Part 5: Wrath
"This is ridiculous! I want to speak to your manager!"
I felt my eye twitch. These blasted souls think they're so entitled.
"I am the manager ma'am. With all due respect, This was the deal you agreed to. In exchange for carrying out your wishes, your soul now belongs to us. There is nothing else I can do fo-"
"Oh, that's just great. What's your name? I want to file a complaint!"
I pointed to my name tag, my cheeks beginning to hurt because of the strained smile I kept plastered on my face. "Darius Iram."
"Well then Damien, If you can't help me then get me someone who can! Let me speak to your boss!"
Bitch.
"With pleasure. Please wait a moment."
Turning my back to the woman at the counter, I felt my smile slip off my face. With an irritated grimace, I walked into the back office and knocked on the door to the office of our oh-so-lovely department head.
"WHAT?"
Well doesn't he sound peachy.
The door creaked open and one of the poor newbies came running out, probably scared out of their mind at his outburst. Sitting at an ornate desk at the end of the room was the imposing figure of the head of our department. At the front of his desk, a neat little gold plate read the name, Satan.
"Forgive me for the intrusion sir, but a client is asking to speak with you."
"For what?"
"She's dissatisfied with having to hand her soul over to us. I explained to her that it was the deal she agreed to but she's insisting on speaking with you."
Satan stood. "Well let's go meet this woman then."
When he walked passed me, I could feel all the irritation I felt earlier drain from me. It was quickly replaced with an empty sense of dread the closer I was to him. I followed him back out to the counter. He was already standing on the other side of it, right next to the woman.
"Darius here tells me you have a problem?"
"Y-Yeah, You need to train your people better! I'm not supposed to be here! Why should I have to hand my soul over? You people are-"
The last of her words never left her tongue. The only thing that followed her rant was the pathetic gurgles as she began choking on her blood. Her head slipped off of her shoulders and onto the floor. The woman's eyes remained fixed on me in a terrified stare.
It was honestly satisfying to see.
"Does anyone else have something to say about their contract?"
Nobody dared to move under Satan's scrutinizing gaze.
"Good. Carry on."
He sauntered back into his office, probably to yell at another unfortunate intern. I sighed. If I was still a human I would have quit this stupid job ages ago, but alas, I am not. So I don't have a choice in the matter.
Every day it's another complaint, another wayward soul doing any and everything they can to convince me there must be some mistake.
"You've got the wrong soul!"
"This is unfair!"
"Why do you have to take my soul?"
If it was such an issue, why did you sign the damn contract in the first place? It's not like the terms weren't explained to you. The next person in line stepped forward, carefully maneuvering over the woman's headless body.
"Can I have your name please?"
"Monique Reaolf."
Flipping through my papers I found her name on the list.
Monique Reaolf. Died at age 21.
Contract terms: To ensure her ex-lover would not find someone prettier than her, to ensure they would never be happier than her in life.
Sin affiliation: Envy
Pulling a card from the little box I kept in my drawer, I handed it to the woman with a polite smile. "Welcome to Morningstar Inc. Miss Reaolf. Please follow the arrows to the elevators and present the clerk with this card. This will let them know that you've been assigned to the department of Envy."
She nodded and rounded the corner to the elevators just as the next person in line stepped up.
"Name please."
And so the process repeated. Over and over, without rest.
"Hey, Darius! You can go for a break now I'll cover you."
"Ah, thanks."
Finally, in the cover of the break room, I let the ridiculous customer service grin that had been glued to my face all morning, fall. Slumping into a chair in the corner of the room I pulled out my phone and began indulging in my daily dose of idle scrolling.
The feud between the departments of Gluttony and Lust was still ongoing, Greed and Envy were still pulling in copious amounts of souls which inevitably meant that here at the department of Wrath, we were swamped. Sloth was still in their own little bubble and who knows what the folks over in Pride were up to. They didn't like to socialize with us "common folk" or whatever the hell they call us.
Since when was all this office politics all my life amounted to? I had lost count of the years that had passed since I died. Day after day it was more of the same. This kind of thing was enough to drive anyone mad.
CRASH
"Oh shit!" The sudden commotion outside startled me into dropping my phone. The screen shattered when it hit the ground.
Great. As if my day couldn't get any worse.
"THIS IS MADNESS! YOU THINK I'll JUST QUIETLY HAND OVER MY SOUL LIKE THAT?"
Ah, another disgruntled client I see. Walking back to Satan's office I knocked on the door.
"Another one?" He asked, massaging his temples.
"Another one," I confirmed.
"I'm permitting you to deal with it as you see fit. Just make sure to clean it up afterwards."
For the first time that day, I felt a genuine smile break across my face. "You can count on me, Sir."
"YEAH! HOW CAN YOU TREAT US LIKE THIS?"
"IS IT OUR FAULT THAT WE WERE DESPERATE ENOUGH TO MAKE SUCH A DEAL?"
"WE WERE ROBBED OF SO MUCH IN LIFE AND NOW YOU WANT TO ROB US IN DEATH TOO?"
Oh, dear. It looked like a riot had broken out. My co-worker had her hands to her side, desperately trying to stave off the crowd who were becoming increasingly irate. She was clenching her fists so hard that J half expected her claws would break through her skin. I placed a hand on her shoulder, pulling her behind me as I stepped out in front of the counter.
"It seems that the boss' little demonstration earlier was not enough to curb your arrogance."
The client in front of me flushed red with anger. "WHAT? Who do you think you are?"
I shrugged. "I could ask you the same thing. You're the morons that made the deal. The conditions were explained to all of you. It's too late to whine about it now." I began rolling up my sleeves. "But since you want to cause a scene I'm sure we can work something out."
Without another word, I got to work cleaning up. Before the client could blink, I was already behind him. Pushing my fist through his back, I ripped out his spine, leaving him to bleed out and watch as I massacred his little friends.
"Y-You think you can intimidate us? Come on! He can't take on all of us at once!"
A pathetic attempt at rallying everyone. The sight of them readying for an attack was truly amusing. Perhaps if there was one thing that I could look forward to in my time down here it would be this. I felt my cheeks begin to hurt. I didn't know what kind of expression I had on my face but I could tell from the way their faces contorted in fear that I must have looked like an absolute maniac. I could smell their rage give way to terror and it filled me with such a euphoric feeling that I couldn't help but want more.
Blood coated the walls, splattering everywhere with the force of each body that fell at my hands. It was like I was drowning in the nostalgia of the way their eyes would bulge out of their sockets when their head was crushed. We had more than enough souls coming in, it's not like anyone would miss a couple hundred!
This kind of joy was hard to come by down here. So I was going to make damn sure that I indulged in every last second of it. Moments like this almost made me miss being alive. Back then I could enjoy these kinds of games for as long as I wanted.
Back then I wasn't stuck in this ridiculous customer service charade.
Back then I...
80 Years Ago
...was a poor art student.
My mentor's art was renowned. People often said she was far too talented to stay confined to the borders of our little village. It didn't take a genius to see that she had the talent to make it anywhere. Yet despite this, she remained here. Teaching art in our rundown little school that children often couldn't wait to escape from.
"Miss Flores look! I made you something!"
Camilla Flores was more than just a teacher to us. Folks in these parts weren't exactly well off. It was tough just making sure you had enough to get by let alone provide for a whole family. Camilla was different though.
One snowy day she arrived in our village with nothing but a small bag at her side. She was dressed in a gorgeous fur coat and her skin was smooth and clean. It was obvious she had at the very least, came from money. So it confused the dreary villagers as to why such a woman would even bother coming to such an impoverished place.
She never spoke of what her life was like before settling here and nobody had the desire to pry. The only bit of information that anyone knew of her past was that she had apparently run away to avoid being forced to marry a man she didn't like and thus sought refuge here, where her family was least likely to search for her. The people did pity her but it took them a while to warm up to the strange woman. After all, we hardly get visitors in these parts.
"This looks really nice Darius! You're improving really quickly. One day you might even be better than me!"
Her warm smile was dazzling.
"Thank you miss Flores!"
It might have taken a while but everyone loved Camilla once they got to know her. She was like a ray of light in our otherwise bleak village.
"Oh! Wait just a moment!" Camilla fumbled around in her desk drawer searching for something. A moment later she pulled out a little box with a pretty red ribbon wrapped around it and handed it to me. "Here, this might help you to practice a little. Take good care of it."
I popped the lid open and took a peak inside. I felt my heart flutter at the sight of the sculpting kit.
"Thank you so much! I'll take good care of it!"
She ruffled my hair and sent me on my way. I all but skipped home that day. Pushing open the rusty gate to the complex I lived in, I made my way up the uneven stairs. At the top was the familiar discoloured door to my home. When I stepped inside, I could hear cupboards slamming. Peering around the corner, I could see my elder sister holding the cabinet closed as if she were scared that whatever was inside might try and escape.
"Enyo? Is everything okay?"
She startled at the sound of my voice "Ah-Dari you're home!" She let her hands fall, coming over to hug me. "Everything's fine."
Her hands were shaking as she wrapped them around me. My smile fell. I knew what it was.
"Another one?"
She stilled, not saying anything in response.
"Let me see."
"It's...really nothi-"
I gently pushed her off of me and marched up to the cabinets. I pulled it open before she could stop me. Sitting at the back was a neatly wrapped present with an intricately tied red ribbon. I didn't need to open it to know what was inside, but I did it anyway. As expected a neatly written note was tucked at the bottom of the box under a pretty red hairpin.
"Dear Enyo.
You looked especially beautiful today. The sun looked divine against your skin, your smile as radiant as the stars in the night sky. Every time I see you I can't help but think a sculpture has come to life. If only I could preserve such beauty forever. I find myself captivated each time I see you. What spell do you have me under? No matter, I don't want to be released from it. I found this lovely hairpin the other day. I think the colour would suit you quite well. I can't wait to see you wearing it.
Yours truly,
The Unrequited."
Enyo looked as though all the blood had drained from her body as she looked at the contents of the box once more.
"Disgusting," I hissed, ripping up the letter.
Three days ago my sister started getting these ridiculous letters. Just yesterday she started getting "presents" along with them. Nobody ever saw the "Unrequited" as they liked to call themselves but everybody knew of them in one way or another. My sister was hardly the only woman to have received such letters from them. However, she was the only woman to still be...well...alive. All the other young women in our village who had received such letters had gone missing and have yet to be found.
You would think that in a small village like ours, we would be able to find the crook fairly easily, yet not even the slightest clue to their identity could be gleaned from the presents they left behind. It was hard to pinpoint exactly when it all started. Some of the older folks mark it as a few years after Camilla arrived. Since nothing of excitement ever happened around here, Camilla arriving was probably the biggest event to have occurred within the past decade or so. So her arrival became somewhat of a time marker for things.
The older folks assumed that whoever this Unrequited fellow is was more than likely one of the less savoury individuals that lived further on the outskirts. After years of seeing the same faces day in and day out, Camilla settling in the village provided them with fresh eye candy, which inevitably escalated to stalking.
However, that theory wasn't so popular among the younger folks here. Camilla had received a few letters off and on for some time but nothing ever happened to her. It was hard to pick up on any kind of pattern. Over the years, some girls received one or two letters before going missing, while others had been receiving them for years before anything had happened to them.
At first stories of the Unrequited felt like nothing more than an urban legend. How were we to be sure that people weren't faking their letters? It wasn't like kidnappings and disappearances weren't common here either so what did it matter if a couple of girls went missing? Many of us assumed that the Unrequited was simply a legend made up by the elders to try and spook youngsters into not straying too far from home.
But as the years went on, more girls went missing and eventually, my sister began receiving letters and the urban legend theory became less likely. It was clear that someone was responsible for the disappearances, but without any kind of lead on who it could be, many people could only wait and hope that their loved ones turned out to be one of the luckier girls who at least got several letters instead of one or two before being taken.
"Don't worry. Once I make enough money we're getting out of here," I said, reassuring Enyo.
She smiled at me and sighed. "You don't have to worry about that Darius. Just focus on being a kid."
Easier said than done. Any childhood this village afforded its children wasn't exactly full of rainbows and sunshine. I watched Enyo tuck the box away with the others in the corner of an unused cabinet.
I wasn't as talented as Camilla yet but once I was, I planned on making enough money to get my sister out of this village at the very least.
4 years later
"How's this Miss Flores?"
Camilla peered over my shoulder. "That's perfect! I see you put my gift to good use. I can see how hard you've worked!"
I smiled. I had practiced day and night to get good enough to make some real money from my sculptures. Hearing her praise was worth all the hours I put in.
"I've been selling some of my stuff at the marketplace, people seem to really like it! Hopefully, if I sell enough then I can make enough money for my sister and I to move out of here."
Camilla fell silent for a moment. "You're moving?"
"That's the plan."
"How is your sister? What does she think of this plan?"
"She was against me working so young but now that I'm old enough I think it's best to push through with it. Since a lot of the young women in the village are gone now I'm worried something will happen to my sister since she's one of the only ones left. She's still getting those letters you know. It's a real nuisance. I wish whoever it was would get a life and screw off already."
"...where are you guys planning to move? This village is pretty isolated. I imagine it will be quite a long trip."
"The further the better. The last thing we want is that Unrequited freak following us."
Camilla seemed to be uncomfortable on the topic of the Unrequited. I assume it must have been because of the letters she received all those years ago.
"How about you? Do you have any plans on moving? I remember hearing that you got some letters from them as well when you first came here. Aren't you worried? I mean... I'm with my sister and the other girls have their families but you live on your own."
Camilla shook her head. "I don't plan on moving. The Unrequited did scare me at first but I haven't received any letters since the first few. I imagine they found something about me that they just didn't like. Besides, I like it here. The people are kind and welcoming, I can teach to my heart's content. With everything going on they need something that makes them forget about their worries, even if it's for a moment."
Hearing her talk about the art school, I could see how passionate she was about her sculptures.
Her eyes suddenly lit up, as if she just remembered something.
"Speaking of, would you like to see my latest series?"
"Yes! Of course!"
She chuckled at my enthusiastic response and led me up the stairs to her living quarters. It wasn't a big building and since it was just her here, she simply converted the storage area into a living area so she could teach from the same building.
"It might be a little crowded. I didn't have a lot of space so I've had to store the sculptures here with me."
Entering her room, I was immediately greeted by rows of intricate sculptures of women. They were so detailed and life like it was incredible.
"It's a personal collection of mine. I named it after...well after the Unrequited."
I spun around, unable to stop myself from blurting the words out. "Why would you name it after that jackass?"
She laughed, walking over to one of her sculptures and gently running her fingers along the side of its face. "I started making these after receiving the first few letters from them. At first, I had only made a couple to vent my frustration about not being able to find who sent the letters but then it became a way to honour all those who had been taken. I had been keeping this to myself all this time but it's nice to share it with someone who appreciates art as much as I do," she said with a smile.
I took a closer look at the sculptures. Most of them had their eyes closed. They looked almost peaceful but the longer I looked at them, the more I began to wonder what they would look like with their eyes opened. Would they still be so serene? Or would their eyes reflect something else? Maybe their eyes remained closed to hide just how horrific their disappearances were. They all had different colour ribbons around their neck. The bright colours stood out against the cold gray of the sculpture.
"These are beautiful..." I breathed.
I heard Camilla shuffle around behind me. "Thank you. I wanted to show you so that at least one person knew...that there's still someone who remembers everyone that went missing...someone who can still capture their beauty...such a thing needs to be preserved. It's a shame more people don't appreciate such art."
I remained silent. When I turned to face Camilla, she had a look in her eyes that was...unlike how she usually looked. It was almost...delirious? The longer the gazed at her sculptures the wider her smile became. Maybe it was just an illusion that the shadows from the setting sun cast on her when it came through her open window. Regardless, it was unnerving enough to make me want to leave. It was strange because I had never felt that way around her before. Maybe all this talk about the Unrequited was beginning to take its toll on her.
I decided to cut our conversation short, saying my goodbyes and heading home for the day. The Unrequited ordeal was taking a toll on everyone. That much was obvious. The sooner Enyo and I could get out of here the better.
The gate creaked open and I made my way up the stairs as I had done hundreds of times before. Except this time, something was different. I couldn't tell you what exactly it was, but something just felt...off. My pace quickened as I climbed the stairs. I hurriedly reached for the door but rather than the relief I expected when my sister would greet me, I was instead greeted with a sense of dread.
The door was open.
I pushed it open fully, cautiously stepping inside. "Enyo?" I called out.
There was no response.
My heart hammered in my chest as I looked around. The deadbolt on the door had been broken off and things had been knocked over all across the room. It was clear that there was some kind of struggle.
"ENYO!" I called louder.
Still no response.
Filled with panic and running on nothing but adrenaline, I ran as fast as my legs would take me all the way back to Camilla's studio. People had long since given up on searching for the girls who had disappeared. Once they were gone, everyone pretty much began assuming they were dead. If I went around asking for help, I would just be met with pitiful glances and exhausted condolences telling me that there was no use in searching for her, but if Camilla asked, then surely someone would listen! She was so respected in the town, there's no way people wouldn't at least humour such a request if it came from her.
It wasn't long since I had left but by the time I had reached the doors of her studio, all the lights were off. My fists pounded against the rickety doors in a panic.
"Camilla! Are you there? Please help! Enyo's gone missing!"
My voice shook as I fought back tears. This wasn't supposed to happen. I was going to get her out of here. We were going to escape this place together. She couldn't be gone!
"CAMILLA!"
No matter how hard I banged against the door, there was no response. At some point, I felt the door shift, slipping from its hinges enough to creak open ever so slightly. It was deathly silent inside like the whole studio was removed from the chaos that I had been causing outside.
"Camilla are you here?" I called out cautiously.
Still, no response. Maybe she was in her room? I quietly made my way up the stairs, too afraid to disturb the stillness of the studio. I knocked on the door to her room only to receive more silence. Getting frustrated, I pushed the door open to find it empty, save for the sculptures scattered around the room.
Where could she have gone so late? It wasn't like there were very many things to do in this town, much less any nighttime attractions. With an exasperated sigh, I turned to leave, only to run into one of the sculptures. A horrified gasp ripped itself from my lungs as it tumbled to the ground. I reached out to grab it, but it was already too late. The sculpture shattered at my feet with a loud crash.
The initial panic left me frozen as I gazed down at the pieces beneath me. Perhaps it was because it was dark but the sculpture's eyes seemed even more unsettling than they had in the daytime. I knelt next to the pieces attempting to scoop what I could into my hands but something stopped me. It was a completely different texture than the cold hard stone of the sculpture. It was coarse and long, but it was too dark to make out what I was holding. Bringing it to my face, my heart dropped as I recognized what it was.
Hair.
Human hair.
I dropped it and began feeling around at the parts of the sculpture that were still intact but before I could discover anything else about it I heard footsteps from downstairs. I stopped what I was doing and scrambled to hide under the bed just as the footsteps began to approach the room.
"What the hell!" I heard Camilla exclaim as she walked in. "Did someone break in?"
She sighed angrily and I briefly wondered why exactly I was hiding. Sure I didn't want to get in trouble for breaking her sculpture but that hair...surely there was something much more ominous at play here.
I stayed hidden, praying to whoever would listen to please let me be wrong, that I was simply on edge because of Enyo's disappearance. But as always, my prayers were left unanswered. When the lights flickered on I found myself face to face with what I had previously thought was a sculpture.
Half of its face had broken off when it fell, revealing what had been hidden inside all this time. The white, glazed-over eye of one of the missing girls stared back at me with a vacant expression as Camilla stepped over the broken pieces. Instead of chunks of the sculpture, it was merely parts that had been cast over the girl's body, encasing her in the sculpture that had broken off when she hit the ground.
"Great...just great..." Camilla shuffled over the broken pieces to check on the other sculptures. "You wait here, sweetheart. This will only take a moment."
The bed creaked as weight was pressed onto it. Whatever she had put down was at least as heavy as a person. Concluding that none of the other sculptures had been messed with, Camilla stepped back over the broken sculpture to go and get a broom. When her footsteps were far enough away, I hurriedly crawled out from my hiding spot. I thought I was going to pass out when I saw what was laying on the bed.
My sister stared back at me, eyes as vacant as the girl in the sculpture. Her chest heaved as if she were struggling to take a breath but she didn't move.
"Enyo! Oh my god, what did she do to you?"
I pushed my arms under her to pick her up. With her body unable to move, I saw her lips quiver as she struggled to speak.
"Ru..un...."
"Run? What? I can't leave you here come on, I'm taking you with me." I lifted her off the bed and attempted to leave but before I could even turn around I felt a sharp pain surge through my back.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
I fell to my knees, unable to keep my hold on Enyo, she slipped out of my hands and fell in front of me. Camilla stood over us, with a jagged shard of the broken sculpture in her hand. It was covered in blood which I could only assume to be mine judging from the warmth running down my back.
"Why? What's wrong with you? You're the Unrequited? You have been all this time?"
Camilla's kind smile was nowhere in sight. It was like a mask had slipped off and all that lay beneath it was a coldhearted monster.
"What a shame. Here I thought that at the very least you would understand."
"Understand what? You've been killing our people!"
"KILLING YOU? I'm not killing anyone. I've done these girls a favour. I'm preserving their beauty. I'm the only one who can do it."
All of the panic that had been plaguing me since finding out Enyo was gone had finally taken its toll and I began to cry. "Your mad!" was all I could manage to say between sobs.
"Mad? MAD? I'M MAD? I thought you were different Darius. I'm disappointed. To think, you're just like him..."
Knocking coming from downstairs gave me no time to question who she was referring to.
"Camilla? Are you home? We heard yelling and wanted to see if you were alright!"
Camilla was silent for a moment before bursting into incoherent screams and pleas. "STAY AWAY FROM ME! SOMEONE HELP!"
The townsfolk came running into the room, weapons in hand ready to defend her. Camilla had curled into a ball, frantically crawling back towards the townsfolk when they rushed in.
"Help! He tried to kill me!"
I was stunned. What nonsense was I hearing? I tried to kill her? To think this was someone I had respected and admired all this time. My heart ached as I glanced between my paralyzed sister and everyone crowding around Camilla.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" She cried, clinging to them helplessly. "He forced me to help him otherwise he would kill me, but today he..." Her voice trailed off as she glanced at Enyo.
Everyone followed her gaze their expressions twisting in horror as they took in the scene before them.
"I couldn't handle the guilt! I told him I was going to confess but he attacked me!"
As I looked at her crying her crocodile tears I could feel my blood begin to boil. Just then, the baker pushed his way inside and rushed over to Enyo.
"Camilla drugged her! She can't move!" I tried to explain.
"SHUT YOUR MOUTH TRAITOR!" He kicked me in my stomach and I choked on my words. "How could you do this to us, TO YOUR OWN SISTER?"
"Listen...to me! Camilla is lying!" I coughed, my vision beginning to blur from the blood loss.
"I had to defend myself, I didn't mean to-" Camilla held the shard she used to stab me up. The others were quick to comfort her, telling her that it wasn't her fault.
Excuse me, I'm the one bleeding out here.
You're not even going to question her ridiculous story?
The sweet old lady who'd always bring us extra food she'd cook glared at me and spoke with a coldness I never thought she could muster. "Drag him out and beat him to death. We don't need rats like him in the village."
"What motive could I possibly have to do such a thing! Do you even hear yourselves right now?" I cried.
This time it was the father of one of the girls that went missing that kicked me. The world began to spin. I clenched my fists, desperately trying to steady myself as I got up.
"Why don't you believe me? You've known me my whole life! HOW COULD YOU TAKE HER SIDE?"
"You want us to believe that a frail woman like Camilla was able to overpower and kill all these people? What a joke."
A joke...that's what they think this is? My sister almost died and they think this is a joke?
"Please...listen...to him!" I heard my sister wheeze out. It looked like whatever Camilla had done to her was beginning to wear off. She was able to push herself up ever so slightly.
"Nonsense. Stop trying to cover for him Enyo, don't you see what he's done to you!"
They grabbed my arms and began to try and restrain me. My legs gave way and I dropped to my knees once more, trying my hardest to break free with what little strength I had left. My cheeks were burning, whether it was from the tears or the rage I couldn't tell.
"LET GO OF ME!" I screamed.
The more I struggled the more futile everything seemed. All the desperation I had felt, all the shock I experienced, everything slowly faded into anger. How could they believe her over me? Why would nobody even question it? All it takes is a pretty face and some tears for them to throw their common sense out the window? So what now? I'm to die and leave my sister alone for this monster to attack her again?
I don't think so.
"Please! Listen to us!....let him go!" Pleaded Enyo.
I hadn't even noticed when she had managed to stand. I was too busy trying to grab one of the shards on the ground. Camilla had gone over to Enyo, feigning a smile as she always had.
"Enyo, I know this is hard to come to terms with, but he needs to face the consequences of his actions!"
She grabbed Enyo by the shoulder and I could see the colour drain from her face the moment Camilla laid her hands on her. With my last bit of strength, I pried myself away from those who were restraining me and grabbed the sharpest piece I could find. Without a moment's hesitation, I rushed towards Camilla, meaning to pay her back for that stab earlier and get her away from Enyo.
To my horror, just before I reached her, she dodged, leaving Enyo, directly in my path. All of the rage I felt vanished the moment I felt the shard pierce my sister's heart. She looked at me, eyes filled with terror and confusion.
"Enyo...no...no no...no!"
I had used up what was left of my strength and was unable to catch Enyo as she fell to the ground next to me.
It was cold. So cold.
The only thing I could make out was the mournful screams of those around us before everything went black.
"..."
"......"
"The price of your wrath has been paid. What is your wish?"
A man's voice echoed in my ears. Who was it? I couldn't see anyone. A wish? A price? What was he talking about?
"I have received your sister's soul as compensation for your summons. Now speak. What is it you desire."
Summons? I didn't summon anything? What the hell?
"You may not have intended it but the fact remains that I am here now. If you don't want your sister's soul to go to waste I suggest you come up with something quickly. I'm a busy man. I'll give you whatever it is you want and when the time comes I'll come to collect your soul as well."
My sister...is dead? After struggling to save her she died? At my hands...no...this wasn't my fault...if they had listened...if Camilla hadn't poisoned their minds against me then...
"Fine. I'll tell you my wish."
10 years later
Sometimes I think my memory of that day was all a dream, but then I stand before my exhibit and look into her eyes and remember the betrayal I felt. The wound she gave me still aches. I was never really able to stand straight again after that. My cane clicked against the ground as I strolled through the exhibit.
The city lights glimmered from outside the studio window. Folks came in droves to witness the exhibit. Intricate sculptures lined across the room, their expressions full of fear and desperation. At the center of it all was Camilla. Standing still, eyes as empty as all the girls she had killed. And in front of her was a neat little plaque which read:
"Village of lies by Darius Iram"
"How are you enjoying the exhibit today sir?" I asked a man, observing Camilla quite intently.
"Ah, yes, these sculptures are very um...realistic. You've got quite the talent."
I laughed. "Why thank you."
"Um...is this one...well...never mind."
"It's...it's nothing. It's just that she looks familiar."
"Oh? How so?"
His brows knit together uncomfortably. "She reminds me of my ex-fiance. I heard you came from the countryside, so perhaps you don't know, but she was all over the newspapers here. She was quite the jealous one...didn't like me speaking even to our maids. One day she got it in her head that I was having an affair with our wedding florist. Next thing we know, the florist ends up dead and decorated like an art piece in our bedroom. My fiance was screaming about me leaving her for a younger woman and that if I wanted a girl like that so bad then she didn't mind getting me my fix."
"My that's awful!!"
The man had a somber look on his face. "Yeah... I told her she was mad and she ran away. Young girls who reminded her of the florist started to go missing. They'd always turn up displayed like some kind of art piece but we never did find my fiancé."
"The things rage makes us do...what was your fiancé's name?"
"Camilla. Camilla Flores."
I smiled. "Well I'm sure wherever she is, she's paying for her sins. Enjoy the rest of the exhibit!"
Present Day
"Need this?"
I glanced over my shoulder to see my co-worker holding out a handkerchief.
"Thanks." I wiped the blood off my face and stepped back to admire my work.
Splashes of red decorated the walls, bodies contorted and tangled with each other in agony as their souls withered.
That'll teach them not to break the contract.
"Hey um...Darius?"
I looked back at my co-worker. She shifted nervously on her feet.
"That was really cool!" She marveled. "Um...so I was wondering...would you like to go out sometime?"
I smiled.
Y'know, being down here isn't always as bad as it seems.
"Anyway, you can be sure of one thing, a man's got to fake just to stay alive."
~Osamu Dazai
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