Her Eyes

Beast

After calling the cleanup crew, I slide my phone back in my pocket. I stare down at Victor Royal's lifeless body.

Although my job is complete, I feel the itch for more. The desire to remove his organs and hang them up around this room starts to make the red haze cloud my mind.

"Swine,"my mother's voice in my head snarls. "You should cut his lying tongue out of his mouth. No swift deaths."

I reach into my bag to bring out my reciprocating saw, but stop when the bathroom door opens. She walks out using a paper towel to dry her hands. Her focus is on cleaning herself and not yet on me. As if she could feel my gaze, she looks up and stares at me.

"What?" she asks, wiping at her face. "Did I miss something?"

Turning away from her, I put my attention back on Victor. The urge to cut his body up disappears. My job is finished.

"Let's go," I demand without looking at her. Zipping my black duffle, I toss it over my shoulder.

"Wait," she says, causing me to face her. "Don't you need to clean this shit up? I mean the cameras saw you come in here. You're not worried about going to jail for this?"

Seems like she's come to terms with her death. Her questions are no longer about her surviving the night. This should be a good thing. The less she fights me on this the easier it will be. Yet, I don't like the hollow feeling that comes with this thought.

"It's handled." Again, I turn away, this time heading to the door.

"Gabriel."

I flinch when she calls my name. The only person that ever called me that name was mother. I killed the name a long time ago, yet when I went to give her my name, that is what came out.

Glancing back at her over my shoulder, I find her standing with her hands on her narrow waist. She's too skinny. I didn't notice it before, but I can see it now.

Although I've never been allowed to sample the women from the Nunnery, I have seen them. Their skin looks healthy, and it tends to glow, it never matters the color of it. However, Summer's is dull and sickly looking.

"She's a hideous whore."Mother taunts. "You know what's wrong with her."

"Look, I know I'm not living past tonight, but can you at least let me in on what the hell is going on? I do have family that I don't want caught up in this bullshit," she says the last part pointing at Victor.

I owe her no explanation.

"They won't. The cameras have not worked since we walked in, and the room will be cleaned."

Why the hell does this keep happening. Just like the name thing, when I open my mouth, an answer to her question falls out.

"Well, at least you're an organized killer," she says, crossing her arms over her chest.

The urge to smile at her antics tugs at my lips.

"Kill this whore. Do it now. She is a hindrance. She eats the bread of idleness. Spill her ungodly blood."

Just as fast as the urge to smile arrived it disappears. Mother's voice has that ability.

"Not now," I counter in my head.

"Weak,"Mother hisses. "Kill her. Kill the whore, now."

"Shut up, shut up, shut up," I growl, as I pull at my hair fighting to clear mother's voice out of my head. My frantic breathing is loud in my ears as I close my eyes and shut out the world.

"Focus, Kid. Breathe."Right on time, Priest's voice steps in. "Block that bitch out. She no longer gets to live in your head rent free. She's not here."

Slowly, I gain control of my thoughts. Silence surrounds me. Opening my eyes, I come face to face with a pair of brown ones. Although dark circles make them look tired, her eyes turn upwards at the end giving her a feline-like look. Her irises aren't as dark this close up, I can see the lighter hues of brown. Her eyes are beautiful.

I frown as that thought runs through my head.

"You good?" she asks.

"Yes."

She steps back, looking in every direction but at me. She hugs her body, hunching her shoulders. I scan through my rolodex of memorized emotions. Embarrassment. This is peculiar. Why is she embarrassed?

"So, what's next?" she asks, pulling my attention away from her odd behavior.

"We eat," I turn toward the door and head out. Her soft footfalls follow behind me. I don't grab her arm until we are on the other side of the door.

We head out of the club. I have only nine hours to finish my menus, and then I have to kill Summer.