resident

Again. Once again, I woke up in a cemetery with no memory of what I did last night. This is becoming dangerously frequent. I disappear for hours, returning exhausted. The worst part is that I don't remember anything. Maybe it's schizophrenia? Maybe I'm mental? Today I'll finally put an end to this, I'll find out what's happening to me. A few good DVDs, a book, loud music – that should do the trick. I won't sleep tonight, I'll endure it.

My eyes are closing on their own over the book. It's not good. I turn up the volume. I put the disc in the player. Explosions and car chases blur into one. I can't hear any dialogue at all; Hetfield's howling is bothering me. But he, too, sings softly. "Exit light. Enter night!"

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The host resisted today. I didn't manage to take possession of the body soon enough, so this time I arrived too late. The wrong has already been done; all that remains is to punish the guilty party.

The room is small and very dark, only the open door letting in some light. My long shadow stretches across the floor. Blasphemous symbols and satanic prayers are painted in blood on the walls. A naked woman lies on a bloody bed. She's dead. Her entrails are scattered all over the floor. A long-haired man stands over her. He's also naked, and his body is covered in blood. Her blood. In his hand, he holds a long, dripping knife.

The man is so fascinated by his dead victim that it takes him a moment to realize he's being watched. He spins around and lunges at me with the knife. I'm prepared, blocking his blow with my forearm and knocking the blade out of his reach. Now I have the advantage; I'm bigger and stronger. I try to grab him, and we struggle for a moment. I feel his long fingernails scratching my cheek. He's very fast... inhumanly fast! He pulls away, and a second later, I feel a powerful impact. The enemy is also very strong – after the blow, I'm thrown back several meters.

The man runs into the hallway. I struggle to get up and follow him. I'll get him! One way or another... He's one floor down, running down the stairs. I draw my pistol, lean over the railing, and empty half a magazine into him. Several bullets connect, their force flinging the killer against the stairwell window, which can't withstand the pressure. I hear a loud crack.

I run downstairs and look through the shattered glass. The man is lying in the trash can. That probably saved him, because I see him trying to move. I'll have to correct myself. Behind me, the door opens, and the residents of the building are coming out into the hallway, drawn by the gunfire. They've probably called the police. Without a second thought, I climb onto the windowsill and, without looking down, jump.

Despite the considerable height, I manage to land relatively painlessly next to the wounded man. He's already climbed out of the dumpster and is trying to crawl away. He looks completely broken, and the marks from my bullets are visible. He won't last long, but still...

Luckily, we're at the back of the building; there's no streetlight, it's pitch black. That'll save me trouble. Dozens of curious faces are glued to the windows in their safe apartments. They won't see a thing... I approach the murderer and only now do I get a chance to get a closer look. His eyes are completely black. As I suspected—the demon's victim. I kneel beside him. I hold his struggling body with one hand, and with the other, I lift him up, spreading my fingers wide. My lips form a silent prayer. I quickly lower my hand, digging my fingers, spread like claws, into my bare chest...

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The tingling in my clenched fist is increasingly bothersome. Transporting the soul of a possessed person is not the most pleasant experience. I'm in an old cemetery. I approach a tombstone with a large statue of a beautiful angel. "I am Kastor Krieg. Resident. I bring the soul of the damned." My hand burns mercilessly, and smoke begins to billow from my clenched fist. "Welcome! We've been waiting for you." The voice comes from the angel statue. The burning transforms into an uncontrollable pain. I fall to my knees. With the last of my strength, I raise my hand and throw its contents onto the tombstone. As always, there's a blinding, silent flash, but I can't see it anymore...

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What happened? Where am I? The cemetery! Again... Nooooo...