Enjoy

This is the first new short story I’ve written in years. I’ve been so focused on polishing my novels, I haven’t worked on any new projects. It’s still a work-in-progress. I don’t even know how it’ll end but I’m having a lot of fun with it!

Because of the monsters, people no longer stood while riding the subway. If all seats were taken, they’d wait for the next train. The two wrestling males must’ve been living in a cave for the past 100 years. A muscular older male threw a little boy across the car. The small one was only fragile in size. His face, as he stared up at the big lout, held impressive strength. Even Contessa Torain felt a twinge in her spine. He stood and dusted himself off as though he hadn’t been handled like some discarded stuffed doll. The muscled male balked at the child’s lack of fear but hid his surprise under hatred.

“All freaks deserve to die.” The male’s voice tried to coax Contessa’s hand around his throat. 

He grabbed the small one by the collar and slammed his back against the car doors. The little one stared with eyes that encased Contessa’s soul in ice. His face held no expression, no indication he knew or even cared he was about to die. The male squeezed the little one’s collar. Everyone knew both were going to die but this time, people actually watched. They wanted the monster to devour the small boy. They believed this child was something abominable because he didn’t fight death. Their desire to see him eaten became strength that weaved into the larger male’s resolve. He was a necessary sacrifice to kill the evil they believed the child possessed. 

“When your superior speaks to you, you answer. When he tells you to jump you say, how high.”

Contessa chuckled.

The muscles turned to her. She held his gaze making her face a blank mask. His mouth moved like a dying fish. Hatred flowed from his eyes and soured the frigid air. Everyone looked at her now. People squirmed on either side of her. The older male turned back to the child. He had more brains than she thought.

He lifted his fist and brought it down hard into the little one’s side. The force of the blow lifted the child from the ground but still his face was empty. The big one did it again. The child showed no pain or fear.

“Such a waste,” she said.

Contessa stood and walked to the pair. They didn’t look up as she grabbed the big male by the scruff of his neck and pulled him back. She threw the little one behind her then pressed the older male to the doors. The muscles struggled against her grip but his strength was no match for hers. He managed to squeeze a few foul words through his crushing windpipe. Contessa never understood why humans reduced themselves to using such boorish words when they wished to insult someone. Far better words could set fire to a person’s self- worth.

 People’s hatred tried to eat through her strength. To them, she had stopped the large male from obliterating evil. Their desire transformed into malice- a deadly fuel that could push the smartest person into making moronic decisions. But fear in this city was a constant thing, nothing, not even hatred, could silence the little voice telling them to keep to themselves and run when they had the chance.

But what Contessa cared about more was the intangible hand reaching through the doors and into the older male. The hand pulled out his repulsive, screaming soul. Even the noise it emitted as the SoulEater devoured it was nauseating. At the same time, another intangible hand reached through her arm. It grabbed for her soul but recoiled with a scream to release it from pain and death but both were far stronger than its will. Everyone heard its death song even though humans could never see its form while it hunted.

“Cretinous SoulEater.”

Contessa released the shell of the older male. The sound, as it hit the ground, was louder than expected. 

Fear tightened the rope around the passengers’ necks. Contessa wasn’t dumb enough to return to her seat. She stood in the spotlight until the next stop came. People rushed for the exit. Contessa, the dead body and the small boy were the only ones in the car.

It was a pity human eyes couldn’t see what she could. This child had a brilliant soul. It would’ve been such a waste to let it get devoured. The little one looked at neither her nor the body but was very aware of her. He wasn’t afraid. Contessa was fine as long as he didn’t speak to her.

She was not surprised when the boy followed her out the train and out the station.

Want to know what happened next? Read HERE.