We arrived to a row of houses, It was already dawn, some of the houses has their lights on. We stopped in front of one of the houses, it looks abandoned and old. We went inside and saw two men, unloading their bags on the table in their living room. It consists of different things, gadgets and money. As soon as we step inside, they already saw us and I already recognized them. They were saying something but I didn't hear them, I suddenly jumped on them and keep hitting and hitting and hitting them. I couldn't stop and when I did, I saw them both lying on the ground, blood on their faces and blood on my fist. I was shocked, not by what I did but, how I did it. How did I beat them?
" Satisfied?" he asked me. He was standing behind me all the time and when I looked at him, his chiseled face faded and turn to black. It looks just like the first time I saw him only this time his eyes were different. It was darker, almost black and so are the eyes of the criminals. This faceless man is not an angel but he also said that he's not a devil. Whatever he is, I don't care.
" No." I answered as I watched their eyes return to normal. I tied both of them on a chair and wait for them to gain consciousness. "How did I beat them?" I asked myself. It's not possible. I'm not strong enough to beat them both. " It was you." I said as soon as I realized what happened. The faceless man did it, he made them weaker so I can beat them.
" Just a little help." he said to me " This is what you want."
I took a knife from the kitchen while the faceless man sat motionless, watching me. When I came back, they were both fully conscious, surprised to see me. I realized that they couldn't see the phantom sitting in the room.
"What the fuck?" said the first man as tried to free himself. He still have his silly beard and earing on his left ear. "What the fuck is going on here?"
"Who the fuck are you bitch!?" said the other one. He has a delicate young face and we look like of the same age.
"You don't remember me?" I asked. They just looked and me and laughed.
"We wouldn't have asked you if we do." the man with beard answered smirking "And besides, you're very pretty to be forgotten."
I felt anger rushed to my skin as I gripped the kitchen knife in my hand. What kind of person just forgets something like that? How can they don't even remember me? I'm just like another stranger on the street. I remember every detail of that night and they couldn't even recognize me. My mind went blank and I found myself raising the knife in my hand as I approached them. I heard them telling me to stop and saw the horror in their eyes as I chopped their fingers off. They screamed in pain and started cursing at me. I just looked at their bleedings hands and imagined the pain that my family went through in their hands.
"Two weeks ago you robbed a family, kill them and burn their house." I said and went back to the kitchen. The house is small and the kitchen is only a few steps away from the living room and I can hear them grunting. I came back with a duct tape that I put around their mouths. The sun is already rising and I'm sure that there are people who are awake already. I looked at their eyes to see if they recognized me already but there's nothing except fear. They are afraid of me and it was good. They looked like they wanted to say something when I raised the knife again but I started cutting and didn't care. Their arms, their thighs, their fingers, everywhere until they bled. I did it, not hearing them grunting and groaning and, for the final cut, their manhood. I watched as they bleed to death and I noticed the faceless man standing in front of me. He cupped their faces and made them stare to his eyes before they took their last breaths. I just stood there, watching as he approached me and when he's almost near, I quickly closed my eyes. I became frightened of what he will do next but instead, he asked me. "Satisfied?" I looked at him and saw his eyes turn from black to red. I didn't answer him and he stepped back and examines my work.
"How does it feel?" He was not looking at me instead he's touching the wounds of my two victims. "Remorse? Regret?"
"I'm not sure but there's definitely no regret." I answered only watching him.
"What now?" he stopped and looked at me again. I didn't answer him, I don't know what to say. What I should do next, I haven't thought of that. I have nobody now and nowhere to go. "Perhaps you should ask your God." the phantom continued.
"God already abandon me a long time ago." I answered. "Especially, when he let these two rotten bastards enter our house and when he let them rape my sisters!" I shouted and now I know I'm crying. I finally cried. There is no God, he doesn't exist. With the knife still in my hands, I slowly point it to my heart. I know what to do now. Kill myself and join them but, before I can do it he already stopped me.
"You can't do that." he said taking the knife from my hand. "Not until I said so."
"Who are you?" I asked him "what are you?"
"I have no name." he answered "You have seen what I am."
I actually have no idea what he is and I'm not sure what I've seen. All I could think about is that he is a devil even though he denies it.
"No. I am different from a devil. I take souls. I believe humans call us grim reapers." he suddenly said and that's when I realized that he can ready my thoughts.
"A grim reaper? Is that what you did with them? You took their souls?"
"Yes. I take the souls of people like them. After all, they don't deserve to live in this world." He said with his red eyes gleaming at me.
"To where? Where do you bring those souls?" I asked trying not to show my fear but, my voice betrayed me.
"To the place where they will experience eternal pain and suffering." he answered. He said he's not a devil but he takes souls to bring them to hell. I don't know what to say to him. All I could think about is how empty my life is and I want to end it already. There's nothing left for me to do and I have nowhere to go. I really wanted to die. I wanted to join them, my family, my everything.
"You are already dead." the phantom said interrupting my thoughts. I didn't know what he means by that. "And there is something for you to do. I will give you a choice. Take the souls of people like them and bring them to hell to where they belong or stay like that. Anyhow, your soul is already mine." he continued. My soul is already his. I know that, I thought to myself. I am well aware that I already sold my soul to him ever since we left the hospital and I didn't care. I still don't but, I don't know what to do at this point. I don't know how to live my life anymore.
Suddenly, the room was filled with darkness, the space behind him opened, like a black hole. He walks towards it and when he's at the opening he turn to me. "Don't kill yourself. Remember, your life is mine. I will leave you with a gift to help you decide then I'll be back" he turn his head from me to the two dead bodies beside me then, he was gone. The opening swallowed him and I was left all alone. For the first time, I saw what I've done. The two dead bodies and the blood on my hands and everywhere. It was horrible but I don't feel anything. Not for them, not for the people like them.
