He expected blood. Frank imagined that when he opened his eyes that he would be covered in the gore of The Voice’s kill. He never believed in a God, nor did he suspect any would answer the prayers of a sinner. But in the end, he prayed for something to prevent the worst from happening. To kill him before anyone could get hurt. No one deserved to die by his hands or the hands of The Voice. Though he wanted to live for as long as possible, there was a line in the sand he would not cross.

  Yet, when he finally woke up and took control of his body. Besides standing corpses or carnage, he was alone on a beach. Looking out over the ocean as Order Militant cruisers and warships sailed in the distance. Frank checked his hands and sighed in relief that his clothes were not ripped to shreds. The Voice didn’t transform.

  ‘I walked around.’ The Voice said to Frank in a tired tone.

  ‘For how long?’

  ‘It's Sunday, Frank. Only a day. Long enough to take it all in.’

  Frank’s brow wrinkled as he tried to figure out what The Voice meant. Yet, he was worried about what The Voice did when it took control of his body. ‘What were you looking for?’

  ‘Purpose,’ The Voice replied. ‘I walked around to find what I needed to do. What I should do! Yet all I saw was the same thing. Nothing! There is nothing in this world for us anymore. It doesn’t have a use for creatures such as me or men such as you. How can it? When all the other horrors have died, how can it build something for us to inhabit?’

  ‘I’m a chemistry teacher.’

  ‘And I am a hunter, a creature of slaughter.’ The Voice argued. This time, its tone was calmer than what Frank expected. ‘But even as a teacher, do you feel your contributions were appreciated? Can you even consider that the work you put into your students is not going to waste?’

  Frank shook his head, disgusted at what it was implying. ‘I helped them realise themselves and push for something better.’

  ‘But the Order gives them the luxury and misfortune to die young. For their talents to not be actualised or recognised by a system that champions itself as the defender of humanity.’

  ‘There is hope.’

  ‘But what of us? Can you say there is hope for us?’

  Frank thought for a moment, trying to come up with an argument to challenge its point. All he could do was let out a heavy sigh and bow his head. ‘No, there isn’t.’

  ‘Well… what is the point in all of this? There is nowhere we can go. We can never leave this realm without reason. At first, I wanted to join the Order Horrifica, but they are going to be disbanded. The Order Militant always wants soldiers, but I refuse to be subjugated by high-ranking fools who only see me as a weapon and not a creature of thought. With your talents, you are only regulated with the Order Discovery. But me? I have nothing.’

  ‘Even if we have nothing, we have to find a way to live with it.’ Frank walked to the calm shores, staring down at the clearwater to find his reflection while his pants became drenched. He didn’t care; he knew The Voice would appear in front of him. The Voice deserved respect, even if it is a monster in sheep’s clothing.

  ‘We both have to survive. We can’t die like this.'

  ‘No, Frank, I don’t want to live like that. Will it be fair if I take control of us all the time?’ The shadow of a wolf merged with Frank’s reflection. ‘When you take control, my hunger grows. My teeth yearn for the flesh of my prey. Yet every second that it is denied, I become rabid. You are capable of not witnessing it or feeling it. But I am not.’

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  ‘Maybe we can open up talks again, see if we can move out. There is always a place we can go to. Heaven, Hell…’

  ‘None is acceptable.’ The Voice interrupted. ‘The Order will not allow us to go there. Even if you explain our infliction, how can you be sure that they will grant us the chance to hunt? As soon as you explain to them about my itch, they will grab that bullet and shoot you. Unlike you, I do not accept that indignity.’

  Frank frowned at it. ‘So, you plan to come out and kill?’

  ‘Yes. You can be as cowardly as you want and promote a non-violent approach. It won’t satisfy me. It has been over a hundred years since you locked me away. A hundred painful years as I allow you to take control. We agreed that I will have a moment to hunt. Instead, you delay and drink away. Pushing me away like we hadn’t come to some sort of agreement.’

  ‘It was for our own good.’

  ‘Good? There is nothing good about any of this. In truth, we have outlived everything we held dear. I am the last of my kind and you are the last human of a few centuries. Your sister might have great-great-grandchildren. But we would never know. There is nothing for us anymore, because we outlived it all. We are unnatural. We should’ve died a long time ago.’

  ‘That goes against our objective!’ Frank bitterly retorted. ‘There is nothing beyond death. It is why we stay alive!’

  ‘A coward’s remark. We both want to live to a point, but I will not deny the truth because of your fragile ego. We are monsters. There is evil in both of us. Angels and demons don’t care about our plight, and the last person we were friends with who understands our grief is long dead. Even if we make new friends, it will only be a matter of time before the pass away. In the end, we are both alone.’

  Frank shook his head. ‘No, I am not evil. I don’t murder people. Even if we are alone, we can still do the right thing.’

  ‘I am you, and you are me. We are both sides of the same coin. Right or wrong, it doesn’t deny our nature. You are a man of science, and I am the beast that kept us alive. However, I doubt you will see my point of view in a nuanced light.’ The Voice sighed, allowing Frank to let it all in. ‘So, I will give you a choice. I can take control, full control. Or you find a place for me to satisfy my hunger.’

  ‘It isn’t much of a choice.’ Frank pointed out.

  ‘It is a choice to find a way to keep us alive, or for me to take matters into my own hands.’

  ‘They will beat you.’

  The reflection of The Voice disappeared before Frank’s eyes. ‘No, Frank. They will kill us, but I know they only have one bullet meant for us. It will take them a while before they can eventually stop me and put us down. You should know this as well.’

  ‘How long do I have? Tomorrow? A week from now?’

  ‘A year, Frank. Let’s not ignore what is happening to us both. We are unsatisfied with the life we have. Nothing good can come from it if we continue. Disagree with me all you want, but don’t lie to me and say that there is something better. I know you, Frank. But I want to give you time to accept it, it is why you deserve a year. To say goodbye and accept that it is time to go.’

  He paused, understanding the gravity of the situation and what he might have to do. 'A year? I can work with that.'