My mind alone

By Mat Growcott

 Ash spread out on the needles scattered across his floor. He listened to the recorded conversation which he'd stolen. Although he didn't know the voices they were talking about him.

"Do you think this will work?" a deep male voice said loudly

"My exact copy, this is an important day!!" avoided the second voice.

"Yes, but will it work?"

"Either way, we have a new weapon…either way we win"

"You know…if he turns out like the others."

"If this goes wrong and he doesn't do it to you, I will."

"Is that a threat?" the first voice said, not in the least bit frightened.

"No…"

"Good" The first voice sounded as if he believed he'd won

"…it's a promise."

"You know this is basically extortion?"

"Tell someone who gives a damn."

There was a long silence. Foot-steps. Someone else had walked into the room.

"How have the tests been going?" said a posh female voice.

"Ask him! There are no ways to finish this if he doesn't allow me to begin the diagnoses" The first voice snapped. There were foot-steps again and what sounded like someone being lifted off the ground quickly

"I need to know for myself…what my blood holds." Said the second voice, extremely, almost scarily calm.

There was a yawn.

"Did you allow it to wake?" The female said angrily

"No. Of course not. Don't be an idiot. It needs to sleep or the tests will fail."

"And with blood like yours, if he wakes…" The first voice croaked, "…he'll kill us all" There was a loud thump as bone hit metal and then there was a scream.

"Your…crazy" There was a pause "You woke it up. You Ba…"

The tape stopped.

Ash stood up, needles stuck to his legs. He pushed them off with one hand and picked up a long sharp sword with the other. He picked up the phone even though it hadn't been ringing.

"I'll be there."

 "It's a right hook. A couple of good Jabs there. WOW what a punch"

The boxing arena was full. Mostly of drunks. Only a few Demon boxing fans were there. Ash leaned against the bar, out of the light. The last thing he wanted was to be seen. The Demons were fighting, this wasn't like normal boxing, it was 100 times more violent, and had only 1 rule, kill the opposition. Ash had took part once. He used to be one of the…no…he used to be THE best. He lifted his hand as a chair came flying towards him, catching it with hardly any effort, he through it as hard as he could at the demon in red who fell and the disappeared. The only thing left of him was a red pair of shorts, and a pool of blood which started to leak over the edge of the ring. There were cheers from one side of the arena. Ash stood up straight and dusted off his coat. He walked towards the dressing rooms where a young man, in his mid-20's, was getting changed. Ash drew a gun and stuck it in the back of his head.

"This is a message from Sparda."

Either way, we have a new weapon

Ash fell backwards and just lay there, looking at the ceiling. Time seemed to stop.

Either way, we have a new weapon

He closed his eyes…

 It was a summers day, it was his boxing days. His wife was standing beside him. There was a group of people around them.

"No, its my fault. Spare him" She'd screamed

"We know…" They'd said as they shot her through the head. The group had disappeared and Ash was left holding his dying wife. It was then when she'd told him her biggest secret…

The pain went through Ash over and over again. He opened his eyes. Surrounding him were several men and they were stabbing him. Nowhere vital. This was classic demon torture.

"We know who you are, and we know why you're here." Ash could only groan almost silently.

"We're not going to kill you, but we're going to make damn sure that you see the light." Another groan. Ash closed his eyes.

 "Don't worry, my love. I've already died once, I can't die twice." She'd said. "Drink the blood. Everything I am, will be you. Everything you are, will be me. We truly will be one."

 "You're a strong man, we can see that" The group of shadows taunted "I think now is the time to let you go. But, only on one condition, you never come here again." Ash groaned.

"Good." The shadows said. "We're so glad we could come to an agreement." Ash closed his eyes.

 He'd drank it. Why'd he drank it? For her? To see what it was like? Centuries ago he'd have done anything to have special powers. Now he'd do anything to get rid of them. He knew what he had to do. Kill the killers or die trying. And the latter, couldn't be an option. After all, he considered, he'd already died once. He couldn't die twice.

Coming in chapter 2 Ash Meets the murderer Ash discovers the "Démon mort" project Ash Meets Lydia. A look-alike of his dead wife.   Coming soon