My Reflection, Dance the Ghost With Me

Tut, tut, Darling. Neglecting your scribal duties yet again? Do you not think that you owe it to our enthralled audience a narrative description of our meeting? Or are you simply too weak to confront the reality, and hope to find escape in denial? It is a pity that you are still human enough to have such a failing.

But I am free of your emotional baggage, and may freely transcribe the contents of our encounter.

You were brought to my hall, still confronting the confusion from your conversation with the Dreamer Virginia.

“Hello, Sweetheart.” I said to you.

Suspicion was in your eyes. “What do you want?”

“Can’t I just want to see you again? I had heard you were in town, and couldn’t resist inviting you before you left.”

“Grendel… what exactly are you trying to do? Are the Fears really so bad that these people are willing to treat your revolution like some kind of redemption from evil?”

Oh dear. It seemed like you had been listening too much to the human rhetoric. That would need to be rectified. “That is how they see it, yes. It is a useful point of view. And partially true. The chief difference between our old gods and the Fears is that the Fears have taken a personal interest in humanity, as opposed to the detachment of our gods. It is a choice between the possibility of destruction by the hands of ignorant deities, or surviving under the jackboots of malevolent ones. And humans are incredibly short sighted creatures. They only see the current threat. After learning the truth of their oppression, they become completely willing to join the first being who offers them a chance to strike back against their foes.”

“So what, you’re just using them?”

“Of course. But they have been most helpful, and shall all be rewarded as such. Come the revolution, their deaths shall be instant and painless.”

“What?”

“Don’t act so surprised. Darling, what do you think happens when two pantheons clash for control of the multiverse? It would be miraculous if there are any universes left when the fighting has ceased.”

“You’re… you’re going to… destroy the universe?”

“It can be rebuilt. As it was after the Fears’ destroyed it in their revolution. But this time, rebuilt as it was originally was, ruled by those who deserve to control it.”

That brought a smile to your face. You enjoy it when things are black and white, don’t you? “Ah. And I was starting to doubt whether or not you were as demented as I thought. But then why even bother with the cult in the first place?”

“The Dreamlands are the realm of human subconscious. I need active Dreamers within it, or the Fears gain complete control, and will likely destroy it. And I certainly cannot allow such destruction. You see, the barriers between realms of spacetime are much weaker in a place like this. Which greatly simplifies the task of drawing the outer gods from the emptiness where they were banished to after their defeat. And then, all that needs be done is to tear open a hole between the Dreamlands and the physical universe, and the Revolution may begin in earnest.”

“Huh. Well thanks for explaining your plan to me like that. I’ll go and get right onto thwarting it, if you don’t mind.”

“You intend to leave already, Darling?”

“Stop calling me that.”

“Stop calling you what?”

“Those pet names. It’s really fucking creepy. Stop it.”

“But how else can I show you my affection?”

“Affection?” You started laughing. It was quite hurtful, really. Do my emotions means so little to you?

“Indeed. Because I do love you.” Four words, all it took to completely catch you off guard “Do you recall our first meeting? I saw you in that brawl in Samuel’s bar, fighting off several men at once without any help. You were unlike any woman I had ever met.” The look in your eyes, I could tell you too were drifting into memories. You remember more of your past life than you like to admit. “And every moment with you after that was like a perpetual heaven. The adventures we had! Were it not for the interference of the Slender Man, it could have gone on forever. But then you were taken from me. The beast tore you to pieces before my eye. Unforgivable. It will pay for that. I will ensure that it suffers a thousand times what it put you through. But Father gave us a second life. So that we may again be together.” You were hesitating. “I love you, Elizabeth.”

You’re still slow. I had covered the distance between us and had my hand around your throat before you managed to finish blinking. “I love you so much.”

My hand crushed your throat, choking the air out of you. And you’re so light. Lifting you up with that one hand was an effortless exercise. “I can feel Father’s will driving me forward, commanding me to claim you! I can barely contain how much I want you! I want to devour you, make you one with me, tearing you apart and consuming you bit by bit until I have licked up every stray drop of blood which fell from you!”

You were fighting back. Hitting me as you could, squirming to break free, even shooting me. All useless, of course. “You’re so beautiful when you fight. When you strive desperately for life.” I placed a hand on your face, and you froze. Then I let the hand roam free. “I want to take you in every way possible, I want to break you, I want to see you at the peak of your struggle and then crush that hope until you have become absolutely mine!”

Seeing the terror in your eyes was euphoric. You were remembering the first time you met me, in that alley. And that night with your father. If I had allowed you enough air to speak, you would have begged, pleaded for this not to happen again. But you should know that I do not listen to pleas.

Tears were running down your cheek. I licked one off, tasting your skin, that wonderful, intoxicating taste. I whispered into your ear, “I could do it. You would be powerless to stop me. I will make you mine. And then I will tear you to pieces.”

I threw you onto the ground. “I can feel Father’s commands screaming through my mind, telling me to consume you now. But not yet. Business before pleasure, after all. I care for you too much to kill you here, before events have run their course. There is still much I need to do. Once Father has returned to this world, we shall all be reunited in him. You and I shall be one at last. But not until then.”

You didn’t move from that spot on the floor. Were you even aware of your surroundings anymore? I let the Virginia girl escort you out. Such a good girl. It is rare to see a progeny like her amongst Dreamers these days. She’ll ensure you don’t die before I’m ready for you.

I look forward to our next meeting, Darling.

Sincerely,

Grendel