Just a Taste Part 2

Ch 2: Innocent

Dylan

December 12th, 2024- Undisclosed location, approximate time: 8:45 PM

Diablo, that's what people call me. I was once Dylan Aldridge, a broke, violent, homeless teenager. Fuck, that feels like a lifetime ago. Nowadays, I live secluded, yet comfortably. Known for my animal-like aggression and killing methods. To those on the outside looking in, I am a demon.

To those on the outside looking in, I am a demon with an insatiable thirst for violence and blood.

Occasionally, I accept jobs from 'The Man' to keep me sane and well-fed. He's anonymous, pays cash via a black envelope, and has simple needs. One cooler filled with fresh assorted human organs and pieces of flesh.

Hey, I don't judge. You do you, as long as I get compensated, I don't care about anything.

Tonight, I've got a job. I must find another "hunter", kill him, get back the stolen 'product', and then show proof that I completed the job. Killing someone is easy; I've taken the lives of more men than women I've taken to my bed. The complication is that Mulberry, my target, mutilates, rapes, and then murders women. After he's done, he devours them.

I'm a monster who's tasted human flesh several times. Each time was a display of dominance or a fear tactic to those who tried to kill me.

Although sometimes I enjoyed the way it felt on my tongue. Warm and salty with a bold aftertaste that lingers.

However, I have a moral code. Years ago, I made a vow never to become involved in the intentional harm or consumption of women or children. This is because of the horrors I witnessed being in the foster system and then homeless with my little sister, Everly. God rest her pure, innocent soul.

Essentially, I'm torn between two things: my perfect rapport with 'The Man', and my foundational moral standards. I wonder which one will tarnish by the end of the night?

My 'sources' informed me that Mulberry was painting a trail of blood and destruction across the Southern United States. For the better part of a week, I investigated the scene of eight different murders. Discreetly, of course. His crime spree began in Texas with a Hispanic exotic dancer, then shifted to Louisiana, targeting a preacher's wife. He then went on to Mississippi, where he victimized twin schoolgirls, followed by a senior retired nurse in Alabama, a barista in Tennessee, a bartender in Florida, and concluded with a preschool teacher in Georgia.

Earlier today, an alert said he was spotted in South Carolina. A few hours later, I arrived in the currently frozen-over state. Using my police radio tracker, I listened for any calls placed.

Maybe one of them will stick out.

An hour or two of robberies and domestic disputes leaves me bored out of my mind.

Slightly annoyed, I texted my source using my burner phone:

Any news yet?

I waited for a response after a long silence. Then, suddenly, around midnight, a blip. 

Uh oh, he's found a white rabbit! The University of South Carolina, step on it, partner!

Fuck, not another one! Hasn't he had enough?

I typed the location into my phone and slammed on the gas, hoping I got there before that sick bastard does.

A 'white rabbit' is a term that people in the Underground know well. It means a young, innocent-looking, virginal woman, all alone, in an isolated, easy-to-hunt environment.

Three of Mulberry's victims were white rabbits (the schoolgirls and the preschool teacher). Most 'hunters', or people who hunt other humans, are lucky to find one or two without raising too many questions. This gluttonous prick found three and slaughtered them all.

He's consumed enough flesh to carry someone through the winter in harsh conditions, yet he keeps going after more and more. Greed is a sin that 'The Man' does not tolerate.

And I am his willing punisher.

Blood-curdling shrieks of terror act as my guide through the frigid, howling winds and thick greenery. I slammed my unmarked loaner vehicle into the bushes. Its metallic body thuds against a tree as I flung the door open and ran towards the noise.

My lungs filled with the bitter cold as my blood pumped frantically to keep me warm. Good thing I did cardio workouts every day, because if I didn't, the trek would destroy me.

I find myself at the center of the campus, but there's nobody around. How strange, I could've sworn...

Cries of agony echo through the air, leading me back toward the woods. A wicked smile tugs at my lips. Perfect, now this has become a proper hunt.

Deep in the woods, I found the torn remains of a bloodied scarf and a cellphone with 911 queued up. I made the call with a tap from my nose covered in a tissue.

Hopefully, the police can get her proper medical attention. Both the phone and the scarf match colors. It's hot pink with white rabbits all over it. Poor girl, she's probably extremely confused by his sudden attack.

Especially if he calls her a 'white rabbit' at any point.

Carefully, I picked them up. My fingers brushed the soft, comforting material that represented something pure. Without thinking, I grinned. Everly would've worn something like this if she had grown into a young woman.

Perhaps the victim I'm searching for is similar in personality to her?

Maybe before her untimely death, I can speak with her. See for myself if there truly is another version of Everly. Wandering, lost, and scared.

The scent of blood drew my attention. I brought the scraps to my nose and inhaled them deeply. It smelled sweeter than normal, almost like strawberry syrup or fresh caramel.

She's a virgin. They always have the most succulent-tasting blood.

Only once in my life have I had the privilege, after sex. She was willing, and I was lonely. When I saw the bleeding, I lapped it up like a dog drinking water.

She was mortified, but I didn't care. My body craved the nourishment of her lost innocence. It was fucking delicious. Like swallowing melted gold or pure sin.

I slapped myself, breaking the fantasy forming in my mind.

Focus, Dylan! You have a job to do!

Right, I need to find her before Mulberry does.

From a fairly close distance, I saw a woman lying in the snow with a man straddling her. Finally, I found her! She's injured and terrified, but alive. Mulberry has relentlessly chased ‌her to the point of exhaustion. She can barely move, let alone fight him off. I need to intervene.

Tossing my black T-shirt into the snow, I slowly advanced in their direction. It's time for Diablo to play.

Taking ‌a deep breath, I channel my inner animal. My breathing becomes shallow and quiet; my pulse slows to a lazy murmur. All of my senses heighten, and my body loosened up, becoming malleable like a leopard.

Mulberry recognized my presence and freaked. He yanked his weapon out of her abdomen. Shit, I didn't realize he had stabbed her. She winced, trying to crawl away while he's distracted. 

Good girl. Escape and leave this piece of shit to me. 

Two of us collided in a flurry of fists. Mulberry's attacks are weak and uncoordinated, missing their target more than half the time. I easily blocked or dodged them without breaking a sweat. He then turned his blade on me, as if it'll improve his odds. With a flick, his lifeline was flung into a nearby bush. Leaving him wide open.

I shoved him into a tree and went in for the kill. My signature method is tearing the jugular with my teeth. Despite his efforts to stop me, it didn't fail. My canines dug into his flesh, pulling the muscle and veins away from each other. His blood then sputtered everywhere. Staining the pure snow crimson. 

Spitting his disgusting flesh out, I noticed the woman. She saw everything from start to finish.

Well, this is a problem.

As I walked toward her, she frantically scrambled away. Or tried to. She's lost a significant amount of blood by now, so the problem might fix itself soon.

"No, no!" she cried, limply kicking her legs.”I won’t tell anyone, I swear, just please let me go!"

Oh? Bargaining in the face of certain death? How interesting.

Full of curiosity, I crouched down and examined her, keeping most of my features blanketed in darkness. She cowered as my face grew closer; loose strands of my hair touched her nearly frozen flesh. Her cheeks flushed slightly as a gasp escaped her dry, cracked lips.

The longer I examined her face, the more I realized how beautiful she is. Her outfit is moot as it's been ripped to shreds by fucknut over there. But everything else? Sublime.

She's slim, yet has curves in all the right places, long, wavy blonde hair fanning behind her head like a halo in the snow, and a sweet voice almost like an angel.

Another thing that captivated me was her eyes. Deep blue with a hint of uncertainty, fear, and pain within them. But also something else.

Pure innocence. A person who was targeted and shouldn't have been. Just like Everly, except I didn't want to ravage my sister.

I'm not sure what triggered the arousal. Maybe the overly sweet scent of her virgin blood, the strength she displayed in the face of a psycho, or perhaps she's just beautiful, and I don't want others to tarnish her glow.

Leaning down, I examined her wound; it's deep, but not enough to kill.

She questioned, “What’re you going to do to me?”

Tilting my head, I stared at her. What am I going to eat you after saving you from that crazy bastard? Seriously!

I retrieved a scrap from my pocket, balled it up, and shoved it into her injury. Hard.

She cried out in agony as my makeshift blockage absorbed her blood. Tears streamed down her face.

“Shh...” I whispered in a hoarse, haggard voice. A fake voice I've used many times. “The pain won’t last, I promise.”

I shuffled over to her side and instructed her on how to stay alive. “Push down on it hard and slow down your breathing. Help is on the way, white rabbit.”

While she closed her eyes to focus, I sprinted away and ducked behind a tree. While hidden, I found my T-shirt and shoved it over my head. At the edge of the bushes, I see the cooler Mulberry was carrying now wide open, but empty. Greedy fuck, not only was he pilfering kills, but he was eating his boss's product!

Shit, there's nothing to recover, and there are too many eyes around. I technically finished my job, but was it satisfactory? 

Quickly, I snapped a few pictures of my kill before the police arrived and sent them to 'The Man'.

Too many witnesses. Target neutralized. Product absent. 

He responded immediately.

Recover from the nearby victim, or make one. Do not disappoint me.

I growled as I made my escape. He knows I don't handle women like that. It's a condition of my services, so why the fuck would he suggest that?

Trying to compose myself, I replied.

Requesting a rain check because of the weather. The county has taken the victim, so its products are unavailable. Within 48 hours, I will personally deliver a full harvest.

As I slid into my car and carefully closed the door, he answered. 

Request accepted. How unfortunate; I was looking forward to them. The timeframe is acceptable. Make it happen, Diablo.

Disclaimer:

This is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places, and incidents are fictitious and the product of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, organizations, or events are entirely coincidental.

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