Cad (Part 2 of 3)

He sat with his back resting against something. He couldn't tell what it was. A pervasive darkness covered his eyes. If it wasn't for the knowledge of his muscles working, he wouldn't even have known if his eyes were open or not. He turned his head in all directions possible, hoping for a light to break into the darkness. But there was nothing. He feared standing, for fear he would fall even further into nothingness. The events leading up to this were clear in his head and played in an endless cycle.

"Get out!" The Voice roared with such authority that Cad could barely whisper his response; a response that landed him here in this blackness. Say what you want about Him, but the Old Man could get angry. Cad closed his eyes in a deep depression and began to cry, again. He screamed out in rage, mostly directed to the Old Man, but also to the Brat and himself.

As his scream died, Cad opened his eyes again and saw a light growing. "Finally," he thought, "I'll be able to see something in this wretched place!" Just as he finished his thought, though, the light broke out over the ground and revealed the second most beautiful sight Cad had ever seen. She stood there, with the Brat. "Perfect! I still can't get away from Him!" Hate seethed out of every possible place. The two looked so happy; so in love it was disgusting.

Cad walked slowly toward the couple, trying to decide what he would do. He wasn't exactly sure of how he would do it, but he would steal the Girl from Him. As he neared, Cad caught the last of what the Brat was saying to Her, "Don't fear, my Love. I will come back to this place for you. Just remember Me and My love. It won't be long." With that, the Brat kissed Her and walked away. Suddenly, everything clicked into place. This place was for Her and She was for the Brat. The desire to have Her drove Cad insane. Her beauty was incomparable to anything in this place, and Cad vowed to destroy it. Her innocence was his for the taking. Cad smiled to himself and walked forward.

"Hello, lovely," Cad said, purring as if he was calling a cat. She smiled at him, but said nothing. "What," Cad asked, hurt. "Do you not have anything to say? You sure looked friendly with Him." Cad sneered the designation and refused to name the Brat. She looked down at her feet and said nothing. Cad, though, was determined. He continued coaxing Her and, after a while, began a conversation. Soon, they were walking and talking about everything.

"How is it that I do not know who you are," She asked after a few trips around the small lake.

"Because He doesn't want you to know me."

"Why not," she asked. "You don't seem bad and you are very nice."

"I do not know, love. Perhaps He doesn't trust you? Or, perhaps, He doesn't want you to know anything else?" That answer left Her thinking. Cad was sure he almost had Her. "Would you like to know me more? I can show so many things that He never would."

Her eyes lit up and turned the brightest blue with excitement. "Yes! I would love to!"

"Come, then. I will give you food and rest, and you will know me." Cad led Her into the forest and plucked an apple from a tree, whispered an incantation over it, and gave it to Her. She bit deeply into the apple and Cad watched Her eyes turn from the brightest blue to a dead, pale blue in a second. Cad smiled at his cleverness and said, "Come. You must rest now." He lay Her down behind a bush and let Her sleep.

While She slept, Cad whispered over Her. "You are now called Harlot. You are dirty. Used. Unwanted. He does not call for you. He calls for someone else. He doesn't want you." After he said these things, he let Her sleep.

A few hours later, Cad returned. He watched the Brat walk right past Harlot calling her by her other name. Cad chuckled inwardly and approached the woman crouching behind the bush and covered in leaves. "Harlot," he called softly. The woman turned to face him. The smile that was on her face fell into a disappointed grimace. Cad smiled, for he truly had her now.