It never failed to amuse him how weak human beings were. How common was their fear, how frail and easy to manipulate were their minds. How different they were from him even if outwardly they were so like him.
He had stopped being afraid a long time ago when they had taught him that fear kills the mind, and he had realized that control was a much greater achievement when he exercised it on others rather than on himself.
The people around him weren't his equals. Why should they perceive themselves in that light knowing who and what he was? They were but playthings to be used and destroyed for his own amusement.
Across the road, he watched how people gathered in small groups exchanging terrorized whispers about what had transpired inside that wretched hotel, and then disbursed leaving for homes or workplaces while taking with them their ineffectual terror. They were like industrious insects waiting to be trampled on.
Conflicted and unhappy by nature, in their torment he found his joy.
He licked his lips thinking about Sage's sweet suffering face as he pushed his knife's blade into her flesh after making it incandescent with his lighter. Remembering how she had struggled for courage while undressing for him and bathing for his pleasure.
He had full control of her, had pushed her terror of him so far inside her that she had not been able to utter one plaintive cry. In his slow torture of her, he had taken on the role of master and the owner of her deepest wishes and feelings, the keeper of all her secrets. He had dissected her mind and what was commonly called a soul, possessing her in death like no other before him had in life.
Police were still at the hotel and he recognized the cop named O'Brien, as he came out of the building with two strangers, a man and a woman. Officer O'Brien was an ordinary man, intelligent but not overly astute, guided by a strong sense of responsibility toward the victims and their relatives, compassionate but not particularly sensitive, rational but not pragmatic.
His guests appeared much more interesting to him. The man was a rock. From the way he moved, it could be perceived that he had a strong personality and ingratiated himself with no difficulty into the discussion. There was sensuality about the man and he could feel it even if he wasn't particularly open to that kind of sexual experience. And there was power. And control.
The man walked very close to the woman; close enough to almost touch her with every step taken. The stance managed to convey protectiveness as well as possessiveness, whether O'Brien understood it or not.
He smirked.
Where the two men were of little consequence to him, the woman was a whole other story. She had natural golden hair; not peroxide-blond like Sage or honey-blonde like Melissa.
The fine lines of her long body were suggested at, but not inappropriately revealed, by a red sleeveless Chinese shirt and snug fitting white pants. She was very beautiful in every way. Her voluptuous lips pursed in an expression of worry, then formed a grim smile as she turned to answer something asked by one of her companions. Her cerulean eyes searched for some missing detail around her, as if she could sense his careful observation of her.
She probably could! He wanted to laugh out loud. He could sense her diversity.
i She was like him! /i
What an interesting and unforeseen coincidence!
His mind reached out to touch hers, finding a point of contact and creating a link between them. Now he was able to squeeze out a part of who she was and absorb it into himself.
The first sensation he had was of warmth, as a blur of loved faces circled his mind. Yes, she was caring and passionate by nature. Headstrong. Very capable but only if she decided to be.
This woman lived with faith and with pain. He felt in her an unresolved, unaccepted sadness. She was a collage of contrasting feelings.
It was very interesting indeed.
Feeling that his invasion had been perceived and the woman was withdrawing from him, he planted inside her mind a special trace of his 'visit', one she would later assimilate as he now reluctantly left her.
He watched as the woman stroked her arms as if to warm her body, glanced around again before exchanging a few words with her 'friend' and entering the car with him. He would have to seek information about her and make plans for their next contact.
Ah! He had the sensation that she wouldn't be very enthusiastic about playing this new game with him, but she i would /i play.