Trent

He didn’t understand why no one had heard what the bitch said, he had heard it plain as day. Caleb had always said she was a weirdo, covered in those brutal scars, in fact, Caleb had shown him pictures of those scars, said there wasn’t a whole lot of money to get more plastic surgery. When she had pulled up her shirt, there were no scars, her skin looked unblemished. It didn’t make sense, in fact, a lot of thigs didn’t seem to make sense.

Consumed and digested. What the fuck did that mean? That too didn’t make any type of logical sense. The sutures in his wrist itched and he absently rubbed it against the side of his pants. Who the hell did she think she was anyway? Trying to make him look crazy. He still had no clue how his wrist was slashed. One moment he was mocking her, the next he was gushing blood from his severed radial artery. Now Caleb and Vincent were both silent, absent from school, neither responding to his texts. Something was up and fucking Anna knew what it was. He was going to get to the bottom of it, one way or the other, he would get to the bottom.

He decided he would wait for the end of the day and follow her and straight up confront, force her to tell him what she knew about Caleb and Vincent. When the school day eas finally at an end

Following at a discreet distance. When she turned up Piedmont Road, he quickened his pace, closing the gap to about a dozen steps. “So hey, looks like you’re all alone now, no Valen, and I guess Veronica is probably at the clinic getting shots for her VD,” he quipped snidely from behind her.

She stopped, turning her head to look at him over her shoulder.

“Where’s your boyfriend?” he asked, tone rude.

She brought her hand down and patted the front of her jeans over her womanhood, “Valen is here right now,” she said, feeling him move.

“You’re spun,” he cracked, laughing and shaking his head.

She turned to face him directly, feeling her antipathy for him well within her, eyes narrowing. “You are a foolish and stupid boy, you should not have followed me,” she said, hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth. She had been aware of him, felt him trying to be stealthy and wondering when he would muster the courage to try and make the approach.

“What you going to do, ‘consume and digest’ me?” he said, emphasizing the words.

She nodded slowly, “Though I think perhaps I shall give you to Veronica for that. Yes. It will be her who swallows you. She can have your precious little spark of life and add to her own,” she said.

“You’re fucking crazy!” he said, chuckling as he shook his head.

“But first, I think, we shall play with you,” she mused.

“Fuck you,” he remarked dismissively.

She grinned, “No, fuck you, then eat you,” she replied.

“That’s right, you can fucking eat this,” he retorted, grabbing his crotch.

Tilting her head slightly to the side, “Do you know Vincent was still awake and alert when I swallowed him? It’s such an odd but delightful sensation, like butterflies in your stomach when there is someone inside of you like that. They thrash about, though I suppose not so much for Vincent, he was pretty spent when I was done with him. It’s actually rather funny because he begged to be inside of me, wanted it so bad,” she said, voice slurring slightly as she felt the power riding up in her.

Trent shook his head, looking at her. Were her eyes actually glowing? It seemed like it.

“You’re mental,” he spat.

“While I am quite heated and in need of release, I am wondering if you are worth the effort bringing home. Maybe I should just reduce you here and step on you, feel your little bones crunch under my foot as I put my weight on you,” she said, expression contemplative.

As far as Trent was concerned, Anna was a loony bird. The shit she was talking about. He wasn’t sure what he had intended to do by confronting her, but he realized now she was obviously mad. “Looks like daddy carved a little crazy into you,” he chortled, shaking his head.

“Crushing is too quick for you,” she said, expression going cold, “you will meet your end inside Veronica and when she is finished with you, I am going to take your skull and fashion myself a little keepsake earring. It’s unfortunate I didn’t think of that earlier with Vincent, you two would have made a nice matching set,” she added, shrugging.

Frowning, he shook his head. “What is wrong with you?” he asked.

She laughed, “Wrong? There is nothing wrong with me now,” she answered, spreading her hands wide.

“Except you’re a deranged fruit loop, babbling nonsensical stuff,” he said.

Extending an arm, hand out, “Come to me Trent, you’ll see,” she invited.

He snorted, “I don’t think so,” he stated.

She beckoned him and suddenly he was being pulled forward, dragged over the icy cement sidewalk directly at her by some unseen force. “What the fuck?” he bellowed, twisting and thrashing but unable to fight whatever it was moving him. Her eyes were glowing. “Anna!” he yelled.

Turning her hand, palm facing him, he stopped a couple of inches in front of the hand, his toes just touching the ground.

“Jesus Christ Anna!” he said, eyes wide and filled with panic.

“You see,” she said, “I told you that you would come to understand.”

He didn’t understand. What the fuck was happening? How could she do this, make him move like that? It was her that had cut his wrist. Dread filled his heart, “Please,” he begged, voice soft and filled with terror.

She grinned and shook her head. Bringing her hand to her lips, she blew him a kiss.

Suddenly the world was spinning for him as he seemed to fall into himself. Trying to reach out now in the darkness, he screamed.

Coolness surrounded him and then there was light. It was her, it was Anna. He was in her hand, the chill air cold against his puckering naked skin. Rolling over in her palm, he looked at her, unsure of what to do, bereft of words. “No,” was all he could say as tears rolled down his rosy cheeks.