In Your Eyes

Chapter One: In Your Eyes

Humming softly to myself I stare down at the pile of naked dead bodies thrown atop one another in a shallow grave. Meeting the cold dead gaze of one of my victims I stare into her brown eyes before chuckling and picking up the jerry can next to me. Some say that the eyes are the window to the soul but I always thought that that statement was foolish. I've taken peoples eyes before and they didn't die as soon as they were ripped out so it begs the question if the eyes are the window to the soul how can you live without eyes?

Splashing the gas onto the pile of dead bodies I listen closely to my surroundings hearing the croaking of the frogs and the hooting of the owls. Being aware of your surroundings is almost as important as not leaving any evidence on the scene of the crime because the last thing I'd want to happen now is a stranger walking up on me and snapping a photo of me. It's why I'm wearing a ski mask in the middle of summer in Texas. I personally have never gotten caught while disposing of my victims but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Emptying the rest of gas out of the jerry can I go to grab my matches from my pocket only to pause as I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. Scrunching my face in confusion I toss the jerry aside and take out my prepaid phone looking at a call from an unknown number. Rejecting the call I go to put my phone back in my pocket only for it to start vibrating again showing the same number calling me back. Answering the phone I bring it up to my ear staying silent as I wait for the caller.

"Hello, is this Brandon Keron?" Hearing the feminine voice say my name I rip the phone away from my face going to slam the end call button only to pause when I hear her continue. "I mean you no harm, I have an offer for you."

"What is your offer?" I ask curiously while turning my wrist to look at my watch tracking the seconds hand tick by preparing to hang up as soon as the thirty seconds pass.

"Would you like to be a god?" She asks, making me chuckle watching as the second hand passes ten seconds.

"Doesn't everyone?" I ask blandly while watching the clock tick by.

"Well you're in luck because you've been randomly chosen to have the opportunity to enter a new world where you will have the opportunity to have the powers of a god." The female voice says, making me chuckle once more.

"Oh yeah and how can I do that?" I ask snidely watching as the second hand passes twenty seconds.

"Well all you have to do is say "I accept the lord's invite" and I will have enough information to create a portal to where you are so you can have a meeting with the Lord." The woman says in her cheery voice

"Ok, I accept the lord's invitation." Hanging up the phone I toss it into the pit before pulling out my pack of matches; taking one out I scrape it on the red strip on the side of the box. Lighting it I toss it on the bodies watching as the red flames shoot towards the sky filling the air with the smell of burning flesh and hair. Crouching down I squint my eyes and watch as the flesh of my four victims begin to melt exposing their muscles and ligaments. Standing I begin to walk back to my car escaping the flame licking at my flesh leaving before I can get burned myself.

My name is Brandon Keron and I am a serial killer. I stopped counting how many people I killed after I reached one hundred but it should be well over that by now. One of the most common questions I get asked by my victims is why I do the things I do and for a long time I didn't have an answer for that but recently I found my answer: Joy. I love doing what I do, I thrive off of watching people in pain. Watching the way their facial muscles twist in pain and the sound of their screams is like a well aged wine that I can't get enough of.

I know that what I do is bad but I'm addicted and I won't stop any time soon. I killed my first person when I was just six years old and I have been doing so for eighteen years since then. I of course kill much more now compared to when I was younger but that's just because I'm older and have much more hunting experience.

Getting to the door of my car I glance at my surroundings one last time looking for the portal the woman was talking about only to see nothing. She could be a problem, she knows my name. Sighing I fling open the door and get into my seat shutting my eyes while I let my body mold into the comfortable cushion. I'll kill her soon enough but for tonight my day is done.

Going to put the keys in the ignition I feel my body drop into free fall making me look down in shock staring at a large red couch in a completely different room. Falling onto the comfortable couch I stare across at a handsome man wearing an all black suit with golden hair and eyes as black as coal. Locking eyes with the man I go to reach for my gun only to feel my body tense and stop in place not allowing me to move a single muscle.

"Come on now Brandon there's no need for any hostility. You talked to Linda on the phone, this is your opportunity to have the powers of a god." The man says knowingly while giving me a kind smile revealing his pearly white teeth. Feeling my body go loose I let my body sink into the comfortable couch.

"So this is real?" I question looking around the fancy room decorated with beautiful paintings of different landscapes and self portraits of the man wearing a variety of different clothing.

"Yes it is and I'm here to tell you more about this opportunity to gain the powers of a god. First and foremost if you wish to decline this offer no harm will come to you and I will simply put you back where I found you erasing this experience from your mind. But if you accept, you will never be able to go back to your home world again. Is this understood?" The man asks in a serious voice staring at me with intense eyes.

"Loud and clear." I say chuckling softly under my breath while nodding my head.

"Alright then let me begin to explain the offer that has been extended to you. You see, the offer I am giving you is the opportunity to live in a new world I have made called Renatus. Renatus is filled with other like minded people all searching to gain the power of gods. In order to gain these powers I have made a Guild Hall where you can accept missions and gain Zen. Zen is the currency we use which you can use to buy powers, eat food, or to buy things in the Marketplace. If you agree you will be given a free apartment that has two bedrooms and two full size bathrooms as well as a kitchen fully equipped with a stove, microwave, and refrigerator." Pushing a brochure forward I flip through the picture of the newly remodeled apartment fully furnished with a nice flatscreen tv and L shaped couch with a nice marble countertop in the kitchen.

"If you join now you will also get a free two thousand Zen which you can use for anything you desire either in the Marketplace or to buy powers. I know that this is a lot of information to take in which is why before we go any further I need to know whether or not you accept the offer to become a citizen in Renatus." Chuckling, I stand up from the couch and take off my black ski mask before extending my hand for a handshake.

"You had me sold as soon as you said I could never go back to my old world." I say with a chuckle returning the man's smile.

"Fantastic, well then why don't you sit back down and I can finish explaining the rest of the information for you." The Lord says giving me a firm handshake allowing me to sit back down.

"I already explained to you most of the important information. The only other thing you should know is that in Renatus there is no crime. Keep all of your evil deeds restricted to the worlds you do your missions in because if you're caught wreaking havoc in my world I will erase you from existence. You will also be given a personal assistant who is fully customizable to appear however you like. The assistant has full knowledge of the world and can be used to help you navigate the area, help give more in depth details about the Guild Missions, if you wish you can spend one hundred Zen to make your personal assistant a battle assistant which means that you can bring them on Guild missions and buy them powers." Nodding my head in understanding, the handsome man hands me an Iphone with a character creation screen with a variety of different options to choose from to start out with.

"When you finish customizing your assistant I'll create a portal to your home where your assistant will be waiting with your envelope of two thousand Zen. After that it's up to you on what you do next but I strongly recommend going to the guild hall to look at the types of jobs you can take then going to the market to prepare yourself for these missions." The Lord recommends as I look up from the screen catching his still happy gaze.

"I was thinking the same thing." I say with a smile as I begin to test out all the features available for me to customize my personal assistant.

Finding an Import Avatar option I click it and read the description learning that with this option I am able to simply choose a real person to model what my Personal assistant looks like. Going to the search bar I quickly type in the name of the woman I want my personal assistant to look like. Scrolling through all the faces that appear I click the face that matches the name and stare at my celebrity crush Madelyn Cline. Going to the edit features option I don't change a single thing instead going to the name option. She may have the appearance of Madelyn Cline and Sarah Cameron but she is neither of them; she is Olivia Monroe my warrior.

Going to the next step of the page I come across a large empty text box with instructions above it reading:

Your Personal Assistant is made to help guide you through Renatus and comes with the knowledge equipped to do this to the best of their abilities. Your Personal Assistant comes with a pre chosen personality and will always be undyingly loyal to you but if you wish to customize their personality you can in the text box below. What you write will be put in place in time when your Assistants creation and what isn't written will be filled in with an auto personality creator

Quickly tapping the box I begin to type the personality/beliefs I wish for my new servant to have. I want her to view my life as her first priority ensuring that she places it first even before her own life. I also want her to view others as simple tools to get to our goals holding no hesitation when killing a man, woman, or child. In many ways I'm making her the perfect soldier and companion which is exactly what I wanted.

Having the hobbies that I have can make keeping friends difficult but now I don't have to be alone anymore. Finishing writing her personality I click to the next page of the customization process seeing a page advertising the upgrade from a simple Personal Assistant to a Battle Assistant. Quickly accepting the offer the screen turns off making look up at the smiling Lord.

"I believe that means we're done?" I question as he gives me another wider grin exposing his pearly white teeth.

"Yes it does," watching as the man holds up his arm he creating a swirling blue portal next to the couch. "As I told you before, this portal leads to your apartment where your Personal Assistant will be waiting with your money. You will receive a weekly allowance in the mail every Friday that contains five hundred Zen other than that welcome to Renatus. Your information is already in the system which means that you are good to go. If you need any help go to one of the Sentinels or ask someone else but as of now I Kartot declare Brandon Keron a citizen of Renatus."

Feeling a smile come to my face I stand and give a curt nod to Kartot before stepping through the portal.

Inhaling the scent of new furniture I stare at an all white door while hearing the laughing soundtrack from friends in the background. Turning around I stare at my new living room fully furnished with a large L shaped tan couch with Olivia laying down on it with a bowl of popcorn wearing only a black sports bra and grey sweatpants. Locking eyes with the beautiful girl she sits up and stretches giving me a large smile before standing to her feet.

"You're finally home Master, welcome to Renatus." Olivia says cheerfully walking over to me looking up into my eyes while reaching into her bra pulling out a crumpled up envelope handing it to me. "I was told to give this to you as well other than that just tell me what you want to do and I'll be more than happy to do it with you." Returning the smile I take the envelope looking inside to see a simple blue card. Taking out the card no bigger than a credit card I read my name on it in bold black letters before putting it back in the envelope and putting it in my pocket.

"What time is it here?" I ask while taking off my shoes before walking through the living room staring out the clear windows to look out at a beautiful view of a large beach with white sand and small dark specks of people below.

"It's 1:07 p.m and the weather for the day is a high of 88 degrees fahrenheit and a low of 71," Olivia says robotically standing next to me staring down at the people with me. Nodding my head I turn back around and stare at my home before taking off my long sleeve black shirt. Looking down at the shirt I feel my facial muscles twitch as I look at the bloodstains trickling down the front and back of my new shirt. Audible sighing, I toss the shirt in the corner of the room and unclip my pistol from my belt; setting it on the armrest I sit on the comfortable cushion letting my body morph to the seat. Watching the episode of friends play on the T-V my vision gets blocked by Olivia who quickly walks past me disappearing down the hallway before coming back with a blanket. Moving the bucket of popcorn from the seat next to me Olivia curls up on the couch next to me covering both of us with the blanket.

Draping herself over me Olivia rests her head on my chest as her cold fingers trace the numerous scars on my body.

"Before I came here I murdered a family of four. It was a young couple the both of them being no older than thirty with two young kids a boy and a girl the girl looking like she could be in middle school and the boy no older than seven. They were on a camping trip in the middle of nowhere when I found them so I waited until everyone fell asleep, slashed the tires to their car and stole their phones from inside their tents. I could've killed them right there and then but that would've been too easy so I waited until morning and watched as the panic began to set in. The way their faces were fully taken over by fear made me shiver with excitement but I couldn't stop there, there was still so much pain and fear I could distribute. The father kept the family calm watching over all of them with a hunting rifle he had in his car, having everyone stay in one place he said that people knew where they were and once someone realized they didn't come back they'd go looking for them there." Going to continue I stop looking down at Olivia who's looking up at me, her brown eyes wide filled with anticipation.

"How could you hear them?" I hear her whisper, making me smile.

"The whole reason why I was in the area is because I was hunting boar so I had all my camo gear on me and was up in the trees looking down on them for two days only climbing down in the dead of night for breaks. That night the family had gone in their car locking the doors and turning on the headlight lights as well as all the lanterns they had to try and light up the little clearing around them but that didn't stop me.

I waited for everyone to fall asleep before I came down from my perch feeling a rush of adrenaline pump through my body, I was ready. I stared at the red minivan while gripping my hunting knife before breaking into a sprint getting closer and closer before leaping into the air with my elbow extended slamming into the window shattering it. Ignoring the screams from the kids and the wife I slammed the blade of the hunting knife through the man's eye sheathing all eleven inches into his skull before he could even lift his rifle. The wife actually acted fairly quickly. I had left my knife in the man's head and grabbed his rifle from between his legs but before I could get it out the window she had lunged at me and grabbed the barrel.

While I was fighting to take the rifle I stared into the pretty brown eyes of the woman and could see the fear and determination leaking from them, it was a euphoric image. Adjusting my grip I was able to yank the rifle out of the woman's hands allowing me to unholster my pistol and point it at her kids who are still looking on in shock with tears and snot on their faces. After that, the woman who later told me her name was Victoria stopped fighting and instead began to weep, crying into her hands begging me to stop. She asked me why I'm doing the things that I'm doing and that her kids are merely six and eleven and that they didn't deserve to die. I didn't care and I still don't. I will kill any man, woman, or child because at the end of the day if they were meant to live they wouldn't have been found by me." Taking a breath I grab a few pieces of popcorn popping them in my mouth before dusting off the crumbs on the blanket caused by Olivia and myself.

"After that I got the kids and Victoria out of the car, binding their hands with duct tape so they couldn't attack me. After that I gave Victoria an ultimatum, I told her that only she and one of her kids will leave this forest and she had to choose which of her kids would stay with me. At this point, she was weeping on the ground begging for me to kill her instead so I began to count down from ten putting the barrel of my gun against her youngest's head. I had made it all the way to three before she had wailed out her daughter's name. Squeezing the trigger a single gunshot echoed through the field painting Victoria's face red with her son's blood. As her wails began to fill the silence I raised my gun and fired a second shot leaving only the daughter alive trembling in front of me hyperventilating. Crouching in front of the girl who was visibly shaking I was able to get a proper look at her young face filled with tears, snot and fear. "Shhh" I had whispered, holding a gloved finger to her lips "you will be the girl who lived".

"Declaring the girl the next chosen one I whacked her across the head with the pistol knocking her out. Going back to the car I retrieved my knife from the dead man's head before going back to the girl where I gave her a similar wound that Harry Potter had. After that I took the dead bodies, went to a deserted field, dug a grave, burned the bodies then ended up coming here." Ending the story with a satisfied sigh I look down at Olivia who has a happy smile on her beautiful face exposing her pearly white teeth.

"That's amazing!" She shouts sitting up from her curled up position next to me. "We have to go kill. I want to watch the blood pour out of my victims and feel the last beat of their heart before they die." Olivia says eagerly, staring into my eyes she makes me laugh and stand from my comfortable seat.

"We will go killing soon but first I want to take a shower then you can take me around the city. I want to see everything there is to see here then we'll take a mission." One thing that is a must is looking at powers. I don't want to be bound by human limitations and dying before I get to use them would be undesirable.

"Would you like me to bathe you Master?" Olivia asks, standing blocking my path.

"There's no need I'll be quick, and don't call me Master, call me Brandon." There's so many opportunities in this world I will not let them pass me by.