I watch with mild interest as the moon made its ascent on the shadow of the evening, my feet dangling at the top of a dilapidated oil tanker parked and abandoned on the outskirts of Brakstone City. Like every evening the sky was devoid of its twinkling stars as it was blocked with the thick smog of the city.
As I stared at the inky blank sky saved for the faint silhouette of the crescent moon, I tried to search myself for any emotions.
I don't feel sad or happy, I feel empty.
I took out my phone in my pocket and dial a number. It was picked up on the fifth ring.
“Babe, where are you?” I asked just as a familiar truck zoomed past my hiding spot. My eyes turned into slits, chasing the back of the truck with my eyes.
“Luna, I can't come to you right now. Something came up.” his voice was crisp and clear even with the wind blowing in the background.
“But you promised,” I whined, putting as much emotion in my voice as necessary.
“I know love, but this is really important.”
“Who are you with?” I asked trying to imitate the sound of a suspicious girlfriend.
The other line went silent for a second before I heard his voice again, “I love you Luna and I would never cheat on you. I swear on my life. I'm working right now.”
“Work? We've been together for almost a month now, Nic and you won't even tell me your job, in fact, I don't even know anything about you. You don't even want anyone to know about us. I felt like I'm just a side hustle.”
“Hey, hey, I already explained this to you. It's for your own good that you don't know.”
“That's not fair,”
“When I'm done with this, I'll make it up to you. Okay?”
“Sure,” I mumbled before I hang up.
I stared unseeing at my phone, thinking we have just had our last phone call.
After a minute I snapped out of my daze.
It's time to move on.
The smog and the stench of death had hit me instantly like a sledgehammer as I climb down from the top of the tanker. I huff as the hood of my jacket flew from of my head, revealing the swatch of cloth strategically coiled around my head except for my eyes to hide my identity. The cloth was drenched from my father's blood and many others who tried to harm me after his death. It was a constant reminder of what made me different from the rest of the world.
I walked briskly as a passed a busy alley, littered with addicts and prostitutes. I internally cursed, keeping my head down.
The city was alive on a late Sunday night but it was barely breathing from the inside. Crime and corruption had strung out every color and beauty the city once possessed replaced with the fumes that block any lights and the stench of death in every corner.
As I ventured towards the back alley where the truck was parked, cloaked in the shadows the smog rose from the ground, drifting to the air like a thick column of molasses, turning everything in front of me almost non-existent. But my eyes had years of practice from being orphaned at a very young age scavenging from one trash to another without being seen by gangs of homeless teenagers.
I stopped in my tracks, my head leaning sideways while I watched in total interest as the three men who rode the truck entered the meat shop laughing and hollering, oblivious to my presence behind the cloaked of shadows; ready to pounce and lick their souls clean.
As far as the town knew, the shop was already closed due to the police investigation. Either they are too blind to see things or they don’t really give a fuck about what’s happening just below their noses. Actually, I’d like to think the latter.
Three weeks after the incident someone had claimed that the place has been sold to him a month ago. A bullshit coincidence, I know. The meat shop was perfect to operate any illegal business because of the underground basement that covered the whole block and has numerous exit tunnels for getaways.
I licked my lips in anticipation as the establishment’s door clicked shut.
I know who they are. I know what they did. And I perfectly know what would happen to them.
‘Later.’ I told to myself. ‘Be patient, there’s a lot of time to play later.’
Thinking about what had happened three weeks ago in this very place sent ugly chills down to my spine. They’re going to pay and I would make sure of it. Mr. Lockhart which was the rightful owner of the shop was tortured and found dead inside, leaving his family in full agony from his loss and the loss of the only business that had been supporting them financially.
And besides, he had been one of the few people in the city that had been kind to me even before my mom, Rose Davis adopted me.
Lucky him, I just have the impulse to avenge his unjust death.
The morning he was found, the police can no longer recognize him. His left arm was cut off up to his elbows and when they said it was cut off the authority didn’t mean it was cut clean, it was minced into very tiny pieces of flesh.
His mouth froze into a silent scream or probably because it was stretched to its limit with his tongue missing inside. His ears were also missing which was suspected of being on the aluminum basin with his minced left hand. The brutality of the murder hadn't stopped there. His head was mercilessly skinned revealing the thin layer of flesh on his head masking his face with red dried fluid as he bleed to death.
In conclusion, Mr. Lockhart's face was a mask of pure horror and agony before he took his last shuddering breath.
I admit they’re good but not as good as me. I peeked at the small gap of the closed window beside me and a triumphant smile blooms through my face.
They’d just walk on a trap.
Now, for the fun part of the evening.
•••I blew out a tired huff as I heaved Nicholas Salazar's heavy body across the shop into the waiting area where the bolted stool had been set up by the deceased owner. Plus, my face feels hot and itchy, I wanted to yank the scratchy cloth off my face and hurl it on the nearest bin.Why did I ever think that it was a brilliant idea to wear a swatch of cloth from my father's blood-soaked shirt whenever I'm on a mission to rid the world of its number one pollutant?Oh, right! Because the simple cloth, now coiled in my head gives me an identity.When I decided to avenge Mr. Lockhart's death it doesn't cross my mind the level of dedication I have to put on just so I could top his executioners’ handy work.It's a competition nobody knows, a competition I had set for myself to make myself feel good and see satisfaction whenever I stare at myself in the mirror. Maybe then I could call myself an artist. Perhaps, after graduation, I'd publish a book with
“You!” Caleb growled and I have to stifle a laugh because he looked pathetic acting tough when all I could picture him was a pig ready to roast over the burning embers.“Yes?” I asked innocently, battling my eyes for effect.“You are just a myth.” Nicholas breathed like he was in a dream. My head snapped in his direction as I barked out a laugh after hearing what he said.Sure, I am.Eight years ago.Six months of living on the streets were absolute hell. So when a woman who wore bright red lipstick asked me if I wanted to take shelter in an orphanage promising food, clothes, and a warm bed I didn't hesitate to say yes. I should have known better.The orphanage was just a front. It was a den and training ground for prostitution and would-be killers. And it took me a month after my first ‘foster home’ to finally break free from their clutches. I had lost my virginity at the early
“Gah! This is such a waste of time!” I exclaim exasperated as the damn meat grinder won't unlatch how much I tried to wrench it.“Well, if I can’t bring this thing to you then we’ll have to do it the other way around, is that okay with you Nicholas?” But all I’d got was unrecognizable and barely audible words that I can’t even make out. Well, his brother’s tongue and the duct tape really did serve their purpose. Then an idea crossed my mind.“Here’s the thing since these two guys are obviously passed out I want you to wake them, ready?” I asked excitedly, the meat grinder now forgotten.I strode the small distance between the butcher table where Antonio lay sleeping and inspected each butcher knife on the toolbox contemplating which one to use since they were all beautifully made.“Hey, Nicholas which one do you want—” I asked not even glancing in his direction. &ldq
Nicholas howled in immense pain as the wrench successfully decoupled his family jewels from his body. Blood splattered everywhere as his body made involuntary spasms before folding from the agony of my assault.“BITCH!” He rasped out, in between his hollowed breaths.“Oh! Goody, I am not yet done, honey.” I sneered down at him. Like always I waited for guilt to crawl up to my veins yet as expected none came. I should have been disappointed, right? But I don't feel anything. There’s no remorse or shame just the vast hollowness that has been dwelling inside me for a long time.“I’m going to fucking kill you!” He said in icy cold and calm voice. His jaw clenched as he gritted his teeth in an effort to suppress the pain and his rage.I snickered.“Really?! As far as I can remember you did not complain while I fuck you while I let you come inside me!” I didn’t know why I was suddenl
I woke up the next morning in my usual cheerful self well, as cheerful as I could get. After I came home from the meat shop I took a hot shower to cleanse my skin from the splatters of blood, promising myself to take another hot shower in the morning to totally get rid of the smell. Once I was done, I skipped down the stairs to eat a quick breakfast. Mom must have gone to work while I am still in the shower. A five-dollar bill was pinned on the wall near the fridge together with a note.She’s been the Mayor’s secretary for three years. I knew she didn't exactly like her job but as long as it can feed the both of us, she'll endure it.I smiled at her sweet note that says ‘Good luck, Sweetie. Luv u.’“Love you too, mom,” I said in the air.I would be graduating from high school in a month and I'm very excited about it. Speaking of which Vince would be here any moment now so I slurped down my cereal in one go, creating a d
I was used to being in the shadows. Used of easily blending in the sea of students flooding the hallways.I am an outcast.A nobody.A wallflower.And I'm okay with it.So imagine everyone's shocked and bewildered faces when Vincenzo Romano suddenly invited me to ride with him in his car. Asking girls to ride with him in his car was Vincenzo's M.O when picking his new flavor of the week. The downside of it was you can't say no.Vincenzo always gets what he wants. If someone ever says no to him they must be prepared to uproot their life on Brakstone and live as far as possible.The Romanos were the actual hell on earth.One simple invite had made my meticulously inconspicuous planned life thrown into waste. But then, I have to start somewhere. The moment I let my existence known to Nicholas, I know I also need to get close to Vincenzo and make him notice me, damn the consequences.The next morning after the most interesti
The moment I realized that no one was coming to save me, I had become my own hero.I have killed and slaughtered without care. The truth is I don't have any recollection of how or what did I do. I completely zoned out, consumed with anger and loathing. I only saw black as I felt myself drowning in a molasses-like daze. And there's no other way out but to swim through it and to fight it.I wouldn't be here if I didn't break through that hell.After I burned down that cursed orphanage I got thrown into, I learned how hard to live in a world full of deceit and greed. A world far more worst than the beatings I got from my father.Those things were just physical.The orphanage did a number on my head. The horrible things the orphanage did to me were something no child could ever forget. It was forged and branded on every fiber of my being.The feeling of someone degrading you mentally and physically could slowly drain and kill a child's will to l
Have you ever felt so elated that you could jump on a cliff without minding if you’d break a bone or plummet to your death?How about the feeling, like the world is at the palm of your hands and you could easily crush and manipulate it to appease your ever-changing mood?Or perhaps the promised thrill and adrenaline coursing through your veins of blowing someone’s head in just a snap of your fingers?Power.That’s right. That’s what I felt when Vince finally asked me to be his girlfriend, officially. Not that I have grown to like him. That won't happen. I swear it’s nothing like that. It’s the feeling of control over him and his head that makes me giddy with excitement.I'm one step closer to my goal.Now, all I need to do is worm my way around his life and wrap him around my fingers. I want him to become my marionette—a puppet I could control.How fun could that be?Maybe more fu