Jenna Washburn stared into the muddy waters of a small stream, her entire body paralyzed. There was no feeling in any of her limbs almost as if they had been cut off and the shock had set in. Her body lay twisted in the grass, one ankle submerged in the tiny stream and her hands motionless and pale in the grass. If he hadn’t turned her head to look at him she would have suffocated hours ago.
Daniel sat on the other side of the stream and twisted a pine needle in his long, spidery fingers marked with purple scars from constantly whittling blocks of wood into his infamous sculptures. His long brown hair had fallen over his eyes as he watched the girl struggle to accept she had no control. It was a scary thing to look at the limbs that you could once depend on to find they wouldn’t move no matter how strong your will power.
“When I was fourteen,” He suddenly spoke up. “I had a really bad knee accident. You see, I was trying to get some chips at a friend’s house, bent down to look inside the cabinet and whop! There went my knee cap. Little sucker actually dislocated it’s self and tore my patella.” He threw the pine needle on Jenna’s back and lifted his arms up high to stretch. “Tore some other things, but damn…you wouldn’t believe how much pain I was in. Well, after I had my surgery I would stare at my knee all day, amazed that I couldn’t remember how to move it. I dunno, maybe it was my body’s way of protecting me from more pain and damage. It was really weird ‘cuz like, I would stare and stare thinking ‘move dang it, c’mon just move!’ but it wouldn’t. I really couldn’t get my knee to bend, which I thought was more terrifying than actually going under the knife.”
Daniel stepped over the stream to Jenna and reached out to roll her limp body over. Only her eyes showed her fear. He took her by the arms and dragged her over to a tree trunk where he propped her up like the old rag dolls his granny used to own. He gently wiped away the dirt from her tear-stained face. Daniel leaned in close enough for her to see the ball of his tongue ring.
“Honey if you could talk,” He breathed. “I know you’d probably damn me to Hell. But, Hell really ain’t all that bad.” Jenna stared back, hating herself for ever thinking he was just a nice guy in her Chem. Class. If only she hadn’t felt sympathy for him when he said he wasn’t going to Homecoming because he couldn’t find a date. And now, with everyone dancing the night away no one would notice she was gone until the morning…when her time may have already ran out.
“Jenna, Jenna, Jenna. You know your like that perfect girl every guy wants? You’re smart but not too smart. Pretty, but not pretty enough to be self-absorbed. You’re a little equal in every department which makes guys like my Master crave you all the more.” Master? Jenna’s heart began to pump erratically. What was he talking about?
“Girl likes you,” He continued, his voice dropping to a sweet whisper. “Taste so good.” Daniel’s head inclined towards her as if to kiss her until he suddenly smashed his forehead against hers. She could only utter a small groan although the pain was quite literally, skull-splitting. Blood gushed from the large welt he had left, pouring into her open eyes and lips. As she bled she struggled to blink away the soupy red liquid when the wind picked up into gusty squalls. It howled and shrieked as It twisted past ancient trees covered with Spanish moss, leaving only ruin in It’s path. Simple flowers and weeds blackened when It passed over with a dark shadow. The stream gurgled yellow and brown as the fish floated to it’s oily surface.
“Here he comes.” Daniel grinned. Jenna wanted to scream as It came closer even though she couldn’t see what It even was. It was danger and murder, lust, agony and the pain of death. It was a darkness not very many have ever experienced, but with the scent of blood on It’s tongue, It raged on until It found the girl. It knocked Daniel out of the way as It descended upon it’s new prey. She was plump around the hips, a tall girl with dark black curls to her shoulders. If she was pretty, It couldn’t tell from the down pour of blood.
“Beastly little fool,” It hissed at Daniel. He cowered where he lay when It turned to him in anger.
“I-I’m sorry. Really, Master I am. It was an accident!” It waited a moment, it’s invisible form hovering in the air before It suddenly lurched forward, through the bleeding prey. Another gurgle of pain came from Jenna when it repeatedly went through her body, spraying the air with her blood. One last time she was thrown back into the trees before her body shuddered with one last breath. It was done. Another victim of the woods to be discovered and her death deemed, ‘unknown’. She would join the others in the endless search for their woeful souls of the Aton Woods.