Unknown POV

I've lived on the outskirts of Rachdale for many years. Playing soccer with my friends and finding images in the clouds were my happiest memories. Their positive impact made them feel priceless. Little did I know, how fast it would come crashing down. Moments that you value are temporary. Enjoy each day that goes by or every year that passes because you can't predict how long the moment will last.

My Mom died of a malignant tumor in her brain when I was seventeen years old. She was a carpenter who built our home from the ground up and specialized in renovations. My Mom took care of the house like it was her first child. Then I came along to share and benefit from the home that this woman had looked after for years. I always took each day for granted, believing that everyone woke up tomorrow and that your body strengthened in traumatic times.

My Dad worked to benefit the world around him. We shared an inextinguishable desire for getting the best medical treatment for Mom. Except, Dad was unable to function without her.

A year into her treatment, he lost his job at a downtown botanical research facility because of all the time he took off to be with her. When Dad ran out of money to pay for Mom's care, that's when I stepped in. All of my savings went into helping her recuperate. I spent mornings with my bedroom door locked, doing assignments for online high school classes and Dad would keep an eye on her for any signs of improvement. Nights were my time to administer Mom's medication. Every day I wondered how she could sleep not knowing the next day would be the same or harder than the last. Needless to say: I didn't get much sleep.

However, all our efforts to keep Mom in good health were in vain. Her hair fell out and a weaker version of the woman I knew struggled to get by. No amount of treatment could return her stamina or optimistic personality. It hurts to think that weeks by her bedside couldn't give her the strength she needed to survive. I was naïve to blame the doctors for not doing more. If they had, then maybe she would still be with us.

After my savings ran out, I looked for a stable job and explored many different types of work fields. Construction wasn't for me. I fell seventy-five feet off a high rise building during my first day on the job. Balancing on the outer frame while carrying wood isn't as easy as it looks. This resulted to fractures in both of my legs. Then there was the bartending job. Unfortunately, I didn't have a degree in mixology, but the restaurant was anxious to fill the position. Six people left the bar in ambulances during my third day. I guess I went a little too high on the grenadine. Things couldn't possibly get worse. I quit that job after giving a two days' notice.

One night, I was walking home from the restaurant and got a text from an unknown number. The anonymous person offered me seven hundred dollars if I got rid of a dead body. The location was attached. I made sure to get a trash bag before visiting the place and disposing of it in a small landfill. The next day, the person offered one thousand dollars if I would kill someone. Naturally, I didn't want to go through with it, but there were no other options.

I worked with him for a year. That's longer than I had ever expected to. Each murder became easier to cover up and plan. Soon, however, he wanted to meet in person. I agreed to it, not knowing that my Mom would die in her sleep that night. Dad called to inform me and I broke down in tears. I tried to get out of our deal now that I didn't need the extra money, but my client had other plans.

He was very reasonable when I told him what had happened. Instead of firing me, the man introduced himself for the first time as Hellion and bought a house in Alderdeen for my Dad and I. If I continued doing this job, then he could guarantee that the facility my Dad used to work for would be under new management. I foolishly took the deal to gain another's happiness. Dad got re-hired and received higher pay than from his previous position a week later.

If I looked back at my past self today, I wouldn't have accepted such a proposition. This path wasn't meant for me yet I agreed towards any expense. These jobs held my poorest interests at heart and grabbed onto the next victim so that Hellion wouldn't face the costs directly. It didn't even save Mom like I had initially intended for.

Three years later at the entrance of Shadow Grove Cemetery...

I've visited this cemetery more times than I can count, but it still gives me goosebumps. I  descended the flight of stairs in the Archfiend Manor and opened the steel front gate. Next, I dragged the whimpering girl behind me. My flashlight clicked on, illuminating the head stones before me in a bright glow. The girl's cheeks were stained with dried tears. She pleaded for help, but her voice stopped once I shoved a cloth into her mouth.

"Shut up. No one is going to save you. I can't begin to detail the lengths you people go to escape. It's just plain useless," I yelled.

Silence instantly fell between us.

"Thank god she's done."

Suddenly, the sound of claws scraping on stone filled the air.

A faint whisper followed, "Is that any way to treat a guest?"

"Show yourself, Hellion," I ordered.

"Why don't you move deeper into my chambers? Have her stay awhile in my home. I've been dying to meet this girl you brought."

She spit the gag onto the dirt floor and muttered, "Not if my life depends on it."

"What did I just say?" I warned.

"Careful with your word choice, Amanda. I suggest you do what he says. After all, he's been part of my method longer than anyone," Hellion hissed.

Amanda got up off of the ground and inched closer. I blocked the exit behind her. She gazed at his gloomy, demon-like figure. His eyes burned like the flames of Purgatory while Hellion's claws permanently scarred a partly crumbled headstone. Wings of the darkest sins known to man arched on his back. He was the ideal image of evil at its worst.

"How do you know my name?" Amanda wondered.

"Every person in Rachdale has a name. Even my prey."

Before she could process everything, Hellion dropped to the floor and opened his mouth. His razor sharp teeth retracted. Amanda turned to leave but ran into me. She attempted multiple times to get me out of the way, but I refused to budge. I pushed Amanda onto the ground and she hit her head on a gravestone. Within seconds, the world slipped away from view. Soon she became very still. Hellion frowned in disappointment.

"How unfortunate. That wasn't a challenge at all."

He picked up the body and ripped it clean of flesh. Then, he threw the bones into a large pile that took up half of the room. The pile swayed in place at the new add on.

"Now that she's taken care of, I have a new mission for you. This one might take weeks to complete"

"That's very quick. I thought I would at least get the rest of the day off."

"Don't flatter yourself. I need you to infiltrate the All-Seeing Eyes and collect intel on their next move. Legends have foretold that they are going to triumph over me. With your skills, I'll make sure it doesn't happen."

"Sounds eventful."

"Indeed. They will be looking for their next member at the Electric Butterfly Bar. You're going to meet them tomorrow night and need a certain marking in order to be accepted."

Hellion's hand pierced his left palm. Dark ink swirled through the skin, settling into a triangular-shaped eye.

"How will you make sure this plays out correctly?"

"I'm surprised you don't trust me by now. I have a few tricks up my sleeve."

Satisfied, I returned to Alderdeen and spotted my Dad's car in the driveway.

I walked inside, hoping he wouldn't notice that I had returned at two o'clock in the morning. The lights flipped on and there he sat on the couch.

I whispered expletives under my breath before saying, "Hey Dad. What's up?"

"Weren't you supposed to be home five hours ago?" he asked, sipping a giant mug of coffee.

"No wonder he was able to wait for me."

"Don't worry about me. The shelter required someone to stay in the operating room longer because one animal was giving birth early."

"Great, make up a story about saving lives instead of taking them. That fake job is your alibi no matter what."

"Okay then. I just wish you would have called to tell me." 

He exited the room and walked upstairs to his bedroom. 

"Good night."