( Song belongs to The Devil's Carnival - Beautiful Stranger )

Reckless creatures
Always want another find
Stealing features,
Each a diamond to be mined

"You know...I wasn't really in the mood to hurt anyone today. But you...you three are a real piece a fuckin' work." He bit out, rage building within him as the seconds ticked by.

There are facets to snake
And crooks in our necks
We're like moths to the flame
Get ready and set
Now tarry no longer
Let's burn one another
We're one and we're twain
Now let's play a game

Watching the three of them squirming on their personally crafted torture devices, he stood back, glowering at them. They had ruined him, lied and broken his trust in a way that only a human could. Seeing them struggling, attempting to free themselves from their fates only fueled his blood lust.

Hello, hello, hello
Beautiful stranger
How familiar the danger
Slipping into the shadows

Pacing around them, a dark grin curved over his lips, his first victim had an odd fate. Tilting his head to one side, he looked to the way he was squirming on the slab, even as the flames at the mans feet began to fan out, as if they were reaching for him. "Let's play a game..."

With a simple press of a button, he turned on the machine, watching as the man slowly began to move towards the roaring cooker. His screams of fear filled the factory. "You made me burn...for years...you branded me. Now it's my turn to burn you." He chuckled, watching the man going in inch by inch into the oven.

'Tis true, 'tis true, 'tis true
Celebrities always do
Us in our shadows too
Us in our shadows

Oh how he loved the smell of cooking flesh, he had been rather peckish as of late. Perhaps this man would be his next meal. However, since the man was already up to his midsection in the oven, he turned to his next victim. He strode over to the second, placing his wrist on the man's. Smiling rather darkly, he watched the machine drive the spike in the middle of the man's hand. "Each spike will be driven into you as many times as you speared me."

High stakes, three shakes, no breaks
Triple the wager
Three clicks in the chamber
Three chances to claim her

Watching as each spike piercing the mans upper arms, his thighs, each of his ankles. Every piercing scream sent him reeling. This was more pleasurable to his ears than he thought it would be.

Turning to his last victim, a low growl rumbled up from his chest, watching her tremble, she was the one that began this, the one that had turned him into such a tormented beast. She would pay...far more than the others had.

By the book, by hook, by rook
Shadow takes all, my pet
My, what a strange duet
Shadow takes all

"You took my life from me...you made me suffer...you lied to me...sold me to these men when I came to you for help...as a child." He snarled out, onyx fangs elongating as she squirmed, trying to free herself. He knew better than to think she would escape, the screws were well lodged into her ribs, the only way they were coming out was if he somehow decided to feel...merciful and that wasn't happening.

Cunning creatures
Slither front and slither back
Double dealers
Double-up for the attack

"You're the worst of them all...and you will hurt more than they do.." Leaning close, he brought his hand up to cup her cheek. "...My beautiful stranger..." He brushed his lips over her blood covered ones only briefly before he stepped back just a bit. A low chuckle rumbling up from his chest as the timer on the device she was mounted to clicked. In the instant it did so, a loud tearing sound echoed around them, her muscles stretching, straining under the amount of force that the machine gave. Tearing each of her ribs from her chest cavity, he stood still, letting the spray of blood splatter onto him. Seeing her head thrown back in agony, he stood there watching each of her organs straining to remain attached to her body. "...How pitiful...and to think...I once loved you.."

I could say that I'm hurt
But it wouldn't be true
The knife in my back
It reminds me of you
You're my beautiful stranger
The game is afoot
It's the shadow's domain
So don't pussyfoot
Shoot!

He heard each of their heart's give out, almost simultaneously. It was almost over, now was the time he would spend tending to their corpses. One was already cooking. One had been pierced in such a delightful manner that he could sever chunks from the body and eat them from the spikes. The last however...he would watch it rot.

She wasn't worth anything.

"...Shadow...takes all."