The Collector
Two people were travelling down my road. The snow hit their car with a fury they had never seen, and I lingered above them. I could hear them argue, and I could taste their resentment and anger. It was intoxicating.
The man tightened his grip on the steering wheel, causing his knuckles to turn white from the pressure. The woman sobbed quietly beside him.
“Oh, fucking great,” he said with pure disdain. My chosen. “And now you’re crying. You dumb cunt. You’re the reason we are even fucking out here. You just had to go to your friend’s party.”
“Stop,” she sobbed, her voice distant and thin. “Please.” It wobbled.
“What was that?” he said, suddenly panicked.
They must have heard me on top of their car. I usually didn’t make much noise. Perhaps I was too excited.
Silence fell over the moving coffin. I stayed quiet.
“Where even are we? Is Maps working yet?”
“No,” she managed. “I think we are lost.”
Oh yes. Lost did not even begin to describe their situation. I drank in her anxiety, and it made me chatter with excitement.
“Did you just hear that? I swear I just heard a weird… noise.” Her voice was more alert now.
“Yeah. It was like when you try to call a cat. Pspspsps.” The man made the noise, and the woman gave him a weak smile. “Maybe it’s the engine.”
I pushed myself off the car and floated above as they continued deeper into my blizzard. The car began to slow, then stopped.
I watched from above as the man examined the engine. I glided towards the car and sent my tendrils into the woman, entering her inland empire.
I saw a little girl alone in a room, playing with hand-me-down toys. She bit her lip when she saw me.
“Is you da bad man?”
I reached out and touched her wrist. Two triangles appeared there, nothing more than a birthmark. One upright, one below.
The King of Northern Flames.
As my tendrils left her psyche and her own volition returned, I pulled away.
The man entered the car and smiled.
“There is nothing wrong with the car. Maybe it was the radio. It’s not far away now.”
They continued down my road.
My chosen.
My shadow stretched across their car and sniffed at the flame within the engine.
The car sputtered to a stop.
“Fuck me!” the man screamed, slamming his hand against the wheel.
The woman flinched instinctively.
My eye watched as he flew out of the car. He popped the hood and examined the engine again.
I could hear him.
His inner voice.
I cannot believe she did this to me. I cannot handle her. Fucking bitch. She got me into this. I’m fucking her friend anyway. Fat and ugly and nasty. Why am I with her?
I relaxed.
I looked at my sigil, my mark, sobbing inside the car. She could feel his hatred.
She could not feel my presence.
It was a long road for my chosen.
He entered the car.
“We are going to freeze to death.”
“We have a thermal blanket,” she said.
“It’s only good for one, I think.”
He grabbed it. It was better suited for a child than two grown adults.
“What can we do for warmth?” she asked.
“I can think of something.” He leered at her.
She recoiled.
“We are in a serious situation. Be normal.” She pouted.
I made my chattering noise.
The hiss through my teeth.
“What the fuck is that?” the man screamed in horror.
There I stood in front of their vehicle, my splendor plain to see.
To him.
“I see nothing. Mark, are you okay?” she asked, touching his arm.
“Get your hand off me!”
He must not have liked what I looked like.
He stumbled out of the car, leaving his woman to her fate.
Leaving her to me.
Except I did not want her.
I wanted him.
In my palm, I shook my globe.
The car returned to its original place, and I caressed my prize.
I looked at all the globes within my possession and chattered as I felt their anger.
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