyone is near. It’s then I realize she’s looking for Angus, who suddenly appears at the base of the stairwell encased in shadows, his red eyes glowing as his grin spreads.
“Did you miss me?”he hisses.
“Go away. I got more important things to deal with than some old stalker who’s obsessed with a girl far too young for him.”
He smirks.“She’s done nothing but think about me since the last time we saw each other. It’s glorious. I’ve never felt stronger. The more she thinks about me, the closer I get to her door.”
Guilt seeps in for about two seconds until I realize she’s shut the door, keeping me from coming in again.
“Goddamn it, you distracted me. Now they’re alone inside, and I don’t even know if he’s okay.”
Angus keeps his distance as shadows dance around him like they’re there to play.
“Let me ask you something, Angus. How’s the shadow life treating you?”
He laughs.“Never better.”Though it comes out struggled and a bit ragged. He coughs, the redness in his eyes fading to blue and then back to red again.
“Was it worth it?”
He cocks his head to the side.“Was what worth what?”
“Selling your soul. Was it worth the price?”
His eyes narrow.“You think I’m one of the Dark Ones?”His voice commands the hallway.
“Um, yeah. You’re part shadow, and your eyes are red and all evil like.”
He smirks.“You don’t have to become one of them to feed off their energy. Sometimes, all you have to promise is that you’ll keep them fed.”
“And how do you expect to do that?”
His shoulders slightly lift.“I’m what they call a soul collector. I keep what’s left of my soul, and in return, they don’t fully consume me. They’ve been watching you, Eve. They can see the darkness inside of you just waiting to burst out.”
“No thanks, I don’t want to be like your neighbor and be lost and wandering.”
Angus steps closer.“Did you really believe that story, Eve? Did it tug at your heartstrings like the story about my wife? Well, let me tell you the real story. That girl wandering 45B… she’s dead because of me. She was my first taste of sweet, young pussy. She was too young and naïve to see anything other than an old man looking for some help to lift a box. I remember her screams when I pulled her into the pool house,”he whispers, licking his lips like he’s tasting her.“I remember her taste.”He takes another step towards me.
“There’s nothing I don’t remember from that night. That lock of hair I kept in my pocket. That smile I carved away when she realized I wasn’t going to let her go. She was so accommodating that night. Her little pleas, begging me to let her go, only made me want her more. I never meant to kill her, just to take what I wanted and leave her be. But that was before she tried to hurt me. I couldn’t let her go after that, not after all that time I spent tracking her movements, watching where she went, making sure that stupid boyfriend of hers wasn’t home. Disposing of her body wasn’t easy. Nobody here ever sleeps, but I did it. Much like the others that came after her. When my wife found out about my little… toys. I had to get rid of hertoo, snuffing her screams with a pillow until I’d stolen her last goddamn breath. Such a hateful woman she was. Didn’t even give me a chance to be happy.”
He takes another step towards me, but I crowd myself up next to Autumn’s door, making sure he can’t cross the boundary lines she has in place.“You’re psychotic.”
He laughs victoriously.“And yet, it took my death for me to be found. Do you know why the Dark Ones keep me alive, Eve? It’s because I was already dark before my death. My soul was sold long before their existence. Autumn was supposed to be the last, but my heart gave out on me before I could get to her. Pity. Because my unfinished business probably never will be finished, especially now with your boyfriend protecting her.”
“He’s not protecting her! He’s—”But my protest dies in my throat, because the second I whip around to look in her living room, I’m met with the most horrific sight I’ve ever seen.
Him…
Her…
Their lips moving together as one.
Angus smirks.“Guess I’m not the only one who can’t resist her. Face it, Eve. You have two options. You can either fight for your man, and keep her from stealing him away from you, or you can just stand back and watch him forget you even exist. Either way, the war to win Phantom’s heart won’t be easy, and whatever happens after, I’ll be here to collect what’s left of you. Whether that be a woman scorned and lost in shadows, or a miserable bitch who deserves the descent the Devil has in store for you.”
