Skulls

a short story
by Astor W. Heinemann

(Inspired by The Misfits)
I want to go out tonight. I need it. Them bones are drying up and papa needs new blood, more blood, fresh blood. I sit on my bed fresh awaken from a tight slumber where I dreamed about them. I look up and stare at my wall, my trophies all limp and lifeless looking at me from beyond their demise as their savior, the one and only who stripped them out from the pain of being alive, they thank me and I thank them for the pleasure they have brought me, but now I must add more lives and I think of how much easier it would be if I could breathe new life into them, have them do my dirty work for me, command "Go thou south of here, carry out my will and spill not a single drop, bring them here, young, fresh, clean, bring them forth to my feet still alive so I may do with them as I please, as I did with you. These are your new brothers and sisters and in no time will join your hordes for the hunt". But the dead cannot come back to life and so I grab a piece of bone, suck on the delicious marrow and I dress up.

The image in the mirror looks back at me, this frame that holds the real me inside. It looks like a regular person, but it's just a flesh disguise given to me at birth. A demon I am inside of this suit, no one will ever know just by looking at me. I am them, on the outside, I am their son, their neighbor, their co-worker, their regular Joe. But I am not Joe, I am not John Smith. Inside I am Beelzebub, the incarnation of the Dark Night of the Soul, swimming in a sea of spiritual dryness, I am the perfect Dark Triad. I am he, them, the Legions of all that scares little children alone at night. I shall give them a reason to.

From a distance I watch them, I crave for them, they don't know it, they don't see me, they don't feel my eye balls rolling all over their bodies, tasting them from afar, wanting to suck out the life liquid from them, make them a part of me. Eenie, meenie, miney, moe, who shall die tonight and leave me wanting more? You are the one, with the big eyes, wide hips and narrow waist. I can smell you from here, the scent stronger as you near the bush I hide behind. I look around me, no other soul in sight. The handkerchief is ready, moistened and prepared as you pass by and I quietly creep up behind you, never knowing what hit you.

Back at my place I lay her on my workbench and lay out the tools beside her. I take a moment to look her over, naked and cold. In an instant you will be no more than a mere decoration piece on my wall. She is beautiful. Her hair is shoulder length, curly, her lips are meaty and her nipples big and hard. She has a birthmark on the right side of her waist and I kiss it, lick it, suck on it. She is delicious. I softly run the tips of my fingers all over her sensitive spots and I feel a slight shiver from her body. She is about to wake up. Behold, here I come.

On top of her I suck on her neck, her jugular vein is tense and hard and she moans tightening up her eyes. My lips move to her shoulders and I have the first taste of her, biting a piece of flesh from her shoulders. She moans louder and opens her eyes, looks into mine as I pull away with blood trickling down from my thick lips. I feel her legs spread up around me. The night is hot and unusually quiet, I can feel her body warm up and her breathing getting heavier, but she doesn't struggle, doesn't try to scream, there is no panic, no terror, not even the slightest acknowledgement of her imminent expiry. This is not right. I want to make her beg, plead, cry for her life, but she does not and so I grab my favorite knife from it's sheath and I sink it slowly into her heart. She whispers "thank you" before taking her last breath. There, little girl, I gave you what you wanted, after all, I am the devil.

This is still my most prized possession. The sweetest of them all. I gave her what she craved for, she gave me what I craved for, we were meant for each other. She hangs still, arranged at the center with all the others around her. This is who I am, a soul collector, blood aggressor, consumer of flesh, manic oppressor.

Ende.