Page 19 of Lust

How many times had I tried to convince someone of the evil that lurked in my life? Everyone brushed it off as a figment of my imagination or, better yet, accused me of attempted murder.

“Just… don’t eat anything you didn’t prepare, actually don’t eat anything for the rest of the night. And don’t talk to strangers. Be very careful crossing the street.”

“Sara,” he said in a sympathetic tone as if realizing he was speaking to a crazy person.

“Please! Promise me you’ll do this for me.”

“But—”

“Tobias, please,” I cried out, the desperation evident in my voice.

Tobias seemed taken aback but finally gave me a nod. “Only on one condition. You have to go on a date with me.”

I almost smiled.

I had lost myself under the starry night and the sway of the warm breeze. I had forgotten that no one was allowed to get close to me. If I truly cared for someone, I had to keep away to protect them from the calamity that followed.

“Goodbye, Tobias.” Thank you for the best night of my life.

I tilted my head to the side for one last glance at the beautiful man before bolting toward the parking lot and throwing the door open to my car.

“Tristan!” A voice murmured into my ear in the dark of the night.

My eyes refused to adjust to the dim light, displaying only glimpses of my surroundings. The room was painted red, air covered in a mixture of smoke and sin. Amidst the flashes of naked limbs, I made out a figure across the room.

“Who’s there?” I demanded.

The figure walked toward me, whispering my name, and tempting me with all sorts of false promises.

I didn’t want to buy what he was selling. I tried to back away, but heavy limbs weighed me down, grabbing at me greedily.

“Let go of me,” I shouted at the faceless limbs to get away from the figure who had come for my soul.

It was too late.

The horrid face of a demon, with the burnt wings of an angel, stood nose to nose. He looked straight through me.

“It’s you,” I whispered.

“I see the way you look at her,” he uttered softly with a sinister smile carved on his face. “The way you lust after your little sister. You wanted to kill that man for touching her, didn’t you?”

My eyes widened, face riddled with guilt.

“It would feel so good to give in, wouldn’t it?” He sneered sardonically. “To satisfy your insatiable hunger with her little body.”

I shoved him away. “Stop it,” I mumbled weakly.

“She wants that man because he is good. A virtuous human. And she wants nothing to do with you because you are just a slave to the pleasures of the flesh. She can see past your beautiful mask and will never want the ugly man underneath.”

“Shut up!” I bellowed.

“You’re destined to walk this earth alone. You’ll never have her! No matter what you do, they’ll take her from you.”

“Never!” I woke with a start, my body drenched in sweat as I hyperventilated.

Fuck.

I was in my childhood bedroom… alone.