It’s all over now, sad one.
One final breath left my lungs in a hiss of air as my heart gave one final thump in my hollow chest. It was only me now in this sea of blackness that called to me. So I lay there in the silence with a smile on my face, my eyes finally closing one last time.
“Finally…”
Creature
The old gate squeaked open as a car rumbled down the drive. We watched from the shadows as the tiny little sedan, followed by a moving truck, circled the roundabout and parked in front of the entryway.
Out of the car stepped a slender woman with long brown hair, maybe in her late twenties. She had a bright smile on her face and sunglasses perched atop her head. A young man around the same age got out of the moving truck, smiling at the woman as they met between their vehicles, embracing one another in a passionate kiss. Their voices were hushed as they held one another's hands and peered up at the looming house that waited for them.
After they broke apart, the woman made her way up the stairs towards the front door, while the man turned on his heel and headed for the small decrepit flower garden and pulled out thefor salesign, tossing it aside with a grin on his face.
The new owners appeared to be newlyweds, judging by the bright white ribbon dangling off of the trunk of the sedan and the way that the two young humans gazed at one another with stars in their eyes. They were so young and happy, so utterly unaware of the danger that lurked around them.
Hundreds of hungry eyes peered at them from the tree line, from the windows of the house, from the darkness of the glassy swamp water, and even from high overhead as they circled the skies, their monstrous shadows blotting out the moon. This was not a safe place for these fragile humans.
As of now, there wasn’t a single trace of fear in the air, though the creatures sipped and savored every drop of nervousness that the woman radiated as she turned the key and let the front door creak open on its aging hinges. We waited ever so patiently. In time, they would come to know what fear could truly feel like.
Glowing green eyes met mine from across the mossy walkway where Kazimir crouched, lying in wait half submerged in his dark waters. He nodded in my direction before gazing up at the windows of the old house. I followed his gaze and had to stifle a chuckle at the sight of two figures hovering in front of the large bay window on the third floor. Their glowing white eyes were homed in on the young man, who was unloading moving boxes from the back of the truck, using a flashlight to guide him. Cilas and Cyn smiled widely in unison. The game was on.
Idly, I wondered how far the humans had traveled to find such a steal. The house had been condemned two years ago after the last of the Cooper line had mysteriouslyvanishedinto thin air. The authorities had searched for Iris for weeks with no success. Finally, the state had given in and snatched the property back, selling it for cheap at auction. These lucky newlyweds must have jumped on the chance to own such a vast fixer-upper.
The man stood at the base of the stairs, looking up at his new house with a grin on his face, utterly satisfied and ready to tackle everything this place had to offer them. Little did he know that this house had been lying in wait, hungry for its next meal.
The sound of rippling water echoed through the windy night at the same time as a crack of thunder rumbled through the sky. Lightning lit up the overgrown property as the man ascended the steps to his brand-new home, but I wasn’t watching the doomed humans now. My eyes were fixated on the shadow that rose from the surface of the dark, murky swamp.
Tendrils of smoke swirled around her, coating her once pale as moonlight skin so that she perfectly blended in with the night. Her eyes were nothing but pale white glowing orbs, as if the stars themselves had fallen from the sky just for her.
Long and lean, her shadowy limbs moved through the water as if they were made of it. She was graceful and slow, sensuous but violent. Everything about Iris Cooper was lethal, because we’d made her that way.
Spindly antlers crested her head like a dark crown fit for royalty, and it made my chest rumble with pleasure at the sight. Her claw tipped hands were webbed, and if she moved in just the right way with just the perfect amount of moonlight, shining iridescent scales peeked out beneath her shadows.
My whole body responded, as if she were calling out to me in her sweet voice that I could listen to for hours on end as we ravished each other until sated. Her midnight hair brushed her naked thighs as she swayed, stepping onto the bank of the swamp with Kazimir behind her, his eyes fixated on our queen.
The woods went utterly still and silent as she swayed across the property, her long hair flowing in the breeze. Her song trailed behind her, a haunting lullaby that was both devastating and terrifying at once. Her voice was like that of an avenging angel, and a swelling of pride and obsession overcame me. I could see the same reflected in Kazimir’s eyes as he watched her lead us towards our next meal.
She was the most beautiful creature I’d ever seen, and I looked forward to witnessing the havoc she was about to bring down on these unsuspecting mortals. It was what she deserved. It was her right, her prize, her victory, and we would walk the shadows of the earth beside her for the rest of our days.
The End.