Above the bed, scrawled in blood she left her last words for him.

"You won't find me now!"

Walking to the bedside, he looked upon her and sighed, seeing only her beauty despite the decay. He loved her still, as he would forever. That is what she could never understand. His love was eternal.

As she would be.

Leaning down, he gently kissed her swollen lips, tasting her decaying tongue. With great care he pulled her eyelids open, revealing sunken, unfocused eyes.

"Hello, my beauty," he whispered, kissing her forehead before standing again. With slow precision he stripped away his clothing, revealing a perfect form, marred only by an odd tattoo on his shoulder.

Free of all clothing, he knelt upon the bed with her, sliding between her
flaccid thighs. Staring into her lifeless eyes, he primed himself and slowly
pushed into her, a burning spear thrust into cold meat.

"I told you that I would do anything for you," he whispered, slowly beginning to move within her while staring all the while into those listless eyes.

"And so I shall."

The bed began to move, slowly at first, as he thrust into her decaying
womanhood. Soon the aged springs were protesting and the bed was quaking with his desire as he took possession of her lifeless form again and again, her sagging breasts quivering in gelatinous tremors.

With each thrust he began a guttural chant in an arcane tongue, the feral
glow of his eyes pulsing brighter with each dark, powerful phrase.

Again and again he slammed into her, the chant growing louder and stronger until the windows rattled in reply.

At last he arrived, his member swelling and unleashing a torrent of fire into her womb as he poured himself into her with an unearthly bellow that
shattered the windows and fractured the mirrors.

Those dead, listless eyes stirred, struggled to focus. His was the face they saw, inches from theirs, eyes aglow with infernal light.

"Now, you are mine." He said in half whisper and half growl, struggling for
breath. "And now," he said, voice distant and slipping. "Now you know a
demon's love."

From the throat of the dead woman came a choked, guttural scream as the form upon hers went limp and heavy in death.

Like an invalid trying to remember how to move, she fought her body and
screamed at her limbs as they struggled to move again, slowly returning to life as the dark fire slowly pulsed through her veins. After a seeming
eternity she was able to roll to one side and push the corpse from the bed. It fell unceremoniously to the floor, arms and legs at odd angles.

As if drunk she stood and swayed, reaching for something to steady her
listing form, sending a lamp crashing to the floor in the attempt. Leaning
against a wall, her fingernails dug grooves in the wood as she drew deep,
thick breaths of air.

She looked at arms, at her wrists. The deep gauges were gone, though the dried blood remained. The purpling splotches were fading as she watched. Within moments her skin returned to its natural pale luster.

Confident in her stability now, she walked to the edge of the bed and peered down upon the fallen form there, already in the later stages of decomposition.

The edges of her lips twitched. Something was rising within her. She
giggled at first, reluctantly. Then giggled again, and soon began laughing.

"You bastard," she said through the laughter. "You pathetic Demon bastard!" She screamed with delight, tossing the soiled blankets around with glee. "I knew you'd do this," she crowed to the decaying corpse on the floor. "Didn't think I knew what you were? Thought I was that naive? Just a scared little girl with her Demon lover bemoaning his love for her?"

She laughed again as she opened a drawer, took out fresh clothing, and began to dress. She had so many plans and so much to do, now that she had all the time in the world.

"Trip Hawkins was a priest, or didn't I mention that? An Exorcist, before forming Electronic Arts. He had such wonderful books, all about demons," she said, leaning down to smirk at the tattoo. "All about you, Dan Bunten."

"Now I have your essence," she said, standing to look triumphantly into the splintered mirror, smiling at the crimson glow within her eyes. "I have eternal life, without a love-struck demon with sulfur for breath barking at my heels like a pathetic puppy."

"Kiss kiss, lover," she said, blowing a sarcastic kiss to the corpse as she
started for the door.

"Kisses for you as well, my sweet."

Whirling back, she looked at the corpse, now only a puddle of foulness upon the floor.

"What's wrong, little angel?"

She spun around again, madly looking about the room.

"Where are you," she screamed. "You can't be here! I have your Essence!"

"Ah, but I am here, my sweet. I'm here, with you."

With horror in her eyes she looked back to the mirror and held her hands to her ears, suddenly knowing where he was.

She screamed, and he laughed, as one. Her name would be forever known as Dani Bunten Berry.