Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
The woman ran, gasping, her hair soaked with sweat.
She knew she had to get away from the thing that was following her. If it
caught her, it would devour her, consume her entire being until she was no
longer what she prided herself on.
She looked behind her, searching for the dark, nightmarish figure of the being
that was pursuing her.
She could see its eyes, glowing, searching.
For her.
Oh, kami! she half-moaned, half-sobbed as she tumbled over a small rock.
She scuttled backwards, unable to take her eyes off the being in front of her.
Desperately, she sobbed out a question.
"What do you want from me?"
Although the figure was obscured in blackness, she could feel its smile.
"Everything."
It slowly approached her, walking around her limp, sobbing form.
"I want the memories you have of your mother. I want the smell of your
perfume. I want your deepest, darkest desires. I want your hate for
darkness. I want your love of the light. I want your body. I want your soul. I
want you."
Why couldn't she stop it? Always before, she had been able to prevent it from
getting too close, too near.
Then she realized. It had been playing with her. Now that it was done playing
with her, nothing she could do would stop it. Not her strength, not her magic.
Nothing. But there was still one thing she had to know.
"What are you?"
"I am everything you hate. I am everything you fear."
The figure paused for a moment and looked at her, its eyes narrowing. She
moaned as those glowing crimson orbs raked her entire body, revealing
everything she had hidden from the world.
"And you love me for it."
The secret she had hidden even from herself was torn from her body, and the
being in front of her was responsible. She could do nothing to deny the
accusation, for it was true.
The creature in front of her bent down, placing its lips next to her ears,
whispering to her.
"You are everything I hate, everything I fear."
Her eyes widened.
"And I love you for it."
As one, they said a single word.
"Why?"
The creature looked at her.
"I can't answer. I don't know the answer."
She replied, "Neither do I."
The being extended one hand.
"Let's find out."
She accepted the hand, slowly standing up, a half-smile on her lips. "Together?"
The being nodded. "Together."
And Filia Ul Copt and Xellos Metallium walked off, searching for answers.
Together.
The woman ran, gasping, her hair soaked with sweat.
She knew she had to get away from the thing that was following her. If it
caught her, it would devour her, consume her entire being until she was no
longer what she prided herself on.
She looked behind her, searching for the dark, nightmarish figure of the being
that was pursuing her.
She could see its eyes, glowing, searching.
For her.
Oh, kami! she half-moaned, half-sobbed as she tumbled over a small rock.
She scuttled backwards, unable to take her eyes off the being in front of her.
Desperately, she sobbed out a question.
"What do you want from me?"
Although the figure was obscured in blackness, she could feel its smile.
"Everything."
It slowly approached her, walking around her limp, sobbing form.
"I want the memories you have of your mother. I want the smell of your
perfume. I want your deepest, darkest desires. I want your hate for
darkness. I want your love of the light. I want your body. I want your soul. I
want you."
Why couldn't she stop it? Always before, she had been able to prevent it from
getting too close, too near.
Then she realized. It had been playing with her. Now that it was done playing
with her, nothing she could do would stop it. Not her strength, not her magic.
Nothing. But there was still one thing she had to know.
"What are you?"
"I am everything you hate. I am everything you fear."
The figure paused for a moment and looked at her, its eyes narrowing. She
moaned as those glowing crimson orbs raked her entire body, revealing
everything she had hidden from the world.
"And you love me for it."
The secret she had hidden even from herself was torn from her body, and the
being in front of her was responsible. She could do nothing to deny the
accusation, for it was true.
The creature in front of her bent down, placing its lips next to her ears,
whispering to her.
"You are everything I hate, everything I fear."
Her eyes widened.
"And I love you for it."
As one, they said a single word.
"Why?"
The creature looked at her.
"I can't answer. I don't know the answer."
She replied, "Neither do I."
The being extended one hand.
"Let's find out."
She accepted the hand, slowly standing up, a half-smile on her lips. "Together?"
The being nodded. "Together."
And Filia Ul Copt and Xellos Metallium walked off, searching for answers.
Together.