The Heart of the Void
Entry for The Gone Angel's Horror Struck Contest
Ian clutched at his heart where he felt it burning a whole through his chest. Heaving breaths escaped his chapped lips as he backed himself against the harsh bark of the tree that scratched into his shoulders. A slightly luminescent sliver of the moon hung in the night sky, even the tiniest bit of light it was giving off making him shudder in fear. A shockingly cold breeze whipped through the streets of the city, where all was still.
Oddly quiet, Ian could hear his heart beating rapidly as he tried to silence his loud hyperventilating. His throat burned like fire as he flailed his head wildly, trying to find a branch to break off of the tree to use to defend himself. Horror filled his mind with incurable terror as he realized that the branches weren't in any state to be ripped off in his weakened positioned.
The city was so silent it gave him shivers up and down his spine as he grabbed ahold of the tree to keep himself balanced. His head was beginning to spin from lack of oxygen, as holding his breath for long amounts of time had never been his forte. Ian had never prayed to God before, but that didn't stop him from sending a small plead to whatever higher force was out there and screwing with his life.
Suddenly, there was a noticeable change in the current of the air that marked the tell-tale arrival of something completely unnatural. Ian whimpered, digging his nails into his arm as he hugged himself, trying to block out the world.
"Ian," an unearthly voice whispered. It was high-pitched and flawless in a way that he knew not to be possible.
The sound of it caused Ian to shriek to himself, biting down on his lips and trembling. "W-what do y-you want?" he cried in frustration, feeling quivers of horror begin to snake their ways down his spine. Tears sprung to his eyes.
"Iaaan," sighed the disembodied voice that seemed to fill the air, not replying to his question. It sounded amused as it had before, as though it was merely tolerating his panic.
Ian quivered from hit seat on the icy ground, breath fogging in the night air. The world seemed to stop at an impossible standstill where nothing, not even animals or the wind, were moving. His thoughts stopped in a screeching halt as the feeling of being dipped in frigid water came over him, tingles of icy burning covering his arms and legs.
He felt its eyes before he saw them, pinning him to the spot, bringing his breathing to a stop. Ian fought the over-whelming force in order to raise his head. He immediately wished he hadn't.
Its eyes were horribly beautiful, a feminine slant to them. They glowed a red that could only be considered blood-like, the irises cut through the center and black like a cat's. They stared him directly in his eyes and he felt compelled to just stare back despite the feeling of foreboding that filled him like he was an empty cup.
There was a moment where all of Ian's thoughts came rushing back in a flood of feelings, panics, ragged breathing, and terrified ranting. And then, as it spoke, there was no more thinking besides awe as Ian absorbed the pure beauty before him. It cocked its head and said, "Do you remember me, Ian?" in its high-pitched voice.
Only then did Ian's brain allow him to realize what was standing before him. Her eyes were large, covering too much of her face in an eerie beauty. Her skin was a pale, off-gray color that sparkled slightly and her hair was a bright red that matched her eyes perfectly. It tumbled down her back and over her shoulders, covering the back of the wispy black night-gown she was wearing. Her entire form was thin and lithe and impossibly familiar. Somehow, it wasn't until after he took in her face did he truly see the most stunning part.
Her wings were long and black and made from sleek feathers that gleamed in the moonlight. As she smiled, fangs poking her perfectly red lips, she asked, "Do you, Ian? You are the one that made me this way, actually."
Ian didn't so much as hear himself reply as he felt it. "W-what are you Amy?"
Amy Cahill continued smiling, her overly perfect face unchanging like the expression of a doll. "A demon, of course. You didn't think that people who killed were sent to Heaven as angels, did you?"
At his stricken expression, she laughed, a hollow sound with no humor. "Yes, Ian, you'll become this when you die," Amy whispered, stretching her wings to full span. Her eyes were still locked with his and he found it impossible to look away.
"W-when?" he coughed in surprise, feeling pinpricks of pain pop up on his arms from the cold and being in the presence of this..thing.
Amy's face remained unchanged as she took a step nearer to him. The grass on the ground frosted over where she stepped. "Oh, yes, and it will be quite soon. Don't get too comfortable."
Ian's breath started coming out in gasps again as Amy took another step closer, features becoming more and more distinct. "But you - you n-never killed anyone," he said.
Another humorless laugh filled the air, though this time a faint frown began to ghost her lips. She licked them hungrily as she approached. "Oh, but I did, Ian. I did. The Clue Hunt does it to everyone, you know." Amy's eyes dilated and became slit-like every other second in a dance of changing emotions.
"W-what d-did I have to do with it?" he whispered, taking a slow, shuddering breath. His heart felt sluggish as opposed to the rapid-fire beat of his earlier panic.
Amy tilted her head in the other direction, an expression of demonic anger across her sculpted features. Her voice became sharper, its sound digging claws into his ears. "You were there. It was supposed to be your kill, but you forced it onto me, remember, Ian?"
Like a slap to the face, the words winded Ian as he remembered the day. "Y-you s-s-said you were ok-kay with it-t," he trembled. "Y-you said you wanted to p-prove yourself."
She bared his fangs, now face-to-face with him. Amy wasn't breathing, though her chest rose and fell like a human's. "I wanted to prove myself to you, Ian Kabra. I said I wanted to help. I said I wanted to make my grandmother proud." She growled deep in the back of her throat, an inhuman sound that sent a chill up his spine. "And you told me to kill him. This is your fault."
And then, she was ten feet back, wings shivering. Her voice resumed the angelic tone it had possessed moments ago as she sang softly in a trance-like state, "And now your time has come, human. Embrace my fangs with malice and fear as the bond of blood joins you to the Sheer. Let the Devil be your mentor, in death and in birth, let the moon become your time-line with the rising of the sun."
"Stop!" Ian shouted, somehow finding his voice. The earth shuddered in response to the cryptic chanting. "What are you doing!?"
"-and welcome, the void of heart to the heart of the void," Amy finished, her face transforming before him.
There was a whoosh of air, the high-pitched shriek of a crow cawing, and then Amy was a centimeter from his eyes. Her face was ravaged, bleeding and dripping the crimson liquid onto his shoulders. Her eyes were like fire, flames dancing in the all black iris that now covered the red from before. Features that had been beautiful were horribly twisted like a painting as she snarled, "Welcome to where you belong."
Ian let out a scream of pain as two sword-sharp fangs pierced his skin. His life bled out of him as Amy held him, cold against hot. The air steamed from the temperature mix as Ian felt the life begin to leave his body -
"Ian!"
Ian shot awake, picking his face up from where he had been previously resting it on the coffee-room's table. His girlfriend of two years smiled back at him, her innocent green eyes looking nervous.
"Are you okay, darling?" Amy asked, worry lining her soft expression. "You were shaking in your sleep."
Ian took a shuddering breath as he smiled shakily. "I'm fine, love. Just a nightmare."
"Oh course," she replied, rubbing circles in his back. "Let's go to the car, then. There's something I want to tell you."
Ian nodded and gave her a peck on the cheek before standing abruptly and gathering his briefcase and coffee. "It was the strangest dream, Amy."
"I'm sure it was," she responded icily when his back was turned towards the door, her shoulders twitching. She couldn't wait much longer.
He didn't notice her icy tone until they reached their small black car in the back of the parking lot, when he turned around and frowned. "Are you okay?"
Amy took a step closer to him, grinning. "Of course." His eyes narrowed in surprise at her sudden move and gulped.
"I'm just feeling...you know," she whispered, letting her soft facade fade away. "Hungry."
Ian let out a blood-curdling scream as red eyes met gold, and then there was silence, save for the flapping of bird-like wings.
One lone raven watched near-by, her red eyes gleaming. She let out a caw, piercing the now-silent air before spreading her wings.
So yeah, THAT was my entrance for The Gone Angel's horror-story contest on the forum: Monthly Contests. :P I hope it was horrific enough for your tastes. I had a lot of fun writing it, though now I rather wish I had written a real story about it... Hm.
Possibilities... XD Hehehe I'm posting a horror story while listening to MCR's cover of All I Want For Christmas Is You. I'm just that awesome. XD
If you loved it, liked it, hated it, or just plain don't know how you feel about, drop a review! They make my day, honest. LOVE YA'LL BUNCHES FOR READING THIS! :3
~Dani :)