—Chapter8 A Life Beyond

It was one thousand, eight hundred twenty seven days later, Tom counted every day. Turning a key to a deadbolt of his apartment. He had long since upgraded his dwelling in the past few years. Walking into the living room he looked out the balcony to see the skyline contrast against the sea of high-rise buildings. It was a great sight compared to the dingy view of a rusted grill and children's’ play area. Passing his kitchen, to his right he set down his things and walked into the center of his living room and walked towards a small square on the floor that acted as a hallway. It was really just three doorways that lead out of his living room, not even having wall space to hang a picture but it was home. The door to his left went into a small bedroom that had precious little space since he had put in a queen sized bed and a nightstand. The door to his right had an electric lock. It was part of his rental agreement that he be allowed to modify the internal locks as he saw fit. There were several nicer options within his price range that he could have chosen, but they were unwilling to acquiesce to his terms. 

He passed through the center door into a humble bathroom. Today marked the fifth year anniversary since he passed through the worldstone. Everything was planned out to avert suspicion if he suddenly disappeared. He wasn’t planning on disappearing but on the off chance that he was unable to negotiate his way out of a deal with the devil then he wanted to make sure he left an open and shut case for local authorities to sort through. There were certain latitudes granted once you reached a higher station in life. Scheduling a vacation to start on a Wednesday and continue for three weeks was one such benefit. Only a few of his coworkers even questioned the logic of not waiting until a Friday to take off. 

His “trip” was a hiking trail through a northern mountain range. He queued up several purchases to appear to occur in the region and he would travel by car to avoid the suspicion of missing a plane flight. He didn’t have to worry about saving money or having a formal will when he was still so young as he spent most of what he had and put almost nothing into savings. That was the normal thing to do in this city. People spent more than they earned and no one bothered with a retirement until they were well into their 40’s. 

The water felt nice on his skin. He looked at the deep circles under his eyes in the mirror. There was always a fear of going to sleep when dealing with an otherworldly being that can put you into a dream that made you question reality. Some nights it was easier to just stay awake, occupying his mind with other things than risk an unprompted “visit” from an unwanted admirer. It didn’t matter. The unintended benefit was that he would often throw himself into his work. He put in more hours over the past five years than most did in their entire career. It still didn’t matter but it afforded him all the earthly luxuries that he could ever want. “Earthly desires” quickly became bland and boring when you lived on borrowed time. 

Leaving the bathroom, he closed the door behind him. Another nervous habit that he picked up but was never sure how much good it would actually do. He walked to the threshold of the kitchen, on a small countertop that doubled as a bur was  his notebook he’d brought from work. There was a small lace string that was used as a bookmark. Pulling the page open he read the last of the entries. 

4:55 am, Woke up, no incident

5:15 am, left apartment, no incident 

5:27 am, entered office, no incident

5:32am, morning coffee, Kelle left her fucking mug in the sink again, no incident 

9:07am, morning bathroom break, no incident

12:55pm,lunch, pack something other than a cold turkey and mayonnaise please, no incident

1:12pm, walked to Chalie’s office, he needs to rerun materiality thresholds for petty cash and and employee expense accounts Vesento gig, no incident

3:31pm bathroom break, no incident 

6:02 pm, left office, no incident 

He glanced at his watch. Then scribbled the next entry; “6:36 pm, entered apartment, still no sign of her.” It was important to record the transitional moment passing from one space into another. Those were the best way to keep a consistent throughline of conscious awareness. When he was fooled into believing a dream was reality, it was common to not have a firm grasp of how he arrived at a given location. He thought back through his trip home and every time he passed through a doorway. He was sure he was awake right now. 

A small part of his mind wanted to believe she had forgotten about their deal and he was saved by a simple act of providence. There was a difference with how time worked when passing through the worldstone. If she forgot about their deal for even a day, he would likely have months, or years of extra time on his hands. But that hope would have to wait until tomorrow. Tonight he planned to drown his sorrows at the bottom of several bottles of cheap liquor. That was one bad habit that he never could seem to kick from his “old life” before meeting Hinba. While the stresses of work seemed almost trivial now, the stresses from the quiet moments of introspection felt like fire searing his every neuron.  

He opened his fridge. Might as well start with a beer.

There was a moment of hesitation as he was hunched over, gripping the cold glass of the fridge. He let out a pained sigh and grabbed a second bottle before standing up right. His bottle opener was a dull piece of scrap metal with a magnet glued to the back that he had since high school. He opened both bottles while still facing the fridge, and held the other off to the side. “You want one?” he asked. 

A slow clap sounded behind him, “How did you even know I was here?” the voice was one he could recognize even if he lived a thousand life times. Every inflection and quality imprinted in his brain as if it was there before he took his first breath. 

“I didn’t” he said flatly before taking another series of gulps. Turning around to face her took significant effort. All this time spent fearing their inevitable reunion only heightened his dread and discomfort. She looked different. Her dark red skin was replaced with a tan olive complexion. Her hair had the same white color and length but she sat differently in her head without her horns present. She wore distinctly human clothes, a light purple blouse and jeans and she still stood a foot taller than him but that was still preferable to her normal form. Oddly enough, she was beautiful. Tom cursed himself for noticing her ample figure before a knowing smile appeared on her face. 

“Still got it, huh?” she said before putting a hand on her hip. Tom took a deep breath and started walking towards her offering her the second beer before walking past into the living room. He took another few gulps as he walked. Hinba watched him with amused interest. She wanted to know what he was doing and probed his mind in search of an explanation. Honestly, Tom didn’t know what he was doing either, that was the secret that took months to master. It didn’t always work but with practiced focus, or the opposite of focus, he opened the door to the balcony, stepped over the railing and faced inward. 

The sun hung low in the sky. Tom met Hinba’s eyes as he stretched his arms out to the side, still holding his beer in one hand. “I have to know if it’s real. If you try to stop me, I’ll fall” he was referring to her spell that affected his perception of weight. She was completely up to speed on what Tom was trying to prove and her expression shifted to a look of genuine concern. She slowly stepped forward. “Don’t try it!” Tom called back as he pointed at her with his free hand. “Convince me this is real or I’ll do it on my own!” 

She offered no response but kept her eyes trained on Tom, trying to find the words to use. Tom lacked the patience and began to lean backwards. She screamed “WAIT!” Tom grabbed the railing and pulled himself forward. Her hand covered her mouth at the outburst “Wait. Wait. Wait.” She completed the traditional ‘four-wait’ mantra. “It’s real, just come in and we can just talk. I won’t try anything, just... please.” 

Tom stepped back over the railing, into the threshold of the balcony. He saw there were tears forming in her eyes but she didn’t make any attempt to close the gap. She was just standing there, allowing him to decide what to do. He walked up to her as she sniveled. Something about seeing her like this felt wrong. “It’s alright. It’s over, I’m sorry I just-” Maybe it was seeing her as a human that compelled him, he wasn’t sure but he hugged Hinba. She returned the embrace. This felt wrong on so many levels. Oh yeah, there’s a reason it feels wrong....”Hinba, No more games, ok? Show me where I am.” He heard her whimpering stop cold. 

—

Another practice Tom had adopted over the years was to not open his eyes right away when he woke up. The idea was to take in as much of his surroundings as possible before he actually “looked” awake to any possible observer. He was still in his bed, laying on his back with the sheets pulled up to his collarbone. There was a distant siren on the streets below, that was a common occurrence living in the city. He felt the bed shift as someone else put their weight onto the mattress. “You have got to tell me how you figured that one out. Seriously, I had our entire reunion planned out. I got every detail of your notebook and everything to make sure you were completely fooled.” 

Opening his eyes he saw the same human version of Hinba as before. “Tell me if this is real.” While her voice was playful, his voice was stern and direct. 

“Yes, This is real. If you so much as look at that balcony again I will tackle you. Now your turn! What gave it away?” 

Tom thought back, “I didn’t know, not really. I was convinced that you seemed genuinely concerned for my safety... it just seemed too good to be true.” he rolled onto his side, “I guessed I just bluffed and it paid off.” he felt helpless again, “You’re right, you had every detail of my life down perfectly.” 

“You’re gonna make me blush.” Tom was supposed to be the sarcastic one among the two. “Come on, I don’t get enough chances to visit the human world and I don't want to spend our limited time here listening to you sulk.” She jumped out of bed and walked to the doorway. “Get dressed. There’s a burger joint that I always wanted to try, but you never ate there.” she looked back at Tom and smiled, “my treat!” before passing through the door. 

Was this her version of feeding him his last meal? He thought. 

“YES!” she called back. 

Fuck.

After slipping into his streetwear he took a moment to look back at his pillow, specifically what was hidden under his pillow. He couldn’t risk lingering at the glint of cold steel unless he wanted to broadcast its existence to Hinba. It was a special something that required a permit to own if you procured it through the proper channels but improper channels were all too common in a large city. He quickly turned and followed Hinba out of the room. 

The simple act of following Hinba out into the hallway, into an enclosed elevator, out onto the city streets felt like an utter betrayal. All these years of building her up as the enemy in his head, and he was going to have dinner with her. He walked down the same street every day to get to his office but he could have just as easily been walking in a city a thousand miles away with how foreign it felt to walk with her. Beyond all reason and self interest, here he was. 

—

“So then what did you say to her?” She had an infectious laugh that seemed to fill the restaurant. 

 “I calmly but firmly told her she was wrong.” Tom couldn’t remember the last time he actually smiled. “I mean what else could I say? We already found her dummy bank account. The only thing we were missing was proof that she was acting alone.” he twirled his hands, “My boss was still convinced that it was some larger team at work, not just a single disgruntled employee” 

Hinba had quickly run out of fries and had started to pick some off Tom’s plate. “So what happened next? Did they catch her?” 

“I don’t actually know. My job was just to follow the papertrail. Once I completed my report, everything was handed off to the lawyers. The only way I’ll hear any more is if they call me to the witness stand for something, but that rarely happens. Everything I did was documented.” How long had he been talking?  “-so they really only would bring me in if there was something they thought I did incorrectly or if I missed something obvious.” he looked at his half eaten burger and then at Hinba’s empty plate. 

“You? Missing something obvious?” she repeated, “I couldn’t imagine that...” her tone was innocent and had the same playfulness that chilled Tom to the bone.

He wasn’t sure how it happened, but he had been talking about his work for the majority of their dinner. She looked out the window, and Tom followed her gaze, “When did it start raining?” he asked. 

“Oh? That started a while ago.” came her reply. She smiled at the irony. 

He felt embarrassed not just for not noticing something as simple as the rain, but also for talking so much about his own problems. She’s the enemy, remember that. He told himself. She shot him a glance and his cheeks went flush. He grabbed his temples trying in vain to calm his nerves. “So did you ever find out what happened to the people of that town?” 

“I love that you try, Tom.” she grabbed another fry off his plate. 

“So?” He pressed the issue. 

“Nothing yet, it’s all one dead end after another.” she looked at Tom’s plate. “Do you think if you don’t finish your food that we’ll just stay here forever?”

Tom did not think that, but wanted to pretend he actually had the ability to focus on self preservation, “Yeah, this place is open 24/7 so we will be here a while.” 

“Good thing the food is decent.” she shrugged. 

He raised an eyebrow, “Didn’t you once say you didn’t eat dead things?” 

“Don’t worry about me. Tomorrow you’ll be sliding down my throat and you’ll be very much alive.” 

Tom’s face went white as a ghost. Putting his head in hands he looked through his fingers at his half eaten burger. Now he was kind of glad he didn’t finish it. If he had another bite in his stomach, he would probably just throw it up. 

“Did I strike a nerve?” 

Before he had time to even register her question the waitress jumped in, “Can I interest you in any dessert tonight?” 

Hinba smiled sweetly at the young girl. “No thank you, I have dessert waiting for me at home. But we are ready for the check.” she held out a credit card and the waitress hurried off. 

“I think I'm gonna be sick.” Tom hated feeling helpless and he hated himself more for agreeing to come along on this excursion. 

“Pull yourself together. I still have a lot planned for you before tomorrow. You’re not gonna want to miss it.” 

The waitress came back and put the check in front of Tom, “but she…” Tom started but read the name on the card. It was his card… 

“I’m sorry, is there something wrong with your check?” the waitress asked. 

It’s not her fault, Tom told himself and signed for the bill, leaving a nice tip. What the fuck ever. “Your treat, my ass.” He muttered under his breath. 

As they walked back in the rain Hinba pulled Tom close, “I’ll make it up to you, I promise.” came her reply. 

“I doubt it” he shot back dryly. 

She leaned down and pressed her face into his neck, “You just wait.” before she breathed in deeply taking in his scent. Tom wasn’t sure if he could make it back to the apartment building before losing his “last meal.” 

—-

When they arrived back at the apartment, they were peppered with rain droplets. With nervous hands, Tom unlocked the door. Hinba walked past him, almost as if it were her apartment and he was the guest that needed to be ushered in. Following her in, he hung his keys up on the hook next to the door. Maybe if he just stared at the key hook for the next hour Hinba would just get bored and leave. Her eyes were burning holes into the back of his head, he could feel it. 

“You’ll feel better if you get out of those wet clothes.” Her voice was thick with mischievous intent. Tom turned to face her. 

“Can I get you something to drink?” He asked, more as an excuse to get one for himself. His eyes went wide as she took off her blouse to reveal a lacey black bra. Her mouth curled into a smile as she took a few steps towards Tom, trapping him in the entryway. Time felt like it slowed to a crawl as she brought her face in close while cupping his check. She closed her eyes and pressed her lips tightly against his. Tom’s eyes went wide as he felt her whole body press him against the door. 

Reaching for the handle, he was desperate for a way to escape. The kiss deepened before Hinba pulled him away from the door and slammed him against another wall still in the entryway, never breaking contact with his lips. There was very little chance Tom could actually push her away, but he was determined to try. Placing both hands on her stomach he pushed with all the strength he could muster. Her strong core didn’t budge at first, but she stepped backward suddenly and pulled Tom along with her with the practiced precision of a trained martial artist. 

Tom was pulled forward, and passed by Hinba. Before he fell flat on his face she used her body weight to force Tom to spin in his descent. Tom tried in vain to plant his feet before stumbling through his apartment. He crashed to the floor as his back slammed into his coffee table, the angle caused the back of Tom’s head to bounce off the surface. 

His visions blurred for a moment. As he tried to blink away the haze, he could make out the silhouette of Hinba disrobing. She started with her shoes, then her pants including her underwear, and finally her bra was unclasped and dropped to the floor. He squeezed his eyes shut, to force his vision back. When he opened his eyes again, he saw Hinba was completely naked. He raised a hand to try and stop her from approaching. She merely grabbed his hand in hers, and with one fluid motion swung her leg around his arm and sat her exposed womanhood directly on Tom’s mouth and nose. His arms hung on the other side of her thighs. 

Her excitement was already clearly evident. Tom had to squeeze his mouth shut to prevent her fluids from invading his mouth. He must not have been quick enough, as he was already tasting her arousal. She adjusted herself for a moment so her lips spread over Tom’s face, letting out a content sigh as she found his nose with her clit. 

She grabbed a handful of his hair. “Look at me. Tom.” His eyes trailed up her core and found her face hidden between her large breasts. He met her gaze as his lungs began to protest the lack of oxygen. “Let’s not think about tomorrow, Okay? Tonight is just about having fun.” He squeezed his eyes shut, partly due to his own shame and partly due to the burning in his lungs. “Don’t close your eyes. I need you to see me.” she commanded. 

Tom obeyed. Her face had a look that told him she was still waiting for a response. He searched her eyes for that hint of evil that let him know it was a trick but found nothing, nothing other than longing and desire. If he didn’t get air soon, he would surely pass out, but Hinba pressed herself down harder, her folds spreading farther across his. 

A thought bubbled up in the back of his head and wormed its way into his consciousness. She was very beautiful, and he was still a man. If there was some way he could just block tomorrow out of his mind... He let out a groan before opening his mouth to breathe. To her credit she let it happen, but sat back down quickly after right onto Tom’s open mouth. She gasped as she felt his tongue start to work its way into her womanhood. 

—

The next several hours were an absolute blur of sweat and flesh. To Tom’s surprise, she allowed him to grab a drink on many occasions. She also partook, but was more partial to beer rather than any of the hard liqueurs Tom kept on hand. Now, Tom was not an old man, he had yet to reach his 30 birthday, but he still lacked the same “vitality” of his younger self. It was of little consequence to a demon. After every climactic episode, Tom watched Hinba’s eyes flare with their signature red glow, and he felt his manhood stiffen again. She had no intention of allowing Tom any “down time.” 

After several occasions in the living room and a few times on the kitchen floor they eventually made their way to the bedroom. Tom made the observation that Hinba preferred to be on top. He lost count of how many times he came inside her. She slowed her pace as she was also enjoying her most recent afterglow. Her hands rested on Tom’s chest, they both were breathing heavy and covered in sweat and other bodily fluids. 

Tom’s head felt heavy against his pillow and Hinba felt even heavier on his hips. His cock still lodged into her tight cunt. It almost felt like she was sucking every single drop out of his stiff member. “I don’t know how much more I have in me.” He panted. 

She smiled down at him, moving her hips in small circles, enjoying the sensation of fullness. “Do you want to get some rest? We have a big day tomorrow.” 

That’s right, tomorrow... He had managed to push that eventually out of his mind with a surprising amount of success. The amazing sex helped a lot. She was the best he’d ever had by a wide margin, and on top of that he didn’t pursue any romantic interests during the past five years. Why not? He asked himself. Maybe because he knew she’d be jealous. She made it abundantly clear that he belonged to her and her alone.

Tom let out a long yawn, his fatigued body responding on his behalf. He put his hands beneath his head. Hinba leaned to the side to grab a bottle of beer she’d left on the nightstand, careful not to let Tom slip out. She sat upright and took several gulps, intent on finishing the bottle. His hands felt around under the pillow, and found something cold and metallic. 

She was almost done with her drink before feeling that same cold and metallic sensation pressed against her chin. Hinba finished her drink but held the liquid in her mouth, throwing the bottle to the side. She looked down at Tom, making sure she had his undivided attention before she swallowed. The audible gulp seemed to echo in the stillness. Tom felt her throat twitch against the back of his hand as he gripped his 9mm black steel Taurus handgun. She was making a show of sending her beverage down to her stomach before exhaling. “Ahh”

He pulled back the hammer and flicked off the safety. She just smiled and with a smooth motion, snaked her hand down to his neck. He didn’t flinch, merely rested his finger on the trigger, ready to act if she made a move for the gun. Her thumb caressed his cheek while pushing his head to the side. He moved his left arm to grip the firearm but she caught it with her right hand, wrapping her fingers around his wrist. She slowly, agonizingly slowly, leaned forward, pinning his arm above his head and pressing her face into Tom’s exposed ear. “Do it.” She whispered. 

Tom made his formal request, of bloodshed and death, with a squeeze of the trigger. The wail of sirens and the wheeze of the ceiling fan paused in anticipation for the roar of projectile lead. The firearm responded with the hollow click of dashed hopes and dreams. Because of course it fucking did…

The tension in Tom’s body released as he flopped his arm onto the bed. His grip on the useless piece of metal subsided, and it tumbled onto the sheets. “Do you hate me?” Her voice was soft and gentle.

He wanted to hate her but that could just as easily be the proof that he didn’t. Hell, he wanted to hate cheap whisky but that didn’t stop him from buying it. “I don’t know” It was the truth. 

“Then what do you know?” 

She wasn’t going to drop it. In all his time waiting for this day, or rather tomorrow, he knew one thing for sure, “I’m afraid of you.” 

She sat upright, “Hmm, you know for all the time you spent at the gun range, I’m surprised you never learned to feel how an empty clip affected the weight.” she eyed the gun for a moment before looking back at Tom. 

“I’m afraid of what you could do to me.” he clarified. 

“‘Could?’” She repeated. “You mean what I will do to you.” Her eyes were looking through Tom, “If your plan was to try and kill me before I … you know,” Tom knew her meaning, “Why use a gun? Last I checked, you don’t need to reload a knife?” 

“I don’t know. I guess I wanted it to be quick.” 

“Horseshit,” she shot back, “you just remembered what happened the last time you pulled a knife on me.” 

The memory haunted him like a specter. It was the first time he felt truly powerless. He wasn’t even allowed to off himself in a moderately more dignified manner. It was the first time that he truly believed there would not be a happy ending to the story of his life, that his tombstone would just read “lunch.”  

“Let me ask you again, do you hate me?” her voice lost its softness somewhere along the way. Tossed aside after serving its purpose. 

“No, I don’t hate you.” His words hung in the air like a thick fog, permeating the entire space. “I’m going to ask you a question now.”

“Sure thing.” Tom wasn’t asking for permission but she still treated it that way. This was still her game, Tom was just a pawn on the field. 

“Do you care about me? I mean . . . “Tom broke her gaze to look down, searching for the right words. “-as something more than just a piece of food?”

“More than a plaything?” Her mischievous voice was back. The voice that let Tom know he was being messed with. 

“More than a plaything, yes.” He winced. 

“More than a toy?” 

“Yes, god damnit, more than a toy!” Tom snapped, “Does my life have any purpose beyond your fucking hunger and fucking pleasure?!” He was louder than he meant to be. Maybe it was just the alcohol. Maybe it was his right to know, to have some sense of closure. 

She smiled. She just smiled, nothing more and nothing less. It was still too much for Tom to handle, or too little? He wasn’t sure.   

Tears formed in his eyes, “Please just tell me.” the words came out as little more than a squeak. 

She cupped his cheek, “Oh human, my sweet, delicious human.” She leaned in close, right up to his face. “You mean everything to me.”  Her lips met his and pressed deeply 

“I’m going to let you go now, I want you to be well rested for tomorrow. This was fun, it’s a shame that we don’t have more time. It’s a rare treat to fuck a human.” Hinba rubbed her chin, “-at this size anyway,” completing the thought. “The next time you wake up, I will be my big self again, and you will be mine.” She tapped Tom on the nose to emphasize her possession. She leaned down one last time and spoke directly into his ear so that he could feel her breath. “I hope you’re ready, my little morsel.” 

And then she was gone. There was no flash of light, no magic gesture, no extravagant display. She just was there in one moment and in the next she wasn’t. 

Tom looked over to the gun. He picked it up and wanted to scold it for its disobedience, but settled on ejecting the magazine. It was empty. That wasn’t a surprise but Tom had to be sure. He opened the night stand and fished around for the second clip. Retrieving it, he found it too was empty. All the bullets were nowhere to be seen. There was another in the dresser under a mountain of socks. Low and behold, that one was also missing its most valuable component, however this time there was a small heart scribbled in what looked like red lipstick. 

“Hope springs eternal” he muttered to himself as he opened his closet and pulled a small cardboard box out of the corner. At one point this small cardboard box held fifty 9mm bullets, now it held a wadded up, and very well used, pair of panties. They were black, lacey, and smelled very much like Hinba. “It’s like she marking her fucking territory...“ he muttered to himself, not caring that “she” was still very much able to hear him. 

Tom left the bedroom and eyed the door across the way. This door had an electric lock but Tom did not regard it and thought of other things. He started repeating a practiced mantra while he walked to a small desk in the corner of his room. In the first drawer was the latest issue of a magazine about old muscle cars. Tom had become their most unenthusiastic subscriber. Walking back to the electric lock on the door Tom punched in the final six digits of the barcode on the cover, careful to keep his mind occupied with the droning mantra and threw the magazine on the floor. 

The door swung open and Tom followed but did not register that he was passing a threshold. That was the trick. Once inside he walked for an indeterminable amount of time through an unfamiliar space, around a desk he never remembered purchasing. He grabbed a small box that he didn’t recognize and pulled off the lid.

Tom knew what the small amber stone looked like, and he knew about the single 9mm bullet that sat beside it. The magic of the amber stone allowed him to regard them with his conscious mind without fear of prying eyes. The rest of the room and even the lock required intense discipline to keep hidden and he was short on time. This was most likely the last bullet in the entire apartment. He wasn’t going to use it, a part of him was just curious if the magic would hold after she was actually in his apartment. She passed by the door several times and never once asked about it. He should not be thinking about the door! There was one other item that sat beneath both the bullet and the amber stone. It was a small envelope that Tom didn’t bother to touch. 

“Big day tomorrow,” he muttered when was back in his bed, pulling the still damp sheets over his tired body.