The boyfriend struggled against his restraints. The gag forced him to speak only in grunts. His eyelids were held open with speculums and his head was braced in place, forcing him to watch the morbid coupling. At the beginning of the show he was filled with rage. As it progressed his emotions plummeted into a helpless sorrow. He could do nothing but watch as his girlfriend seemingly took an active part in her own demise. Lady Ecsed sauntered up to him while tying her black robe closed. Her skin was completely painted red with blood. Her bloody lips formed the smile of someone who just had the time of her life. Señora Ecsed rubbed the blood over her face and arms like lotion. Then she sat on his lap.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbmLhhR4ftL
“I really needed that. Young blood does wonders for the complexion,” she said.
She rested her head on his shoulder and traced a finger on his chest.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXITzI7cdGW
“Did you enjoy the show? I took my time just for you,” she said.
He mumbled something. She gave the exaggerated frown of a pouting child.
“Oh, don't be like that. She enjoyed her agony. Those weren't just screams of pain,” she told him.
She sat up straight, kissed his cheek, and looked him in his eyes.
“It is so hard finding purer lines of European blood here. Your darling was a rare treat for me,” she said.
He mumbled something. She didn’t understand what it was so she chose to answer a question that flattered her vanity.
“Since you asked, you may address me as Lady Ecsed, my Lady, or Señora Ecsed. Some call me La Muerte when not in my company. It’s an informality I allow my subjects. Anyway, I know it hurts that you will never have the company of that dear girl again. That is why I allowed your presence. You should know that viewing a noble woman as she enjoys herself so intimately is a gift only a fortunate few will ever experience. And in compensation for your loss, I offer you a life serving me. It is a great honor,” she said.
He mumbled something else.
“By your tone I take it you don’t want to serve me,” said Señora Ecsed.
Another mumble. This one was angrier.
“I admire your conviction,” she replied.
Lady Ecsed kissed the gag over his mouth and turned her head to the door.
“I'm done,” she called out.
Two men entered the room and walked to the bed. She leaned back on the boyfriend to watch the body’s removal.
“I do hope you got to enjoy her as much as I did,” she told him.
The men walked by with the body wrapped in the blood stained sheets. When the men were gone, Lady Ecsed stood up and kissed the boyfriend on his forehead. Then she covered her face with her hands and wiped them upwards. The blood on her face faded away and her eyes were now a deep blue. Her eyebrows turned blond and her dark brown hair transformed into the golden silky mane of the woman she just killed. The boyfriend went silent in astonished horror. She had stolen the features of his girlfriend. She could now transform her whole body into the likeness of the dead woman if she pleased. But for now, as she had done so often before, she used the traits of the women she killed to enhance her own beauty.
“My dear boy, since you have refused my offer of employment, your spine and your skull will be removed from your body and mounted on my wall. In honor of your strong spirit,” said Lady Ecsed, smiling.
He began screaming through is gag and struggled harder.
“Don't be rude. I was going to be merciful and kill you first, but just for that you’re going to be alive when I start cutting you up,” she told him.
One of her men grabbed the back of the chair and dragged him out of the room as she picked up a mirror and admired herself.
“How lovely,” she told herself.
Ojo walked in.
“My Lady, someone jumped the van with the girls,” he said.
Lady Ecsed looked slightly concerned, but didn’t bother turning away from the mirror.
“Dead?” she asked.
“Not all of them,” replied Ojo.
“Have what’s left meet me at the mission,” she said.
“Si, my Lady,” he replied.
She turned to face Ojo.
“What do you think?” she said, holding her hands out.
“Beautiful,” he replied.
“I thought so too,” she said
The day was getting late. People were heading home and locking their windows and doors. No candy or treats would be served on this All Hallows’ Eve. The weight of Señora Ecsed’s shadow pressed the fear of the dark into the town’s population. Sister Sarah was dusting the altar in the church. She could feel the weight of the darkness too. It felt like it used to when she was a child and the Devil’s night would fire up into chaos. While there had been a happy ending, she occasionally had nightmares of her friends being murdered and someone grabbing her from behind and pulling her into the darkness. She used to have someone to talk to who had also experienced those dark nights but he passed away years ago, though not through violence. She’d warned him about his love of hot dogs and all that other processed food he enjoyed.
Sister Sarah pounded her fists on the altar in frustration. It was happening again. This time she knew what was coming. It was easy to talk to her old friend because they had shared the experience. They could talk about the good things while leaving the bad unsaid. But now her new friend could be in danger. Him and this whole town. She walked to the back of the church to find Father Suarez. She opened the back door and found him feeding cats. He looked up at the nun.
“If you keep feeding the strays, more will come,” she signed.
The priest wipes his hands on his pants and got up.
“Yeah, well. We are all strays here. We have to look out for each other,” he said.
She half smiled and sighed.
“I’m ready to talk,” she signed.
“Okay, start from the beginning,” said Father Suarez.
She wasn’t sure how to start exactly. Just thinking about everything that happened brought back a lot of hurt and sadness. Time had not healed all the wounds and she never properly addressed them either. The nun began signing rapidly and energetically.
“Whoa! Slow down! And stop cussing. Where did you even learn how to sign those words? I didn’t teach you that,” said Father Suarez.
Sister Sarah frowned and looked frustrated.
“I appreciate you teaching me ASL and helping me find a voice, but I’ll speak how I want,” she signed.
“If you want to be a nun, then you have to abide by the standards. Now tell me again, but slow down a bit and try to keep it PG,” said the Priest.
Sister Sarah rolled her eyes and recounted her experience. Slower this time.
“Was it really your friend who came back?” he asked.
“I know in my heart it was,” she signed in reply.
“I’m not sure what to do with all that,” he said.
“Not much to do but be ready,” she replied.
He nodded his head and then wondered if his definition of ready was the same as hers.
“Be ready how exactly?” he asked.
“I’ll take care of it,” she signed.
“Sister, don’t do something stupid. You chose this life. You know what it means to serve as we do,” he said.
“I’m going out. Don’t wait up for me,” she signed.
He knew better than to argue.
“God have mercy on us,” he said.
The men who survived the failed transport of the college women stood silently. They cringed and flinched at the sounds of breaking bones and chopping sounds. Ojo and other men stood behind them. Señora Ecsed walked up with bloody hands and wiped her face with her forearm. Ojo handed her the shirt that the boyfriend was wearing.
“He went too quickly. A young virial man should really last longer,” she said, sounding disappointed.
“Some guys are all talk,” said Ojo.
She wiped her hands with the shirt, but they were still stained red. Then she turned her attention to the men in front of her.
“So... A woman dressed in black attacked you. And her face was painted like a skull, Calavera Catrina style. Anything else?” she asked.
“Si, Señora Ecsed. I mean no,” said the Jeep driver, nervously.
“And you let her live,” she said.
It was not a question. The passenger of the van was nearly shaking.
“No, Señora Ecsed. We shot her. But she kept going. The bullets pass through her and everything,” he said.
“And... everything,” she repeated.
Ojo shook his head.
“You also let my property escape. And it was very pretty property. One was a flavor I had not yet tried,” she told the men.
She pointed to the passenger. Ojo walked up to him and shoot him in the head.
“He was useless anyway,” she said.
Señora Ecsed pointed at the Jeep Driver.
“You,” she said.
“Me?” he asked.
“You gots another chance to prove you’re not so useless,” Ojo told him.
“Ojo, bring me one,” Lady Ecsed commanded.
Ojo walks into another room and came back with a Mexican woman, gagged, with her hands tied behind her back. She looked like she was in her twenties.
“This is one of the local flavors. Pretty isn't she?” Lady Ecsed asked.
She didn’t wait for an answer. She handed the Jeep driver a knife.
“Cut her throat,” she commanded.
The woman started crying and struggled to break free but Ojo was too strong.
“What?” asked the Jeep driver.
“I'm thirsty. Cut her throat,” she said.
Ojo put his arm around the woman and pulled her head back to expose her neck more. Lady Ecsed grabbed the Jeep driver’s hand and put the blade to the woman’s neck.
“Right here on the jugular. Quick and clean. Or would you rather your wife and daughter take her place?” she asked.
The woman tried to scream against the gag so Ojo tightened his grip. Lady Ecsed stared the driver in the eyes intensely without flinching.
“Do it,” she commanded.
The Jeep driver closed his eyes and sliced the blade through the neck. Señora Ecsed, just as quickly, pushed him out of the way and covered the wound with her mouth. Ojo held the woman tighter as Lady Ecsed tightly wrapped her arms around the women. The Jeep driver tried to look away but Ojo released one of his hands to drew his gun. He put it to the driver’s head.
“No. You did it so you get look,” he said.
The woman tried to struggle but she was held firmly in place. Lady Ecsed looked up at Ojo, her eyes smiling with delight. He looked down at his goddess and smiled, happy he could serve her so well. The struggling slowed and then stopped as life faded away. Lady Ecsed sucked down nearly every last heart beat and stumbled back a few steps. She shivered with pleasure.
“Oh, my. Oh that one was sooo sweet,” she said and wiped her lips with her forearm.
She smiled broadly and looked at Ojo with joy.
“She was unspoiled by man. That was a lovely surprise. Give the man who found her a $5,000 bonus,” said Lady Ecsed, licking the stray blood from her fingers.
She turned to the Jeep driver and pointed at him. She felt giddy and almost lost her balance.
“Now take the rest of your men, find this skull woman and either bring her to me or find out where she is hiding. If you fail your family will be my next meal,” she said.
Ojo holstered his gun as the Jeep driver left with his men.
“You think they'll catch her?” asked Ojo.
“No. But they can serve as bait and flush her out,” she replied, licking the blood from her hands and fingers.
She pounced on the dying woman again, sucking down more blood. After a minute she forced herself to pull away and fell back onto the floor. She smiled, closed her eyes and hugged herself.
“Ummm. She is the sweetest I’ve tasted in a long time,” she said.
“She’s probably not empty. I can have her hung over your bed so she can drip out the rest.” said Ojo.
Lady Ecsed opened her eyes and got to her feet. After thinking it over it for a minute…
“How nice of you, my Ojo. But I just don’t have the time to enjoy that properly. Have what is left drained out and chilled it for me,” she said.
“As you command, mi amor.” said Ojo.
Lady Ecsed turned and walked away. She lifted her arms and giggled to herself, feeling the pure young life course through her body.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk9W5shCfQP
