The Daemon’s Eyes

SOME YEARS AGO...

A FARMLAND AT THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE WORLD POWER, DURINDO.

2012.

"Mother!", fifteen year old Richard was running all the way from their little farm nearby, "what's going on?". In a fit to catch his breathe.

A tear drop rolled down her cheeks. "We couldn't pay our dues...", She wiped the tear drop forcing a smile. "We built our little home on someone else's land.."

There was a bulldozer beside their house taking a swing. In just a few seconds, all that lay before them was rubble....

He couldn't help but cry alongside his mother, it had taken them years to build that wooden house!. Unconsciously tightening his fists, Richard was determined not to let them get away with this.

"I'm just happy Sir Donatelli let us live here for a while..", it was obviously a lie. The tears now flow down freely.

Running towards the bulldozer. "Hey!", He tried to hold back the tears. "You can't just do that!"

"Richard!", His mother called out.

The driver looked out the window, down to him. "What was that?", Arching a brow while pouring some spit out.

"You can't just destroy people's home like that!... We were going to pay fully by the end of this week!"

"Too bad", he mocked. "You can just rebuild". He laughed but was cut short as a stone broke through his front screen, missing him by merely an inch.

"Why you!", The huge machine turned and took a hefty swing towards him.

Everything happened in a flash....

His mother had pushed him out of the way and way now lying lifeless on the floor. Blood splattered about...

"Mother!", He cried out screaming as he held her lifeless hand.

The driver laughed mockingly again. "You're next, twerp!"

The huge ball was swung once more. He managed to lie flat quickly. Once it was past him, he kept running, his vision blurred from tears...

It wasn't long... Before he was hit as the machine kept following him...

'I can't die!... I can't!!', he told himself between tears, he could feel all his senses going numb as his eyes went blur... Like he'd been fading...

He was dead. Blood splattered on the ground.

Or so it seemed...

"What do you desire?... Power..?"

The voice was thick and demanding. Nothing could be seen in the surrounding darkness... It was but a mere hokum...

Like a dream, his body was numb. "Was this heaven?"

No... it was too black to be.

Hell maybe?

"Power...", The words escaped his lips before he could grasp what he'd been saying.

A mischievous grin formed at the lips of the creature in the darkness, hidden to the eyes of Richard.

The deep voice of the creature laughed a bit. "You humans really are vile creatures. But I shall give you", a huge hand descended slowly from above. "You need only touch their palm". A humongous hand was now falling fast from above till he was crushed. "However you want them to die, you shall whisper after that"

The dream was over.

"Hhhh!", he took a deep breathe, quickly sitting up from the hospital bed. The room seemed empty.

It wasn't long before a nurse had run in calling out for the doctors...

"What happened?", He asked perplexed, noticing the shocked expression on their faces.

One of the doctors approached him, slowly kneeling beside the bed. "My boy. A miracle.." "I don't understand.."

"How does a heart stop beating but the person keeps breathing?"

The nurse from before walked up from behind. "You have been dead for three hours now ..."

Durindo,

14th March, 2027.

FIFTEEN YEARS LATER....

It was a bit past dusk in the great city of Durindo. The sun light shone through the emerald windows of the grand mansion, Marinette.

Richard peep had named it after his departed mother, Marinette Peep.

He was now thirty with brown eyes and matching brown hair. For the past ten years, he'd worked tirelessly on building his status and standing in the country. He was ranked number seven amongst the rich in Fredo, an enormous nation in the North often called a world power.

Also ranked number two for most eligible bachelors, although, he had no interest whatsoever in the affairs of women.

To him, they were just means to pleasure or recreation.

For the past decade, he'd been driven by the urge for revenge. The name of his foe was always at the tip of his tongue. Donatelli Franchester, a wealthy old fool who was ranked number two in Fredo.

But most importantly, the one he blamed completely for the death of his mother.

He'd never even known his father since his mother had gotten pregnant through rape. He never even wished to know...

He'd climbed through the ranks so he could easily shake hands with his enemies on occasions without being suspected. During the years, he'd also through experience, learnt some rules which governed his strange power.

He referred to them as the commandments and made sure to write down all his findings.

Last night had been the grand opening of the Durindo's new museum. And, he'd shook the hand of quite a handful of people, making sure to reshake that of his target.

The first commandment, "The latter handshake renders the former void"

He'd also had to wait till around midnight to Kill the man Joe hugworth, who'd trafficked poor children for money. It was a test run he'd performed to see if he could uncover more secrets about this ability. And who best to use apart from the scum of society?

Commandment number two was that he could shake as many people as the number of fingers on his right hand could count, "five people". If he was to add a sixth person, the first person he shook would be cancelled out.

At the moment, he had three people.

Commandment number three was that there was no time limit to this actions, he just had to say the name and clap his hands together.

It was wise to make deaths seem natural and not just a day after meeting the individual.

The forth of these commandments was the most appealing to him. If another person was to shake a marked person, the mark would not be transferred.

Richard closed his book before rising up from his bed.

It had nearly become a habit of his to read through the book anytime he wrote down something new. Although, he knew well how the discovery of the book could implicate him in future. Walking towards the door, he knocked on the wall beside it thrice.

Slowly, a small compartment opened. He'd made sure to kill the man who'd helped design it.

"Poor guy".

He'd done a background check before time and found out he helped build secret passages for the wealthy. Hamilton Davidson. He did have a family, just a daughter, but Richard couldn't care less.

He wasn't heartless, at least other than literally. Since the day he'd awoken in that hospital, his heart had never given a beat again. But, he was ready to waste the life of another as long as he could accomplish his goals.

Slowly opening the door, he walked out down to the dinning area. The chef, had already whipped up something which was covered up.... It had a delicious aroma about it.

Tobi Johnson was an African-American who'd spent his youth travelling around the world sharpening his culinary skills. Now he was about forty-two.

After the lovely meal, it was time to head to work. He surely didn't make his fortune sitting around all day.

He actually had two jobs, one more like a hobby. When he wasn't a CEO, he was....

Quickly dodging an over speeding car, he'd had to park by, realizing he'd just seen his life flash before his eyes.

"I give Roger a day off for the first time in two years, and nearly get killed!?", He laughed at himself. Roger Andrews was his trusty driver. A dark skinned man who also served as his bodyguard. He was just a few years older than him and they'd met once while he was on a case.

The engine roared to life once more and before long, he was at his hobby building...

Stepping out then heading towards the entrance. There was a man who's face was known in Durindo. Brown skinned, dark eyes and hair....

"Kendrick Matthews", he stretched a hand out for Richard.

He took it.

"I was just in town and decided to drop by...."

The sixth commandment clearly established the fact that the name of the person being killed would have to be uttered before they could be killed. A little smirk formed at his lips. It was easy to get handshakes these days.......