I stumbled out of the ill-suited room and moved down the hall. The lights were too bright and everything was spinning. Nothing was in focus yet and it feels like what I imagine being a new born is like. I jerked about, one foot in front of the other, shoulder to the wall. I knew I would get the hang of this eventually, but there was so much resistance.


    I looked at Anders’s office door and thought about going in. I could have slipped inside, but that wasn''t my intent. Not yet. Shambling, I slowly got control of the walking. It became easier to move with purpose


    "Stop it!" The voice whined.


    “Too late for that, I have to do this. You two left me no choice.” I said to the insistent fool in the back of my mind. I can feel his aggression creeping in the back of my mind.


    “Good, I’ll need that hatred. Please keep fueling me." I said aloud, with a voice that wasn''t mine.


    "You can’t do this!" He cried.


    “Watch me.” I sneered back.


    After a grotesque shudder, I straightened up and made my way further down the hall to the stairs leading to the cellar. I truly didn''t know how long I would be able to hold control, so this little problem of mine needed to be dealt with quickly.


    "Please stop! You don’t need to do this!" He pleaded.


    “You did this, my friend. I will not be silenced. We have work to do, or have you forgotten?” I asked. I stopped to ponder the question myself. I’d taken the back seat for too long. Things needed to be put in motion. I pushed open the door and began my slow, stalking descent. My glorious blade pulsed and shimmered and I got goosebumps.


    "He’s innocent. It doesn’t follow the rules. You have rules! You can’t just go down there and kill him!" He shouted loudly.


    “He’s already dead!" I said sarcastically. “You’re a bright guy, but sometimes you make me wonder, Chase.”


    "Turn around, we can find someone else." He was begging, so desperately clinging to the salvation that the old Rabbi had offered.


    “I’m not after blood, clearly. This is about preservation. I will not be some hushed thought in the back of your mind. I will not be silenced so that you can ignore the glorious work we have to do!” I shouted back. I could feel his anger and it was intoxicating. I opened the cellar door slowly, for dramatic effect.


    “Mr. Morgan, a pleasure to see you again.” The walking corpse chirped. His eye fell on my gorgeous blade and he looked back to me, uncertainty coming off him in waves.


    “You are not him.” He said with a lipless, sad, smile.


    “Nothing is lost on you, is it, you old prune?” My eyes were wide, filled with rage and excitement. I haven''t felt this alive in so long. I cursed Chase for having pushed me aside for so long.


    “Give him back his body dybbuk!” He raised his hand and a blast of force knocked me against the far wall of the cold room.


    "Don’t do this!" Chase was insistent, but I decided to ignore him. Combat was at hand.


    The Rabbi didn''t fear me, which was mighty unfortunate, but Chase''s terror was delicious, and I licked my lips, instinctively. I ran my free hand back through my tussled hair to get it out of my face. I wanted to see everything. I wanted to watch as this shriveled abomination got torn to pieces.


    I charged in wildly, jumping onto the table and the Rabbi fell back, only to send more waves of energy my way.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    I side-flipped out of the way and pushed off the wall. My moves were flawless as I gained full control of the body. My blade struck out and took off a few fingers. I tingled with anticipation. He drew the damned Star of David in the air and suddenly I feel like I''m on fire. It''s merely a distraction, for I am not a demon. I will not be dismissed or exorcised.


    “I won’t go away that easily.” I growled.


    The Rabbi focused on chanting in Latin instead. He began drawing on power from some ancient reservoir of knowledge. But I’m far older and stronger. And I know what Chase is capable of.


    I became a black blur, blending into the shadows. I danced across the cellar floor and along the walls. My blade shot out of the floor, like a shark fin, splitting his leg in half and throwing his rotting body to the floor. He gasps as he tries desperately to crawl away.


    I re-emerged, shuddering and drooling, like some feral monstrosity. How I wished this creature could bleed so that I might feast upon its wretched form. It had been so long since I had killed something so powerful. I climbed atop the Rabbi; this disgusting thing that shouldn’t be living.


    “You won’t silence me Rabbi. My friend and I, you see, we have great things to accomplish.” I told him, sneering.


    “You are a plague on this poor man’s life.” He said plainly. I’d never killed something that didn’t seep fear before. I was used to watching the agonizing grip of terror choke my victims as we went to vicious work on their body. Hacking off pieces slowly. Savoring every delicious death. This thing did not fear me. But Chase did.


    Chase’s fear would have to be enough.


    I drove my beautiful blade into the middle of the zombie and I dug deep, twisting and tearing. He shows no sign of being in pain. It was a pathetic waste of my power and time. I threw his lower half across the room, snarling.


    "You could at least pretend that this hurts!" I screamed.


    “I feel no pain. I only weep for the poor soul that you torment.” He said, all preachy.


    “You can’t weep either, smart ass. You have no tear ducts.” I pointed out. Sometimes, I swear I am the only thing around here that has any sense.


    He started drawing things in the air again, and I grabbed his wrist with my hand and pulled. I could feel the resistance and the satisfying tearing sound as I ripped his arm off. He started his damned chanting again, I whacked him in the mouth with his own arm. Over and over.


    "STOP! Please Tyrfing..." Chase begged. But I could feel his resolve breaking. He knew I would not stop till the threat was eliminated.


    “I’d ask for your last words Rabbi, but I’m certain you’d just mutter more shit that doesn’t make any sense.” I said as I kicked his lower jaw into his skull with a satisfying crunch. I picked him up by his head, tossing aside his ridiculous hat. I could feel the grin spread wide across my face. My blade craved blood, but I would sate it''s lust on destruction. I stabbed into the Rabbi''s body repeatedly until pieces of him just started falling off. I threw his body around the room; into bookshelves, across the tables. I broke a few bottles of wine, like christening a boat.


    “Here’s to new beginnings!” I shouted wildly. I could hear Chase crying in the back of my mind and I gagged.


    I switched my grip on the Rabbi’s head, to hold his face, and slammed him so hard into the cellar wall it cratered. His head became like dust, but his upper torso clung to the wall, like a trophy.


    “I will not be silenced!” I bellowed and it was a most primal and pure sound.


    “I could go take care of Anders right now too.” I said out loud, just for the effect. But Chase stopped responding, which made this whole thing lose it''s fun. Instead, I felt a tug and I lurched forward, and then backward. I writhed on the floor, in pain and in ecstasy as I cackled. He was fighting back, demanding control. I knew I wasn''t going to be strong enough to hold on for long. Not yet at least. We needed more tragedies for me to gather more strength. I slithered away into the darkness of Chase''s mind and back into my brilliant sword, which disappeared in a puff of red smoke.


    "Good luck explaining this one" I sneered, back in the darkness of his subconscious.


    "I hate you." He muttered. I muttered?


    It was difficult for me to rationalize where Tyrfing ended and Chase began. For many years now, we had been as one. While I was in the Canadian Armed Forces, I was utilized as a killing machine, deployed on deep cover missions. Mostly assassinations. We were efficient and deadly. But here, in the place that was once my home, where I was surrounded by people who depended on me, I was a detriment.


    If this had been Anders or Kalysta, or really, any of the others, I wouldn''t be able to live with myself. I needed to figure out how to rid myself of this curse, or find a way to rid myself of this world. Anders had promised to help me figure it out if I returned, and the poor Rabbi had done the same, utilizing some form of ancient magic to hold the sword at bay. I would have to start my research anew.


    "I''m not going anywhere, coward." It taunted.


    "I will find a way to rid myself of you. I don''t care if I have to die to do it." I shot back, standing up from the mess the sword had created. I looked over the cellar and the remains of the poor Rabbi. He had asked me to help return him to the grave when he was done teaching me. I could at least take comfort in the fact that he was resting again.


    "Whatever helps you sleep at night."