My Dear Child

The voice hisses in my ear, demonic and raspy, and I feel warmth travel in waves through my body, beautiful warmth. "My dear child...look at the beautiful mess you've made, know that I'm proud of you". I smile and lick the blood off my hands. Then I wake up. It was only a dream, although it did feel quite real. A noise tugs at my ears, forcing my head to turn in the direction of my closed bedroom door. The sound of muffled voices travels up the stairs, through the hallway and sneaks in through my keyhole and I leave the comfort of my bed to investigate. I trail along the landing and I reach the bottom of the stairs before my eyes set foot on the scene in front of me.

The police question my Mother at our kitchen table while my Father lies on the sitting room floor, dead. Blood stains the wallpaper we all picked out together when we first moved in. I look at him for a long time. I don't have a Daddy anymore. I watch the police inspect the body, while another inspects the broken front door, the nails hang off the hinges. I hear the conversation in the kitchen, my Mother's erratic voice full of confusion and sadness.

"We had an argument...I recently found him to be cheating on me and we had a big fight. I should have told him to leave but I subjected him to staying on the couch instead!" she cries and my heart heaves. An affair? "I just don't understand...why anyone...would want to kill him" she continues to cry. I move a little and catch the attention of one of the investigators. Mum runs out to me and orders me to go upstairs. I do so and catch bits of the conversation between Mum and the police explaining I'm only 9 years old and that I wouldn't know anything.

I slam my door and cry until a hand rests on my shoulder. I don't cry, and I don't scream. I sniffle and turn around. A black shadowy figure towers above me with hollowed out eyes, a white wrinkly face and a malicious smile that holds rows of razor-sharp teeth. I wasn't dreaming after all, I was a pawn. An icy finger slips under my chin and lifts my head up to look into the figures' eyes. "You have done well child, I promise no-one will ever know, I have taken it in my stride to cover up any possible evidence leading to you, my dear child" the voice rasps. "He deserved to die, child, he was a poisonous soul". I feel a sensation take over my body, I don't fight it. Without my consent my body turns around and a knife appears in my hand, I take in its beautiful blade greedily, my eyes flash with hunger. I smile, the same smile as my new owner. "You're mine now, child" and we interlock our fingers together.