My chest heaved.

I hope you die tonight.

Shaking my head to get rid of those words, I grabbed the Fridge Guard off the ground and made my way down the street, towards where my lonely house stood. Only four or five blocks away.

I was very fortunate that hardly anyone was walking about even though it was still in the afternoon. Friday was like a day off for everyone in this town, except if you were a student or a teacher. Only a few people opened their shops on this day and I had no idea why, but I wasn't complaining.

Especially if that meant that it'd buy me more time before the town's people became aware of my latest victim bound in her own store. Not to mention that bodyguard, Erik.

Just pray the rest of the day flies by in your favour. Or else you know what will happen...

I let out a frustrated sigh. My conscience just knew when to get on my nerves.

Still, that thought rang in my mind over and over again until I stood in front of the front door of the only red-bricked building in the neighbourhood. If not the whole town.

It was so old fashioned yet strongly built and somewhat appealing from the outside that I didn't mind if it was intentionally sold to me to permanently label me as the odd one out. It also stood right at the outskirt of the town, where the feared Black Woods lingered not more than a mile away.

Of course, I didn't really mind. Especially if my nearest neighbour's home was half a kilometre away from mine - which also meant that the only visitor I got was Ellie, who only came by when her mum worked late. So in that case, I didn't mind at all.

Moving to this small inconspicuous town which I later discovered wasn't even on the map was a way of isolating myself. I didn't care much that the residents here treated me in the same way the people in the big city did as long as I got more of the freedom and space that I barely had in my previous home.

Though, not wanting to dwell on those facts for longer than necessary, I unlocked the main door and made my way in, not bothering to lock it once more.

The first thing I did was to install the Fridge Guard. The second was to climb up the stairs into my bedroom and look myself in the dressing mirror.

Truthfully, I had no idea why people detested my appearance. My skin didn't look that bad. The only slight difference between the normal human skin and mine was that my skin actually changed colour. Nothing extraordinary.

When I went out during the day, my skin became a lighter shade of brown. In the evening, or during twilight, my skin colour darkened into a dark brown shade. When it was nighttime, my skin literally blended into the darkness until one couldn't make out the difference anymore - even with when I had clothes on - unless perhaps bulbs or streetlights were switched on, only then my skin colour would be as it was during twilight. Somewhat visible.

Even now, as I stood before the mirror, the light brown colour was slightly darkening to bronze due to the lack of sunlight to keep it as it was. I had no idea why it was like this, but I'd stopped asking myself a long time ago.

Cocking my head whilst I stared at my reflection, I took off my hat, letting my black hair smoothly stumble all the way to my hips.

I then unbuttoned my coat, the action soon revealing the burned hole that led straight to where the bullet lay embedded in my flesh.

Stoically, I raised my blouse and dug my nails into the hole in my stomach. I winced only slightly at the burning sensation and watched the wound heal after I'd succeeded in pulling it out.

Any normal person would have been suffering from blood loss at this point, but being the abnormal being I was, no trace of blood tainted my skin nor my clothes.

Funny enough, it wasn't like I didn't have blood flowing within me. I did, but it just didn't come out of me. Regardless of whether you dig a knife deep in my flesh, slice my wrist, or shoot a bullet into my brain, not one single drop would escape.

I always found that extremely weird, but what the hell, it had its advantages.

Tossing the bullet in the trash just beside my dresser, I was about to remove my shades when an abrupt knocking cut through the serenity of my home.

My hands froze, and so did my heart for a nanosecond when the knock sounded again.

The only visitor I ever had was Ellie. And the little girl never knocked.

Scrunching my eyebrows in confusion, I cautiously made my way out of my room, down the stairs, and towards the source of the sound. It being the front door.

My hands hesitated on the doorknob when I'd gotten close enough to touch it. However, the person on the other side didn't give me a lot of time to debate whether or not I should let him or her in when suddenly, the door burst wide open and a force so intense gripped my neck with little effort, making me stagger.

"You're going to regret what you did."

Despite my imbalance, I didn't even flinch at his words. "Let me go, Erik."

The guard sneered. "I'm going to make you suffer," he proclaimed menacingly before slamming my back against the wooden door, prompting it to swing shut. My shades threatened to fall off my face at the sudden motion, but I adjusted them quickly.

Unwillingly, I gritted my teeth at the sting that assaulted my body at the impact. The action though, seemed to coax a devious smirk to form across Erik's lips.

"I see you're not so tough now." He leaned in, close enough that I could smell his minty breath. "How about I break a few more walls?"

Despite his hand still tightly curled around my neck, a wry smile leisurely found its way to my own lips.

"I'd like to see you try."

Erik's smirk turned into a grin. The look plus his sandy hair colour and brown eyes made him appear weirdly boyish. "You know, I should be either killing you now or parading the town broadcasting the news of how you heartlessly brainwashed my boss and then practically forced me to kill her, letting them do the job for me."

My eyes narrowed, but he continued nonetheless as he couldn't see them from behind my shades. "But I'm being the good guy here." He moved his lips closer to my ear. "So you give me what I want - whenever I want it - and I won't tell a single soul."

Erik didn't need to make his intentions known. From the way his eyes glinted mischievously as they leeringly raked my body head to toe, I could already guess what he was after.

I clenched my fists. "Funny how you're considering gaining pleasure from a two black-eyed witch who can easily make you go insane with just one look."

He leaned back a little and shrugged a shoulder. "I could make you wear a blindfold. That's not really a problem."

I scoffed. "A blindfold is just-"

"Besides," he cut me off, "you'd be too deep in ecstasy to even remember that you have that sort of power, that I guarantee. This is all I ask politely in return for witnessing the result of your dirty work and staying silent. Such a harmless favour. How can anyone refuse?"

My lips thinned.

Harmless favour? Bull.

I didn't trust Erik at all. And even though his offer seemed harmless, I wasn't a fool to give in to such measly deals when I could easily take matters into my own hands and get things done my way.

"No."

An eyebrow arched. "No?"

My gaze didn't waver. "I can get things done on my own. I don't need your help."

Erik barked out a dry laugh. "Don't need my help?" He shook his head, seeming surprised that I'd ever say such a thing. "Did you not see the mess that you left behind? You didn't even bother to lock the door on your way out. I found my boss cowering in a corner and had to kill her to defend myself, half our cash money was miraculously stolen and your name is plastered all over the scene."

He grinned. "The body's still there. Dead. And who will the town's people accuse and burn to ashes when they find my boss' body lying lifeless with her eyes open to reveal nothing but black?"

Erik stepped closer. "Her honourable guard who swore to protect her and her store all his days being paid to do so?" He grazed his lips roughly along the left side of my jaw towards my earlobe and I stiffened at the contact, earning a pleased smirk in return. "Or the infamous witch who is a great threat to this town and is clearly unstable."

No matter how much I reasoned, I couldn't deny the truth in his words. But if he thought I stood unprepared, then he was going to receive the shock of his life. "You think you've won?"

I felt him smile against my ear. "I know I have."

"Well, you're wrong, Erik," I opposed, then dropped the bomb. "You think I'm stupid enough to leave evidence in such a careless state when the town's people are already at my tail?"

He separated his lips from my ear until I could only feel his breath brushing across my skin.

The wheels in his head were turning, I was sure of it.

"I know the kind of man you are, Erik," I continued. "The kind that craves sex. I study you each time I go to the shop or see you at the community school. Always sitting there on that bench of yours, luring high school girls into your pants with just one promising look."

I shifted my head to the side so that I could view his stunned expression clearly. "Even married women. Except you love innocence so you steer closer to the young ones. But you also love adventure, that's why you've been eyeing me ever since I got here," I stated blankly. "You wanted to experience what it'd feel like to sleep with someone as queer and mythical as I am; someone seemingly dark and dangerous. And I used that to my advantage."

His eyebrows furrowed just as confusion clouded his facial features. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Now it was my turn to smile. "Confused? Then let me go down to your level."

I leaned forward, satisfaction surging throughout my system when Erik took an unconscious step back. "You knew you wouldn't be able to sleep with me using force after that incident I had with that man that night. And since I'm not a naïve female seeking for attention that you could've easily seduced, you've been eagerly searching for an alternative.

"So when I deliberately overpowered that shopkeeper into a corner and compelled her to attack the first hunk male she sees, I knew what I was doing."

"You bitch." He let go of me completely and took another step back. "You set me up."

"I knew you'd take the bait," I taunted, moving closer still. "You were too engulfed in your own stupidity and cravings that you failed to see the trap I set out for you. I knew you would clean up the evidence and lock up despite now saying otherwise, assuming I would give in just like that. I knew that you'd think I'd be senseless enough to spare you if you held this threat against. I also know now that you have no one who cares that much about you so permanently silencing you would buy me more time. However little it may be."

Erik growled, shifting into a fighting stance although we both knew his efforts would be wasted. "Everyone would burn you and your pretty little house to the ground when they find out what you've done."

Regardless of the lingering truth, perspiration dotted his forehead when I took another step forward. But he refused to wipe it away.

Stubborn.

"You won't get away with this, Witch."

I raised my fingers and curled them delicately around the right handle of my shades.

"You can scream if you want."

☆~☆~☆