Page 85 of Unruly
“Watch.”
My body stumbles to life, rising from the couch and moving unnaturally. I realize quickly that the man next to me mirrors the movements of the me we’re watching. Almost like he’s a puppet master.
“What the fuck?”
“What’s going to happen is your friend is going to show up to save you, and then you’re going to end his life once and for all. Once that’s complete, I’ll be able to enact my plan and live fully again.”
“My friend?”
The door to my apartment opens and a man steps inside, hurrying over to talk to me. My chest warms immediately upon seeing the man, my body trembling with the need to be close to him. I don’t even recognize him, but I’m sure I know him somehow. Ineedhim.
He seems aware that something isn’t right as he looks around the room, then back at me. He places his hands on my shoulders, and I watch in fascination as he presses a kiss to my lips. Oh. We’re more than friends.
But the me in my living room right now isn’t having it and shoves the man away. He looks momentarily hurt, but he quickly composes himself, speaking words I can’t hear in this place. The other me wraps his hands around the man’s neck, apparently attempting to strangle him, and I feel a strange tugging sensation in my chest, gripping my organs.
“No,” I whisper.
The man in my living room doesn’t back down though. He pushes me back onto the couch, straddles me, and kisses me so hard I swear I feel my lips tingling from here.
Farnsworth.
A flood of memories rushes back in. My breath catches and I stumble a bit, watching myself and that beautiful man tangle on my couch. It’s all coming back to me now. I’m a Soul Chaser, and I’m in a bad situation right now.
The man next to me—no, the Horror—curses under his breath. “That man is a parasite. Why can’t he just mind his own business?”
“This is his business. Mine too.” I turn towards the Horror. “Sorry your little memory game didn’t work out.”
The Horror growls, but I’m not afraid. I feel stronger and braver than I ever have as I recall the lessons from the handbook. To banish a Horror you need them to admit their underworld name. Closing my eyes, I try to remember the detailsin the file. I know it’s their initials from when they were living and a number, but I can’t remember the number.
“What’s your goal, Horror?” I ask, hoping to draw some information out that might trigger another memory. “What do you plan to do?”
“World domination. I’ll build an army, occupy the most powerful cities, and build an empire.”
Snickering, I shake my head. “We’ve been over this. None of that is even remotely possible. You’d be imprisoned or killed long before you saw the inside of any government building.”
“You underestimate me. My witch friend is very powerful, and I’m sure he will be more than helpful in achieving my goals.”
“At what cost though?”
“Why don’t you let me worry about that? You won’t even be alive to witness it.”
The sneer on his face and his ominous tone send shivers down my spine. I turn and look back at the scene. Farnsworth is sitting with me on the couch, touching my face, and again, the sensation is palpable. I’m positive he’s smart enough to know that’s not really me. Well, not entirely, anyway.
“I just want to know how you pulled it off?”
The Horror turns to me, tilting its head.
“How did you manage to curse all those objects before you died?”
“I made a deal with a witch. In my time, longevity was not guaranteed. I wanted to make sure I would live forever, no matter the cost.”
“Okay, but you didn’t account for how the world would change around you. You thought you’d be dead for a decade or two, not hundreds of years, right?”
The Horror looks annoyed and ignores my question.
“You definitely didn’t count on Farnsworth. It’s his whole purpose to banish you and he’s very good at his job.”
“He’s up against some very powerful magic. He won’t win. Not this time.”
