I cried out, enough already! I don’t know to whom. The pain I couldn’t take. I wanted it over. Ice baths. Electric shock. Experiments. My body had enough. I let the blackness take me. And now my soul roams these asylum walls. Restless. Seeking my revenge.
The wall between us is about a mile thick I am not just some bug you can flick You took down my wall brick by brick Why don’t you stop being a prick You can’t say you love me And then choose to flee You expect me to jump for joy; Yippee! I think we will agree to disagree You used my bricks to create your wall The fact I gave you my heart makes me appalled You were supposed to heal all But you were nothing but a close call You shall always be in my heart Even when they roll me out on a cart We may always be apart But honey our love was an art
Can’t you see me in the eyes of the moon Can’t you feel me in the burn of the sun Can’t you see that we all become dust Can’t you feel the power between us Can’t you see your heart’s desire Can’t you feel my heart’s fire Can’t you see me in the eyes of the moon Can’t you feel me in the burn of the sun Can’t you see the void without me Can’t you feel that we are meant to be Can’t you see I was created for you Can’t you feel my words are true Can’t you see me in the eyes of the moon Can’t you feel me in the burn of the sun Can’t you see I may have left this world But… Can’t you feel me in your heart’s fold
If you look at me in the clear light of dawn; You will see me for who I really am. If you look at me in the light of the setting sun; You will only see me as the mask I wear. Darling, I need you to see me for who I am; Take a long slow look in the cold morning dew. I am afraid to show you who I am; So you are blinded by the heat of the setting sun. But in the clear light of dawn; You can catch a glimpse of my soul In the light of the setting sun; You won’t see that it is black as coal.
“It seems ironic that my voice when I speak is like sweet cream or honey. But when I cry, when I wail, it sounds and feels like death.
I remember hearing that wail for the first time. I was a warrior. I was a queen! They called me The Phantom Queen with how quiet and light on my feet I am.
I was the queen, and men followed me to their deaths and their victories.
Then I married.
Then I fulfilled my duty to take a husband and become round with my heir. Then I failed.
For all my success on the battlefield when it came to being a woman I failed.
My child was stillborn, and I almost died, losing the ability to have a child. It had to be my fault. And so I dove into magic, trying to find a solution to have a child.
Instead, I ended up with immortality.
To keep the curse, I must kill those who failed their child.
Fitting.
It is my fault my child is dead, and I was punished. Others should be as well.
Now I use my honey voice to calm them and then I strike fear into them when I wail and allow them to know Death is coming for them.”
Morgan looked out at her diners. She loved running the restaurant. It allowed her to see families. It allowed her to watch them. She still grieved for her only child. She still desired a child. She hadn’t thought of adoption before recently.
Oh, she knew of it, but she didn’t think a monster would be able to adopt. But then she heard Frank had a daughter now. She was even given immortality. In an over dramatic ritual, Morgan knows easier and better ones, as long as she accepted the child would be as cursed as she was, to wail and kill those with her cries.
It isn’t so bad.
She didn’t have a set victim requirement; she didn’t have to have so many a year or a decade or are cursed to gain forgiveness. Because forgiveness can only truly come from within. And well, she would never forgive herself for failing her duty as a woman. Ancient thinking. But she was an ancient woman.
It is why she moaned and cried and turned those like her to a bleeding mess as their blood vessels in their body burst at hearing her cries.
“Earth to Morgan! Earth to Morgan!” Came a voice and a hand in front of her face.
“Oh, sorry I was just…”
“Just lost in thought there darling?” Came the drawl of Abe.
“Shush Abe!” Yelled Caliban. “She was doing her thing more than likely.”
“Oh, she can do that without spacing out on us. I mean we are planning a party here!” Abe stated as he reached over the counter and filled his glass with more sugary carbonated beverages.
“I don’t see how you can mix all those flavors.” Caliban stated. “And I am basically a kid.”
Abe took a long drink. “So good! Full of sugary goodness! I mean, my father never allowed me this. Hell, the man basically made me with all he deprived me of when I was growing up.”
Morgan rolled her eyes. “Why are you two planning a party again?”
“Well, I am so glad you asked!” Abe clapped his hands. “You see with Sophie joining us monsters, and Darin in town, and, of course, Sam basically getting hitched I thought we should have a big New Year’s Eve to do and celebrate everything! Bring in fresh food, let our hair down, and just have fun. I mean yeah, James Parties are fun, but we need them more than once a year!”
Morgan rolled her eyes and scanned the families again. She had heard some rumors, and she needed to validate them before she just went and killed the parents. That was the one thing about her that set her apart from other monsters. She didn’t just go off one rumor but validated and only hunted very specific people. She has gone decades without killing and she isn’t required to kill. She is only required to live. Well, it wasn’t really a requirement as ‘failing’ can be so differently interrupted so she never really had to kill them. It was just sometimes… just sometimes… it was satisfying to kill those who failed their children.
For over a week Morgan watched the same family. The mother was always hunched into herself. The father was always trying to act tough. She had heard that their eldest had died. Suddenly and without cause. So Morgan checked in on that. After just a couple of hours, she found the abuse. The pain the kid had gone through and finally was released.
It wasn’t the parents.
It was a teacher at the school. The parents hadn’t noticed. Too busy. Always too busy. Well, Morgan normally only killed the parents, but a teacher was like a parent to a child. She would kill the teacher instead and then choose to spare or kill the parents. After all, they had failed their eldest.
One Friday night Morgan walked into Jo’s with a strappy little dress and heels that made her legs go for miles. She saw her target. She smirked and walked right up to him. “Buy me a drink, slugger?” She smirked as she bit his ear.
The man, Wayne Stevens, just nodded and snapped his fingers to Jo. “Whatever the lady wants and a refill. NOW!” He yelled.
Jo raised an eyebrow to Morgan, and Morgan licked her lips. Jo laughed. “Well, if you hadn’t, I would have.” She stated as she poured the good tequila on the man’s credit card.
Morgan laughed and took the shot, took the bottle and went and straddled her victim. “Come one honey! Let’s go dance!” She pulled him by the tie. “I want to dance!” She started to sway her hips and lead him into the middle of the dance floor.
It was two in the morning, and Morgan was dragging Wayne into the woods. She smiled as she took off her shoes, dropping them as she went, and then skimmed out of her dress at the water’s edge. “Come one Wayne!” She called.
It wasn’t long before the man was by her side and undressing. “I can’t believe one of the most gorgeous women in town thought to notice me.”
“Oh, Wayne, don’t know you when you hurt kids all the queens notice? It was just I got to win.” Morgan stated.
Wayne looked at her. “What are you talking about?”
“What do you think I am talking about? A little kid now at rest because of your abuse. Abuse, their parents missed because they trusted you?” Morgan held his head between her hands. “And now my soul cries for that child Wayne. And you will bleed the tears I cry.” Morgan then opened her mouth and let out a mournful cry for the child.
Wayne tried to get away but soon the blood was dripping from his eyes, nose, mouth and ears as every vessel burst in his body. As Morgan held him to life to feel the pain. To feel the pain of failing a child. To feel the pain of not doing what his job was and to protect and care and teach the child. Soon his heart exploded out of his chest and she was covered in blood.
She dropped the body. She sneered at it as she dived into the water and cleaned off before putting her dress back on to leave his body.
Morgan found herself walking to the home of the parents. They were sitting outside yelling. Each blaming the other for not noticing what was happening to their eldest. Morgan stopped and listened.
The mother.
The mother was having an affair with Wayne. Well, that wouldn’t do and as the father slammed into the house; Morgan went and grabbed the mother.
She looked into her eyes. “You failed your child. Your failed your child for sexual gratification. For your sins you must die.” She let out a mournful cry and again held the woman as she died. Morgan dropped the body and went home to clean up.
She left a message for Ewan about the two lovers who cut their own hearts out rather than to be apart. She then took out a million in savings and snuck in and put it in a ‘hidden’ safe in the house.
It would keep the father and allow him to be home more with his remaining children.
After all, if the father failed, then she would have to take him.
She smiled at the young babe that still lived and with a kiss to the babe’s head she left with the wind.
Giving one final mournful cry to grieve the passing of a child…
They went corporate and used their powers for fear in their world. Superheroes went into the shadows. Many died.
Doctor Arc got the Villains of the world together.
Hundreds of years later, Etain AKA Doctor Arc, finds out something so wrong she can’t let the corruption, even as much evil as she is, continue.
Etain is beaten and left for dead when she stands against her corporation.
She goes to the only hero that is left.
She is a Villain who needs a hero.
The hero once known as Earth Phoenix now just goes by her name her father gave her hundreds of years ago, Catriona.
When the villains one, she moved to a small city, opened a bakery, lives her extended life in peace.
Until one day she finds the villain on her doorstep.
The Queen Villain is asking Catriona to save the world.
Will She answer the call once again?
Excerpt:
Chapter One: In The Beginning
There was Darkness.
Humanity didn’t just evolve into the normal beings that make up the vast majority of the world’s population. It is said that some were said to be touched by God’s divine grace.
That grace gave birth to the heroes and the villains.
In reality, it was a chromosomal anomaly.
But one many exploited.
Chaos reigned.
And it was glorious.
For life without chaos is like a superhero without a cause.
There used to be a time where superheros reigned over and protected the lands.
They reigned in the chaos.
They brought order.
They were loved.
For millennia.
Until the villains became corporate.
For hundreds, thousands even, of years it was the typical bad guy blows something up, steals something, does something super villain-y, and the hero would come in and save the day. Very basic. Exceptionally ordinary. Citizens worshiped the heroes and hated the villains. The superheros, however, knew the chaos the villains caused gave them a cause and a reason to exist.
One villain loathed it. She hated the whole… flamboyance… of her… evilness.
Etain.
Also known as Doctor Arc.
And with that, she vowed to change the way the world work.
She was tired of the hero always winning.
She was tired of the hero lording over her.
Her arch-nemesis, who had the stupid ass name of Earth Phoenix. It was so not her real name.
Back then they protected their real name. But since Phoenix was her number one enemy, she knew her real name. Catriona. But she never gave it up.
“Funny that I live in the shadows during most of my ‘lives.’ After all, I was created by darkness. I am older than most of the monsters that are in our group. I was created with the dawn of times. I have seen not only this vast Earth, but the nothingness that it once was before the balls of gas formed in space.
I wasn’t always a monster. I was once a creator of life. I gave souls. Now I take them.
It is my punishment. I refused to not give souls to infants. I thought all humans deserved a chance at life. To live, the soul had to be given to the body. Thus adding the soul to the body and allow the body to live.
All beings generally have souls. There are a few exceptions, though. Frank wasn’t given his own soul, he is made up of the pieces of souls left over though he says he is soulless, those pieces have knitted together to create something of a soul.
No, sometimes there is just evil in the world. I wouldn’t say we are evil, though we kill to live. We are just doing what humanity is doing; doing whatever is needed to stay alive. That is probably why when I was banished to the shadows of Earth I tried everything to be able to walk among the mortals and I found a way.
I must drain souls to gain a body. About one hundred a year. Which is probably why I work with Bo and the other monsters as the private investigator…
Funny how being a shadow who wants to be among the humans, I live my un-life in the shadows…”
Sebastian sighed as he was going through the paperwork. His job was mostly to find and create identities. He had to research backgrounds, make sure that pictures and most evidence that one of their family wasn’t how they said they were. He had only met a handful; but they were okay beings. Right now he was finding what he could on Mary Sheldon and whose daughter she gave birth to; as Frank wasn’t giving up the babe. He didn’t blame him. Kids were a soft spot for him and most monsters. Most monsters only regretted not being able to have their own children.
He wasn’t having much luck with Sheldon. She grew up listening to monster stories, took it seriously, majored in classic lit and started teaching at a local high school, getting her doctorate and then moving to teach at the university. No relationships. No marriages. Nothing. Not even a picture of her with any men. It just didn’t make sense!
He sighed as he threw the paper away from him. He looked up at the calendar. He had to take a soul soon. He had to take two a week and then he would have two weeks where he wouldn’t have to take any souls. He could pretend to be normal. He slacked on taking the first this week so he would have to take both quickly and close together. He stood up and jabbed his hat on his head and left.
He had to do a bit of research anyway on this Sheldon chick. It was like she was a bloody monster herself. But if that was the case, she would know the rules for not attacking any monsters living in their town. If they do, they are declaring war. It was only because of James that Kat was still alive and the world wasn’t divided into kingdoms, Frankensteins and the voodoo priestess and her slaves.
Most would have sided with Frank. Nobody touched family. Family was such a rare commodity in this undead life.
He locked his door and headed toward the bars.
“Hey Seb!” Jo yelled. “Usual?”
Sebastian nodded. “Of course, Jo.” He took a seat at the end of the bar in the shadows.
Tonight he was hunting.
He looked out the window into the skies. He saw the billions of stars, many he created, many he knew had died out long ago. He closed his eyes against the pain of his creations dying. He knew they would.
He knew soon there would be nothing he created.
Not even this Earth that he sat upon.
Soon he would be up for re-judgment and given a new punishment for his disobedience.
Even when these monsters went to heaven or hell, he would be stuck in an endless loop of punishment because he was a creator.
A destroyer.
A true monster.
He gave all this life, and he would take it one day as part of his punishment. He shook himself out of his stupor. He had to focus.
He flicked his soul gaze on and looked at the people. He tried to pick those who were unnoticed, unwanted, unneeded or evil. After all, there was just sometimes evilness in the world.
It was a few beers in when a bar fight caught his attention. It wouldn’t have held his attention if it wasn’t for the dark, oily souls that were leading the fight. Sebastian smirked. Two for one!
Always loved a bonus.
He moved over and jumped into the fray. He had to get on his victims’ sides so he helped them.
Soon the little college boys that started the fight were limping away, nursing their wounds, sans the cash they lost at the pool game.
Lost… Stolen… Po-tat-oes… Pah-tot-os.
“Hey man, that was cool of ya. Why us and not the frat boys?” One of the meals on legs asked.
“Looked a bit unfair, seven against two? Thought I would even it up a bit.” Sebastian gave a grin.
The two men laughed. “Well, this is Bubba and I am Jay. Niceta meet ya.” Jay held out his hand.
Sebastian took it. “Seb.”
“Come on! Let’s get us some beer with our prize money and play some pool! Come on, you can join us Seb, after all those who fight together drink together!” Bubba stated.
It wasn’t long before the stolen money ran out, but Sebastian just slapped his credit card on the bar and they continued to drink. Jo came up to him. “Hell, Seb, they are drunk enough don’tcha think?”
“Just making sure. You know I avoid the struggle. You do me a favor and call the bodies in, in the morning? Gus should get use out of the skin; and they are troublemakers, they will think they got on the wrong side of each other and shot each other when I am done with the scene.”
“No problem sug. Look, just don’t forget to not get blood on the building. I can hose the alley. The building seems to have a life of its own sometimes and I don’t want to feed it, if you know what I mean?”
“Got it, Jo. We will leave soon.” He signed his name on his slip. Not bad for a lovely meal of two dark souls, he thought as he signed the seven hundred-dollar bill.
“Hey, we should go find something else to do!” Jay yelled.
“Yay! Come on Seb, buddy!” Bubba agreed as they stumbled into the alley.
Sebastian smirked. “Well, I have an idea my fiends.” He then dropped his power to look human and stood there looking for all the world a black void. There were sparks of light inside of the black. Like it was an universe upon Earth. Which, based upon what Sebastian was made of, made sense. “How about you run!” He then grabbed Bubba and sucked out his soul through his mouth. The black light that was dripping in an oily substance showed just how dark and evil Bubba was as a human. Sebastian dropped the body and placed one bullet in the heart and took off after Jay.
Jay tried to shoot at him. “What are you, man?” He asked as Sebastian held him up.
“I am the darkness. The shadows. The beginning and the end. And this is your end, Jay.” Sebastian stated as he sucked the black soul from Jay’s body. Dropping it and shooting once in the chest. Sebastian wiped the black oily residue from his chin and licked his fingers. “Well, that was pleasant.”
He looked at the time. “Only one… I may be able to get a bit of work done.” With that, Sebastian left the bodies and went back to the office.
It was his job to solve the mysteries of the town monsters.
“Cursed to live forever. Cursed to be connected to a painting. A curse that can evolve. I have decided to start over again. Always starting over. Never evolving myself like that curse. What is the point of life? I would destroy the portrait of myself if I thought it would grant me freedom. But I cannot. I will not be granted freedom until I gain my redemption. Damn the fates that cursed me.
Okay, so it may have been my fault for trying to find the secret of immortality. I should never have asked Henry for a key to immorality. And I should never have been so shallow. Sybil… She was one of a kind. Killing her and making it look like suicide was not my brightest idea, but I wanted to preserve her beauty!
Like mine was preserved. Killing Henry was just because of my insanity. If my Sybil couldn’t have immorality no other but I shall. Destroying all his works but my own portrait was not hard since Henry, the dear little man, loved me. I was his ultimate muse. Funny how I find my own muses from life to life before I toss them away. Will I ever not be shallow?”
Darin got up from his desk in his flat. He was in London; but he was moving to Grand Prairie Rapids. Lucas said they would put him up for a while. He looked down at the people in his bed. His most recent muses. He smirked. One thing about the curse was that to remain forever young, he had to hurt those who loved him. These two beauties so did love him. But alas, their time as his muses has ended, and he had to feed the curse so he couldn’t age.
He took the needles and plunged them into the arms of his muses. All this time and he still used ‘poison’ the poison changed and the delivery method changed, but it was one thing about him that was consistent from muse to muse. After their hearts stopped, he took the hearts and drained them over his painting. He cleaned up after and grabbed his guitar and his duffel and smirked as he got on the plane.
Lucas was not in a good mood. He was waiting for Darin and pacing as he waited for him. His plane landed an hour ago. “Darin!” He yelled.
Darin was playing a young set of twins when he heard his name. It was low. Damn wolf frequencies. “Darlings, I will be living with my college friends. You will be my perfect muses as I prepare for my shows. Here is the address. And my number so you all can call me, darlings.”
The twins giggled as they took the piece of papers. “We will call you!” They giggled again as Darin gave them a kiss to their cheeks. And he bounced out.
“Damn if Luc! I gotta find my victims to give me my immortal beauty!” Darin laughed.
Lucas growled. “We have no problems with your tactics Darin. It is having me wait for hours to pick your lazy ass up!”
“Hour. Hour, Lucas.” Darin sighed. “An hour.” Darin through his guitar and bag into the back. “Come on! I hear Frankie is a daddy! And I want to see this little bundle of monster!”
Lucas growled. “You will keep everything kosher with the child Darin; or I will kick you out!”
“Whoosh! What side of the bed did you wake up on? You know we don’t touch each other’s families! So, how is the cute little bundle?”
“We are looking for the biological father. Part of us is hoping he is a monster so it will be hard-wired into her brain to be like us. The other part doesn’t want any monster to stake claim to our cub.”
“Our cub?” Darin looked at him.
“Hey! She is as good as mine too. Frank is my best friend, man.”
“Okay, okay! Sheesh I said nothing, Lucy.”
Lucas growled. “Do not call me Lucy! I have killed entire packs for less.”
“Down boy! Friend, remember? Aall said in good taste!”
“Yes, well, keep your ‘good taste’ in muses away from Sophie. The baby doesn’t need your victims as role models. Her grandmother and Morgan are the best, I think.”
“Not Jo and Kat?”
“Frank still wants to kill Kat, and Jo, no offense, could be a bit more selective in her bedmate.”
“And if Sophie has succubus blood?”
“Then we teach her how to choose good victims and not the drunken frat boys that will just take their pleasure and make her work for hers. But she doesn’t seem to have a draining aspect or we would have seen that by now.” Lucas pulled up to the house. “FRANK! We are home!”
Frank came out with Sophie. “Darin. Meet Sophie. Drake is out on the hunt and Cameron is over at his latest prey’s house.”
Darin smirked. “Cute kid pops!” He threw his guitar on the couch. “So, what is for grub?”
Frank rolled his eyes and went back into his office with Sophie. Lucas laughed. “On your own, my man. This is fend for yourself house.” Lucas grabbed his book bag. “Later Darin.” And he left.
Darin huffed. “Well, what can I do now?” He looked at his guitar. “Looks like it is time to get a gig. It is Friday, after all.” He grabbed his case, looked in the mirror and smirked. “You are one handsome dude. Go get them tiger.” He then growled at himself. He laughed as he walked out the door. Yep, he was an egotistical asshole.
It didn’t take him long to talk Jo into letting him play Friday and Saturday at her pool hall. He smirked at the all the college kids. Not as nice as twins but most could be talked into joining him and becoming his muses for the night, weekend, week, month, etcetera, etcetera. In fact, he had a couple hanging off him now. Sorority girls. “Well, it is only a matter of time before I can’t do shows for free. I am a high demand commodity right now!”
The girls giggled. “Of course, you are Darin! You are amazing! That last song, it is like it totally sang to my soul.”
“Yes, well, it was so hard to come up with without proper muses. You two wouldn’t like to come with me when the bar closes to help inspire my next major hit, would you?”
The girls giggled some more. “We would Darin!”
Darin smiled and slapped them on their asses. “Well, I got another set to do darlings! Be in the front for me!” He smiled and slipped them something in each drink. It made them compliant enough for the night until he… well, until he killed them tomorrow morning and had Tony come and get the bodies.
Poor Tony. Under appreciated. That man needs to let loose and have a party. Maybe get Jo to throw him one.
Okay, so Darin just loved a delightful party. Didn’t matter the excuse, he always found another victim at them.
He jumped on stage and started to play. Soon… Soon… Was all he could think as he looked down at his ‘muses.’
The three crashed through the doors of the room Darin was staying in. He told the girls to keep it down; they didn’t want to wake his roommate’s baby. The girls were tearing at his clothes as they crashed into his bed. Well, this was the fun part!
The next morning the girls were still sleeping when he woke. He stood up and after putting on a robe he held up the two syringes full of ‘poison’ he sighed as he plunged them deep into the sleeping girls’ veins.
But he was too afraid of death.
Too afraid of growing old.
Too afraid of being ugly.
Yep, he would always be that shallow guy.
He waited until their hearts stopped and then taking a knife; he cut open their chests and took their hearts out. He walked over to his portrait, blood dripping from the hearts the entire way across the room, and squeezed them over his portrait.
The more blood, the better.
The more blood, the younger and better he would be.
The more blood he gave, the more it craved.
And the more it craved, the more he had to feed it…
Or pay the price…
And there were a lot worse things in this world than death…