🖤😈THE
SUCCUBUS😈🖤
( Demons Amongst Humans )
THEME: Beautiful Nightmare 🔞
By, Precious Pinky
🦋
THIS STORY IS NOT TO BE GHOSTED, ABEG.
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CHAPTER 41❣42
~★••••••★~
{ KILL YOURSELF }
Mr.Brown was going through paperwork when he heard the sound of the door opening and closing. He heaved out a deep breath, lifting his gaze to the door, and instantly a deep frown clouded his face when he saw his dear wife advancing towards him.
“Honey,” He called out, putting the paperwork he had been working on aside and giving all of his attention to her. “What are you doing here?”
She shrugged her shoulders, dropping her luxurious handbag on the black-polished desk and pulling a chair out for herself. “I stopped by to check up on you. You don’t mind, right?”
He shook his head. “Of course not. It is… a pleasant and exciting surprise, believe me.”
“That’s good to hear then.” She forced a smile to her face, plopping her elbow on the desk and then cupping her forehead, looking a little bit unhappy and gloomy.
Mr.Brown observed her for a moment before asking, “Is anything the matter? You spoke with Mrs.Chester, right? What did she say?”
“A… lot.” Technically, the principal said nothing and she was the one who did most of the talking – or more like, ordering. And all Mrs.Chester did was to listen attentively without letting a single word out. However, amidst her silence, Mrs.Brown heard a lot from her. Although, she is not a mind reader but she clearly knows how to read people’s body language and quietness.
She had accused Beverly of pushing her daughter off the rooftop and funny enough, Mrs.Chester didn’t deny or even defend her child. It was as if it was the truth and that Beverly truly pushed Esmeralda to her death. But why? Why would a student choose to kill her own fellow student?
Mrs.Brown massaged her temple, releasing a harsh breath from her nostrils and mouth, momentarily shutting her eyes.
“What did she say?” Her husband asked, slowly rising from his chair and rounding the desk to kneel beside her. “Did Esmeralda actually try to… kill herself?”
“No.” She shook her head, opening her eyes and staring deeply into his. “Our daughter would never do that. Don’t you trust her?”
“Of course, I do. But your silence and awkwardness are making me think otherwise. It scares me.” He said.
“I’m sorry.” She apologized, reaching out to hold his hands. “That’s not my intention, I swear.”
“I know. So tell me, what’s going on?” He demanded, squeezing her hand gently.
Mrs.Brown hesitated for what felt like forever before letting out all of her emotions and anger. “Beverly is the culprit.”
“Beverly?” Mr.Brown repeated, pinching his brows together as he processed the name in his head and then it hit him. “Isn’t that the name of Mrs.Chester’s daughter? The girl who Carmen said bullied Esmeralda?”
“She is the one.” The woman nodded her head in agreement, anger gleaming in her eyes. “The little demon attempted to murder my precious daughter and that evil principal that I picked up from the gutters and gave a better life tried to cover it up and accused my daughter of committing suicide. The dog I feed has suddenly decided to bite me overnight.”
“I can’t believe this,” Mr.Brown muttered. He wasn’t implying that his wife was lying but the thought of all these being true was what he couldn’t believe. How can a chicken grow wings and think it can fly higher than the bird? “How sure are you on this? Did they confess?”
“They didn’t. But her eyes gave her away. While I spoke to her, I made it seem like Esmeralda remembered what happened and that Beverly was the one who pushed her… she didn’t deny it. She couldn’t deny it…” She sniffled, lowering her gaze while she cried silently. “I feel guilty, you know?”
“Why?” He asked in a soft voice, squeezing her hands once again to show her support and comfort. It was his own way of telling her that she wasn’t alone and he was there for her.
“If only I didn’t help Mrs.Chester and her family. If only I didn’t plead to you on her husband’s behalf. If only I wasn’t so nice and goody-good-shoes. If only I had left her to her poverty-stinking life. Maybe, just maybe, she wouldn’t have had the canines to bite me.” She muttered under her breath. “My daughter almost paid the price of my nosy attitude and kindness with her life. If not for God, I would have lost my precious daughter. What would have become of me that way, huh? How would I have been able to live with myself knowing fully well that my daughter died because of me?”
“Stop it.” Mr.Brown scolded, cupping her chin and lifting her head so that her gaze would meet his. “First off, Esmeralda is not dead. She is very much alive. Secondly, it is not bad to do good. It pays to be kind, my love.”
“Really? Because that doesn’t seem like the case to me.” She argued.
“Mrs.Chester and her family are the ungrateful ones here. They repaid our kindness with evil and that has nothing to do with us. It is not our fault. They are just stupid, wicked, and ingrates. Do you want to tell me that everyone you’ve helped paid you with evil?”
Mrs.Brown quietly shook her head, sniffling again while looking into her husband’s brown and chocolate-like orbs. Esmeralda took the color of her father’s eyes while the twins took hers. Speaking of eye color… okay, now is not the right time to think about that.
“I’m going to make them pay for everything, My love. A dog that thinks he can bite the hand that feeds him will end up losing his home. And a chicken that thinks he can fly higher than the birds will end up crashing to the floor. I’ve got this, okay? I will take care of Mr.Chester. I will take back all that belongs to me from him, I promise you that.” He avowed.
“You have to, honey.” She told him. “I don’t care whether it’s mean, all I want is for them to pay for what they did. They encouraged their daughter to hurt mine and I swear I will return the energy to them.”
“Hmm. Esmeralda has to be careful, though. If that girl could push her off the rooftop to her death, what makes us think that she wouldn’t do it again and this time around, succeed?” Mr.Brown raised a questioning brow.
Mrs.Brown’s lips formed a small smile as she answered. “Esmeralda had changed. She is not the naive and wallflower girl we used to know, honey. She won’t let them hurt her again. I can assure you that. Moreover, Mrs.Chester will do anything to protect Esme… even if it means abandoning her child, she will. After all, her school is the first thing that matters to her before anything else. It is her strength and at the same time her weakness.” Mr.Brown wiped off the tears from her cheeks, attentively listening to her. “And guess what? I used her weakness against her. She will do anything not to lose her beloved school.” She smirked.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Mrs. Chester stared at her blankly, slightly raising her brow. “You are going to fight back? Isn’t that what you said?”
“Well, it’s a good thing you heard me clearly.” Beverly fired back, getting out of bed.
“You are joking, right?”
“Joking?” She repeated with a scoff. “Should I be joking at this point, mother? We are having a serious conversation so why should I be joking?”
“Because I didn’t expect such a ridiculous reply from you!” The woman snapped, rising to her feet. “Do you know what it means to be an enemy of the Browns family?”
“The Browns. The Browns. The Browns!” Disgust and Hatred dripped from every word she spat out. The h@të she had for the family, especially Esmeralda, was nothing compared to how much she h@tëd the devil. “What’s so special about them, huh? They are rich… so? Aren’t we rich also?”
“You don’t get it, do you?” Mrs. Chester released a deep breath, running the tip of her tongue over her lips. “Without them, we are nothing. We owe these people more than you can ever imagine.”
“We owed them.” Beverly corrected. “Didn’t you pay back their kindness by giving Esmeralda a scholarship? What other repayment do they need from us? What?”
“You don’t get it.” Mrs. Chester shook her head, giving her daughter a disappointed look. “With what they’ve done for us, a scholarship can’t be used as a repayment, Beverly. Listen, if I knew that Esmeralda was Mr. & Mrs.Brown’s daughter, I wouldn’t have let you anywhere near her.”
Honestly, if Esmeralda hadn’t hidden her identity from everyone in school, she would have been a best friend to Beverly. But because of the stupid game she was playing, she fooled everyone and made a mockery of Beverly. Nobody is to be blamed for what happened except Esmeralda for deceiving everybody and pretending to be a pauper that she was clearly not.
“I can’t believe you would do this to me, mother.” Beverly spoke up in a quiet voice.
“Do what?” Mrs.Chester questioned, seeming genuinely confused.
“Do this.” The girl yelled, fresh tears rolling down her face. “You would abandon me for your d@mn school. Who Füçking does that to their own child?”
“Abandon you?” Her mother reiterated and started laughing as if she had just said the most funny joke ever. “We are in this mess now because of you. I am on the verge of losing all that I’ve worked hard for because of you. What? I’m abandoning you? Do you know what I’ve done to clean up the mess you always create? Do you know what I did to try to cover up for your crimes? And you stand there and say I’m abandoning you.” She sighed. “I can’t believe you will say this either.”
“You told me to stand still and let Esmeralda take her revenge on me. What kind of a mother tells her daughter that?”
“A mother who is trying to protect her daughter’s future.” Mrs.Chester let out in annoyance. “You think I’m doing all this for myself? I guess that’s what you think and that’s exactly why you are acting this way.” She paused, taking a step closer to Beverly. “Without the Brown, the luxury that we live in today wouldn’t be there. This school, your father’s company, the wealth, everything… it’s all thanks to them. So you better do as I say or else, you will regret it.” The woman advanced to the door and reached out to the doorknob when Beverly spoke from behind, bringing her action to a halt.
“I don’t care. As I’ve said, I will fight back. I won’t let Esmeralda make a ridicule of me. I won’t let her have the last laugh. I will kill her, mother. And this time around, I will do it right.”
“Good luck, then. But do anything stupid to make me lose my school and I swear I will forget that you are my only child.” With that said, she stormed out of the clinic.
It was uncomfortably silent. Beverly stared at the closed door, clenching and unclenching her fist while breathing heavily from agitation and frustration.
She was completely pissed off at everything and everyone. Her plans were backfiring on her and her world was turning upside down. She felt dejected, helpless, hopeless, and lost. And frankly, she detested the feelings.
The door opened, grabbing her attention, and her friends including her boyfriend, walked in. They were all staring at her worriedly.
“Bevs, are you okay?” Ivy asked, eyeing her closely.
“Do I look okay?” She screamed. “My world is falling apart, can’t you see it? Nothing is making sense anymore. I am losing my mind. I am losing everything.” She cried out.
“Babe,” Brent called out, closing the distance between both of them and wrapping his arms around her body. “I’m sorry you are feeling that way…”
“Your apology won’t fix anything.” She growled, pushing him away from herself. “I need a plan to get rid of Esmeralda once and for all.”
“Are you kidding?” Clara blurted out before she could stop herself. All eyes settled on her. She could see the surprise and perplexity that glinted in their eyes. They never expected such a reply from her. She swallowed the lump in her throat and went on talking, ignoring their hard and suffocating glare. “Esmeralda is alive. Do you know what that means for us? How can you ask us to think of a plan to deal with her when we are in a whole lot of trouble already?”
“Esmeralda wants revenge.” Beverly broke the news to them, seeing the fear that flashed in their eyes. “She is back for me, for you, for us. Are you not going to do anything about it?”
“Wait a minute,” Brent hesitated. “Who do you say wants revenge?”
“ESMERALDA!!” She shrieked, knocking down the medicines and ointments on the table beside the clinic bed to the floor. “And guess what? My mother, the principal of this school, is on that wallflower Bîtch’s side.”
“Esmeralda wants revenge.” Kevin jeered. “That Bîtch is weak. What can she possibly do to the seven of us, huh?”
“Are you stupid?” Beverly shot at him. “Didn’t you notice the changes in her or are you daft?”
“Excuse me?”
“You are not excused.” She stated. “Esmeralda is not the weak, introverted, shy, annoying, gentle, and wallflower girl we used to know. Or am I the only one who picked up that fact?”
“I noticed it as well.” Clara nodded in agreement. “The aura surrounding her was so dark and scary. She looked totally different. Even her fashion sense and choice of words. For the first time since I knew her, I saw no fear in her eyes neither did I hear a stutter in her voice. She’s not the Esmeralda we knew before… clearly.”
“Ah, thank God there’s a smart-@$$ around here.” Beverly cupped her forehead, frustration and tiredness wearing her off. “We should think of a plan. Only God knows what she has in mind against us now.”
“Do you think she wants to push us off the rooftop like we did to her?” Dave pondered, looking between all of their faces.
“We?” A voice asked, bringing their attention to herself. It was Ava. She stood close to the door, staring at them pointedly. “You make it sound like we all pushed her together, Dave.”
Beverly narrowed her eyes, pinching her brows together. “What are you trying to say?”
“Exactly what you are thinking, Beverly.” She said, fearlessly. “You pushed Esmeralda. Not me. Or any of us here. Why should we take the fall along with you?”
“Huh?” Beverly tilted her head to the side, eyeing the girl who dared to challenge her.
“If it was one of us that is in this mess, Beverly. Would you support us?” Ava queried.
“Are you questioning me, Ava?” She ÇOçked a brow, approaching the girl. “Are you trying to test my loyalty?”
“I need to know what you would do if I was the one in this situation. Would you support me like you are expecting from us now or abandon me?” She asked.
“You have no right to question my loyalty, Ava! Ever since you joined our little group, everything went south for us. You are a bad luck. And I wish I never recruited you.”
“I wish the same too. Because of all of you, I can barely sleep well at night. The thought of what you did kept replaying in my head and honestly, I’m glad that Esmeralda is alive. Finally, I can sleep well at night.”
“Sleep well?” Beverly laughed, shaking her head. “You fool. Do you think you are excluded from the list of her targets?”
Ava’s face dropped immediately. Beverly is right, she’s not excluded from Esmeralda’s revenge list. She is just as guilty as everyone else in the room.
“Ah, you must have thought that.” Ivy chuckled.
“So stupid.” Kevin and Dave added.
Brent walked closer to them and stopped behind his girlfriend, sizing the little traitor with his eyes. “You’ve always been a backstabber, you know?” He smiled, tilting his head to the side. “You betrayed your friend… for what? You wanted to belong, that’s why.”
“You all made me betray my friend. You_”
“I didn’t hold you at gunpoint, did I?” Beverly asked, cutting her off. “I gave you an option and you made your choice so don’t blame me for the choices you made for yourself.”
‘She’s right.’ Ava thought to herself, lowering her gaze to the floor.
“Henceforth, you are not one of us. Get out of here, Ava.” Brent ordered angrily.
“I…”
“Leave!” They all barked, glaring hard at her.
“Go to hell. All of you!!” She yelled and dashed out of the room, slamming the door, very hard, behind her.
As soon as she was out of sight, Beverly turned to the others and asked. “Is there anyone else who wants to test my loyalty and leave the group?”
They exchanged glances between each other and shook their heads at the same time.
“We are all in this together, Bevs. Even if we leave today, that doesn’t mean we are out of Esmeralda’s revenge target list.” Ivy said.
“You are not alone,” Brent reassured her, pressing his lips on her forehead.
“Good.” She smiled. “Now, let’s get to work.”
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Ava walked the distance from the clinic to her locker, her mind preoccupied with everything happening around her. Why did she betray her best friend just so she could belong? She betrayed her friend because she wants to be a part of Beverly’s group. A stupid choice she regrets making.
The girl sucked in a deep breath, leaning against the wall while staring at the ceiling. Other students were in their various classes but as for me, she couldn’t even concentrate on anything. Her world is falling apart and she has no one to blame but herself.
Esmeralda wanted revenge on those that have hurt her and just as Beverly had said, she was excluded from the list. She was as guilty as the rest of the group. Füçk! The one day she joined the group, indeed, everything went south. Could she really be a bad luck?
Ava shook her head, wiping off the tears that streamed down her face. No, now wasn’t the time for her to cry. She has to do something… somehow. But what?
The bell rang and students started walking out of their classes, filling the once-silent hall with chattering, laughter, and annoying noises.
Ava looked around and immediately sighted Esmeralda, heading in the opposite direction. The direction led to the rooftop if she wasn’t mistaken.
‘Maybe I should beg for mercy. I’m sure Esmeralda would listen to me. She is nice… right?’ Ava steadied herself and rushed after Esmeralda, pushing everyone out of her way.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
“My… my princess, what are you saying?” Hermes stammered, blinking his eyes repeatedly while taking an uncertain step back.
Esmeralda shook her head. “I’m not your princess. I’m a human from the other world. My name is…” She shook her head when her voice trailed off. “I can’t say my name no matter how hard I try… I can’t.”
The guard eyed her from head to toe, searching her face with his eyes. He could hear the sincerity in her voice but it made absolutely no sense. A human in the body of their demon princess and the underworld? Have they heard anything like that in history? Definitely not!
“Is this a test?” He blurted out before he could stop himself, swallowing a huge lump in his throat. “Are you saying all this to know whether I’m competent enough to assist you? Is that it, my princess?”
He doesn’t believe her and to be honest, Esmeralda didn’t blame him neither was she surprised. Anyone in his shoes would be skeptical about something as ridiculous as this. A human in a world full of fairytales was impossible to believe. She barely has her head wrapped around her new reality.
But it was the truth. She was a human or somehow found herself in this world. How? She doesn’t know. Why? She still doesn’t know.
“This is not a test, Hermes.” She told him, taking a step closer. “You have to believe me.”
“Why should I believe this shenanigans!?” He growled, backing away from her. “A human can’t survive in this world talk more of surviving in the body of the demon princess! Besides, if you’re claiming to be a human inhabiting this body, where is the original soul of the body then? Where is the princess?” He asked.
Wait, she hasn’t thought of this yet. If she was really in this body, where is the owner of the body then? And who is operating her body back in the human world? Is there a possibility that the owner of this body – the heartless princess Lilith – was living in her own body in the human world?
Esmeralda shook her head in denial and disapproval, mentally scolding herself for even thinking about something as stupid as this.
“I…don’t know.” She answered truthfully.
“You see? There is no way this makes sense. You can’t be a human. You_”
“If you don’t believe me, why then are you speaking so rudely to me right now?” She asked, cutting him off.
Hermes’s words got stuck in his throat as he looked into her brown orbs, breathing heavily.
“A part of you believe me, right?” She asked.
“If you told me that you’re a witch, maybe I would have believed you. But claiming to be a human?” He shook his head. “I can’t. A human has never survived in the history of the underworld.”
“But that doesn’t mean it can’t happen.” She challenged.
“Why are you telling me this now?” He asked in a soft tone.
She slightly shrugged her shoulders. “Because I trust you?” That sounded more like a question than a statement.
“You shouldn’t…” He dashed out of the room afterward, saying nothing more to her.
Esmeralda was left alone in the dark room to battle with her thoughts. Did she make a mistake in confiding in Hermes? Will he report her to the king and queen? Oh, no. She hopes this decision of hers doesn’t turn out bad for her.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Lilith released a deep breath as she stepped out of the open, staring up at the bright blue sky while approaching the barrier of the rooftop.
Human lectures are exhausting and boring. She barely understood all they taught them in there and it took everything within her not to flare up and kill the d@mn teachers annoying the living daylight out of her.
She wasn’t here to get high grades or Sh|t. She was here for something else. Something more interesting and… different.
Lilith smirked as she thought of ways to hurt those humans who bullied and attempted to kill Esmeralda. Somehow, she on the other hand was connected to it. She doesn’t know how but she was going to figure it all out.
“Esme?” Ava called out from behind. “Can we talk?”
Lilith slowly turned around to face the girl, lifting a single brow in a condescending and questioning manner. “I recognize you. Ava, right?”
“Yes. That’s me. Can we, uh, talk?”
“Aren’t we already talking?”
“Uh, yeah. So, uhm, I, I,” She suddenly knelt in front of Lilith. “I’m sorry for what I did. Please have mercy on me. I beg of you.”
“Why are you begging?”
“I hurt you alongside Beverly and her cohorts. I’m deeply sorry. I heard you want to take your revenge on all of us but please don’t include me.” She begged, tears rolling down her face.
“You want me to forgive you, right?”
She bobbed her head up and down frantically.
“Alright. I will forgive you. But on one condition,”
“Name it. I’m ready to do anything, I swear.”
“Anything?”
“Yes, anything. Just say it.” She said, coming up to her feet whilst smiling. “I know you will forgive me. You’re so kind.”
“Kind…” Lilith repeated, a smirk playing at the side of her lips. “Kill yourself.”
The girl’s eyes popped open. “I…I should kill my…myself?”
“Jump off this rooftop, Ava. That’s the only way I can forgive you and don’t forget, you’ve promised to do anything to earn my forgiveness.”
Ava will be her starting point for vengeance. Oh, this is going to be so interesting…..
TBC…✍
