"I don't want to know how it ends. If I do, I'll just spend all my time trying to prevent it. To stop the inevitable from happening. Yet I know I'll fail."
The dull clicking of the old grandfather clock set his nerves on edge. Each tick marked another moment, another second, towards the very thing he dreaded most. The growing anxiety clawed at his mind. It drove him to near hysterics. What he dreaded he didn't know, yet the ever-growing feeling of incoming doom got continually heavier and heavier, crushing him. Maybe it was the new moon, it's lack of light making the room eerily dark. Maybe it was the shadows that danced from the light of the flickering fireplace, the only source of warmth and comfort left.
The slight creak of wood nearly made him scream. He told himself it was only the wind, as it often caused those noises. But every time he repeated it in his mind the idea got dimmer and dimmer until it flickered out like his fire did moments ago. The cold darkness enveloped the room and the man.
Tick tock went the old grandfather clock. Ten minutes until midnight. Hours until daylight. Until the safety of the sun's morning light. Deep in the man's mind he wondered whether he'd see it or not. Another longer creak caused his breath to hitch in his throat. His heartbeat raced, thudding rapidly in his chest as if it would leap out. His hands grasped the arms of his chair, turning his knuckles white. He bit back a scream as his mouth was covered with what he presumed was a hand.
"Shhh." A voice whispered, barely audible, yet the malice hidden in the voice was evident.
The man panicked but his body refused to move. He sat petrified and waiting. His body unconsciously stiffened as fear made his skin crawl.
"Don't move." The voice growled. A man's voice? Maybe. It was too muffled to tell. Too inhuman to tell. Or maybe that was the pounding in his ears. Either way, it didn't matter at the moment. A sharp ripple of pain shot through his body as he felt his consciousness begin to slip.
A sadistic laugh cut through the night air. "Come on, Deimos. Let me kill him this time."
The first voice let out a scoff on annoyance. "Fine."
The hand was removed, and the man let out a scream the moment it did.
"Shut up." The second voice sneered, his voice drained of amusement. A hand was wrapped around the man's throat, causing him to gag and splutter. "You're quite loud, you know?" The amusement returned. "But that's okay, I suppose. Struggle more, in fact!"
The man's screams were cut short as the second man drove his hand into his abdomen, causing him to cough violently. Another blow made black spots appear in his vision. He could feel the blood drip from the hole forming in his stomach.
The second man flicked the blood off of his hands, splattering the floor in red. He clicked his tongue in annoyance. "It's never as much fun when they give up so easily." He drawled. His cold eyes reflected the slightest bit of mirth at the situation. He sighed. "You did warn him not to make a sound. Humans just never listen, do they?" A large grin formed across his face as he looked back.
"I doubt humans even have to mental capacity to actually comprehend the situation, Malphas." Deimos said evenly.
"You're no fun, Deimos."
Deimos merely grunted. "Leave, Malphas. I told you earlier that you may stay until the man was dead. Now go."
Malphas only snickered. "Right, right. Wouldn't want to get on your bad side after all. Be sure to send my regards to the little humans!" With that, he was gone, leaving Deimos in the room with the dead man.
Deimos scowled a bit before turning back to the man. He looked at the kill with disdain. Malphas had made a unnecessarily messy kill. Again. He sighed loudly. Running a hand through his black hair, he dropped something on the man's body, and left soundlessly.
"Sleep well, Human."