Page 6 of Forever Midnight

“Very.”

“Let’s eat.”

The two of us walk down the block calmly while Henry runs, panicked, trying handles on closed stores in desperation. When he reaches the end of the street, he looks both ways, deciding between the drug-infested homeless camp on one side and the abandoned factory buildings on the other. He chooses poorly, heading for an abandoned building.

“Like shooting fish in a barrel,” I muse as Eros chuckles.

We pursue Henry, catching up with him easily as we slip into the building he entered. It’s so dark that a mortal would have difficulty navigating the space, but we aren’t mortal. I sniff the air, finding the scent of fear easily. I point up and Eros nods.

We take the stairs silently, Henry’s rapid heartbeat leading us straight to him. I find him crouched behind a massive stone column, his back turned to us. He has no idea we’re so close to him. I approach him in stealth mode and whisper his name when I reach him.

“Henry.”

He screams, tearing off again. Looking over his shoulder, he misses the column in front of him and slams straight into it, knocking himself back. Eros laughs while Henry scrambles up again. I push off my feet, flipping through the air and landing directly in front of him.

He stops suddenly, shock and horror all over his features as he tries to run again. I’ve had enough fun, so I grab the back of his jacket, swinging him around and slamming him against a brick wall.

Henry grabs his ribs. “Please. I’ll do anything.”

“You’re negotiating for no reason, Henry,” I say. “I was hired to do a job. It’s nothing personal.” I exhale, revealing my teeth. “But thanks for the cat and mouse game. It was fun.”

“Shut up now, Henry,” Eros says. “You’re boring me.”

Henry’s expression crumples. “You’re gonna kill me?”

“I thought that was obvious by now,” I say, twisting his collar in my fist. “Goodbye, Henry.”

I tear into his neck, delighting in his screams as he claws my shoulders. Eros strokes the man’s hair back off his sweaty forehead, offering strange comfort.

“Shh, Henry. It’ll be over soon,” Eros coos. “All of it. No more struggles.”

“I…I need a priest,” Henry struggles to say. “Last rites.”

Eros smiles. “I’m afraid even a priest can’t save you now.”

Eros joins me, biting into Henry’s arm. His blood is tinged with fear and sweat, doused in stress hormones, and unfortunately for me, filled with pain, misery, and bad deeds.

With my gift came the ability to literally feel my victim’s emotions and see their memories for as long as I feed and they still live, and Henry is one massive piece of shit.

Repeated images flash across my mind of the many women Henry has abused, his poor treatment of the sex workers he hires, and the many petty crimes and thefts. The final image as I drain his life force is Henry beating an old man while a woman watches on, crying and screaming for Henry to stop. His father. He beat his father to death.

Finally, the images stop as Henry’s lifeless body slumps against me. I release him, pulling my teeth from his flesh and shaking my body to rid myself of those terrible memories.

“Kind of tasted like ass,” Eros complains. “And not good ass.”

I laugh, nodding in agreement. “Yeah, not the best meal we’ve had, but at least our work is done.”

“Yeah. Was his inside dark?”

I nod. “One of the worst.”

“Sorry, my friend.”

“It’s okay. It makes his demise even sweeter. Want to clean up and get out of here? I could use a drink.”

“Let’s do it.”

After a quick photo for proof requested by the client, Eros and I make quick work of dismembering Henry, preparing to scatter the parts in nearby wooded areas. The city’s wildlife will take care of the rest.

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