And the One After That

He let the bundle drop. It squished, leaking dark fluid onto the floor. “It’s done,” he said.

Teeth gleamed in the darkness, pale and needle-like things. “Good. Your next task is awaiting you outside.”

“My next task…?” the hunter muttered. “When will I be finished? When is this done?”

His master shifted its obscene bulk. “Do not ask questions to which you know the answers.”

“I was young when I made the bargain,” the man cried. “Please, I didn’t fully understand. I made a mistake.”

“Yet the choice was made,” the voice burbled. “Your next task is awaiting you outside.”