At The End Of Their Tunnel Vision

A scream pierced through the silence of the cluttered, trashed room. As she threw her phone across the wall. Why s**t kept happening to her? She thought, while staring at the gleaming blue orbs in the shadows from the corner of her room. It was an accident. She doesn’t ask for this. From the fit of rage, she made a stupid mistake. Her desire for revenge led her through this monstrous consequence. Now she had to suffer from its dark clutches. And all she could do was released a pathetic, silent scream as the creature sauntered towards her with a stretch of a maniac grin on its lips. Narelle swatted the reaching hands towards her butt, giving the drunk patron a side eye glare before she proceeded on walking towards the bar counter for the refill on table number 4. She hated Friday night with every bit of energy pulsing inside her body. Recalling her recent orders on the bartender, she waited till her orders were done. She sauntered again between the tables and the littered bodies of random creatures too wasted to realize where they were. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes again for the nth time from irritation, she sucked it up and plastered a well-trained professional smile. Just for the sake of extra mulla in her pocket. Why, oh why cruel world she had to be born poor and a succubus? Yes, Narelle Wiltshire a succubus, the second to the bottom in demon classes. Just because of the ongoing stereotypes from their species. The imps and some demihumans pester her all the way from the closing time, even though the slacks and vest made it clear she wasn’t asking for it. Not because she was a succubus, it meant she would accept every offer of s****l endeavors. She had standards, of course, and she promised she would only feed and have s*x with the person she loved. The click on the bundy clock after she inserted the time card. Concluded her whole shift for the night. She said her good bye through her fellow coworkers on her way out of the establishment. On her ways past the front entrance she passed a fifty-dollar bill on the bouncer. Her gesture of appreciation from throwing down one of the imps groped her earlier. And she strolled down the pavement towards her apartment. For two years of living in Redlane city, she was confident no harm would bother her way home. Even though her experience in her work told her otherwise, when she clocked out, no casualties happened on her way home. Besides, it was only two streets away from the apartment complex. She swallowed, a clumped of bitter taste sitting on her tongue. One of the common side effects of the suppressors she was taking. The medicine was necessary if she wanted to continue her abstinent lifestyle she chose. As the name suggested, it suppressed her hunger and the pheromones she constantly releasing. But the medicine came at a high price. The main reason she was barely afford to live a normal life. The familiar lights of the convenient store near her apartment. Shone like a beacon in the dimness of the empty streets. She could use some drink to wash down. The bitter taste lingered at the back of her tongue. As she entered the small store, the bell chimed, indicating her presence entering the establishment. She walked straight towards the back of the store where the drinks section was located. Grabbing a pink pack of strawberry milk drink, she went to the counter. Although her eyes trailed on the colorful packets of chips, she restrained herself from grabbing on. Her budget was on a tight leash today, so all she could buy was the mini version of her favorite drink. Upon reaching the counter, she saw a rare sight of the creature that was clearly annoyed and getting impatient from the trembling human punching five packets of cigarettes and three lighters. A Corrupted. She heard they were once an angel that executed from drowning in holy water. But the corruption persisted on existing and overtime rebirth into a weird humanoid shadowy form. She immediately turned her head away when the Corrupted snapped their head towards her. Oh, f**k. He looked pissed. She heard the cashier stuttered the amount afterwards the ding of the cash register resonated in the awkward atmosphere of the store. When she turned her head around, she saw the dark entities back as he walked out of the establishment. After the purchased of her drink, she continued walking down the path towards her apartment. She wasn’t sure if she should consider seeing a Corrupted tonight as a sign of an omen. But what misfortune could even occur in her life, when being a succubus, was enough to generate trouble in her lifetime. Exhaustion finally took a toll on her after climbing the third floor of the apartment building. Cursed the stairs from making her crank her knees every time she went home. When she entered her apartment, the smell of the smoke immediately greeted her and she sigh. Her bare feet padded through the cold, textile floor as she strode towards the living room. On the window she saw her roommate blowing out a smoke through his lips. “Aren’t you too early today?” she asked. Her roommate only hummed at her. She was used to her roommate’s silent treatment. He rarely spoke nor appeared in her sight whenever he was having a bad day. She must admit her relationship with her roommate improved these past few months. Now, Narelle felt she was sharing an apartment with a cat. A very grumpy, unpredictable cat, but still living with him had its perks. And living with him does help her, especially in rent. She finished her drink, throwing the empty pack in the kitchen trash bin. Her body responded into a violent flinch when she turned around seeing her roommate leaning closer to her. She could smell the powerful scent of cinnamon and cigarettes from the small distance between them. She stood still, scared that her peculiar roommate got offended if she seized a step back. “You reek.” he said in a deep sharp timber. That made her instinctively took a step back as he straightened his posture after matching her eye level. Then her roommate turned around, leaving her peevish and confused. Pulling her shirt’s collar, smelling the fabric. “Well, I just got off from work. Of course I reeked of booze and cigarettes!” she thought her roommate returned from his room or wherever he came from. Startled, when she saw him in his same position, she saw him before. “Imps. Did you play with them?” he brought the cigarettes back between his lips and took a long drag. Turning his head towards the open window, he blew the grey cloud of smoke out. Before staring at her. She couldn’t help but stare at her roommate, as she comprehend his sudden question. His blue eyes strangely hovering inside the blackness of his socket. Under his eyes, lines of faint illuminating blue from his magic trailed down his black face. Like tears that constantly leaking out of his eyes. “What do you mean?” her confusion was clear in the sound of her voice. Her roommate only stared at her before he groaned. “Did your nose got dull from all the meds you took? You reek of imps essence.” His pupil became visibly constricted into slit as he uttered his last phrase. The realization came into her like an impact after diving into a pool full of ice, only to splat her face first into the hard, crystalized liquid before hitting the cold water. Her jaw slackened and her eyes went wide. “W-what?! I didn’t know it, I swear.” she stuttered from her embarrassment. This wasn’t her first rodeo of her Corrupted roommate smelled her with funky things after her shifts. And it always embarrassed her since she would only know when her roommate’s mutt like sense of smell managed to sense the things she missed out. And yes, he was the Corrupted she saw from the convenient store. The same Corrupted was her roommate. Her roommate took his last drag from the cigarettes, stubbing the cigarette stick on the ashtray readied beside the window. He blew the smoke to his side while his eyes remained focused on her. “Of course, you never knew you scattered brain. Your oblivious nature made your sight into a tunnel vision–infuriating.” he grunted. “Call me when those imps came back. And used the cleanser under the cabinet sink in the toilet to erase the scent mark stained on you.” After his statement, he was gone on his spot. She screamed in frustration. For the fifth time, someone marked her without her knowing. Maybe the meds were dulling her senses. She knew it was one of the side effects, but she never knew it was this bad. Thank whoever god she could. She met Elliot, her roommate. It was an utter accident how she met the corrupted angel. She ran away from her hometown. Looking for a fresh start of freedom. On her way here to the Redlane, one of the prominent city ruled mostly by monsters, she took her luck. She followed the ads she saw on the internet. Without a second thought paid the first down payment and advance. Which was truly stupid of her. Soon, a small box right in front of the apartment was left waiting for her. She ignored all the blaring sighs and her churning gut as she opened the box. The box contained a key, which she presumed the key to the apartment. Again, her naivety ruled over her screaming intuition. As she entered the supposedly empty apartment. Even though it was evident from the furniture that something was not right and someone was already living here, she only denied the thought. Only upon entering the room, the truth began crushing into her like a set of rolling boulder in such ferocious velocity that she trashed the whole room apart. Such an i***t. So after an hour of wailing in her idiocy, she tried calling the scammer. Yes, it took her whole 30 minutes of staring into the most velvet navy blue sheets on the bed, before she even realized she was indeed got scammed. And how did she know the blanket on top of the bed was heavenly soft? Well, she used it as a tissue, blowing her nose as her snot became clogged after her ugly crying. Worst day of her life. She even gave a thumbs down on the review and left a comment of her woven strings of curses in the ads. After wasting her energy from trashing and cluttering the immaculate room, she fell asleep. Soon, the consequences of her action came like a literal nightmare. She woke up from the unbearable cold. It became suffocating when the air felt tight and too frozen for her lungs. Next thing she knew, she was screaming like a banshee after seeing the eerie glow of blue that she concluded the eyes of the looming figure in the dark corner of the room. She even threw her phone in panic as the figure began moving. Their lips stretched into a wide manic grin that showed its sets of sharp fangs and teeth. Her whole body went paralysed from the sheer shock on the visage of the rare creature she never dreamed of encountering. A Corrupted. Based on what she read in her younger years, Corrupted, where the culmination of an angel’s corruption persisted after the execution. A corrupted angel drowned in the holy water, burning them, melting them alive. Until the angels’ body where stripped of their enlightened glory, flesh and soul. But the corruption persisted, inhibiting the bones. Using the bones as the corruption’s vessel. Which gave birth to this inky flesh monstrosity. The creature advanced towards her and in one swooped they grabbed her in her neck. She could she the restrained in their molded like human face the expression of tolerated anger. Maybe, just maybe, she could talk her way out into her impending death. She was gaping like a fish from the choke hold she was in, as her feet hover a few inches above the floor. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean any of this.” she stuttered and gasped. “Please! I was scammed. I didn’t know. I’m sorry!” she explained in a haste when she felt the grip on her neck tightened. The Corrupted stared at her like they were looking at something else, passed through her head. Then they sighed before her neck was unceremoniously let got. The cough barked through her throat was loud and scratchy. Her windpipe felt sore after the painful cough that spasmed inside her throat. She flinched when he took a sit on the bed beside her slumped body on the floor. “If you do not wish to die, I suggest you remained in your position. Do not even attempt on escaping because you might see your own body when I detached that empty head of yours.” he abruptly grabbed her right horn, which making her yelp in an overwhelming sensation of aching sensitivity. Yanking her head in his direction and making her face him. “Am I clear?” he sneered at her. Narelle knew when the right time to disobey and obey orders, especially on creatures she knew that way too powerful for her to handle. Besides, she would rather die than use her manipulation magic, even at a crucial time like this. So, she nodded like a totally obedient child. The Corrupted let her horn go with a slight push and her face turned forward, staring at the broken study table. She didn’t look around when she heard a click beside her. Paranoid that it might be some sort of torturing device. Until the smell of cigarette wafted through her sense of smell. Her entire arms trembled while waiting for something to happen. Until he spoke and heard what he said, her whole body went rigid. “So, what could you offer in exchange for your life? After making a mess in my room.” No! Is he really gonna go there just because she–yeah, she destroyed a lot of things. But she doesn’t want to have s*x. Not because she was a succubus all she could offer was her body. Oh. She had the most horrible idea. Would it work? “Uhm. Uh–I have nothing to offer you besides being a maid? Or a roommate?” she waited for any response and some of her sweat on her forehead rolled down on her eyebrows. Nervous from the silence. “I don’t know. I’m stupid. This is stupid. Just kill me already.” And she blurted out as a sign of resignation. “Weird to hear a succubus not offering their body for the first time.” His statement made her groaned in an annoyed whine. “Please, just kill me. I’d rather die than offer my body again. I’m so tired of being treated like this.” Yes, death might be a better relief in the endless cycle of misery her life bonded to. “Just make it fast, please,” she said. The warm prickling heat gathered under her eyes and she could feel the trail that her tears left. As the liquid leaked out of her eyes. The creature moved and walked somewhere. She was too busy in herself deprecation that she missed the sigh came out from the entity. The audible rustling of the fabric pulled her out of the trance she was in. She noticed more lights illuminated the room. When she looked towards the source of the lights, she saw the opened window. Free from the blinds of the dark curtain. And beside the window stood the dark figure. He looked like a smooth marble statue. As if the black flesh was molded, sculpted into a perfect depiction of a dark angel. His appearance could even be mistaken by a silhouette under the dimmer lights. The only sign he was in a solid form was from the clothes fit into his lean body. And from the grip he did before on her neck. The dark entity leaned over the side of his body on the wall beside the window. His eyes, more like an orb hovering, glowing inside the socket of his eyes. Staring at the view outside. “Have you heard the phrase of, ‘ask and you shall receive’?” he said while his attention remained on the scene outside. What was he getting at this? It was clear she didn’t have any of use to him. As she said before, she rather die than satisfy another creature's s****l needs because of her being a succubus. But she had an idea what he was referring to, at least. So she only uttered a simple, “yes”. “Then you know not everything we asked was given to us,” he spoke eerily deeper and sharper. She could see the contour of his face hardened. A furrow formed between his eyebrows. And his eyes were now glaring. “Even after being a god damn puppet,” he spat with a clear bitterness in his tone. Narelle completely felt lost for the first time in her life. She was in full panic mode. Her mind kept screaming at her that she got herself the worst ending. The unimaginable torture before death. She hated pain. It scared her so much. Just the thought of whips and pliers made her whole body quivered uncontrollably. No, she just got out. She just got free. No, NONONONO. NO! A hard yank on her horn woke her up from her panicked haze. Her sight forcefully focused on the creature’s eyes. Her body convulsed after the panic induced attack. He stared at her for a while that she could see his iris swirled like a cloud as if a stormed forming inside of him. “Why should I listen to you when no one listened to mine?” he asked. And as if her own body gained the self-awareness, the tears in her eyes flowed out. Bead after beads of translucent liquid rolled down like a stream out from the crevice of her eyes. “Because I lied. I wanted to live. I just had my life back. My–freedom. There’s so much more I wanted to do. Please–spare me.” The grip on her small horn loosened that she managed to bow her head down. The tremble on her shoulders made her whole body sagged from the sobs wreaked the restrained on her chest. She knew she sounded so selfish just now, but from the last second, she heard a tiny voice in the back of her head, telling her not to give up. That asking for death wasn’t the right solution. “Very well then, I won’t dispose you.” Momentarily, she heard the underlying consideration of his tone. Before it went back again into his thick ice cold voice. “You are worthless if you died, anyway. But from now on, I owed your life. After all, you even destroyed my collection.” She followed where his eyes landed, and now she understood what he meant. She had no idea the porcelain figure inside the wooden antique cabinet were collections. “You can occupy the room next to mine,” He began walking away only to stop, staring at her again. “And before I go. You better clean every mess you made. I expected my room is clean when I get back. And we could talk about your life terms. Making it more legal and official.” After his statement, he disappeared from the spot he was standing. He teleported, she assumed. Narelle scanned the entire room and she could already feel the exhaustion just from looking at the mess. She begrudgingly stood up with a huff. Better start cleaning. Sulking around wouldn’t lead her nowhere. Well, that was how she started living with her dark angel roommate.