Today, I killed someone.
And trust me, I am not a cold blooded monster that they say I am. He would have killed me if I hadn't stopped him.
I killed Trey Reed.
UNKNOWN POV
I followed her again but this time, intentionally made myself known to her. All the other times that I stalked her, I did so without her knowledge but today, I needed her to know that I exist.
She increased her pace when she felt my presence behind her and hurried to her apartment.
I could even feel her daggering gaze on me from the second floor shabby apartment window and I loved it. She doesn't know it but I know her more than she knows herself.
After a staring contest that lasted for half an hour, I left with a smile knowing too well of what I did. She must have seen my gift by now.
I snuck into her house again last night, she had passed out on the couch after having one too many drinks for someone her age. I understand she is fighting demons in her head and all but I don't want her to hurt herself. Hurting her body means ruining the pure essence of that which she carry.
I tucked her in and left her the gift, which I know by now, she must have seen.
FREDA's POV
Someone was stupid enough to break into my house and leave this note on my refrigerator door.
It says, "Hello Flower, welcome back. I have missed you …We all have"
Who could it be?
My legs couldn't carry me as they both went cold. I dropped down on the cold floor, the note clasped in my hand.
Only three people called me flower: my mom, my ex step father and my stepbrother Connor. But it is not possible for any of them to write this because, they are all dead or …lost. I need to find this crazy bastard and teach them a lesson. My suspect narrowed to the man who followed me.
I must find out.
I took it upon myself to investigate so I started the next morning. I followed him from the store and found out his house was just a few turns away from mine. He works in finance, and is apparently as soft as a jade but a stalker definitely isn't innocent.
The important thing is; he lives alone.
My day went by slower than usual. The smell of fresh coffee beans clashing with milk greeted my nose from the nearby diner. My stomach gurgled.
Moments later, Trey left and I snuck in. Lock picking was a skill I learned in prison as one of the many skills one must have to survive in such a ruthless environment.
His living room is spacious: decorated with mustard colored sofas, a center table, paintings on the wall, flowers, a chandelier and a massive TV. His kitchen is on the left, his bedroom and the guest room is upstairs. Everything was placed perfectly as if calculated and all the colors in his house marry each other - breathing life into the apartment.
After searching everywhere and found nothing, I was on the verge of giving up when I noticed a shelf mounted at the end of the wall in his living room.
One book stood out - a black book with golden engravings around it.
My hand reached for it, a loud unclogging noise jarred in my ears as the shelf parted into two, revealing a secret iron door.
I knew he wasn't innocent.
My heart twisted with the doorknob, bouncing in my chest as I stepped into the room: a massive space with only one chair but plastered all over the walls are thousand pictures of mine from when I was a baby, to my teenage years. My eyes swept on the pictures of me I never knew existed; those taken with my family and those when I was alone.
How the hell does Trey Reed have these pictures?
"That was quick." His voice ranged in my ear. Jumping, I sharply flicked around to meet his pool of enthralling green orbs.
"You …who the fuck are you? Where did you get these? What do you want?" I rained down questions on him.
Trey chuckled, stepping further into the room. My legs moved backwards, hands folded into fist. He plucked one picture from his album and shot me a side eye, "We have been keeping an eye on you since you were a baby. We always watch the precious ones."
"We?" I had to ask.
Trey ignored my question and continued "I bet you have no idea that your mother is not really your mother, she is a surrogate."
"That only explains why she would turn a blind eye to my suffering and never once visited me in prison. Tell me something I don't already know." I responded confidently, hiding the anxiety creeping within me.
Trey only shrugged and said "Hm, if you already knew that, how come you know nothing about who you really are?"
"I don't know what you are talking about." I frowned.
"One thing you need to know is that the time has come to harvest that which we planted."
Immediately, he launched himself at me. I steadied my breath and punched him so hard across the cheek that he hit the dry wall and dropped to the floor.
"Bitch! I was only sixteen when I was forced to fight people triple my size to survive." I snarled, "When I take you to the cops, you can tell them who the fuck ALL of you are!"
Trey rose to his feet like he was pulled up by something. He dislocated jaw barely hangs on his face. He pushed it back without a single sound.
Grinning, he said, "That was a good punch." Then he came at me again. At the flash of a lightning, Trey grabbed my throat, suspended and pinned me against the wall.
I rammed my knee into his jaw. He dropped me hard on the floor. My knees crawled to the other side as I wheezed for air.
The escape sits five feet away. I dashed for the door but Trey swooshed like the flash and blocked my path.
He yanked me by my hair and grinded my face into the wall, keeping me pinned in place under his iron-grip.
Trey is too strong to be human.
"That was enough child play. Now I need what's within you." He growled.
He spun me around. My hand reached for the pocket knife tucked under my shirt. Trey pushed me against the wall, sinking his nail into my shoulder.
I grimaced, glancing at his hand which was now a green shade with scales covering his shiny skin. My eyes went wide.
His finger wrap around my neck. He was squeezing the life out of me.
I pushed the knife in my grip into his jugular, blood spouting with a hiss when I yanked it out.
His eyes rolled back, body slouching with a 'thud' on the floor.
Staring at his body and my bloodied hands made the color drain faster from my face. I scramble away as my soul left my body. My stomach churned, I felt sick.
I killed again.
"Now, that is cruel." A voice spoke behind me. I flicked around, meeting a pair of brown eyes. A melanin busty woman stands before me in all black military-like black outfit. She is beautiful but where the hell did she appear from?
My eyes darted to the wall behind her.
"Oh I understand you must be torn but I promise, I am not a ghost, even though I did come through the wall." She explained, not that it changes anything.
"Who the hell are you? Are you part of his people or team that he was yapping about?"
She plastered a sorrowful face when she said "Comparing me to these low creatures is like a slap to my cheek. That is more cruel."
"Creature?"
The sound of flesh squelching made me look around and behold, Trey's body has now turned into this giant green fish-like creature with scales all over its body. It has these little horns shooting out of its forehead, the elbows and the legs are bendy with horns growing out of each ankle, forming a small frame that shields the thigh. Its elongated fingers are designed with sharp black claws.
"What is this thing?" the question wrenched out of me.
"This 'thing' is what we call a changeling. They are shapeshifting monsters who can imitate and live like humans. They are creatures of the dark and as a Luminare, you carry light within you which is why …"
"Wait, wait, wait a minute." I cut her, "What did you just call me?"
She looked like she was about to explode but still, she smiled and repeated, "You are a Luminare." She spoke slower this time, "And my name is Eagle, and I can assure you that I am the only person who can save you from the army of changelings coming for your light."
My eyes studied her warily, "Well bad day for you cause I don't trust humans."
She smiled confidently as she said, "Well I guess it's a good thing then, since I am not one."