The beast

Louisa.

When I open my eyes I realize that I am lying on the road, right next to Irina. I'm freezing, probably she is too, as it's a cold December morning. It wasn't my intention to leave her there alone, but I couldn't risk being seen, I've been missing from my world for a few months now. That's why I've decided to leave her there, in the cold, I hope she's okay and that nothing happens to her until I get back.

Before I leave I turn to her one last time, she's lying on the road, unconscious, snowflakes falling on her. Due to the white environment, her pale skin stands out along with the snow. I turn around again and prepare to leave.

It may have been 5 months or even 9 since I disappeared from my world. All because of her. She told me that she needs me, that she has a mission for me. To save the world, or the worlds, rather. I don't know what she means yet, but I am still following her orders. It was her who told me to go after Irina and take her to my world. With all this, I just hope I'm doing a good thing.

"Qui meus est orbis terrarum. Omne quod mundum est, mundum. Ea signa non sunt unum. Qui meus est orbis, ut sit constellatio" I say while holding a gold pendant with the symbol of Yin Yang. I wrap myself in an almost blinding light, the same that has caused Irina to be unconscious, that is the reason why I close my eyes before the light appears. The pendant is anything but a pendant. No one knows the power that this tiny object holds, there are only 8 in the whole world, and I own 2 since I took one from Elena when she committed suicide. She has 3, although the other 2 she has given them to other travelers like me, now I have 2, and the rest have fallen into the wrong hands.

I land in the woods. Not exactly in the woods, but at the exact point where Elena killed herself in the other world. Everything is green around me, it is no longer winter. I know what I have come to do in this world and I cannot afford to waste any more time. I'm heading to his house.

In front of me, it's his huge villa. There's no way I can forget it, it is not my first time in this world, nor in this house. I don't understand why he built a house in this town since he isn't supposed to be here. I cross his huge garden, it is full of statues of angels, plus blue tulips everywhere. As if he had foreseen it, he leaves his mansion and stands in front of me for a few seconds. His lips curl, showing a sinister smile.

"Don't even bother, I knew you were coming over" he says with a little fake laugh on his face. He does not take his eye off me for any second, just as I do.

"Now you're obsessed with me?" I ask sarcastically. As to his reaction to my question, he laughs even harder.

"You shouldn't even exist, honey" his smile is still on his expression, I want to wipe it off with a punch.

"I didn't know failed abortions could speak"I keep saying sarcastically, even though the situation is way more serious than it looks.

That evil smile fades from his face, and it fills me with satisfaction.

"You're nowhere near your sister's level, and she's dead" now he's the one making fun of me. My urge to stab him is growing, and I wouldn't be surprised if he suddenly finds himself lying on the floor crying in pain.

"Look, give me the motherfucking pendant already, that's why I came here," I say a little impatient.

"I thought you came here because you missed me" comments Mr. Comedy.

"Give it to me now, dickhead" my patience runs out, and swear words come out of my mouth «accidentally»

"What if I don't want to?" he says, with a daring look on his face.

"Well, guess my Taekwondo classes for actually worth it" I keep making jokes, although deep down I wasn't kidding.

We both began to take short steps, towards each other, until we position ourselves face to face. If gazes killed, I would do him and the whole world a favor. He, on the other hand, looks at me amused by my facial expressions of anger. Everything looks funny now, but when this unexpectedly turns, there'll be more blood than in a slaughterhouse.

"Sweetheart..." he tries to say, but before he can continue, I kick his entire abdomen, literally blowing him out to the front door of the house.

"So you choose the hard way?" he asks as he rises from the ground, with one hand in the area where I hit him.

"You really thought I was going to hug you?" I answer sarcastically, as he approaches me slowly.

In an unexpected move he grabs my hair, but not gently, what he wants is to hear me scream in pain. That's how I feel, but I'm not going to indulge him.

"A hug wouldn't be that bad" he lets out victorious. His voice gets on my nerves, well, in general, everything that comes from him irritates me. What he needs right now is his mouth shut, so I kick him with my knee in the gap between his legs.

I'm not a psychopath, but I have to admit, hearing him scream in pain made me laugh.

"Let's change the rules of the game" he gets up from the floor. Is that a tear that I see in one of his eyes? From inside his jacket, he pulls out a gun. I guess he was upset that he was losing and decided to cheat, typical of a coward like him.

"Okay," I answered indifferently. I pull a gun out of my jacket too. He didn't see that coming, I can see it in the change of expression on his face.

"Did you really think Elena was going to take the gun to her grave?" fury invades his eyes at the comment I just made. A bullet pierces my hand, causing the gun to fall off.

I look to the right to see his puppet walking with a gun in her hand. She's heading towards him, now they're both in front of me.

"Sweet dreams," she says before she punches me in the face, causing me to go unconscious.

I wake up tied to a chair. I can barely move, actually, all I can do is turn my head one way and the other. The hand on which I had been shot is bandaged, although blood stains are still on the cloth of the bandage, as well as on the sleeve of my jacket. I look around to realize I'm in a little boy's room. It could perfectly be a girl's room, but it's a guy's room, I mean mostly because there are pictures of him decorating the shelves in the room. The child could not be more than 3 years old. His bed was not exactly a bed, it is a strange combination between a bed and a cot. As for the toys, the room was entirely full of stuffed animals, not toys as such. That's what makes me think it's a baby. But where's the baby?

My peace of mind is ruined when my two dear friends enter the door holding hands. Before speaking to me, they kiss each other in front of me. It seems that what they both want is for me to lose my nerves.

"Okay, honey. Now tell me, where's the pendant?" he asks nicely, a false kindness. But I hate him, whatever he does, I will only feel contempt for him.

I remain silent, I will not tell them where I have the pendant, although it is not that difficult. I am afraid that they will come to me and take it away. Again.

"Darling, we don't have all day" opens the mouth of the woman that accompanies him.

"Shut the fuck up, whore" I answer reluctantly, she's about to come to me, probably to hurt me, but he stops her before she does anything to me.

"Don't talk to her like that, please, nobody here has disrespected you" he defends her.

"It seems to me that seeing both of your faces is already disrespectful to me" I answer again, even though I was the one who came here. But it's true, I didn't even want to see their faces.

"Respect your father, brat!" I hear the psycho bitch yelling at me.

"He is not my father, you dumb bitch! He stopped being it from that moment he already knows" I start shouting too. I didn't want to hear the word "father" again, but my father's puppet had to remind me.

"I understand you're mad at me, but please don't insult her" I find it incredible that he is on her side. I am not surprised at the hatred I have for him.

"Oh please, she's not a saint. Her legs are just like McDonald's, they're opened 24/7" this must have angered both of them because she approaches me, and without thinking it twice, she slaps on the cheek.

"I was just being honest with you. What's the matter? Truth hurt?" I mock her. I don't want to enrage him, but what's the worst thing he can do to me? Abandon me again? I guess we're not all lucky enough to have good parents. My father wasn't as bad as my mother, but he's still a monster. I'm glad I disappeared from my world and left that bully behind. It's amazing that my father has abandoned me, leaving me alone with my mentally ill mother, to go with another woman who is also sick. It hurts me to think that none of my parents really love me, especially now that I know all the barbarities my father has done. I suppose beasts attract each other. But what is born of the supposed "love" between two beasts? Another monster? Will I also be predestined to be like them?

My father seems tired, and he deserves it. He approaches me, I think I know what he's going to do, and it's not good. As soon as he stands in front of me, he bends down to meet me. He takes his hand to me and unbuttons my coat. He then sticks his hand under my shirt and starts touching my bra. I try to move to make him stop, but I can't.

"Bingo!" he exclaims happily, as he pulls two pendants out of my bra. I can't help but look at him badly.

"I see the gun wasn't the only thing you took from Elena," says, as he looks at the two pendants he's holding in his hand.

"The Moon and Yin Yang... they match my hourglass" he adds excitedly. Now he has three pendants in his possession. The three able to make their possessor travel in time and other dimensions.

During all this time I remain silent. I keep looking at them with a disgusted face, while they tell aloud, as the dumb people they are, their plans.

"The best part is about to come" he starts laughing. I have no idea what he means, but it shouldn't be good.