The Collector

She had been eyeing that attic for quite some time now. Afraid to approach it. She was trained to flight situations like these throughout her life. Though currently, she is helpless. Whatever lies inside that cabin can't be as dangerous as the man-eating tiger on the loose. According to the locals, the man-eater has claimed three lives in past two weeks.

The attic is flawlessly camouflaged in this dense forest. There hasn't been any movement to suggest its occupation. Though, there are some footmarks to put her in a dilemma. She learnt long back how to differentiate between paw-prints and that of a giant man. 

It's been an hour. She has to approach. Out here, she is a sitting duck. Every minute decreases her survival chances significantly. 

A gentle thud on the door makes her recede herself. The door was drenched. Surprisingly it has been raining since morning. Pretty unusual, she wonders. She gathers herself and makes a valiant effort to knock with more spirit. A loud one this time. The entrance is locked from the inside. She doesn't hear anything, no movement. Seconds are passing by rapidly, and her anxiety is at its peak. She decides to wander around and look for a way in. Any sort-of passage to safety would help. The door squeaks open with a rusty clangour. Standing in front of her is a human-like creature.

With hair longer than hers, gnarly fingers and skin which hasn't felt the whiff of soap in months, the man stood at around 7 ft tall. His eyes were blood-shot red, probably from drinking. No words just huffing so far.

"Hello Sir, I am from the nearby Cavana point. I overslept today and missed my tour bus for the day. Nobody seemed to notice that I wasn't on board though that happens to me a lot. Anyway, I wasn't feeling comfortable staying there all alone since the guide informed us about the man-eating tiger which is on the loose and has killed three people so far. I saw some paw-prints around my stay and wanted to get away", she waited for a response but it never came. Now his eyes were scanning the background, still huffing.

At last, he grunted & bobbed to her to come in. Never get in a car with a stranger, she recalls her learning. How things change! when your survival instincts are working overtime. The man shuts the exit behind her tightly. Suggested her to the chair. Only one chair, just as she had expected. She sniffs. This place was reeking of alcohol though she was sensing something distinct. To her surprise, the attic was pretty neat and well organised. The man and his attic were poles apart. How can he not take care of himself but put in a considerable effort to clean up his living, she wondered. 

"My name is Alice, my bad, I forgot to introduce myself", she said smilingly to lighten the thick awkwardness which was lingering between them.

"Hmm", grunted the giant. Maybe he lost his vocal cords or he might be living alone for so long that he forgot to speak the human tongue. But was that even possible? she questioned her thoughts. 

"I will leave in a few hours. Just as soon as my group is back", she said while untangling her fingers. 

"No, you won't", said the man with a straight face. Not something which she wanted to hear. "Excuse me?" uttered Alice nervously. Had she made a mistake by knocking on this man's door? He is far from a normal person. Who lives isolated in the middle of nowhere anyway? Was this the moment for her to make a run for her life? Her mind started calculating every conceivable scenario but that particular scent. She has to stay.

"You said it yourself, there's a man-eater out there. And it will be dark by the time your group comes back. You would only be calling dead if you step foot outside at night", the man said while turning to boil some tea leaves.

"And anyway, there's a far greater threat out there than a man-eater", said the man with a horrid look. "A bigger threat than a man-eater?" asked Alice, visibly confused.

"The people who died out there were not annihilated by a man-eater, they were mere baits. Someone used them to lure the creature. And when it didn't turn up, the devil made it look like they were attacked by a tiger. But I know it wasn't possible. The man-eater couldn't be responsible for that", said the man stirring his tea. "How come you know that?" questioned Alice, leaning forward with genuine curiosity in her voice.

"Haha, I can't tell you that little girl. You know what! you made quite a risky venture leaving your checkpoint knowing well that there's a man-eater out there in the open. Brave but stupid. Alice, this is no Wonderland", voiced the man bursting into laughter.

"You are a Collector, aren't you?" asked Alice, now almost standing up. "How did you know?" asked the baffled man cutting his laughing spree. 

"There are drag marks in front of your cabin. You bring them here & preserve their skin, right? The scent of a man-eater is so unique! Right now, I am smelling a freshly carved one. Maybe that's why you're so sure those deads were doing of a human and not of a tiger", Alice said without blinking.

"Ah! so you are not just a frightened little girl after all! I did wonder. How did you figure out all that? Just through the smell? Anyway, I was, relishing your company. It has been quite a while since I had a visitor", smirked the man.

Blood started splashing all over the place. The dagger was hurled with lethal velocity and pinpoint accuracy. It plunged itself right at the centre neck. Pulling it out only meant one thing, a quicker end. 

"Whooo are yo..?" gasped the man. Both hands on the hilt of the dagger, afraid to drag it out. His eyes were now as red as a pool of blood. About to pop out. He knew he was slowly bleeding to death, drowning in his own blood. 

"I am a Collector myself. Though I enjoyed what you called me earlier, I am the devil", smiled Alice.