TQO: Redlight District Souls

This is Kim Seohyeon's short story.

Viewer discretion is advised.

-The Meerkat Nurd (talk &bull; contribs) 19:18, July 9, 2013 (UTC)

Seohyeon slid the blade across the small girl's neck, as she had so many times before. This time, she had done good. The girl must've been no older than 21. She had sneaked outside for a quick smoke, completely unaware of the deadly presence. Sadly for her, it wouldn't have mattered much. She was the target. She was a mere mortal. She was going to die one way or another by Seo's hand.

Seo kicked the young girl's body aside and stepped inside the house, putting her hand on her throwing knives which were ready at her side. Like they had been for such a long time now. Her light footsteps made no sound; despite the wood floor being obviously old. It appeared she had entered in the some kind of laundry room. Two giant piles of dirty clothes were to her right where the washer and dryer, noisy as ever. In a room ahead she could see the flickering light of a TV. Had the young girl been alone? Somehow, she doubted so. As she approached the room, a voice piped up. It was the voice of a senior man.

"Monica, dear?"---there was a cough that went on for about two minutes---"Is that you? Did you come back? Dear?" Her stomach was correct. She hadn't been alone.

She would have to take care of him. She pulled out three of the throwing knives, tucking them strategically in between her fingers. Carefully considering what direction he would be in, she crouched and began to move forward. Coming to the conclusion he would be looking towards the laundry room, Seo acted quickly. She jumped out in front of the door, quickly locating the man and throwing the three right after the other. Each hit their target perfectly.

He died before his old brain could even process what was going on. She thought as she went over to the body to retrieve her knives. Two of them got him in the side of the neck, the other buried itself deep inside his forehead. As she pulled the two out of his neck, blood came squirting. Her eyes lingered to his. They were looking up at the knife which buried itself into his skull. He hadn't died quick enough. Her thought had been wrong. Quickly she pulled the remaining knife out and wiped them off on her sleeve. Seo shook her head and stood up.

"Stupid bastard. Didn't die quick enough. I have no pity for your pain, completely your fault." Words whispered beneath her breath. Without another word she turned on her heel and  continued to search the house for more people.

Monica had been wearing a wedding ring--and Seo doubted she had married the old geezer to live in a dump like this. There had to be at least one more person. After peeking in the dining room, she slowly made her way upstairs.

Immediately she heard the loud breathing of someone in a close room. A wide grin passed over her face. Now this would be fun. She could smell the fear in the air.

She swung to her right and kicked down the door she was in front of. It was a decorated child's room. It was too dark to determine what gender of child the bedroom was meant for. The breathing got louder. Seohyeon put her throwing knives away quietly, touching the long blade stealthily hidden in her sleeve. Immediately she fell to her hands and knees, looking under the bed. Lying there, shaking in a puddle of her urine, was her next victim. It was a little girl, looking about five years of age. She screamed when she opened her eyes to see Seohyeon. Perhaps she was closing her eyes to see if this was all really just a dream.

"Hello there little one." Seohyeon's voice could only be described as vocal silk. A mix between soft and strong. Half of it screamed "I'm dangerous" while the other beckoned trust. "Come out, I will not hurt you." The child turned her head, as if hoping she was some kind of monster that would--with any luck--disappear soon.

Seohyeon reached under the bed and pulled the girl into a loving hug. Only small whimpers came now.

"Tell me your name," Seohyeon requested. "And whomever else lives here, along with their names. Don't worry, I'm a good person." She forced every bit of sweetness into the last sentence.

"My name is Cherry..." The little girl began. "A-and my mommy is Monica...she lives here with me, my grandpa Abraham...and my daddy Jacob...but he's not here. Work." Cherry shook more and more with each word.

''So there's one more... ''She thought to herself. As Cherry moved her hand to Seo's shoulder to cling to her, she swung the knife out of her sleeve. Cherry's head went rolling across the floor and her body fell from Seo's lap. She stood up, slipping the knife back into it's place within her sleeve. Her next objective was clear and simple. Find out when "Daddy" got home, then she had the place all to herself. In her mind, that was completely fair. Especially after all the work she went through.

Seohyeon headed back through the laundry room, towards Monica's body.

The blood around her body had begun to dry slightly. It wasn't hard at all to find Monica's cell. A buldge in her pocket was a complete give away. As she grabbed it and began going through the contacts stored, she began wondering about the girl named Monica.

She was a small girl; petite in figure. But that hardly took away from her beauty. It seemed as though she had went through some kind of punk rock stage. Her hair was noticeably damaged from bleach and dyes, and there were quite a few holes in her face from piercings that never quite closed up. Her clothes were quite different. They were much more mature--something a mother would wear. Seo's best guess was it was forced upon her a younger age. This wasn't meant to be.

Ah-ha. Jacob Ramsay.

That was his number, it was the only Jacob after all.

A text message requesting what time he would return home was sent. Within two minutes, a reply was recieved.

''I'm nearly home, as I am everyday. See you in a few, my love. ''

''Perfect. ''Seohyeon thought. This would be done sooner than later. She took a cigarette from the pack that was beside Monica's body. Though the pack was drenched in blood, the cigarettes within were untouched. She slid inside to light it on the stove.

She blew the smoked out with a sigh. Where would she hide Monica's body? Grandpa's and Cherry's didn't matter. He wouldn't make it that far.

Outside she spotted a place that would do perfect for make shift. Holding the cigarette between her lips, she pulled  Monica's body by her ankles over to a ditch that was covered in different kinds of plant life.

"Don't worry, Dearest Monica. Once they find your body, you'll rest in peace. But for this moment, this is the best you will get." Seohyeon was half-way tempted to spit on the girl's body. She couldn't care less about the girl or the body, it wouldn't have affected her.

Fifty yards behind her she heard a car approaching on the gravel driveway. ''Sh*t. ''She had to get back, so she could end him, too. A gun would be too much of a giveaway. The neighbors would hear. His death would have to be much like Monica's. Unexpected, quick, and most of all: quiet. She didn't want to play around anymore. She just wanted to rest.

Jacob parked right outside the back door; the door where just a foot away, his wife was sent to the underworld. He slammed the car door shut and began to walk towards the house. The darkness hid the blood well. Sadly it didn't disguise it as he put his foot down on the step.

"What...?" He murmured as he took a knee and rubbed the unknown liquid between his fingers. Little did he know he was rubbing his fingers in his own wife's blood.

Seohyeon made her way behind him quietly. As she got closer she began to walk quicker, and the blade tucked out of her sleeve. Right as she was about to swing it, he turned around. She stopped in her tracks, frozen. He fell back, hitting his head on the ground. Holding his hands up in front of his face in a defensive manner.

"Wait, wait!" He begged. "Please, no!" Seohyeon moved the knife back---but didn't put it away---and began laughing.

"You think I spare jokes like you because they say 'please'? Really?" She grinned and grabbed him by his shirt. "No. People who beg get slower deaths. That's how it's fun."

Jacob begun screaming as Seo drug him in the door by his shirt. As soon as he saw the old man's body, he began crying.

"Oh...oh my God. You..." Words betrayed him. All he could do was look at Seo in disbelief. She threw him down in front of the stairs.

"This sh*thole got a basement or attic?" He begun to think of which was a better answer.

"We have both...but the basement's only accessible from the outside of the house." Seohyeon sighed.

"Attic it is then." She grinned and took the knife from her sleeve and held it up to his neck. "Lead the way, guy." He lowered his eyes and began to walk up the stairs.

"Please, Lord..." He whispered beneath his breath. Seo could barely contain her giggles.

"You think your God can help you now? Wise up, man. If your God was real, I wouldn't be holding a knife up to your neck right now." He stopped, but he didn't dare to turn to her. A low growl formed in his throat.

"You'll go to hell for this, you know? Murder is against God's laws." He snapped. Seohyeon completely lost it laughing.

"You think your religion is relevant to me? Please. The only place people end up is a hole in the dirt."

All of a sudden Jacob began walking up the stairs again. She followed shortly behind, keeping the knife in the same position no matter how quickly he moved. When he reached the third door down the hallway, he stopped.

"Can I have a final cig? That's all I want. Please." His voice was beyond emotionless. It was the tone your voice got when you knew you would soon be dead. Seo figured she could grant this last simple wish. Seohyeon nodded and he fell to his knees. He sat against the wall and took out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Jacob put one in his own mouth and held the other out to her. She took it, lighting it after his. She, too, fell to her knees and sat beside him.

"What made you enter the darkness?" Jacob asked in between a drag. "What made a piece of you die?" She narrowed her eyes to him, but answered anyways.

"Pain."

"Pain? You know, I'd like to hear a story before I die." He grinned a little bit. She would humor him for now. The idiot would die anyways.

"There was this girl who was born in Seoul, South Korea. She wasn't born into a particuarly loving family. Her mother didn't love her much and left when she was young. This drove daddy insane because he loved her mother a lot. The very thought of living without her drove him crazy. Her daddy didn't love her anymore because he thought she was the one who drove his love away. He thought he didn't have happiness because of her. So he took away her happiness.

"He began to rent her out to any stranger who offered a good price. He rented her out her body to corrupt pedophile sickos, to men and women who needed another being to take their frustrations out on. He didn't care what they did to his daughter as long as she wasn't happy. Oh---and the policemen. Never forget the policemen. They were some of his best clients. Oh and how she would plead and plead for help. And you know what they would do? They would laugh at her. They would come back frequently, a haunting reminder that there were no angels interested in helping her.

"When she was nine she cracked. The little girl stumbled out to the alley beside her apartment. She couldn't walk without stumbling, the anger was so great. Her chest was tight and it hurt. In front of the girl she saw some old, sick cat. It was a stray. No one's heart belonged to it. It was unloved, just like her. She picked up the nearest stone--unknowing why she was even doing it in the first place--and threw it at the animal's head. It fell over, yowelling in pain. Then she picked up a brick and dropped it on the small body. She checked over and over again--the cat was dead. After the last time she looked up and saw a ball of white light. She fell backwards, startled. As she looked closer, she saw the cat's sad eyes. In that moment she knew she could see spirits. The spiritworld. She could see it all. And she liked it. It made her feel strong and alive. So, so alive.

"So it became a daily occurance. It happened so often he stopped noting the souls. Everyday at the very least one insect or infant animal or small animal lost their life to her. It felt so good. It was a high greater than any drug. But soon enough these petty things became not enough for her. No, she needed more. The monster inside wanted something better. So it changed to the homeless and human infants and children. She was happy when she was out killing. Feeding her thirst. But when she returned home...it was the same horrible agony. That had to change.

"She made her biggest kill when she was fourteen. She killed the man who made her so unhappy. She killed the man who rented her out to sick souls. She killed the man who was supposed to love and care for her, but never did. And oh was his soul ugly. After that she couldn't stay. Not in Seoul. So she left, never to be seen again."

Seohyeon took a final drag of the cigarette and blew it into the air. "How's that for a story, hmm?"

Jacob stared at her, speechless.

She stood and pulled him up. Little did he know, with asking that, he killed himself far sooner. He didn't think it through. He had just received poison knowledge.

"You tried to survive me, you tried. But no one survives Seohyeon." She whispered to him as she broke his neck in two in one fluid motion. And like that, he was gone. Cigarette burning in his hand still.

Clapping began behind her. It was a miracle she didn't drop dead right there from a heartattack. She turned quickly, knife falling out of her sleeve, her hand going straight for her throwing knives. Standing there was a young Korean woman she'd only ever seen in photos of her father's.

It was her mother, standing there in the flesh.

Seohyeon's fingers didn't miss a beat throwing the knives at her pretty little face. Much to Seohyeon's semi-surprise--nothing quite surprised her anymore, you know, after seeing the dead--they turned to puffs of black smoke a foot before the woman's face.

"Is this really how you treat your mother after not seeing her for ten years?" She shook her head. "And after I had even went so far as to take the form you would best know me in, too."

"I don't know you! You left without a word ten years back, way before I remembered anything. You made the following nine years hell! I take as much pity on you as I would on my father!" Seohyeon automatically went defensive. The wicked woman standing before her laughed.

"What use is pity to a dead man, anyway? Aren't you jaded by now?" The woman's smile disappeared. "Didn't Seok ever tell you how much I loved you, even now? Even after I saw all of the evil deeds the fruit of my womb has committed?"

Her words only angered Seo further. All of Seo's actions had been because of the being in front of her.

"But I suppose that's beside the point. Come with me, we must talk." The woman lea her to a nearby room and touched the door's frame. The door opened to reveal a golden room. On a long, low table was a buffet of food. The woman ushered Seo in.

"Take a seat, would you." The woman took the seat at the end of the table. Seo decided to work with her for this moment; and took the seat next to her. As the woman began talking, Seo began eating.

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions, but worry not. Eventually they will be answered. You know, you're extremely special. You're meant for a greater purpose. You were born for that greater purpose. I know you grew up thinking you were just another human. But you aren't, you never have been. You're the child of a Goddess: me. I am Melinoe. Greek Goddess of ghosts."

Seohyeon couldn't contain her laughter.

"You really are vain, are you not? A Greek Goddess? What bull sh*t." She bit into a piece of bread. "If it's so, why am I no hero? Why don't I live on Olympus?" Seo snickered again.

"Because it was meant to be that way. As I said, you, my dear daughter, have a great purpose before you. You have become great through your pain. And because of your skills, which you have acquired due to your pain, we need you. We, the Gods, need you. What a wonderful honor, yes?" Melinoe was the only God who would dare say this. "We're taking you off the street. We are putting you in the lap of luxary. The least you could do is give me a response."

"What's the catch?" Seohyeon asked. Even though she had barely eaten, and she was tired from the killings, her stomach felt completely full.

"Well...we want you to fight for us. A soldier of sorts. Your intimidation makes you perfect for one job in particular."

She figured. They wouldn't let her leave her knives behind.

"And if I don't want to be taken off the streets?"

Melinoe smiled. It lit up her face, but her eyes remained as dead as the spirits which she was patron of.

"You're nothing more than a redlight district soul. And all redlight district souls pray for this moment. The moment they can be saved from their hell. Plus, if you don't go willingly, we'll force you."

Seohyeon threw down her bread. "Well I guess my hands are tied."

Melinoe grinned and stood.

"Great!" She walked over to the door and waved her hand. A portal appeared in the place of the door. "Once you walk through, preperation will start, since you never went to camp. Your fighting skills are spotless, so all we need to work on is teaching you to use your other abilities..." Melinoe continued on about getting her new weapons, or something or the other.

As Seohyeon stood up and walked through the portal, a nasty feeling formed in her stomach. It felt as if a new, horrible, unwanted chapter of her life had begun. And it would be her final chapter.