Emily
By Eric S. Brown
Copyright (c) 2005 by Eric S. Brown
I saw them again today. Her in our green jeep and him in his gray van, parked side by side at the car wash. They were leaning out their windows talking and making plans. To meet like that is so much safer than ever using the phone. They believe I don't know about their affair but I am on to them. It's been going on for months now. When she leaves at night with her excuses, I smile and pretend to be clueless as to where she's actually going. I ask her when she'll be back and tell her to have a safe trip. Emily hugs me and closes the door behind her as she leaves to lie in his arms.
She'll leave again tonight, I know. Her excuses won't matter. I'll know like always exactly where to find her and Frank. Frank is a very predictable guy once you get to know him and I've worked side by side with him for the last seven years. He'll take her to the inn just off exit 106 on I-26 but tonight I will there too. The rituals are complete and I can feel the changes inside starting even as I drive home. When the moon rises, my eyes will burn red and my flesh will become that of a demon.
Oh, I could have confronted them, had her leave, and lost everything in the divorce which would have surely followed. I could have plotted their murder like a normal man and went to jail afterwards or maybe even gotten off on a plea of temporary insanity but this way is so much more fun.
You see, my grandfather was a warlock of some renown. He was burnt at the stake and all that after they cut off his head. They didn't burn his books though. The books were passed down to me as part of my family history on my twenty-first birthday and sat gathering dust in our attic for years as I turned thirty just weeks ago. No one knew the spells and magic inside their pages of human skin were real. I certainly didn't believe until my life crumbled and I got desperate. When I first found about them, the books leapt into my mind as if they were calling out to me. I tried a few simple spells at first and was shocked to discover they worked. It drove me on deeper into their pages and gave me my answer, my means of vengeance. Using their magic, I will become a demon straight out of Greek myth, a male version of a Fury and their blood will taste sweet upon my lips as I tear them limb from limb and die myself as the sun rises and burns me to ash. It will be well worth the price.
After the sun has set and she is gone for an hour, my clothes shred away from me as new muscles bulge and leather wings spread to embrace the night sky. The change is quick but feels like hellfire consuming my skin then suddenly I am aware. The world is new to me and I see everything, feel everything, but most especially my rage, my hatred for the crimes for betrayal by my wife and friend. I take flight from our backyard and cover the distance to the inn in mere heartbeats. I swoop down at the inn, crashing through their window on the third floor. The room stinks of sweat, sex, and a fresh fear.
Emily is screaming and trying to cover herself as I move towards Frank. Frank has always been paranoid so the gun on the night table comes as no surprise. He yanks it up and pops off round after round into my new body. I shrug them off as though they were nothing and reach out, crushing the gun and his hand alike in my taloned hand. Franks opens his mouth to cry out from the pain but the talons of my other hand slash open his throat, tearing his windpipe apart. I lift his falling body effortlessly and toss it through the window to the street below.
Emily watches it all too terrified to run. I yank the covers from her naked form and descend on her like a ravenous beast before she dies from her wounds underneath my spent body now satisfied. Finally I remove her still heart from her chest and sit enjoying it like an apple between my teeth as I wait for the sun to rise.
THE END
Eric S. Brown has appeared in The News before. He has a new book coming out. Will provide his bio at a later date.
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