ã€ŠThe Demons Within (Female Yandere POV)ã€‹


 C0 - Prologue

    Rain had always been her favourite weather; the melodic pitter patter a soothing sound which was always welcome to hear.

    Perhaps, the girl would have gone on thinking this until she eventually bumped into a bad experience with the damp, cold and forceful weather; a small schoolgirl shivering outside her house¡¯s front door, inwardly cursing at herself for forgetting the pair of keys that suddenly held so much value.

    But unfortunately, such an unpleasant experience never came to pass.

    Loosely staring towards the deep navy sky, a torrent of clear drops clashed against her skin, blurred vision ensuring that all they saw was but a mishmash of dark colours detailed by an uneven covering of crimson.

    The freezing intent of the storm never reached its target, for all they could feel was the blazing heat that enveloped their body, spreading from their forehead down to their hands and feet.

    She had never felt such a sensation.

    The rain did nothing to soothe the avalanche of pain assaulting the girl.

    <hr>

    ¡°..... .... .... Child? Are you listening?¡±

    A scratchy voice erupted from beside the girl, who up until this point had been locked in a fierce staring battle against something in the corner of the room.

    ¡°This must be all quite confusing and scary for you right now; however I¡¯m going to need your undivided attention, ok?¡±

    The doctor, covered in a white gown, took a quick look at the clock before grimacing: ten minutes had passed without any sign of even a response to their words.

    Soon he¡¯d have to leave her. Making no progress bugged him somewhat.

    Listlessly sitting upon a small white hospital bed, vermillion locks cascaded down Chloe¡¯s figure, hiding her injures from his line of sight.

    Two hands quivered under the gaze of another, some red still covering her frail fingers, signs of an accident of some sort still present.

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    Bandages covered the small figure, mostly concentrated upon her forehead, obscuring the young girl¡¯s left eye.

    Her remaining eye had been steadfast throughout the doctor¡¯s rumblings, never leaving the corner of the room for even the smallest millisecond, her dry lips firmly pressed into a thin, seemingly petrified, line.

    The doctor followed her gaze, looking towards an empty corner in the room, revealing a puzzled expression.

    Something silently sat, crouched down, in the corner of the white room. Its fuzzy black body looking starkly out of place.

    ¡°A bad feeling... Something came out of the body... It¡¯s looking at me.¡± She trembled, her body staring to shake more erratically each and every second longer that her gaze fell upon it¡¯s expression.

    The figure had no mouth, but she could see its contorted expression.

    A venomous grin spanned from each of its obsidian eyes that seemed to dig into the girl and make her vision spin.

    Its body seemed to be appearing in some places, and disappearing in others, looking almost like a static tv screen, fading in and out of reality at whim.

    Sensing that the figure was about to talk, the girl pre-emptively but both hands upon her ears, beads of tears threatening to spill from her orange orbs.

    ¡°Wh..y are y..ou ta.lk..ing to... hi..m?¡± The figure screeched, a loud bellow erupting from the figure as it slowly crawled over to the small girl, followed by a few timely giggles.

    By this time, the words of the doctor that had been sitting before the girl were once again no longer audible.

    Only her whispers, which were gradually increasing in volume, were left alongside the grainy voice that slowly approached.

    ¡°Leave me alone! Leave me alone! Leave me alone!¡± she repeatedly pleaded, tears leaking down her face as she scrambled to the edge of the bed, her fists gripping the white sheets below her as she felt the dreaded wall behind her.

    Actions becoming more desperate, she attempted to throw her bed cover towards the fuzzy black figure, before stopping at the last moment.

    A new figure had appeared where the other had just been.

    ¡°Ch..lo?¡± the screeching voice spat out; its tone filled with mock concern.

    The figure¡¯s voice had changed.

    It was the figure of her father. One she¡¯d thought she would never see again.

    Grip loosening on the sheets within her grasp, a small little voice croaked out, tears beginning to well from within two small orange orbs.

    ¡°Dad?¡±

    The figure halted, examining its new body, before once again hobbling into action.

    Quickly getting within arm¡¯s reach of the small figure, a black hand tightly grasped her wrist.

    The tip grip felt as if thousands of tiny metal needles were piercing into the small girl¡¯s hand, tears now freely flooding from her orbs as both figures locked eyes.

    A black abyss greeted her as she searched in its eyes.

    Another second passed before the small child fell back onto the bedsheets in front of her, consciousness lost and in a deep sleep.

    The doctor who had watched the series of events unfold, was unable to see the figure approaching Chloe and was furiously scribbling on his device.

    Mentally unstable after accident-Requires emotional therapy.

 C1 - Dusk

    Erupting from her slumber, an unfamiliar white ceiling greeted the young girl who was slick with sweat; clearly flagging the presence of a nightmare.

    Staring at the ceiling above her, Chloe recalled what she could from her last moments of consciousness causing a series of unpleasant memories to come flooding back.

    The crimson liquid that desperately clung to her body before being washed away by the thunderous rain, a disfigured body which laid perfectly still and a damaged vehicle that was located a few metres away from both adorning the scene.

    Peering down towards her body, the girl panicked as she couldn¡¯t see the left side of the room, or her body for that matter. Lifting a shaking hand towards her left eye, a soft material greeted her fingertips, covering her eye completely.

    Although, the feeling of her left eye had yet to depart from her senses leading her to conclude that she hadn¡¯t lost it.

    She sat still for a minute or so, before resuming her scan of the surroundings, finding the room to be mostly empty apart from some cheap looking tables, a few pieces of machinery and an IV drip that sat beside her.

    A tube was connected to her wrist, feeding some sort of liquid into her veins, eliciting a discomforting feeling in the girl upon viewing the sight.

    There were two other ¡°people¡± in the empty room.

    The former had vibrant orange hair which cascaded around their figure. Seeming to be in her mid-forties, they sat asleep in what looked to be an uncomfortable position.

    Their untidy appearance would have led anyone to rightfully conclude that they had arrived here as soon as possible.

    The latter an unfamiliar figure sitting in the corner of the room, motionlessly staring at the girl. The girl made sure not to look at the figure for too long, its patchy visage making her feel uneasy.

    Chloe Barker had been dealt a poor hand of cards in life, cursed with a weak constitution since birth which had resulted in regular mandatory hospital check-ups.

    It was January when the accident occurred, the main culprit of why the skies had been so dark at only 7pm in the afternoon.

    Chloe and her father, Mikhail, had gone to the hospital closest to them by foot and being the only arduous exercise Chloe received from her day-to-day life, the hospital¡¯s doctors endorsed the small treck by foot over to the nearby hospital over the use of a vehicle.

    The check-up had concluded smoothly, consisting of a few rudimentary tests being performed on Chloe to gain data about the state of her weak body.

    Usually, Mikhail would take her out to the convenience store to get some ice-cream, but as it was early January, it had been a cold night and thus he had ordained that it would be better to return to their house as soon as possible to reduce the risk of Chloe contracting a cold.

    Chloe¡¯s illness was debilitating, not only for her but also for her family¡¯s finances.

    The surgeries that the young girl required, and had gone through so far, were very costly for the middle-class family of three, burdening them with loans which they had to take out.

    The common cold might as well be a deadly illness to her, of which she had not the best of chances to fight off, hence why she had to have so many check-ups.

    Mikhail offered to give his daughter a piggyback but was promptly refused by the strong-willed girl who wished to engage in physical exercise in the hope of helping improve the condition of her body.

    Settling for just holding Chloe¡¯s hand, they quickly embarked on their venture back to their abode, of which neither would make it to their destination unscathed.

    The sky above turned cloudy, rain clouds started to appear, prompting Mikhail to pick up their pace to arrive home before the downpour started.

    Alas a few drops of rain splashed onto the dense concrete below their feet, catching Mikhail¡¯s attention who had reached a junction, only to be halted by a traffic light turning red as soon as they had reached the intersection, as if it were condemning the pair to their soggy fate.

    He peered down at Chloe whilst inwardly letting out a sigh of relief, ¡äThankfully I made her wear a coat and some gloves...¡¯.

    The small child smiled back at him in response to his gaze, prompting Mikhail to let out a large grin.

    The Barkers lived in a city, a large, humongous metropolis which was filled to the brim with ginormous metal monstrosities which put even the biggest medieval fortresses to shame in size.

    Their surroundings were that of a large junction, split by a road and some evenly spaced white stripes indicating that this was indeed a crossing.

    The white stripes had been worn down by the many years of use and external weather resulting in them being only half as visible as when they had first been applied to the road.

    The tall metallic traffic light glared at Mikhail with a hostile red gleam, reflecting of his glasses, causing him to wince as it flickered on and off.

    There was obviously some damage sustained by the light resulting in it not working as intended. Mikhail¡¯s worsening mood was uplifted when saw the pedestrian lights snap from red to green, signifying that it was their turn to cross.

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    Looking down to his daughter, he spoke in a gentle voice, ¡°Lets cross now Chlo!¡°.

    ¡®Chlo¡¯ was the nickname that Mikhail chose to call his daughter, finding it an appropriately cute nickname for the little girl. They hastily began to cross the intersection; rain having turned into what seemed to feel like a tropical storm whilst they had been waiting for the light to turn.

    Two yellowish beams of light suddenly appeared in Mikhail¡¯s peripheral vision.

    A truck, the source of the unsettling yellow light, was tumbling forward at a speed unbefitting of the distance between them and the intersection.

    A fierce roar from the metal beast signalled the vehicle acceleration as Mikhail hastily pulled Chloe ahead, bursting into a sprint towards the end of the road.

    Chloe had yet to understand the severity of the situation, the speed at which Mikhail suddenly started to tug her along making her quickly become short of breath.

    She peered up towards his frightened exterior, deciding to not ask any questions focusing solely on keeping up with her father.

    Perhaps the only time she¡¯d saw him like this was when she overheard a fight between her parents. Thankfully, they seldom fought.

    Whilst pondering about why her father was acting the way he was, she was abruptly shoved forwards, causing her to look back towards her father with a puzzled expression.

    Rain clung to the edge of his messy black hair, causing it to cling to his forehead. Orange orbs stood trained upon a small figure before them, a small smile equipped upon his countenance. A stubbly chin, which used to always be cleanly shaven, completed his look.

    There her father stood, a metre or so away from the metal vehicle. Time seemed to slow for a few seconds as the van slowly inched forwards, making its way towards the man.

    Black fog seemed to be hugging his figure, seeping out of all his orifices and obscuring his bright orange orbs.

    The black mouth opened and closed, words attempting to come out but falling upon deaf ears.

    Instantly covering his whole face, a countenance with no mouth replaced Mikhail¡¯s and blocked out his last words to the girl.

    Mikhail still had full contact with the small girl as time resumed to its normal pace, resulting in Chloe being roughly flung a metre or so before landing on the ground after a thud had sounded out.

    Chloe felt her head contact the cruel concrete below her as a nauseating crunch filled her ears.

    Her vision trembled and stirred, disorientating her as a thumping pressure erupted within her mind.

    Attempting to push up her body from the floor, her weakened physique rendered her helpless.

    A series of thumps and cracks entered her ears once more before coming to a dull stop filled Chloe¡¯s ears.

    Mikhail¡¯s body had been flung forwards, the impact also sending the damaged vehicle¡¯s driver off the acceleration pedal and out his windshield.

    In a drunken stupor, the vehicle operator hadn¡¯t managed to see the two under the dimly lit lamps which were dotted around the junction.

    Chloe, who writhed in pain on the concrete, attempted to look around to spot her father, only to find a large truck with a dented front, paired with a broken front light and two people covered in a pool of a red liquid a few meters away.

    The rain wetted her stained orange hair, obscuring her view, as if to protect her from the sight in front of her.

    She laid motionless as she stared at the body of her father, the pool of blood around his body slowly making its way towards her under the aid of the rain as she noticed a pair of glasses sitting beside the body which seemed very familiar.

    It then all came together, tears beginning to stream down her face as she screamt for help, a black figure synthising from Michael¡¯s limp body.

    ¡°Something like this... It¡¯s too cruel... How could... this happen?¡± she croaked out, feeling her head become light as blood started to drip down her forehead.

    Chloe laid on the concrete, staring at the motionless body of her father which had been dyed in crimson, a disturbing figure crouched above his body relentlessly staring back at the girl.

    And then she closed her eyes and wished it all away.

    A small wet figure laid flat upon the ground, rain mercilessly pelting down from the heavens above resulting in a roaring crescendo of sound enveloping the girl.

    Her vision distorting to and fro as she motionlessly rested on a slab of cold hard concrete.

    Head feeling as if something was constricting it continuously, the girl¡¯s thoughts became a jumbled mess, desperately grasping at whatever information she could find about what just had occurred.

    A flurry of black spots had appeared in her vision, cagily blocking her view from a pile of crimson laying dead still in front of her.

    Two figures had been splayed across the road. The former was surrounded by streaks of crimson covering every crevice of its surroundings, jaw disfigured, and chest broken in.

    The latter was less injured, laying five or so metres away from the car with some crimson glass embedded within its body and some blood leaking from its forehead.

    It was certainly not a sight for the weak of heart.

    Widening the eyes of the child who had to bear witness to abhorred sight, fear and worry enveloping their small orbs.

    A queasy feeling assaulted the girl, a combination of the mix of warmth from the blood dripping down her forehead and the frosty rain which pelted upon her frail body along with the sight laid barren before her.

    Tiny tears merged with the rain that thundered down upon her, diluting foreign blood, aiding it in reaching the girl from the mangled body, staining her clothes and clinging to her skin.

    Everything was still. Too still. As if the world and time itself had stopped, apart from the rain which poured faster than ever.

    Just then, something started to move, attracting the small girl¡¯s attention.

    A series of small jerks, followed by a large black head poking out from the dismantled body further confused Chloe.

    Its hairless top was anything but smooth, for dents and what seemed to be splotchy pieces of flesh desperately clung to its disorderly frame.

    Struggling to push itself up, a pair of beady black orbs glanced at its unfamiliar surroundings with what seemed to be a glimmer of fear.

    That was until its eyes met Chloe¡¯s small body, eyes rising as it slowly approached the child, a stumble here and there inhibiting its progress.

    A small grey truck, sporting a broken front light, resulted in the yellowish light of the car diffracting throughout the rain, highlighting the two bodies and the black figure slumping towards the child.

    ¡®Who is that? B... bright... my head... If only I could cover my eyes... but my arms... I can¡¯t...¡¯distressfully groaned the child, as she futility attempted to command her body.

    The front of the car had a large dent covered in blood, the windshield had been shattered, glass embedded with blood adorning another person who laid on the dashboard of the vehicle, unconscious.

    A song played in the background, slowly growing louder as sound returned from an unwanted captor back to the girl.

    The van¡¯s radio display, from which a cheerful song was coming from, had been stained with blood. The speakers waned every few seconds before loudening once again with renewed vigour.

    The sickeningly sweet voice of the vocalist made its way towards the small girl, slowly lulling her to sleep as her eyes slowly clamped shut, under the aid of a fatigued and confused mind.

    Before her eyelids completely closed, the black figure reached the child, it¡¯s body hanging over the injured Chloe.

    ¡°Y..ou.r F..athe.r is dea..d. Wh..o¡¯s fa..ult Is i..t? T..he... dri..ver? No. No, no, NO~!¡±the voice giggled, its eyes creasing upwards in joy as it saw the terrified expression splayed upon Chloe¡¯s face.

    ¡°It¡¯s y..ou~~!¡±it jeered as Chloe¡¯s eyes forcefully closed shut for the second time.

 C2 - Fate

    My life had been made up of only hardship before I had met him. Born to a rich family without any siblings, the heavy expectations placed upon me to take over the family business resulting in even the slightest mistake being scrutinised and punished, as if my father had been looking for any reason to discipline me.

    Father was a strict and cold man. His warm features misrepresenting disguising the hiding beneath.

    Short golden orange locks sat atop his head, two vibrantly golden irises which would tear into anyone who dared to look into them.

    He had been hardened by his upbringing, having been born into a poor family in war times. Even achieving something as simple as a basic education would have been a miraculous event for him.

    However, he rose higher than anyone had ever thought it possible. Working several jobs in his youth, he saved up money in order to enable his future self to enrol in a medical university.

    Why a medical university one may ask? Well, that was because of a chance encounter he had when he was ten. At that time, he had been working several jobs whilst getting his hands upon any book he could find.

    Having grown an affinity for medicine at a young age after seeing many of his siblings die to common illnesses that were easily curable, the bereaved boy decided to save as many of the poor as he could by becoming a doctor.

    The small room which he shared with two of his siblings had become all his, allowing him to store even more books which caught the eye of a doctor who had come to take a look at his mother, who had caught an illness.

    Seeing the boy¡¯s genius, the old doctor took the boy under his wing, aiding in his education and providing the recommendation he required to enter a top university.

    The doctor simply wished to help another one of his own people to escape from fate they¡¯d been dealt.

    And so, the young boy become a young man, soon leaving the university with a degree which he had been highly proud of.

    Getting a job in a prestigious hospital he soon found himself working nonstop in order to reach the top of the hierarchy.

    By that time, he had become a middle aged man and was no longer the same person he¡¯d once been.

    Having been held back from promotions due to his background, he soon felt himself loathing the cards he had been dealt with.

    He¡¯d sworn to himself that he¡¯d prove himself to all those who wished to doubt him, leading him to no longer harbour his original desire.

    And once again he worked himself to the bone. By the time he¡¯d reached 60, he had achieved his goals. He owned multiple widely respected hospitals and sat atop an empire, just like the old man who had helped him so many years ago.

    By then he was left with but a decaying body and no remaining family, for they had all died due to impoverished conditions.

    He¡¯d forgotten all about them in his rush to the top.

    But that didn¡¯t matter.

    His next desire was to leave behind a successor.

    Finding several young woman and having relations with them was anything but difficult, for he had money and status. The only problem was, no matter how many times he tried, no matter the woman he used, a successor was never produced.

    Until one day.

    Upon hearing the news, he married my mother and began to plan out my entire life.

    In the end, I doubt he ever loved me or my mother. We were probably just a way of prolonging his legacy. Another tool he could use to complete his ambition.

    My upbringing was boring.

    Private tutoring to ensure that I would replace my father¡¯s position as chairman.

    I was never to complain, for what would come of it was only violence. Sometimes on me, but normally on my mother.

    It seemed to me that he deeply regretted the man he came to become but lacked the courage to change.

    My mother did nothing to comfort me, nor fight back. Being half the age of father, she was just quietly waiting for him to die so she could take the inheritance.

    When I entered University, I was finally allowed some degree of freedom, escaping from the estate and all of its suffocating rules and schedules.

    And there I met Mikhail.

    You can¡¯t blame me for failing hard for him. Devilishly handsome, Mikhail had been quite the player, although never forgetting to study hard. He came from humble beginnings just like my father, but seemingly choose better paths along the way.

    At first, I didn¡¯t like his attitude, how carefree he was. I suppose, looking back on it, I was jealous of the freedom he had been enjoying all his life. And those eyes... those orange eyes. I despised them. They were just like my father¡¯s.

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    But he was persistent, and I inexperienced in how to deal with his forwardness. Soon I no longer had the strength to push him away.

    However, the signs of his upbringing couldn¡¯t be hidden. Under the scrutiny of my father, he was turned away. Of course, I knew that he never had a chance in the first place.

    My father hated his upbringing, it was like a blemish on his life, a period that he desperately didn¡¯t wish to recall.

    Seeing Mikhail reminded him of that.

    At that age, I was intoxicated under the feeling of being in love, combined with the freedom that I had obtained.

    Secretly dating Mikhail was enough for now. Once we finished our respective degrees, he¡¯d work hard to gain my father¡¯s approval.

    However, fate had different plans.

    I always took a test after we did it. Just for precaution. And one day it came up positive.

    Dread. Utter despair. I remember it vividly. Falling to the floor as bawling my eyes out. Mikhail scrambling out of bed, still half dressed as he hugged me, asking what was wrong.

    Jubilant orange eyes widening as I shoved the test towards him, asking him what we should do it with a trembling voice.

    I couldn¡¯t go against my father, so I proposed an abortion.

    But the pained expression which Mikhail gave me after hearing that made It evident to me that he was never going to agree.

    He proposed to me, saying that we should get married and drop out of university to take care of the child.

    I agreed, blinded by the idea of living together with him.

    And for a while we were happy.

    We had a girl, naming her Chloe, and even when her condition was brought to our attention, Mikhail still thought we made the correct decision.

    Even though I had such a happy life, the nagging thought in the back of my mind eroded that happiness.

    Wouldn¡¯t we have been even happier if we wouldn¡¯t have had Chloe? If I had never given birth to that little orange haired girl, would me and Mikhail be living without worries?

    As more and more surgeries became mandatory, soon we had to take out loans to finance them. That dark thought surfaced more and more until I brought the topic up to him.

    It was the same.

    The look of pain and disgust he gave me when I first suggested getting and abortion all those years ago was the same as the one he was giving me now.

    It was as if he was looking down on me, horrified over my thoughts.

    But I wasn¡¯t in the wrong! How could I be! Being brought up in such high living conditions, and now living like this... how could anyone blame me for wanting more?

    And so, I abandoned such a thought.

    I focused on the happiness I had before me. I was finally free! Living with the man I loved!

    But then he left me.

    Apparently, according to Chloe, Mikhail had sacrificed himself to save her.

    He left me alone.

    To save her?

    If it was not to live with the man I loved, then for what purpose did I run away from my family? For what purpose did I put up with such living standards?

    Laying my head on the dining room table of the small two-bedroom house Mikhail and I used to live in, tears leaked from my eyes, pooling upon the wooden surface.

    I¡¯d already smashed a few pictures in a moment of blind despair, glass scattered across the ground haphazardly.

    Soon a series of footsteps became louder as I lifted my head to see Chloe.

    Bandages still covering half her face, her remaining eye had tears at the side of it, showing that she was ready to burst out in tears.

    Hands starting to tremble slightly upon seeing her, I firmly balled my hands into fists, unable to make them still.

    Her gaze moved to behind her, freezing at the sight of something before breaking out into a fit of tears.

    Right shoulder flinching as if someone had forcefully put their hand upon it, Chloe slowly turned back towards to me, tears running down her face.

    She seemed to lack the courage to speak for a few seconds before finally opening her mouth.

    ¡°It... It wasn¡¯t my fault? Right?¡± she whimpered, looking down towards the floor as if couldn¡¯t even bear to look at me.

    I froze. Long had my hands stopped shaking, black spots invading my sight as I heard a grinding sound come from my teeth.

    Eyes not courageous to look at her anymore, they fled towards the floor before focusing on a destroyed picture that had been sombrely laying upon the floor.

    Aaah, his smile...

    They¡¯d gone for a picnic, and Mikhail had given Chloe a piggyback.

    But he¡¯s gone now. Forever.

    If only he left yo...

    I stopped myself from finishing the sentence. But my emotions weren¡¯t residing. Bubbling up, making me feel lightheaded. As if I were suffering from a cruel cold, most of my vision had been taken from me.

    Looking back to where Chloe was supposed to be, I recoiled in fear from what I saw.

    It¡¯s limbs were scrawny and rough, fazing in and out of reality. Parts of Chloe¡¯s body could be seen from time to time, but I remained entranced by the being in front of me.

    Two obsidian eyes bore into me as a grating voice entered my mind.

    "If... on..ly he left... her be..hind...Righ..t?¡± it chocked out, such simple words causing it so much trouble, as if it were a new born.

    I didn¡¯t want to hear those words. Those words which I stopped myself from saying. For I feared that If I said something like that, I would forever lose myself.

    ¡°It...s her fau..lt..he... wo..u..ld..still.. he...re,¡± before it could finish its words, I quickly covered ears with my hands, screaming out towards the incorporeal being.

    ¡°Shut up! Don¡¯t you dare!¡±

    But it was already too late. The idea had been planted in my mind. I couldn¡¯t stop my thoughts from flooding out and infecting my actions.

    Fault? Not your fault that my life become ruined? Mikhail... he could be living right now if it weren¡¯t for you! I¡¯d still be happy if it weren¡¯t for you!

    It all happened too fast. I couldn¡¯t control myself. I should have controlled myself.

    Standing up, I leapt towards the small girl, raising my hand as I spoke.

    One that I didn¡¯t even realise was my own.

    Releasing my hand, I slapped her across the face, sending her to the floor, grimacing from the pain radiating from her cheek.

    And when she looked back up to me, I finally lost all resemblance of reason or logic.

    That face. That look. It was the same.

    The black creature cloaking the small girl let out a queer giggle, constantly reverberating in my head, making it feel as though it was about to vomit, feeling as though I¡¯d lost everything that made life worth living.

    I don¡¯t remember the next thirty seconds. Perhaps I¡¯ve purposefully forgotten them.

    And what I awoke to was the sight of a badly injured child, curled up in the foetal position, crying to herself whilst profusely apologising to me.

    I looked down towards my shaking hands which appeared swollen from the repeated impacts.

    Will these hands of mine ever stop shaking?

    Her form made me think back to when I had been beaten by my father. I¡¯d cry just like her whilst apologising to my father.

    Her appearance sometimes reminded me of my father. I hated that.

    Unable to believe my own actions, I hesitated for a few moments before reaching down to comfort her, pushing the sound of the constant giggling to the corner of my mind.

    But when my trembling fingertips came close, she started to cry harder, flinching away from my touch.

    Perhaps that was when I realised what a monster I¡¯d become.

    Just like my father. Maybe worse than my father.

    From that point on my hands never did stop shaking.

    Relying on alcohol only dulled my pains for a short while.

    And, just like my father, I would regret my actions for the rest of my life.

    If only we¡¯d not had her.

    Then we¡¯d have been happy.

 C3 - Warped

    Chloe heard a few giggles sounding out from behind her as she looked onwards, noticing the shards of glass which haphazardly covering the floor, creating a trail towards a balling mess of orange hair currently laid against the dining table.

    She¡¯d never once before seen the older woman in such a state, usually she was the type to stay composed and show no signs of worrying under even some of the harshest conditions.

    "It... i..s beca..use of y..ou..¡±the figure behind her stated, a few crooked chuckles erupting from god knows where.

    Chloe¡¯s body stiffened at the thought, her shoulders slumped, breathing paused.

    ¡°If dad was here then it would be different. But. It¡¯s not my fault. It can¡¯t be. It was the driver¡¯s fault. It must be.¡± Chloe reasoned, the figure behind her letting out what seemed to be a pained groan as it put its coarse hand on her right shoulder.

    Flicking her head round to see the dark figure behind her touching her, Chloe felt an uncontrollable shiver sent down her spine as she impulsively flinched away from the contact.

    The hand felt ice cold, but weighed more than she thought ice would. It was so heavy that her legs started to tremble under the pressure; Chloe doubted that she¡¯d even be able to take even one more step forward.

    Hearing a sudden movement coming from in front of her, she turned around to see that the older woman had already lifted her head from the table, staring intensely at her.

    "Ask... H..er...T..he fa...ul..t is yo...ur¡¯s a..lo..ne.¡± it grumbled, the grating voice reverberating inside Chloe¡¯s head nonstop, as if it had just shouted into a large empty space.

    The small orange haired girl fell still at it¡¯s words, eyes avoiding the woman in front of her, landing on a picture of her father giving her a piggyback.

    The food the older woman had made that day was truly delicious. Chloe could clearly recall the laughter of the three as Mikhail ran around with her on his shoulders.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Dad would be on my side.¡± she thought, fists bawling up in determination.

    Looking up towards the older woman, Chloe stared at the orange hair which flowed from her head, finding comfort in the colour as she prepared herself to speak.

    ¡°It... It wasn¡¯t my fault? Right?¡± Chloe whispered, looking down to the floor after seeing the expression on the older woman¡¯s face.

    She stared at the floor for what seemed to be an eternity, eyes glossing over the smooth wooden texture running all the way across the floor panel.

    Looking back up towards the woman, inquisitive as to why she was taking so long.

    But as she was moving her head upwards, she heard a loud voice erupt from in front of her, one that she hadn¡¯t heard before.

    ¡°Shut up! Don¡¯t you dare!¡±

    Once again frozen in place, Chloe didn¡¯t dare to look towards the older woman, shoulders trembling from hostile words of someone that had been so kind to her all her life.

    Suddenly the older woman stood up from her chair and quickly stood before Chloe, her hand raised in the air as her mouth opened in preparation to speak.

    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for you, Mikhail would still be alive! Give him back to me!¡± A crooked voice attacked the small girl, the weight of the words violently bashing into Chloe¡¯s feeble figure, making her feel like she was about to collapse onto the ground.

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    The dark figure behind her burst out into a fit of laughs, falling to the floor due to its uncontrollable ebullition.

    *SMACK*

    And then in the next moment Chloe found herself sprawled out on the ground, hand on her cheek which now radiated with pain.

    The small girl looked towards her mother before another round of pain was unleashed upon her, alongside with some words which she desperately didn¡¯t want to hear.

    ¡°WHAT RIGHT DO YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT?¡± she howled, tears flowing from her eyes as her wrist once again raced towards Chloe.

    *SMACK*

    ¡°DON¡¯T YOU DARE LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT! IF IT WEREN¡¯T FOR YOU, HE¡¯D STILL BE WITH ME!¡± she continued.

    *THUMP*

    This time came a blow to the young girl¡¯s stomach, causing her to let out a moan of pain, crawling up into a ball as she grasped her midsection in agony.

    ¡°It was my fault?¡± She internally questioned, pain continuously flowing from her stomach and face.

    *THUMP*

    "You... ki...lled him...!¡±the creature confirmed, watching the scene in front of it unfold with great pleasure, flinching every time a blow landed upon the small girl.

    *THUMP*

    Bandages damp from the tears, Chloe felt herself slipping away, the animalistic howls resounding within her head as she finally understood.

    ¡°I... I killed my dad.¡±

    <hr>

    When she awoke from her slumber, Chloe found herself in a strange place.

    A world of crimson red buildings, an obsidian black sky that contained two ginormous watchful eyes, and a recreation of the worst accident of her life.

    Green rain poured down from openings in the soulless sky, bombarding the ground, resulting in giant green pools of water forming.

    It dampened her hair, the neon rain dyeing it into a brownish colour. Chloe didn¡¯t mind it though. Her thoughts were preoccupied with the events that had just occurred prior to waking up in this foreign land.

    Staring at her palm, she open and closed it before patting down her body.

    ¡°No pain?¡± she thought, confusion swirling in her mind.

    *Chime*

    As if a giant grandfather clock had just gone off, the world grandly resounded in its sound, seemingly basking within it.

    Her surroundings started to bend and warp, metallic groans escaping the towers as the sound grew and grew.

    And then her surroundings changed.

    A familiar voice entered her ears, but finding herself unable to control the body she was now confined in, all she could do was watch.

    ¡°Let¡¯s cross now Chlo¡± the voice chimed, once again bouncing off all the surroundings and then funnelling into her mind, pulling apart her consciousness as if she¡¯d just fallen headfirst into some concrete.

    Certain sounds entered her mind, sounds that she perhaps hadn¡¯t noticed before.

    The rain crying out to warn them as it sombrely embraced her raincoat. The clicky blinking of the broken light which dyed their surroundings completely red before returning to normal.

    The faint screeching of a motor vehicle that would soon cause a terrible accident to occur.

    ¡°Stop! Dad! Dad! Listen to me! Please, don¡¯t go! There¡¯s going to be a car... and... and... I¡¯ll... murder you again....¡±Chloe¡¯s inner thoughts slowly crescendoed as she came to a chilling conclusion.

    ¡°Ah. I¡¯m dreaming.¡±

    The world turned green as the pair started their march forward, time slowing down as if they were death row inmates, trying to savour every last second before their timely end that was sure to come.

    ¡°Aaaaagggggghh... agggrhhh..aa...aaagh...Please... Stop this... Please! I know you¡¯re watching this somewhere! Shadow! I don¡¯t want to! Stop it! Stop it now! Aaaaagrrrh... No... Nooooo... NOOOOO...¡± Chloe bellowed, imprisoned within the tiny orange haired girl, fated to experience such torment for a second time.

    *BAM*

    Finding herself staring up towards the endless black sky, two large orbs scornfully bore into her.

    The black figure freed itself from the Mikhail¡¯s corpse, ripping it¡¯s body parts apart from his flesh, sometimes absorbing chunks of into the fuzzy static that it was composed of.

    Two pairs of eyes creased upwards as a grating voice entered her mind, sharply piercing into her mind, body uncontrollably pulsing.

    ¡°...It w..as yo...ur fau..lt~~! Hehe, You...r ...fa..ult!¡±it mocked.

    Diluted crimson mixed in with the neon rain flooded her vision, stealing it from her so as to hide the abnormal world away.

    ¡®It was my fault.¡¯ the girl reaffirmed to herself, now all alone in a endless void that appeared to extend until infinity.

    ¡°Ye..s, Yes! It.. Is~~ It is!¡± the voice gleefully confirmed, responding to her thoughts.

    <hr>

    White rays of light smarty clobbered Chloe¡¯s eyelids, causing her to wince slightly, lightly rubbing her hand against them.

    Her fingers felt the soft texture of the bandage that had been draped over head as tears unabashedly started to pour out of her orbs.

    ¡°I miss you Dad.¡±

 C4 - Tower

    Days seemed to merge into weeks under the reign of the house¡¯s new leader. Sometimes the small girl would only leave her room to eat food, choosing rather to read all day in the comfort of her small room, head resting against a pillow that had been stained countless times by her tears.

    Staring at her small, bruised hands, contracting them had become twice as hard as it usual had been. The same was true for the rest of her limbs.

    Although, along with that came numbness. A devouring feeling that froze all her feelings away, locking them in a cage, key held tightly by the shadow that constantly stalked her.

    And then, one day, she found herself standing in front of a polished black container.

    She froze, eyes halting at the words embedded into the ceramic material.

    There it stood, solitary and unanimated. A collection of what had been a key figure in her life up to this point. A black mist began to disperse from the container, shrill groans of pain escaping with it.

    The longer she stared at it, the louder the moans emitted from it seemed to get.

    Chloe quickly clamped her ears shut with her hands and closed her eyes tightly shut.

    The next place she found herself at had been in a medium sized room, adorned in a simple full black outfit, she saw people she¡¯d never had seen before, sombrely clambering around the older woman and offering her words of consolation.

    An out of place youth stood closely next to what was presumably his father, somewhat uncomfortable around so many adults.

    He fiddled with his hands whilst looking up to the downcast expression those around him wore, attempting to wear one himself to look the part.

    ¡°This hardly seems like the place to bring a child.¡± The small orange girl pondered before pushing the irrelevant matter to the back of her mind.

    *THUMP*

    Finding herself in a familiar position, Chloe¡¯s orange orbs glazed over as she peered at the older woman who was currently attempting to maintain her balance, lips deeply tugged into the bottom corners of her countenance.

    Two black lines stained her face, lips suddenly opening as an unintelligible slurred sentence flowed from her mouth.

    Chloe¡¯s eyes clamped shut before she could make any sense of what the older woman was trying to say. Although, she was sure it probably wasn¡¯t anything good.

    Green rain drops sharply contacted the small girl¡¯s round face as she looked towards the two black eyes in the sky.

    Wherever she went, they followed.

    After being in this same dream for a few days, she realised that, at some point, she¡¯d gained the ability to control the body she had been previously trapped in.

    If she wondered away from Mikhail, he¡¯d pause, stuck indefinitely as if he was waiting for Chloe to come back, bringing with her a painful demise.

    Her eyes looked down towards a reflective neon green puddle below her feet, peering into her own reflection.

    A black shroud engulfed her body, bright red blood still present from the accident that was yet to come.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    One disturbing feature that she¡¯d come to realise was the large grin that her reflection always had equipped. Chloe didn¡¯t even know if she could physically make herself smile that largely. Her usual white teeth had turned completely black, the same texture as the shadow¡¯s body.

    ¡°How large is this city? It feels as though I¡¯ve been walking for hours.¡± Chloe groaned, swiftly turning around to meet the figure who¡¯d been trailing behind her all this time.

    This distorted city, filled to the brim with red towers and green rain, a motley colour palate for a dream about death and despair.

    Even though Mikhail would be frozen in time, the black figure followed her anywhere she went.

    No matter where she ran, it¡¯d find her.

    ¡°Probably something to do with the eyes in the sky.¡± She murmured, her body drooping over, filled to the brim with fatigue.

    Walking to the front of a particularly large red tower, she tilted her head to look at how far it went in the sky, the bright green drops blocking her vision some.

    It seemed as though it pierced into the endless black expanse, perhaps leading to some sort of way out.

    The silent dark figure a few steps behind her unexpectedly spoke a few jumbled words, noticing the small orange haired girl¡¯s trained gaze.

    ¡°cLi..mb... Cl..imb i..t¡± it strenuously groaned out, staring at Chloe as it seemingly gauged her reaction.

    A large crimson ladder emerged from the side of the building, the ladder becoming outlined from a liquefied metal the same texture as the rest of the tower before quickly solidifying.

    The figure pointed towards the ladder, prompting Chloe to climb it.

    Chloe looked back towards the figure before pondering over her next actions.

    ¡°That ladder looks real long... but I don¡¯t think there is anything else but more city apart from this tower. It must be of some significance to this place.¡± She concluded, neck starting to ache from looking up to much.

    Although she felt tired within the dreams, she could not accumulate more fatigue inside the dream than that of which she came in with.

    ¡°I won¡¯t fall.¡±

    Putting her fingers on the red ladder, she found it hard to grip due to how slippery the rain made the metallic surface.

    ¡°Probably.¡±

    Climbing the ladder for what seemed to be a few hours non-stop, a normally impossible feat for the broken little girl, but there was no end of the ladder in sight.

    Taking one hand of the ladder, she turned around to see the city below her. A maze like structure of never ending buildings enfolded below her. Even though she was so high up, there was no end in sight.

    ¡°Looks like I made the right choice to climb up here. I would have been walking for forever otherwise.¡± She thought, refocusing herself on the task at hand.

    But when she looked upwards, there was no more ladder insight. Only a rounded edge which signified that she had in fact made it to the top.

    The roof of the tower was flat and smooth. Walking across it, Chloe made extra sure not to slip. If she did, maybe she might just slide all the way off the building.

    Looking up towards the even closer than usual pair of eyes located in the sky, the incomparably small girl stared into their obsidian orbs, which seemed to engulf the girl in their gaze.

    A heavy hand firmly grasped her shoulder, a voice soon following.

    ¡°Ed..g..e sit o..n th..e edge..~¡± it demanded, a chubby finger pointing to the north edge of the building.

    Chloe found it hard to move around on the slippery surface that was the floor covered in all the rain, but soon made it over to the edge, choosing to sit down and dangle her legs of into the city below.

    It wasn¡¯t a bad feeling. Being so high up, away from any of the death and despair that being down there brought.

    And then she was flying.

    Before she could say anything, a black hand had pushed her off the edge of the building, sending her into a lethal free fall.

    Chloe let out a high-pitched scream as she felt the air bash against her body, velocity slowly ramping up as she plummeted to the streets below.

    The cool neon green raindrops were dropping side by side with her as she plummeted towards the streets below her, the black figure in free fall beside her.

    Turning around to look at the eyes in the sky, they creased upwards at the sight of the girl plummeting towards her demise, almost mockingly so.

    Almost as if she had been spell bound by those orbs, Chloe abruptly stopped screaming, feeling more at ease whilst violently descending.

    Chloe didn¡¯t mind the look that it gave her. Those eyes were softer than those which the older woman had used to look at the orange haired girl.

    Desensitised to the scene of someone dying, even if it were to be herself who would be the next to die, she closed her eyes, seeming to be at peace before reaching terminal velocity and hitting the floor.

    ¡°Dad. I¡¯ll be with you soon.¡±

 C5 - Thrill

    The harsh February weather clung to the small girl¡¯s skin as she hopped into the back of the car with some difficulty.

    It was time for the pair to move into their new abode, being unable to pay the rent of their previous, bigger, house now that one of the main breadwinners had disappeared from their family.

    Sitting next to her, the black figure stared towards Chloe, never taking its eyes off the small girl.

    Noticing it¡¯s gaze, Chloe looked towards the figure, finding some form of comfort in the figure who hadn¡¯t change like her mother had, despite its unnatural appearance.

    Everything the black shape had said was true. Plus, her recent dreams hadn¡¯t been that bad, usually consisting of climbing up that tower and freefalling down towards the ground.

    She¡¯d somewhat grown accustomed to the freefall.

    It was a pleasant feeling; being one with the wind and rain as one falls to their death.

    The four-seater slowed down as it entered the parking lot of a rundown block of apartments. The cars that were stored here were different from their car.

    Rusty, broken down vehicles littered the parking lot, most of them not even parked correctly within the faint, dried out white parking bay lines.

    The apartment block was comprised up of five main buildings, each nine stories high with 13 rooms on each level, making up a total of 585 apartments available to be rented. The buildings were arranged in a U shape with two buildings on the left and right and one building in the top middle, the parking lot located in the centre of the buildings.

    On the sides of most of the apartment blocks were brightly coloured graffiti, hastily put together-tags, swear words and murals splayed across the weathered concrete.

    One such mural caught Chloe¡¯s attention. It displayed a darkly enshrouded horned figure free falling from the bright skies above into a fiery hell.

    ¡°A si¡­nner, fa¡­l¡­len fr¡­om und¡­ese¡­rved g¡­race.¡± The figure who sat to her left cackled as it stared out of the window with intrigue.

    Chloe¡¯s eyes focused on a small figure that was currently tagging the graffiti she had been looking at, the red aspirator covering their mouth, a loose black outfit covering their whole body.

    Noticing the car approaching, the slim figure glanced over to her car, panicking after seeing Chloe¡¯s gaze.

    Scrambling to finish up the tag, the black figure snatched up their supplies and scuttled away.

    The middle-aged woman had rented an apartment in Building 2, floor 5, room 6, located towards the northwest of the compound. The only thing distinguishing their apartment from the others was the graffiti that had just been finished up moments ago adorning the back wall of the apartment.

    A short alarm sounded as a car door was opened, followed closely by the sound of another car door opening.

    Stepping out of the four-seater, Chloe looked at her surroundings. The building in front of her was very tall, wide and a worn grey colour. Not much decorated the front of the building apart from posters on the ground level and a few lockers of which mail would be deposited in.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± spoke the woman, an expression full of scorn plastered across her countenance as she walked towards the second main building of the complex. The young girl nodded in response before hastily following the taller of the two.

    Chloe soon found out how tough it was to match the pace of the older woman for her legs were too short and thus was very much out of breath by the time she arrived before the door of her apartment.

    The older woman gave Chloe a harsh side eye for making her wait before fumbling around in her handbag, pausing after locating a pair of keys which she slotted in the locked door before twisting to open it.

    The door stiffly creaked open, revealing a small apartment consisting of a living room merged with a kitchen, two bedrooms and a bathroom located directly opposite the entrance at the end of the corridor which connected the lounge and bedrooms.

    Worn cr¨¨me coloured wallpaper had been splayed all over the walls, peeling at the sides, giving the small girl a queasy feeling within her stomach. Walking into her room, she placed a singular black rose upon the bed stand.

    It had adorned her funeral attire, the small girl growing to like the small little thing over the few hours that she had worn it.

    Compared to her old room, this one was half the size and only had five pieces of furniture within the room.

    A single bed which could store things under the mattress, a small bed stand, a wardrobe and a wooden table fitted with a small chair.

    There was barely any space between her bed and the oversized wardrobe, a small window positioned opposite the door enabling a quaint view of the city.

    Sitting on the bumpy mattress, she looked down towards her arms, smaller than they once had been.

    The small girl had been eating much less than she used to, simply because the older woman had stopped cooking for her, apart from dinner.

    However, even then, the older woman would sometimes ¡°forget¡± to cook two portions, leaving the smaller child hungry.

    Entering the bathroom, the orange haired girl pushed a stool under her legs and stared at her unkempt countenance.

    Her facial bones hung to the skin of her face, dark bags below her eyes evidence that she was not getting enough sleep.

    Orange orbs stared at one and another before flicking over to the dark shadow behind her.

    There it stood, as usual. Flickering in and out of existence, sometimes appearing in different areas of the room as if it had teleported.

    For the past week, the dark shadow had been relatively calm, not making many shallow remarks and just observing the orange haired girl¡¯s actions, as if it were slyly planning something, waiting for its time to strike.

    Exiting the bathroom, she found herself standing before the older orange haired woman.

    Sharp eyes slashed into the small girl as Chloe shrivelled under her gaze.

    ¡°If only you hadn¡¯t existed. Trash.¡± The older woman spat, kicking the girl in her stomach, sending her to the floor in a fit of disgust before she sucked her teeth and entered her room.

    Waves of pain assaulted Chloe, who struggled to get up from the floor. The black figure aided her by pulling Chloe up.

    <hr>

    The same crimson tower, neon green rain and monolithic obsidian eyes in an endless black sky.

    Whilst on top of the tower, the black figure spoke with some semblance of fluency.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t yo..u like it i..f you could f¡­eel like thi..s i..n real lif.ee~?¡± it queried, sitting next to Chloe on the edge of the tower.

    Orange orbs met an obsidian pair before staring down towards the city below.

    ¡°Freedom like I¡¯m falling? I¡­ I wish I could be useful. Not¡­ trash¡­ Why did I have to be born?¡± Chloe solemnly questioned, now looking up to the pair of eyes, back against the damp metallic roof, the cold spreading into her body.

    Her eyes drooped down as a few beads of tears combined with the rain, mixing in with the crimson roof.

    ¡°Then jump~, jump!¡± it giggled in response, as if it¡¯d been waiting to hear those words come from her mouth.

    Chloe looked towards the city below and nodded in response.

    ¡°If I did this in real life¡­ I wonder if it¡¯d feel even better?¡± she mumbled, scratching her left arm whilst reminiscing of the ecstatic feeling, as if she had begun to suffer from some withdrawal effects of the pleasurable adrenaline.

    ¡°It wou..ld~~ Would!!¡± it reassured in a happy high pitched voice, making the small girl wonder how much it could warp its own voice.

    Standing upright on the roof, Chloe took a few steps back from the edge before dashing straight towards it and jumping off the tower.

    The adrenaline coursing through her veins, the feeling of the cold water hitting her body as she plummeted to the ground, the whistling wind hastily passing by her.

    ¡°Ah¡­..¡±

    ¡°This is the best.¡±

 C6 - Reality

    The rain was colder than it had been in her dreams.

    It melded into her skin, making her feel as if her whole body had been fully enclosed in ice.

    For the small girl who wore only a shirt and a jumper, the falling water did not bestow any mercy upon her.

    The black figure behind her seemed to be unfazed by the adverse conditions and, as usual, its beady black pupils were steadfast on following the small girl wherever she went.

    Looking towards the location she¡¯d chosen to use as her free-falling destination, Chloe made her way to the back of the building where a metal ladder awaited her arrival.

    The school she¡¯d been going to for a year or two was a good place to jump. Not only did she know the way to reach the roof, but the building also had three stories and so would surely give her some airtime to enjoy.

    Anything higher than that would surely be hard to reach the roof of as a ten-year-old.

    Stepping onto the slippery metal, her foot slid right off it, causing her to tumble to the floor with a groan, a simultaneous loud metallic groan sounding out from the ladder as if it were admonishing Chloe for her careless behaviour.

    The ladder was harder to climb than in had been in her dreams, the rusted material wailing out in pain as she slowly made her way up towards the roof.

    By the time she¡¯d made it up there, she was out of breath and her forearms burned from overuse.

    Rolling over onto the damp, hard concrete, Chloe stared into the dark blue sky.

    The sky looked better than in her dreams.

    No ominous pair of obsidian orbs peering down upon her, only a myriad of clouds and dark blue painted the canvas that was the sky.

    But then they appeared, two orbs blooming from the sky and staring down upon the tiny little girl with fervour.

    The navy-blue sky turned pitch black, rain becoming neon green.

    Although the rain still felt quite cold and damp, it lighted up in contrast to the black background, tumbling down to the ground before exploding into little green splotches.

    A black figure stood behind the little girl, it¡¯s eyes creasing upwards, seemingly in a jovial mood.

    And then the building turned crimson red. Starting from the place she was laid, the building became infected with the bright colour, spreading to all the surrounding towers.

    Struggling to push herself up, she moved over to the edge of the crimson tower, as she¡¯d done so many times before, a wonderous sight placed before her.

    A long drop, just like in her dreams.

    An endless pitch-black sky, just like in her dreams.

    Neon green rain, just like in her dreams.

    ¡°Do it. IT~~IT~!¡± the figure beckoned, staying dead-still as if not wanting to affect the potential outcome of the scenario unfolding before it.

    ¡®Perhaps, just like in my dreams, I¡¯ll wake up from this horrible dream. I¡¯ll wake up. My dad will be alive! My mother will be happy again!¡¯ hoped Chloe, her surging emotions calling out to her, pleading for her to wake up from the abhorred nightmare that had been the past two weeks.

    And then she did.

    Placing one foot over the edge of the tower, she shifted her weight onto that foot and fell of the edge.

    And there it was!

    That rush! The feeling of the rain on her back! It felt even better than in her dreams!

    Chloe shouted out in joy, ¡°How¡­ How wonde¡­..¡±

    Crack!

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    ¡°Aghhhh¡­ Aghhhh¡± screamed out the little girl, blood seeping out from her left leg onto the concrete below.

    As if magma had consumed her body, the little girl¡¯s shouts of pleasure soon turned into uncontrollable screams of pain, her body writhing upon the cold ground as crimson leaked from her leg.

    ¡®Why does it hurt so much? Why did I meet the ground so fast?¡¯ she furiously questioned as her eyes looked towards the source of the pain.

    She had made contact with the ground with her left leg first, leaving it in a bloody bent mess.

    No longer was the rain green, nor the buildings red, nor the sky black.

    No.

    This was not a dream.

    It was reality.

    And a cruel reality at that.

    One where everyone had abandoned her, even herself.

    Looking upwards to where she jumped off from, a black figure stood atop the roof it¡¯s eyes drooping down as if it were displeased with the outcome.

    And then the figure changed once again. Mikhael¡¯s face appeared where the figure¡¯s face had once been.

    ¡°Why? Why are yo¡­u still aliv..e? Alive, but I a..m not?¡± Mikhael screeched, his orbs staring at the small broken child in front of him.

    Chloe, delirious from the pain, thought that Mikhael had really appeared once again before her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to! It wasn¡¯t my fault, right dad?¡± she shouted out with all her might, afraid that the rain may interfere with her message.

    ¡°Fault? Of course it¡¯s yo..ur fault! If not for you¡­ I¡¯d still be alive~!¡± he screamed in anger, seeming annoyed that she¡¯d even bring up the preposterous idea that she were not a fault.

    His facial expressions seemed to conflict themselves, half of his face scrunched up in what seemed to be excruciating pain, whilst the other half furiously contouring into a hateful glare.

    Chloe looked up towards the dark blue sky, the unrelenting rain pelting down upon her frail body as she remembered the comments of her mother, the screams and kicks she received reinforcing the looming statement which had weighed heavy upon her fragile mind for the past two weeks.

    ¡°Ah¡­ Why am I still alive? A murderer like me?¡± she chocked out, scrunching her fists tightly, biting her lips in a futile attempt to stop herself from crying out due to the pain.

    And she even thought that this, the world she lived in, the world she killed in, was a cruel dream!

    The warm blood pooled around the girl, spreading warmth throughout her left fingertips as the crimson liquid dyed her little pail hand a deep shade of red.

    ¡®Ah, I shouldn¡¯t be alive.¡¯ She sombrely thought as she stared into the sky above.

    ¡°At least it won¡¯t be for long.¡± the dark voice concluded, before seemingly becoming severely agitated for some reason.

    A series of worried shouts sounded out, inaudible to the girl who solitarily shrieked in the rain.

    The little girl¡¯s eyelids fought against the sleepy feeling that washed over her as they shut tight, for what she thought was going to be the last time.

    <hr>

    Three years had passed since the attempt.

    Chloe never quite recovered from the injury she had caused herself, a large scar spanning half of her leg readily evident to whoever may wish to gaze upon it.

    At that time, the little girl was surprised to have opened her eyes again, doubly so considering where she found herself when she woke up.

    In a room which she had been visited at so many times when her father was still alive.

    Forced to stay in the room for over two weeks to ensure she wouldn¡¯t die due to the common cold she¡¯d caught due to being out in the rain, the little girl stared at the quiet figure for what seemed to be a century.

    The black figure seemed to be exhausted, choosing to stay quietly in the corner of the room throughout her stay.

    Although, that was not to say that her dreams were not unpeaceful.

    No, on the contrary, they only got worse.

    Instead of living the accident repeatedly in her own body, this time she was stuck in her father¡¯s body.

    Unable to move.

    Unable to think.

    Only able to experience the pain he felt.

    The sacrifice he made.

    For her.

    Perhaps that¡¯s what led to her not saying a word during her stay at the hospital. Nor for the last three years she¡¯d lived in this hell.

    Only pain and suffering existed for the little girl.

    Books were her only respite, but even then, it was only for a short moment.

    You see, not speaking at all in her school painted quite the bad reputation for Chloe.

    At first it was being called names, and then it became more physical.

    Hair pulling, pushing her to the floor, perhaps a slap or two depending on how they were feeling.

    However, Chloe never reacted to them. Rather, she chose to not fight back, stay still and not speak a word.

    She was never ¡°present¡±.

    The pain that she would feel during the night was nothing compared to what they put her through.

    Although Chloe¡¯s mental state was already in shambles and therefore unable to be damaged any further, that was not the case for her feeble body.

    Each slap that she took, every tumble to the floor she embraced, her body was slowly deteriorating in response to them.

    In the first place, she was a very frail girl. Coupled together with physical bullying, at home and at school, and the frequent self-harm that she engaged in, she wouldn¡¯t have much longer left to live.

    The older woman would never take her for the check-ups she was supposed to have, perhaps due to a lack of funds, or maybe due to the resentment she felt for the child.

    Speaking of her mother, she was rather tepid in attitude towards the little girl after her attempt.

    Thoughts such as, ¡®Was I the cause of this? Does such a small child deserve this sort of treatment?¡¯ floated around in her consciousness, persuading her to be nicer to the child for a short while.

    However, life is tough.

    That mindset soon broke down as she continued to work overtime, turning to alcohol as a coping mechanism which led to even worse beatings and verbal abuse.

    It seemed that the only ¡°friend¡± that she had was the black figure who always with her, just a few steps behind.

    Although it¡¯s words were harsh and full of venomous spikes, Chloe couldn¡¯t find fault in them.

 C7 - Mute

    Then everything changed.

    It was the start of a new academic year; Chloe having had to join a new school due to becoming a middle schooler.

    The new school was somewhat further away from her apartment than the last was, however Chloe didn¡¯t mind it so much.

    As to why? Well, that was because the middle school she had gotten into was quite the prestigious public school.

    Books, books, and more books.

    Chloe was a very studious student, a by-product of how much she would read. She didn¡¯t really care about the contents of what she read.

    Rather she found that by occupying her brain with so much new information, she¡¯d gradually forget all about her crooked reality.

    A bigger and better school meant a larger library and more books to read.

    There weren¡¯t any public libraries near Chloe¡¯s apartment, her previous school having a medium sized pile of books that, if one squinted their eyes, could just nearly be classified as a library.

    Furthermore, her old bullies hadn¡¯t made it into such a school. This meant that Chloe would be safe from being bullied.

    ¡°Only for a short while. It¡¯ll start again~~!¡±giggled the figure behind Chloe, their eyes disapprovingly piecing into the back of her head.

    The figure seemed to become more literate as time went on. Within the first year of its existence, it finally was able to start speaking without stuttering.

    Although Chloe found its new speaking pattern to be equally or even worse at times that it had been.

    Its freezingly grating tone supplemented by a few hysterical laughs or shouts.

    The more danger and pain, whether it be physical or mental, that Chloe was exposed to, the more the figure would talk and input it¡¯s sharp words into Chloe¡¯s mind.

    At this point, she¡¯d given up on the hope that one day it might go away, never to be seen again.

    To Chloe, everyone looked the same.

    They dressed the same, acted the same and hated her all the same.

    Or at least they would, given enough time.

    Perhaps it¡¯s in their nature to pick on the weak. Those who have little peace for themselves take it away from those who need it the most.

    Chloe wouldn¡¯t spend any effort to remember any of the appearances or names of any students.

    It wouldn¡¯t matter whether she knew who they were or not when they took their stress out on her.

    Reading a book whilst sitting in her desk, waiting for class to start, someone sat in the chair next to her.

    A boy. One with dark black hair, green eyes and a plethora of freckles dotted across his plump cheeks, sat down on a chair and let a sigh of relief out as he comfortably slouched.

    Then, looking around for people to talk to, he allocated the weight of his head onto his left palm and stared at the smaller of the two who was focusing on her book.

    A befuddled expression was splayed across his countenance, as if he were trying to recall some ancient memory of an event that happened a long, long time ago.

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    And then he recalled it, his brown coloured brows unfurrowing as he opened his mouth to speak.

    ¡°L¡­..Luu¡­.Haa¡­C¡­.. Caa¡­.. Chhhh¡­..Chloe. That¡¯s your name, right?¡± the boy questioned, his tone a confident one, as if he already knew what her answer would be, choosing to act as if he hadn¡¯t just sounded out a few syllables to see if the expression on her face had changed so as to confirm his answer.

    He waited a few seconds, time inching forward before continuing his conversation, a neutral look upon his visage.

    ¡°We met three years ago, at a funeral. Me and my father attended it and came over to greet you.¡± He continued, looking for any changes in the orange haired girl¡¯s facial expression.

    Lips pushed into a fine line, Aaron ruffled his black hair as he stared at the orange haired girl before him, chin supported by his left hand.

    ¡°You seem like quite the quiet type. Not talking and stuff.¡± He remarked, becoming a bit bored with the lack of response he achieved from the girl.

    Leaning over towards her, he gently poked her shoulder a few times, causing the girl to involuntarily flinch, jolting away from his finger, before slowly becoming accustomed to his incessant prodding.

    Moving her gaze over to the boy, as if questioning him as to why he¡¯d done such a thing, her lips tightened in displeasure.

    ¡°Ah, got your attention now, haven¡¯t I. The name¡¯s Aaron. Aaron Smith.¡± he proudly exclaimed, reaching his hand out towards the girl for a handshake.

    ¡°Same~~Same~! Same! To trust and be betrayed, how befitting!" the figure quickly spitted out, the usual accompanying hysterical fit of giggles lasting for a few seconds before growing quiet once again, choosing rather to fiercely stare at the boy¡¯s hand, eyes flickering back to the girl occasionally.

    Chloe looked at Aaron¡¯s hand, which by this point had been in the air for about fifteen seconds by now, before deciding to refocus on the book she was reading.

    Aaron let out a little sigh as he saw the girl seemingly ignore his words and actions, choosing to look around the classroom for someone else to talk to.

    ¡°See! He doesn¡¯t actually want to talk to you~~!¡±it giggled in delight, causing Chloe to wince at its unpleasant voice and try even harder to once again lose herself in the abyss that was the infinite knowledge that books contained.

    ¡°If only he¡¯d just leave me alone¡­ that¡¯d leave me with more reading time¡­¡±she mentally grumbled.

    <hr>

    Their interactions over the next few days were similar to what had come before them. Aaron would greet her in the morning, ask a few meaningless questions and then give up once he would get no reaction from her.

    The fact that she was a mute spread quickly after she didn¡¯t speak even when threatened with punishment by a teacher, which made him a bit more understanding as to why she wouldn¡¯t talk to him.

    Nevertheless, Aaron thought that the least she could do would be to at least acknowledge him with a simple nod or something along the lines of that.

    When he¡¯d finally managed to grasp her attention, sometimes he even felt that she looks right past him, at something else behind him.

    But when he¡¯d look for that thing, nothing but air was to be found.

    Perhaps the only thing he¡¯d managed to learn about the mute was that in order to get her attention, it was best to bring up the subject about which she was reading at the time.

    Only that would maintain her attention for periods of time longer than ten or so seconds.

    But then her reaction to him changed.

    By the time, about two weeks had passed since the start of the school term and the bullying had started to ramp up into a noticeable habit.

    A group of three girls had been leading the attacks, mainly consisting of name calling and slight shoving, nothing which the orange haired girl hadn¡¯t experienced before.

    However, what she hadn¡¯t experienced before was someone standing up for her.

    Aaron, lax as usual, wouldn¡¯t stand for the three picking on Chloe.

    He couldn¡¯t understand what she¡¯d done to warrant their negative attention but had decided that the mute would probably be unworthy of such horrible treatment and thus had elected to shield her whenever possible.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what someone has done, you shouldn¡¯t treat someone like this!¡± he would proclaim.

    Standing in front of the girls when one of them was going in to push her, calling them out on their behaviour when they started to name call, Aaron¡¯s actions single-handedly stopped the progression of the trio¡¯s animosity.

    Well, that wasn¡¯t completely true.

    Aaron wasn¡¯t always with Chloe and unfortunately there were times where she¡¯d have to put up with what cards life dealt her, as she¡¯d done her whole life.

    ¡°That one is quite a fun book isn¡¯t it! Thomas¡¯s fight against the grievers was my favourite part. Yours?¡± Aaron asked, his nonchalant tone revealing that he had no expectation that he¡¯d achieve an answer from his silent companion.

    Chloe blankly looked towards the boy who was quite a bit taller than her before pausing to think for a few seconds.

    ¡°I like the escape sequence.¡± A shaky voice mumbled, attention immediately returning to the book they were reading.

    ¡°Yeah, that part was pretty goo¡­¡± Aaron replied, his speech cutting off in the middle of his sentence as his expression turned blank, slowly turning over to face the frail girl.

    Analysing Chloe¡¯s expression, which appeared as though it was a day no different from the rest, Aaron smiled and continued speaking.

    He always knew that she¡¯d open up to him eventually.

 C8 - Liquor

    ¡°My father has been bugging me to invite you over for some food. Apparently, he was quite good friends with your father and wanted to check up on how you were getting along.¡±

    The small orange haired girl looked up from the book that was loosely held within her hands and looked over to Aaron.

    Chloe¡¯s expression stiffened for a few moments, then quickly returning to normal as she thought about the proposal for a few seconds.

    Going over to Aaron¡¯s house would give her an excuse to delay her return home for as long as possible.

    Even though that woman usually didn¡¯t arrive home until late, even being in that apartment was an arduous task for the small girl.

    The whole abode was chock-full of painful recollections for Chloe, and the lurking black figure certainly wouldn¡¯t give her a moments rest by vividly reminding her of those memories.

    Staying outside of the apartment wasn¡¯t really an option for the frail child who was weak to the elements and lacked the energy to move around much.

    Chloe stared at Aaron before giving a small nod in response to his invitation, resulting in a beaming smile blooming upon his visage.

    The small orange haired girl had been enjoying her experience at the new school she had been attending, finding the material to be a definite improvement from what she was taught at her previous institution.

    Furthermore, thanks to the boy sitting next to her, the number of unpleasant experiences caused by her classmates had certainly dwindled indeed.

    It wouldn¡¯t have been an exaggeration to say that Chloe trusted the kind Aaron more than any other person as of current.

    After the school day had ended, Chloe met up with the black-haired boy and began their walk towards his house, which happened to be in the same direction as her apartment was.

    Although, it wasn¡¯t nearly as far as her abode was.

    Whilst they walked together, Aaron made no waste of the time he had with her, rambling on about a few series that he¡¯d recently read and which parts he liked and disliked, Chloe sometimes nodding in agreement with what he had to say.

    Just like when she was reading books, listening to the boy¡¯s words had enlisted her into a calm state, her past trauma forgotten about for a short moment.

    Slowing himself down to match her pace was also something Chloe appreciated. Having a weak body combined with her left leg¡¯s previous injury, which had left her with some residual pain, her walking pace was certainly not up to par with normal people.

    Around ten minutes of talking later, they approached a medium sized house prompting Aaron to reach into his bag¡¯s pockets and pull out the door key.

    The front yard had been neatly taken care of and a few colourful plants placed beside the door helped make the house look more vibrant from the outside.

    Compared to Chloe¡¯s concrete complex, the difference was like night and day.

    The moment the bright blue door swung open; Chloe started to realise how unnatural her life had been up until this point.

    <hr>

    A pail whine shrieked from a rusty metal door which slowly crept open to reveal a small apartment.

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    The sun behind the girl leaked into the gloomy space, vanquishing the darkness which had taken hold over her place of residence.

    Shards of glass and clothes haphazardly laid on the ground, stains of all colours littering the grey walls as a laugh track sounded out from just around the corner.

    Soon to be enveloped in darkness, Chloe closed the door behind her, tinkering with the door lock until she heard a small little click.

    Moving further into the apartment, she was careful not to accidentally step on the brown and green fragments which ignorantly sat proud upon the floor, unaware of the several injuries they had caused in their short lifespan.

    Having had taken of her shoes at the front door, lest she track mess into the house and face the older woman¡¯s drunk fury, she made sure to carefully choose which floor panels to step on to ensure no painfully loud wooden groans would be evoked from them.

    One look into the apartment allowed Chloe to piece together the situation inside the abode.

    A figure was slumped over on the couch in front of a bright tv set that had yet to be turned off, accompanied by faint snoring.

    A comedy show had been running in the background, each time a punchline came along a pail hand would ebb up and down as the old woman let out a shrill giggle followed by the snoring that Chloe was used to hearing.

    Cans and bottles of beer surrounded the couch, all empty, sending Chloe into high alert.

    The black figure behind her came close to her shoulder, and tightly gripped it reminding her of the several occasions she¡¯d been caught.

    Blood was not an unusual sight to see dripping down her body, the sight of a broken middle-aged woman focusing all her efforts on kicking the small girl curled down on the floor as hard as she possibly could.

    In fact, there were many of such war scars that remained upon the floor to this day, making it look like as if jam had been smeared haphazardly across it in some places.

    Several times had Chloe been sent to sleep, a radiating pain surrounding her abdomen as the hysterical giggles of the black figure that stood behind the older woman flooded into her ears.

    Just the thought of those times had Chloe rubbing her stomach due to phantom pain surging from her abdomen.

    It seemed as though the older woman¡¯s shifts had ended early, much to the young girl¡¯s horror, resulting in the before mentioned scenario.

    As Chloe made progress towards her room, she accidentally stood on a new piece of glass piercing into her right foot, resulting in a few muffled high-pitched grunts of pain, small hands covering her mouth in an attempt to stay as muted as possible.

    Looking over to the old woman, it seemed as though she hadn¡¯t woken up from Chloe¡¯s small outburst causing her to release a sigh of relief.

    Peering down towards her foot, she took in a sharp breath before pulling out the 3 or so centimetre shard out, a web of blood seeping down it before dripping upon the floor.

    Softly placing it towards the side of the corridor, making a mental note of where it was for next time, she moved onwards towards her room, wincing every time she used her right foot.

    Slowly pushing open her door, she heard a series of groans erupting from behind her followed by the woman sitting up and looking up towards the small girl before a torrent of slurred words flew out her mouth.

    ¡°Bring him back! Mikhail! My Mikhail! Why did you take him away from me?¡± She cried out, her voice breaking at the end as tears welled up in the corner of her grey orbs, fingers gradually forming into balls.

    Seeing that she¡¯d woken up, Chloe started to sprint towards her door, not caring to avoid any other fragments that laid in her path, for a more dangerous future would present itself before her if she could not get into her room quick enough.

    When the older woman was in such a drunken stupor, there was only one good ending for Chloe, to lock herself in her room until the older of the two had sobered up.

    The older woman frantically looked at her surroundings, realising that she wouldn¡¯t catch up to the small girl before she got away.

    Grasping a half empty bottle of beer, she threw the bottle towards the girl, successfully landing a blow upon her frail figure.

    The glass bottle smashed into pieces upon Chloe¡¯s left shoulder just before she managed to get into her room, a loud yelp escaping from her mouth prompting her to bite her lip in order to remain as quiet as possible.

    Her elder didn¡¯t like it when she cried out in pain, stating that Mikhail must have felt much more than what she¡¯d inflicted upon the child, and that she was being ungrateful that she was still alive.

    Hastily closing the large door behind her, Chloe quickly turned the lock as another bottle hit the other side of the door, making the orange haired girl quiver in surprise.

    Slumping down next to the door, the small orange haired girl whimpered as she saw the few fragments of glass that one again had become embedded in her shoulders and feet.

    But at least it was better than being ¡°rewarded¡± with another beating.

 C9 - Comparison

    Aaron had seen his own share of sadness within his short lifespan.

    At the age of three, his mother passed away from giving birth to his little sister, Camila.

    Even during the hardship that was losing the mother of your two children, Aaron¡¯s father steadfastly ensured to provide a good environment for his offspring to develop in.

    They lived in a two-story house which had four total bedrooms, to which each respective resident had their own room, the last bedroom being used as his father¡¯s office.

    Camelia, who was now eight, always clung to her older brother, perhaps due to the lack of motherly affection that Aaron somewhat provided in the form of the abundance of attention he allocated to her.

    Hearing the door open, the little brown-haired girl burst out of her room and popped her head from the banister of the second floor to greet her brother who had come home from school.

    Camelia¡¯s school was closer than Aaron¡¯s was to their house, ensuring that she¡¯d always come home before her older counterpart.

    To her surprise, it wasn¡¯t only her older brother that she saw at the entrance to their abode like usual, but a girl that was just a bit taller than herself resided beside him.

    Heavy clothes clung to the orange haired girl¡¯s body, covering all the skin that would usually be visible around the neck, arms, and legs. Only her face was not covered by layers of cloth.

    Furthermore, the girl didn¡¯t look to be in the best physical condition, strained breathing and furrowed eyebrows alerting Camelia to the fact that perhaps this new acquaintance of her brother¡¯s was not physically fit, unwell or had sustained an injury of some sorts.

    Aaron looked towards Chloe, telling her to leave her shoes by the door and then proceeding to shout something upstairs.

    ¡°Dad! Chloe¡¯s come round for dinner!¡± he shouted, hoping that his voice would reach his father¡¯s ears behind his closed door.

    A few seconds passed before a figure appeared behind a door, one that looked like an older clone of Aaron, long black hair hiding a pair of green eyes which looked towards the small girl with worry.

    ¡°Chloe! Look at how you¡¯ve grown all up! Mikhael would be so proud!¡± he exclaimed, a toothy grin exploding onto his face.

    Just then, a series of cackles erupted from behind the small girl, reminding her that she had forgotten about the figure¡¯s existence for the better part of the last thirty minutes before it appeared once again.

    ¡°Proud of a criminal~! A murderer!" it groaned out, the cackles growing louder until it had become a full-on scream of laughter, it¡¯s voice cracking everyone in a while.

    Whilst the two were conversing, Aaron had been looking towards Chloe¡¯s small figure and the abundance of clothes she had been wearing.

    ¡°You know, you can take those off now that we are inside.¡± He proposed, pointing towards a few wall hooks that she could place her clothes.

    Chloe looked towards the hooks, and then back towards Aaron before tightly clutching the clothes she was wearing, clearly showing that she heavily disliked the idea.

    The older man slowly descended from the second floor and ruffled Chloe¡¯s long orange hair, a small smile present upon his worn features.

    ¡°Aaron, make sure to get along well with Chloe! I hope you find his company enjoyable.¡± Aaron¡¯s father stated before retreating into his office to continue his work.

    ¡°Camelia, come down and greet out guest.¡± Sighed out Aaron as he glanced towards the crouched girl that was attempting to hide atop of the staircase.

    The small brunette shuffled a bit before squeaking out a small, ¡°hello¡±, small hazel eyes piercing towards Chloe, orbs widening when she¡¯d realised that her staring had lasted longer than she¡¯d originally planned.

    ¡°Sorry about her, she¡¯s a bit shy when it comes to new people.¡± Lamented Aaron, who put his hand on his head and let out a sigh.

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    Scaling the staircase, Chloe following behind, Aaron led her into his own room, a neon green door smoothly rotating open to reveal his living quarters.

    The room clearly had a green colour scheme to it, one particular object located in the corner of the room drawing Chloe¡¯s attention.

    An isolated black piano, which looked like it had been well taken care of, defied the usual green colours which were splayed across his room.

    Seeing Chloe¡¯s eyes looking towards the majestic musical instrument, he let out a small sigh as if he were remembering a sad memory before he spoke, a melancholic tone laced within his words.

    ¡°It was my mother¡¯s last wish for me to play the piano. Although I don¡¯t play that much nowadays anyway, just enough for me to maintain my skills.¡± He explained, quickly shifting his attention to the pair of bean bags that were placed in the middle of the room.

    Throwing his bag onto his bed, he slumped onto one of the green beanies on the floor and grabbed two controllers, turning on the console in the process.

    ¡°Sit down, let¡¯s play some games!¡± he exclaimed, an infectious smirk spanning his visage.

    Copying his movements, Chloe lowered her bag to the floor and sat down on the comfortable seat.

    A medium sized tv turned on, a flurry of colours exploding onto the screen, ¡°Smash Bros¡± appearing in the middle of the screen as a glorious soundtrack started to filter into the air.

    Looking down towards the controller she now had within her hands, she peered at the different buttons and sticks with a confused face.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never played. How do I use this thing?¡± she queried, waving around the controller that she had in her left hand in the air, before wincing and grabbing her left shoulder.

    Leaning forward, Aaron opened one of the compartments of the wooden furniture that the TV was sitting on top of, rummaging around in the messy container before pulling out a movement manual and passing it over to Chloe.

    ¡°Choose a character that you like the look of and then read about their moves and the buttons that correspond to that action. For reference, I play the dude with the two short swords.¡± He explained, handing over a thick booklet which contained all the types of characters, moves, counters and more.

    Looking through the character list, none of them interested the small girl who instead decided to pick out a random character, proceeding towards the actions page before absorbing the information that was laid out there.

    By the time Aaron has set up the configuration of the game and loaded into a match, Chloe confidently picked up the controller, believing to have a decent understanding of the game.

    However, it only took Aaron less than two minutes to absolutely crush Chloe, without her even being able to take a single life off him.

    The whole time Chloe, who thought she¡¯d learnt how to do the combos that were listed upon the booklet, was looking down towards her controller, slowly tapping the buttons resulting in the inability to execute anything resembling a combo.

    Chloe grimly looked down towards the controller and inwardly thought that this turned out to be harder than she initially had thought. Her small fingers found it hard to navigate the controller, each button press much slower than what Aaron could do.

    Nevertheless, Chloe took the initiative to load the next match and continue onwards.

    Aaron was happy to find someone who seemed to like played his favourite game as much as himself, Chloe not complaining even after being wiped out several times in a row.

    Slowly, she was getting the hand of using the controller, but it became even more clear that Aaron had invested a substantial amount of time into perfecting his movement and abilities.

    Before long, a loud voice sounded out from the first floor, announcing that their food was ready. Chloe looked out of the window, surprised to see that it had already became dark out.

    Descending the stairs, she was surprised to see that the two other residents had already taken their seats at the table, waiting for the other two to arrive before starting their meal.

    Unlike the half-cooked food that the older woman would sometimes cook, the meal that before her tasted unimaginably good, especially to the fragile girl who was constantly suffering from malnutrition.

    The cheerful environment of the three family members talking about how there day was a far cry from the life Chloe had lived up to now.

    Why was her life so much different from theirs?

    ¡°You already know the answer to that.¡± the figure solemnly spoke.

    The cold air nipped at Chloe¡¯s face as she solemnly walked home, partly in shock after what she had just experienced.

    She didn¡¯t want to have to go back to that apartment.

    Aaron¡¯s father had offered to drive her back, but Chloe declined, saying that her house wasn¡¯t too far by foot.

    How long would her life be like this? Would it ever become something like what Aaron had? That warmth?

    Probably not.

    ¡°Not for a murderer like you~!¡±the figure smiled, giggling behind the girl.

    Opening the door to the apartment, Chloe saw the older woman sitting on a chair next to a table, her hands knitted, a slightly worried expression evident upon her visage.

    Seeing the small child enter the apartment, she crudely shouted at Chloe.

    ¡°Where have you been?¡±

    Chloe looked down towards the floor of the apartment before quietly mumbling, ¡°Mr Smith¡¯s house. His son invited me over.¡°.

    This small bit of information seemed to greatly enrage the older woman; a frown quickly being displayed upon her countenance.

    ¡°Oh? So, while I was working in order to deal with the position you put me in, you¡¯re off playing with a boy, enjoying yourself?¡± she questioned, standing up from her seat and walking over to the girl.

    A crisp sound erupted as the older woman slapped Chloe across the face, and then once again with the back of her hand this time.

    ¡°You disgusting, ungrateful fucking bitch!¡± she screeched, staring into Chloe¡¯s eyes for a few seconds before entering her room.

    Only one thought passed through Chloe¡¯s thoughts, ¡®At least it was only a few slaps.¡¯.

 C10 - Arcade

    Aaron closed his eyes and tuned out the several music tracks which merged together, attempting to flood into his ears and jumbling up his thoughts in order to distract him from the task at hand.

    Gathering his focus, the black-haired boy tightened his grip before he slammed down the plastic hammer with all that he could muster in his body before letting gravity do the rest of the work as his hands slightly shifted down closer to the bottom of the hammer.

    Feeling a jolt in his hands he quickly diverted his attention towards the point metre, where he saw a green line slowly creep up the metre, passing the 75% point, and, as if it had suddenly grown hands, continuously hoisting itself up the remaining distance.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to get it this time!¡± a high-pitched sounding voice mumbled out in astonishment, their slender fingers point towards the increasing metre as it slowly reached the top.

    Reaching the very top of the metre, a loud ringing melody crescendoed from the two speakers located next to the game booth, tickets triumphantly flooding out from a little slit on the side of the booth, slowly accumulating upon both of their feet as if congratulating them with a celebratory hug.

    Aaron and Chloe looked towards the ever-growing pile of tickets with bated breath, wondering how majestic it would look after it had finished printing out all of them.

    The small orange haired girl stole a glance towards her taller counterpart before letting out a small mischievous giggle.

    Suddenly her shoulders slumped down as if a heavy boulder sat atop of them, feeble hands aimlessly dangling before her, cascading hair hiding a little smirk which tugged upon the corners of her mouth.

    Turning towards the male, Chloe sighed slightly before quietly mumbling, ¡°When I play, I can¡¯t even get past 20%, not to mention 100%...¡°.

    Looking towards the seemingly crestfallen girl, Aaron raised his hand and ruffled the top of her long hair, a loud chuckle erupting from his mouth, lips parting into a knowing grin.

    ¡°It¡¯s all about technique, Chlo, technique!¡± he explained, leaving the pouting girl to moan alone.

    Stealing another glance towards Aaron, her orange orbs met his countenance, one hand covering a series of uncontrollable, yet muffled, chuckles followed by two green eyes which held steadfast upon her appearance, one eyebrow raised as if he was questioning how long she¡¯d continue with her act.

    Fa?ade breaking after seeing her plan wasn¡¯t going to work, the girl broke out of her burdened state and swiftly moved closer to Aaron whilst bowing her head.

    ¡°Aah, it doesn¡¯t matter whether I can do it or not! Gimmie some of those tickets~!¡± Chloe pleaded, her hands together above her head.

    A little scoff came from Aaron as he teasingly spoke, ¡°Nooopeee, they¡¯re all mine!¡°.

    Chloe whined in response, choosing to send a flurry of lethal attacks towards the taller boy¡¯s shoulder, an action which made the latter laugh at the futility of her actions.

    ¡°You might want to punch a little harder~, since I can¡¯t feel anything!¡± Aaron jeered, dodging her fists, and sending a soft flick towards Chloe¡¯s head, much to the girl¡¯s chagrin, as she held her forehead in mock pain, fiercely glaring at the boy.

    Both of them were now age 16 and, having been friends for the better part of 5 or so years, they had come to know each other very well.

    Having learnt early on that Chloe was quite physically weak due an illness she was born with at birth, Aaron made sure to physically poke fun at her at any opportunity that he got.

    It was currently the weekend before the new school term was set to start, the duo having joined a new school together.

    ¡°Arghh, you know what fine! 1v1 me! Winner takes the tickets! I¡¯ll let you pick what character I¡¯ll play and if I lose, I¡¯ll let you give me a dare.¡± Chloe proposed, a confident tone laced within her words.

    Aaron¡¯s expression lit up once he heard the small girl¡¯s words, his eyes slowly turning towards her before speaking in a serious voice, ¡°Any character?¡± he repeated, confirming her words.

    ¡°Yup, you heard me right, any character!¡± she reaffirmed, confidence still upon her brow as she held her chin up high.

    ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve got yourself a deal. There¡¯s a free booth over there!¡± Aaron agreed, quickly scanning the arcade¡¯s surroundings before spotting a free booth.

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Scuttling over to the console, Aaron popped in a pound coin and moved his character select cursor towards his usual dual short sword wielding assassin.

    Then he picked up Chloe¡¯s controller and scanned the list of characters, his eyes falling upon one character.

    This character had the worst time dealing with his main and would therefore give him the best chance at winning against that monster.

    Looking towards the character Aaron had picked, Chloe slowly let out a sad tut before spouting out a brief sigh, ¡°You never learn, do you?¡± she lamented, stretching out her finger and wrists whilst curving her back and letting out a satisfied hum.

    Barely two minutes had passed before the result of the game had been set in stone. Sweat laced Aaron¡¯s head as he stared motionlessly at the screen, gnashing his teeth, slumping down onto the floor in a despairingly shocked manner, as if he had thought that he would actually win.

    ¡°I only managed to take a single stock... I had the absolute advantage... You... You monster!¡± he dramatically cried out, looking towards the triumphant girl who was standing proud, taking the tickets that had been put in between them on the surface of the booth.

    ¡°I think that makes the score 458 to 2370, you haven¡¯t been able to beat me for three years straight!¡± she grinned, humming her favourite song from the game¡¯s soundtrack as she reached out her hand towards the solemn boy.

    Aaron looked up towards the small orange haired girl who was displaying a large toothy grin before laughing and then accepting her hand.

    Chloe put all her weight into pulling Aaron¡¯s hand but was unable to make him budge from the floor, her face flushed red as she shamefully fully exerted herself.

    ¡°Oh, come on Aaron! You gotta help me out here~!¡± Chloe whined, her emotions flustered as she looked towards the ground and shoved her hands into her pocket.

    The green-eyed boy let out a hearty laugh, as if he had just seen the funniest comedy routine in the world, before wiping the small tear drop that had appeared in the corner of his eyes.

    ¡°Sorry, sorry, but come onnnn~! You can¡¯t blame me! It¡¯s just too funny~.¡± He giggled, placing a hand on his stomach as he continued to laugh.

    Embarrassment quickly turned into anger as Chloe started to kick at the boy who had been laying on the ground near her shoe, unfortunately not achieving her goal of making him feel any sort of pain.

    Standing up, Aaron once again ruffled the small girl¡¯s orange hair before they walked off to the booth where they could exchange their tickets for a prize.

    ¡°How has your piano practice been going? I¡¯d love to hear the song that you¡¯ve been working on!¡± questioned Chloe, who walked in front of Aaron and tilted her head slightly, her hands held behind her back.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been going well, Camelia sometimes wonders into my room to have a listen and she seems to enjoy it.¡± He proudly responded, walking past the girl towards the prize booth.

    Chloe seemed somewhat perturbed by his lack of reaction to her pose, choosing to not mention it and continue the conversation, ¡°Eh, Camelia would like any sound if you were the one who played it.¡± She slyly pointed out.

    Reaching their destination, they took a gander at the prices on offer as they got greeted by the staff.

    Various prizes were being displayed, ranging from actual consoles to small pieces of candy.

    With the amount that the Aaron had won, and Chloe had stolen, she picked out a large poster which had all the characters from their favourite game on it, as well as the game¡¯s name in large bold letters.

    Chloe giddily exchanged the poster for the tickets, turning towards Aaron to boast about what she¡¯d gotten.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take a photo with it.¡± He suggested, his phone already held up and ready to take it.

    The orange haired girl seemed slightly puzzled at his lack of displeasure at losing his tickets but decided to push the matter towards the corner of her mind.

    The picture takes priority.

    Fitting herself below Aaron¡¯s tall stature, Chloe held out her hands to make two small peace signs whilst Aaron put his hand on top of her head and stuck out his tongue whilst taking the picture.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get it printed out for you, since you don¡¯t have a phone.¡± He matter-of-factly stated, looking at the photo for a few seconds before beginning to put it away in his pocket.

    Printing out the pictures they took together was something Aaron was quite used to doing and he had bought the tools required to do it at home by himself, after Chloe¡¯s several consistent pleas over the years.

    ¡°Wait a sec, lemmie see that picture.¡± Chloe asked, her hand reaching towards the boy in expectation that he¡¯d surrender the device to her.

    ¡°Sure¡± he replied, handing the phone over without hesitation.

    Looking down towards the picture, Chloe felt a warm feeling within her chest as she saw the two of them being so close together, Aaron¡¯s silly expression making her laugh slightly.

    But then that warmth quickly disappeared as soon as it had enveloped her, a frost cold ache seeping into her body as a towering figure stood hunched over behind the two.

    There it was. As usual. It appeared behind the small girl, so large that it could almost be mistaken as black wall.

    She clenched her fists tightly before looking behind her at the figure who was silently staring at Aaron before turning her attention back to the boy, shoulders drooped, and mood soured.

    However, just one look at her counterpart made Chloe feel as though her good mood had come back almost instantly, his figure focusing on the screen of someone else who was playing a game, staring intently as if he was the one playing.

    Spending time with him always helped Chloe get through anything she was troubled with.

    <hr>

    A sharp metal razor infected with a crimson glaze slid across Chloe¡¯s small shoulder as she swiftly inflicted a few shallow cuts, her shoulder quickly becoming dyed with the liquid as her expression remained motionless.

    A large black hand seemed to guide her hand as it slid across her body, the signature fit of giggles erupting from their figure as it controlled the small girl as if she was a marionette and it the puppet master.

    ¡°A few more for you, Pa.¡± she mumbled out, her orange hair covering her pail expression, eyes still and dry.

    Careful not to let any of the liquid drop onto the bathroom floor, Chloe flinched as the sound of another glass bottle smashing against a wall erupted from the living room followed by a song of drunken laughter.

    Regaining control two small orange orbs widened, figure trembling as she stared at the few red blobs which now called the floor their home.

 C11 - Piercing

    A disgruntled groan groggily slipped out of Aaron¡¯s mouth as a few rays of light leaked out from the window located above his bed, attacking his eyelids repeatedly.

    Left hand venturing over to his bedside table, Aaron repeated a pressing motion all across the table until a quaint beep sounded out, his now exhausted arm falling to the side of his bed.

    Staring towards the green slanted wall that hung over his bed, the green orbed boy placed a hand over his eyes, wondering if he really needed to get up.

    Finally sitting upright and running a hand through his messy black hair, a heavy sigh following his sluggish movement, his body slowly shuffled out of bed as he began to get dressed.

    ¡°I¡¯m so hungry¡­.¡±he cried, hand rubbing his stomach, hastening his movements in order to reach the kitchen as soon as possible.

    <hr>

    Exiting the house, he uncomfortably shifted in his clothes, wishing that he¡¯d washed them at least once instead of wearing them straight out of the packaging.

    Looking across the street both ways, he spotted a figure who had been squatting in order to pet an orange cat which seemed to be enjoying its time in the spotlight.

    Long black hair cascaded down a slim figure as several piercings located on their right ear caught Aaron¡¯s attention, making him wonder if the cold looking objects were uncomfortable to wear or not.

    Walking over to the girl, he spoke out in a soft tone careful not to frighten them.

    ¡°Hansel is his name.¡± Aaron paused, his left hand pointing towards the tubby cat which was sitting decadently upon a patch of grass located close to the pavement whilst simultaneously bathing in some sunlight.

    The figure paused for a few seconds before looking upwards to Aaron, a pair of crimson eyes looking towards him, taking in his features, and the clothes he was wearing before a small thanks left her lips, attention quickly being reassigned back to the fluffy animal before her.

    She had brown freckles dotted across her cheeks, and most notably a distinctly coloured pair of jewelled orbs which drew Aaron in; he¡¯d never seen anyone with such an eye colour before.

    The familiar logo embedded upon the breast pocket of the blazer she wore caught his attention, giving him another subject to talk about with her.

    ¡°My name is Aaron, yours?¡± his eyes staring into the side of her head as he waited for a response, lest he be ignored and left to stand still in silence.

    The girl let out a small ¡®oh¡¯, choosing to continue facing the cat whilst speaking.

    ¡°Lea, that¡¯s my name. Seems like we are wearing the same uniform?¡±

    Aaron moved his gaze from her face down to the uniform she was wearing, and then back to his clothes before nodding his head, ¡®Yup, the logos are 100% the same.¡¯ he thought, looking over to her dark coloured apparel for a bit too long before using his right hand to cover his face as he looked down towards the ground, slightly ashamed from his own actions.

    Quickly recovering from the small blunder he¡¯d committed just seconds ago, Aaron made up his mind to get to know the future schoolmate that had appeared before him.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t know someone could have red eyes, must be pretty rare, no?¡± he questioned, slightly tilting his head, eyebrow raised forming an inquisitive countenance, once again unconsciously taking in her sharp features whilst waiting for her reply.

    Lea let out a laugh and stood up, swivelling on her feet, now looking towards the boy as she put her left index finger below her left orb, pointing towards her iris.

    ¡°No, they aren¡¯t natural; I use coloured contacts. They look cool, don¡¯t they?¡± she explained, letting out a small laugh, looking over his features and committing his name to her memory.

    Aaron gazed at the girl, who was only slightly smaller than he, before nodding his head slightly, looking behind him to see that a certain orange haired girl had yet to appear.

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    ¡°Want to walk to school together? I¡¯d like to get to know you a bit better, since we¡¯re going to the same school and all.¡± He proposed, starting to walk towards the direction of the school whilst wondering if Chloe would be mad that he¡¯d left her alone today.

    Lea seemed to think about the proposition for a few seconds, looking towards the sun that was slowly rising into its prime position, the light from the object making her crimson irises shine as if they were a pair of rubies, before jogging a bit to catch up to her male counterpart.

    ¡°What school did you go to before this one? Private or Public?¡± Lea enquired, jogging past Aaron before starting to walk backwards to face the boy.

    ¡°Public. Me and a good friend of mine made it in through the public entrance exam.¡± He replied, thinking about the small orange haired friend of his.

    Aaron seemed to be about to speak once again before he heard his name being called out by a voice that seemed to be quite out of breath.

    Looking behind him, he saw the small orange haired girl that he was used to walking with in the morning, lifting a hand to greet her.

    ¡°Morning Chlo, did you sleep well?¡± asked Aaron, Lea looking towards the small girl and pieced together that she must be friend he¡¯d just mentioned.

    Chloe looked towards Aaron, thinking to herself that the outfit that he wore fit him very well, and then towards the black-haired girl that was standing next to him.

    ¡°You guys must be pretty smart if you got in through those exams, heard they¡¯re pretty hard. I came from the private sister school. Is this the friend you¡¯d mentioned?¡± she questioned, her crimson orbs taking in Chloe¡¯s appearance, her small stature contrasting her long, flowing, hair.

    ¡°Yeah, this is Chloe.¡± He replied, ruffling the small out-of-breath girl¡¯s hair.

    ¡°My name is Lea. Nice to meet you.¡± Lea curtly introduced herself, a small smile upon her countenance, as a slender hand reached out towards Chloe.

    The girl looked towards Lea¡¯s hand, shifting uncomfortably in her shoes before looking towards Aaron, her lips firmly pressed into a crumpled line, orbs begging for Aaron to help her.

    Aaron let out a small sigh, before explaining to Lea that the small orange haired girl didn¡¯t do well around those she hadn¡¯t known for long.

    Hiding behind her taller male counterpart, Chloe stared at Lea¡¯s metallic piercings, her obsidian black hair, and most frightening of all, those eyes. Those crimson red eyes.

    Lea looked towards the small figure that was now hiding behind Aaron before her features conformed into a small smile.

    ¡°She acts like a little cat.¡± Lea teased, slightly changing the angle at which she had been walking to get a better look at Chloe.

    Aaron nodded his head in approval before commenting, ¡°It took me quite some time before she started to talk with me; It may not look like it, but she¡¯s quite the feisty friend. Took the time to teach her a few things here and there and she boasts like no tomorrow when she beats me.¡±

    Lea seemed surprised to hear of Chloe¡¯s true personality, her smile widening by the second.

    ¡°So, what kind of things do you guys like to do? Personally, for me, it¡¯s art.¡± Lea questioned, looking towards the bright sun which had risen from its 12-hour nap.

    Chloe and Aaron looked at each other, before Aaron let out a large grin, ¡°We like games. All kind of games.¡±.

    ¡°Is that so? You¡¯ll have to invite me over to play a few rounds, although you¡¯ll have to forgive me, for I don¡¯t have much experience with such a pastime.¡± She proposed, her eyes shifting towards a few large graffiti that had covered a large wall to the left of her.

    Stopping beside the drawing, she stared towards one of the corners of it, where what seemed to be a hastily drawn tag had defiled the wall.

    A snarky grin snaked its way up onto her features as she proudly stood in front of the piece, as if it were one of her finest creations.

    Aaron and Chloe stopped walking, looking towards Lea who was stood still whilst looking towards the graffiti.

    The piece was full of a barrage of colours, depicting a large tower which had been graffitied, the background a canvas of white clouds and golden structures.

    Lea looked back towards the duo before thinking for a few seconds, equipping a proud grin as she swung out both of her hands, encasing the work of art, which could be seen behind her, within her grasp whilst facing the two of them.

    ¡°This one must have taken hours. Gruelling work graffiti is! They must have gotten found out just at the last moment, hence why the tag looks so messy in contrast to the rest of the piece!¡± she pridefully pieced together, taking in their impressed expressions.

    A smug grin graced her lips, eyes creasing upwards as she continued.

    ¡°Pieces like this are true art. Not that phony classical art that everyone praises. This is the type of art that speaks to oneself. It contains their deepest emotions, that are so beautiful one would dare not to erase them. At least, that¡¯s why this art is still standing. Probably.¡± She exclaimed, the words bursting out of her mouth as if she had kept them locked up for a long period of time.

    Aaron took a few seconds to say anything, shaking a bit after breaking free from what seemed to be a forced state of petrification from taking in the sight of Lea¡¯s jovial expression, nodding his head as he and Chloe took in the magnificent piece.

    Slightly out of breath from her recent outburst, Lea took in a few deep breaths, looking towards the pair in a satisfied manner before continuing onwards towards their school, beckoning the two to catch up.

    The small orange haired girl was the last to leave the piece. It felt quite similar to some graffiti she¡¯d seen before.

 C12 - Prejudice

    A decrepit corpse unstably stood upon an injured skyscraper, monolithic groans of pain echoing throughout the air from the leaning concrete giant.

    Chloe stood opposite the figure, green rain slowly drizzling upon the both of them as she slowly took off the shirt that she was equipped with.

    A series of high-pitched chuckles sounded out from the corpse, as it peered at the abundance of scars that dominated her body, almost like a gallery of gruesome graffiti chiselled into her flesh and blood.

    ¡°More! Do you think that just cutting yourself a little bit is anything close to the eternal pain with which you have burdened me with? Criminal! Repent!¡± It screeched out, charging towards the small girl as the corpse dashed down the slanting skyscraper.

    It bent down to pick up an iron rod that solemnly laid atop of the rusted metal surface, causing the figure to stumble across the roof due to the wet surface, resulting in the bloodied figure tackling the small girl off the side of the tower.

    *Bam*

    As the corpse collided with Chloe, the little girl became winded, gasping for breath as the two figures plummeted towards the hell below them.

    Feeling a burning sensation stemming from her abdomen, she looked to see that a metal pipe had been lodged in her stomach, a cruel grin shaped expression evident on the corpse, as if it were proud of its handiwork.

    Closing her eyes, Chloe felt the calming whistling of the wind passing by her at breakneck speeds envelop her ears before as a series of deranged screams combined with a surge of pain exploding throughout her body as they both contacted the floor headfirst.

    <hr>

    A chorus of heavy pants erupted from the small girl as she throttled awake in her small bed.

    Body feeling as though it had been enveloped in a thick layer of sticky sweat, Chloe used her hand to rest her head on as she collected her breath for a few brief moments.

    The girl couldn¡¯t remember the last time she had anything but a nightmare when she closed her eyes.

    Looking at the binder sitting upon her bedside table, Chloe looked at the photos that she and Aaron had taken together over the past three years, most of the pictures torn here and there whilst some of the more recent photos including an extra third person as her breathing slowly calmed.

    Turning the faucet on, hot water poured out of shower head and seeped into her body, causing a flurry of pain to once again assault the small girl.

    Looking down at her body, vision partially obscured by her long and unruly orange hair, what seemed to be thousands of cuts had called her body home.

    The girl held a small razor in her right hand, her left wrist jutted out as she placed the razor atop of her veins.

    The pain wouldn¡¯t last long. At least not longer than what she¡¯d felt over the past few years.

    ¡°Hmph. You call that pain? Do it! DO IT! END IT ALL!¡± the figure beside her commanded, its hand grabbing onto Chloe¡¯s right wrist and pushing it into her left wrist.

    Cutting in such a visible place, ignoring the lethal side effect, would signify the end of everything which she held dear to her, her friendship with Aaron and now, Lea.

    If they saw what kind of things she had done, then there was no doubt in her mind that she¡¯d be all alone once again.

    Blood started to trickle down her wrist as her resistance slowly became futile, her teeth biting onto the corner of lips as she thought back to all the times she¡¯d laughed with Aaron.

    All the good memories.

    She¡¯d thought that starting a new school would result in more bullying once again. Especially so considering how both of them had come from a public school, unworthy to attend their current educational facility.

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    However, Chloe had quickly learned that Lea wasn¡¯t one to be trifled with.

    <hr>

    A series of pristine white walls covered the empty room which Chloe had just been dragged into by a series of classmates, some female and some male.

    ¡°Are you looking down on us? Huh? Is that why you aren¡¯t talking to anyone else Aaron?¡± one brown haired girl spat out, kicking Chloe in the knee causing her to fall to the ground in the middle of the room.

    ¡°So, what if he¡¯s a little good looking? After I¡¯m done with you, he¡¯ll be next!¡± a male voice joined in, letting out a triumphant laugh as he peered down at Chloe who was cradling her recently kicked knee.

    Chloe flicked her head up, shooting the boy who had said the comment a sharp glare before receiving a heavy slap than spun her head and thrusted her to the floor once again.

    ¡°Filth. How dare you look at me with such eyes!¡± a tall blonde named Nathanial spurted out in a fit of rage, going in for a few more kicks before retreating once again and appreciating his handiwork as if it were a piece of art.

    Chloe had been left on the floor, beads of tears seeping from her orbs as she grasped at her stomach and arms which had been used to block the flurry of blows.

    And just when the group were about to continue, the door flung open, followed by Lea who confidently strode out, mobile in hand.

    ¡°So, which one of you assholes wants to get expelled first?¡± she exploded into a controlled fit of rage, lifting the phone up slightly before then pointing towards the injured girl who laid still upon the floor.

    A few of the lads who seemed to be on the stronger side of things readied their bodies, as if they were planning to rush the girl all at the same time before Lea spoke out once again.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already sent the footage to somewhere else, you won¡¯t get anything by trying to take my phone away. Just face it, you¡¯re all fucked.¡± She confidently stated, looking slightly pissed at the fact that they had even thought that such a simple tactic would work.

    The group shifted, unsure of how to proceed before the boy who had dealt the most damage stood forward, an uneasy look splayed across his face.

    ¡°Lea, you¡¯re one of us¡­! Why are you standing up for this¡­ this filth? Just hand over the footage, and we¡¯ll all be buddy buddy again.¡± Nathanial anxiously stated, the students behind him nodding their head eagerly in response to his suggestion, a few murmurs erupting from the crowd for her to hand over the footage.

    ¡°One of you lot? Please, I¡¯ll never be ¡°buddy buddy¡± with your group and you know it. Now, you have one of two options. Risk getting expelled or grovel before the one you call filth and never even go so far as to breath the same air as her again!¡± she firmly stated, flashing a wide grin towards Chloe.

    The group uncomfortably shifted their gaze towards the girl below them, a fit of silence enveloping the students.

    Suddenly a student broke the pact, kneeling before Chloe and apologising, before hastily leaving the room under the group¡¯s fiery gaze.

    Nathanial¡¯s countenance turned grim as his group apologised one by one until he was the only one left to apologize.

    Turning to Lea, he bit his lip before speaking, ¡°You don¡¯t have any footage, do you? You¡¯re bluffing, I can see it clear as day. Even if by some miracle you do have the footage, with my father¡¯s power there is no way you can get me expelled.¡± He rambled, attempting to find any way out of this situation.

    Lea let out a loose laugh before firing back, ¡°Bluff you say? Is that so. Well, Chloe over here does say that I frequently make miracles happen, don¡¯t you Chloe?¡± she quipped, looking over to Chloe, seeing that the girl was nodding furiously in agreement.

    ¡°Although I may not be able to get you expelled, ruining you and your father¡¯s image will be enough of a repayment.¡± She added, a cruel smirk displaying her cynical confidence graced her features as her crimson eyes creased up into a smile of their own.

    Nathanial thought for a few seconds, his foot tapping hastily against the concrete floor before letting an expletive loose and getting on his knees to apologize.

    Leaving the room with such haste that Lea was sure his speed could have broken a world record or two, she walked over to Chloe, offering a hand towards the girl to help her stand up.

    Chloe peered at her, analysing her confident expression, the sharp red contacts enhancing her fierce appearance.

    The small orange haired girl grabbed onto Lea¡¯s hand, quickly being lifted upwards until she could once again stand on her own.

    ¡°Thanks for the help¡± Chloe mumbled out, brushing off her uniform as she rubbed her bruised stomach.

    Lea stood in front of Chloe for a few seconds, a dumbfounded look dominating her countenance as a goofy grin quickly developed.

    ¡°No problem, besides I never had any footage the whole time anyways. Some say that had I not chose to be an artist, I would have been the next big acting superstar!¡± Lea grinned, exploding into a tight hug, lifting Chloe into the air for a few seconds before she finally let her down a bit.

    The small orange haired girl seemed to be at a loss of words after being on the receiving end of all this friendly affection, once again going back to her mute self.

    <hr>

    Just like Aaron had all those years ago, Lea had done the same. Perhaps she¡¯d become as much as a friend to Chloe as Aaron was currently.

    Feeling a surge of willpower, the small girl yanked the rusting razor away from her left hand, resulting in a shriek being emitted from the dark creature beside her.

    Relief flooded into the girl¡¯s head as she slowly slunk down onto the bottom of the shower as she relished the soft pitter pattering of the shower.

    *CRACK*

    The sudden sharp sound of a bottle breaking rendered any left-over calmness Chloe had in her system naught as a loud shout shrouded her world once again in darkness.

 C13 - Entranced

    Light shone through a set of expensive looking glass panels, illuminating a figure sitting next to an easel.

    Every few seconds or so, the sound of a brush meeting the canvas would sound out, interrupted by a slew of silence before the next action would be carried out.

    Long matte black hair bathed in the sunlight as a scene was being constructed.

    A well-kept straw-roofed cottage took up half the space on the canvas, the background filled to the brim with dense foliage and tall spruce trees.

    Thick layers of snow covered the location, leaving a faint outline of where a worn stone path leading out of the cottage had once been, some small mossy stones slightly poking out from its white captor¡¯s grasp.

    Through a small window, a flurry of red and orange could be seen, depicting a small fireplace which gave a sense of life to the motionless building which had been chained to the ground by gravity.

    One thin ray of sunlight had persevered throughout the ruthless layer of brown and grey leaves, hitting the snow and causing it to melt slightly, graciously enabling an insignificantly looking yellow flower to bloom, the first of many to come.

    A heavy sigh left the picturesque girl¡¯s red lips as she moved her wrist to leave a signature in the bottom right-hand corner of the piece, signalling the start of a round of applause from the two who had been watching Lea¡¯s movements for what had seemed to be an eternity.

    Lea looked over to Aaron and Chloe, a small smile gracing her countenance before she refocused on the scene she had just painted.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been painting ever since I could pick up a brush; My parents are usually not the stubborn type, however on this particular subject there was no room for discussion.¡± She lamented, picking up the artwork and moving it over to a wall decorated with similar pieces.

    ¡°This talent of mine has never brought much good for me.¡± Lea sighed, stepping back a few paces after she¡¯d adorned the wall with her newest piece and appreciating the thirty or so of them.

    Aaron was looking towards the ground, rubbing his hand behind his head as he commented, ¡°Exceedingly beautiful.¡±.

    Throughout the hour or so they had been allotted for lunch, his eyes were always on Lea¡¯s form. Watching carefully as to the care which was embedded with each and every stroke with which the black-haired girl had graciously allocated to the canvas which greedily devoured every action.

    The crimson orbed friend of his attempt to set apart herself from the art that hung behind her as clear as day.

    On one side was a black-haired girl that tailored her appearance to be in stark contrast to the art which she crafted, even going as far as to wear metal piercings and red contacts.

    On the other side were a gallery of serene and pure stokes of paint which culminated into a quiet and confirmative piece of art which soothed one¡¯s soul.

    Aaron had thought that Lea looked more excited about the graffiti that they had seen a week or two ago than her own piece of work, looking at it with what seemed to be a hint of happiness in her jewelled orbs.

    Looking up in awe at the artwork that had been placed upon the wall before her, Chloe had been fascinated by the finished products and the techniques and care that had been wantonly poured into it, subsequently not having noticed Aaron¡¯s somewhat odd behaviour that he¡¯d been displaying.

    Chloe looked down to her small wrist, wondering if she could ever create something with such meticulous intent.

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    ¡°You should come with me and Chloe to the arcade today! You seem to have enjoyed it the last time the three of us went together.¡± Aaron suggested, a goofy grin growing upon his face as he imagined miraculously beating Chloe under Lea¡¯s encouragement.

    Lea looked towards Aaron and then over to Chloe, who was rigorously focused upon her art, before letting a smile leak out onto her face and jovially agreeing.

    <hr>

    The dingy neon lights which spelt out the name of the arcade illuminated the medium sized brick building, the alleyway between the arcade and next shop along being obfuscated in darkness.

    Adorned in a set of somewhat expensive looking black clothes, Lea followed her two friends into the building and looked at the surrounding machines, attention enraptured by the flashing lights and catchy sound effects.

    Immediately after walking through the entrance of the arcade, a flood of vibrant music entered Lea¡¯s ears.

    ¡°This might as well be mine and Chlo¡¯s second home.¡± Aaron explained as he and Chloe made their way over to a familiar game console, the small girl beginning to stretch out her fingers in preparation for what was to come.

    ¡°This¡¯ll be the first game we teach you, but before that you¡¯ll have to watch the usual beatdown warmup match.¡± Chloe exclaimed, getting more pumped by the second as she quickly overtook Aaron, jogging over to the machine and slotting in a few coins.

    Aaron let out a shallow sigh as he turned over to Lea, looking at her expression which had turned vibrant due to Chloe¡¯s unusual competitive nature coming into full effect.

    Letting out a lofty giggle, Lea walked over to where Aaron had taken a seat, standing behind him whilst peering into the screen where it showed the two avatars that the two had picked.

    ¡°Same rules; since it¡¯s a warmup game all characters are allowed!¡± Chloe sang, picking her favourite.

    Usually, the small girl ended up confined to a few of the weaker of the personalities since otherwise she¡¯d wipe Aaron with ease, but for the first few games before Chloe had fully warmed up, the older boy could usually trade blows with her no matter the character.

    The match began, the two evenly trading damage as Lea hummed intriguingly at how graceful their movements looked, all seemingly having some sort of purpose or trade-off.

    Halfway through the five-minute match, Chloe all of a sudden started to gain the upper hand, signalling a sigh from Aaron.

    ¡°Come on Chloe, you know you want to let me win.¡± He whined, on the verge of losing, looking around the side of the display to see the girl was completely focused on the game.

    Lea patted Aaron¡¯s back and gave him a few words of encouragement, but unfortunately not even her support could prevent against Chloe¡¯s ruthless smackdown, Aaron only lasting a few more seconds before dramatically drooping onto the floor after losing as if he¡¯d just melted.

    Standing up from the chair, height unchanging, Chloe started her usual victory dance next to Aaron¡¯s dejected body, Lea laughing at both of their antics.

    ¡°Alright, now it¡¯s your turn for a beatdown!¡± Aaron cheerfully sounded, his attitude taking a complete one-eighty shift after realising that he would no longer have to suffer alone from Chloe¡¯s tyrannical reign. There¡¯d be another victim now.

    It didn¡¯t take long for Lea to realise how skilled the other two had become. Grasping the controls, her character jaggedly moved around, a far-cry from the gracefully moves the two had been executing for the past five minutes straight.

    The trio continued to play, sometimes switching machines for a brief period before coming back to the main one to freshen things up for the newcomer.

    Aaron had seen a new side to Lea, just like he had Chloe when he first introduced her to the arcade and games.

    Perhaps this was the true version of herself that she kept locked away under many barriers; now unafraid to make risky jokes or crude remarks when faced with failure.

    Nevertheless, Aaron thought to himself that he liked both of the sides that he¡¯d seen of the artist, both vibrant and beautiful in their own respective ways.

    Excusing herself to go to the bathroom, Chloe had left the two to play a few rounds on their own.

    Aaron seemed to enjoy cracking jokes with his female counterpart, or ruthlessly beating her in any game which she chose, fully taking in every reaction she made.

    Catching a glimpse of the two on her way back, the small orange haired girl felt a little ache in her heart, seeing the two so close and laughing whilst chatting about random things.

    Just the way Aaron looked at her when Lea wasn¡¯t looking worsened the pain a hundred-fold. Aaron hadn¡¯t ever done the same with her; no matter the subtle advances she had attempted to make.

    ¡°They¡¯ll ditch you soon enough. As they should, murderer.¡± The figure behind her giggled to itself, inching closer to the small girl with every second.

    But as soon as her thoughts started to turn fearful and negative, Chloe calmed herself down.

    ¡°They¡¯ll still be my friends no matter what¡­ So it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡­ I should be supporting them instead!¡± she resolved, walking towards her two friends and away from the fuzzy black figure who sharply eyed her movements.

 C14- Freedom

    When the moment I had been born, a heavy expectation for my future had already been set in stone.

    My mother and father were world renowned classical artists, and as their first and only child, I was expected to follow in their footsteps.

    Lenient as they were, pursuing classical art was something I had no choice in deciding. It was already decided for me.

    At first, art was my favourite pastime, something I could spend hours upon hours dabbling in. But as time passed, and my skills reached a certain level, it became clear that other forms of art were more enjoyable than the classical art style I had been forced into.

    Several times had I pleaded to my parents, asking to focus on other forms of art, only to get turned down time upon time.

    I was but an investment to them.

    I was their... ¡°legacy¡±.

    Their retirement plan. A way to keep all of the high-class friends which they had gained from their prestige.

    After all, this world is all about giving and taking. If no new classical art pieces were produced, then they would be deprived of the fame they so painstakingly built.

    <hr>

    Eventually I decided to develop my other skills without my parents¡¯ permission, a frightfully challenging task which I had thoroughly enjoyed endeavouring in.

    However, my collection of pieces would always be found, and inevitably destroyed by my parents, who bore furious expressions upon their brows.

    Saying that I was ¡°wasting my time¡±, and more importantly ¡°focusing my talent onto other areas¡± instead of putting ¡°all my effort into surpassing them¡±.

    And so, I did. Obtaining international renown by the age of ten, it seemed as though it would be a matter of time better, I at least achieved notoriety equal to that of my parents.

    But then I discovered a fascinating form of art. One that matched the feelings which I had been bottling up for so, so long.

    Graffiti.

    A simple yet complex art style that seemingly had no boundaries, no restrictions and, if good enough, would be left upon the walls which they had marked.

    The only problem was that... Well... graffiti was quite the noticeable artform. If I attempted to put any effort towards that form of art, then I¡¯d need to practice somewhere else.

    Sneaking out of my house from a young age to practice my graffiti skills was easier said than done. With the large premise chock-full of attendants and guests, successfully escaping without being seen was usually impossible.

    However, the few times which I had been able to leave unattended were some of the nights I cherished the most.

    Bouts of happiness surging within me when I had seen that my previously pieces of artwork had yet to be washed away, mixed with disappointment when they had, both emotions fuelling me to improve my skills.

    Unfortunately, this came at a cost.

    My classical art skills had not greatly improved over the period of a year, prompting my parents to suspect I hadn¡¯t been diligently practicing, resulting in them assigning a full-time attendant to my side, ensuring I¡¯d always have eyes on me.

    No longer was I able to sneak out of the house, only on short trips out were I able to see my seemingly impervious pieces of artwork, to which up until now only a few had survived.

    Perhaps a testament to how shallow my skills had been all those years ago.

    I suppose another drawback of being born into my position were all of the ¡°friends¡± I¡¯d made over the years.

    That being said, I¡¯d never actually any of what you may call ¡°true friends¡±. Only ¡°friends¡± who asked, but never gave.

    The folly of being the daughter of a world-renowned artist couple.

    I¡¯ve always yearned for the freedom upon which others have been bestowed from birth.

    The cage I¡¯ve lived in all my life was a miserable place filled with adults who sternly glared at everything I did.

    They all looked at me with such an insatiable greed in their eyes. Always asking if they could have this or that piece, if, as my friend, it¡¯d be ok to take and that.

    After all, ¡°I can always just make another one¡± they would say.

    Well, they weren¡¯t entirely wrong, and my parents had told me to be charitable in order to build connections.

    However, I saw it in a different light. These people that only see me as an entertainer, a money printer, or worst of all a special prize of some sort.

    Although the last type had always been dealt with appropriately, leading to me acquiring a rather violent nickname if I were to say so myself.

    Art shouldn¡¯t be bought and sold. It should be admired, no? If it is not up to standard, then it should be washed away, if not perfect then it shouldn¡¯t exist.

    And that is the beauty of the art style that is graffiti.

    But alas it was not to be. Sometimes I envy those who were born into normal families with normal parents and normal expectations placed upon their children.

    Perhaps, had I been one of those people, I could have created pieces of art that transcended silly things such as styles, that could be admired by anyone no matter their preferences or field of expertise.

    And then those two came along.

    Two normal people, who did not have the restrictions that I have.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Watching them laugh and play games so nonchalantly made my heart tighten, thinking such things like, ¡°I too could have been like them.¡°.

    Maybe, through those two, I can regain some of the freedom that I lost all those years ago.

    I think those two are what people call ¡°True friends¡± to me.

    <hr>

    A black hooded individual slowly crept towards a large building that was decorated with a plethora of brightly coloured posters, entering the alleyway beside the building.

    Checking there was nobody nearby before dropping their backpack, that had been slung around their shoulder, onto the floor, they unzipped it to reveal a variety of different colour spray paints.

    Equipping a black and red respirator, they started to outline a figure upon the side of the building, before colouring and adding details to the image.

    A small child surrounded by thirty or so black eyes appeared, the small child¡¯s hands chained to the floor; her eyes crossed out with bright red spray.

    Fully immersed in their art, their hoodie had fallen from their head, a bundle of black hair falling to their sides, matching the colour of the hoodie.

    The sound of a metal can letting out a series of pain-filled screams as its midsection became flattened snatched their attention, the figure¡¯s eyes darting towards the sound before pulling over their hoodie and dashing over to their backpack, frantically scrambling to equip it and leave the premises.

    Two figures walked into view as the taller of the two looker towards the fully covered person who was making their quick escape, the smaller entranced in the freshly painted piece before them.

    Noticing a familiar scribble on the corner of the piece, the small orange girl racked her brain as to where she¡¯d seen it before.

    ¡°Lea? Is that you?¡± Chloe called out, standing at the edge of the alleyway next to Aaron.

    Halting in place, the black figure seemed to be frantically thinking about their next course of action before the small orange haired girl continued.

    ¡°This tag. I thought it looked familiar. I¡¯ve seen you draw it in some of your art books before. It¡¯s you... right?¡± she enquired, carefully taking in the figure¡¯s body type and height, finding them similar to her friend¡¯s proportions and stature.

    After a few moments of silence, Chloe looked up towards Aaron and shrugged her shoulders before moving towards the other girl, who flinched away in response to Chloe coming closer.

    A sigh was released from the figure before they turned around with a hand on their forehead, as if realising that they¡¯d been caught red handed.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t realise you paid such close attention to my work... I¡¯m sure that I¡¯ve doodled my tag only a few times in those hundreds of pages.¡± Lea exclaimed; her eyebrows raised in surprise.

    Chloe once again shrugged her shoulders in response, mumbling that it was because of how entrancing the paintings were.

    Lea glanced over to Aaron, who up until this moment had been starting nonstop at Lea¡¯s outfit.

    Realizing Lea¡¯s gaze had shifted towards him, the green eyed boy frantically attempted to raise his right hand to cover his flushed expression, swiftly turning towards the graffiti and letting a few ¡°ooou¡±s and ¡°ooooouuh¡±s in an endeavour to hide his current state.

    Taking in Aaron¡¯s state, Lea quickly pieced together why he was acting the way he was from the state of his face, letting out a small laugh before skipping over to the boy and giving him a somewhat firm slap on the back, jolting him forward.

    ¡°Do I look that good in this outfit, huh?¡± she teased, leaning forward slightly so as to see more of his expression, black hair cascading down her sides, crimson orbs piercing into a sea of emerald.

    Accidentally locking eyes with Lea, Aaron fumbled around with his words for a few seconds, looking towards the ground and letting out a small inaudible mumble.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    The corners of his lips tugged upwards forming a small smile before he quickly changed the subject, under the impression his comment had gone unheard.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you had an important event to go to? Did you ditch us to do some graffiti? How cold! Could have at least invited us as well!¡± Aaron quickly spoke, moving away from the girl.

    Lea stayed still for a few seconds, a sheet of red covering her cheeks, before regaining her composure.

    ¡°Force of habit. Sorry.¡± She playfully quipped back, straightening out her hair that had been forcefully contained within her jumper whilst blowing a raspberry at the two.

    ¡°Always knew you had a passion for graffiti, the way you looked at it when we passed by some. Never would have taken you for someone who created it though. With you being all prim and proper¡¯n stuff.¡± Aaron rambled on, his left hand finding its way to the back of his neck as he took in the graffiti before him.

    ¡°You guys won¡¯t tell anyone, right?¡± she jokingly asked, back facing the two of them whilst her eyes darted to the backpack full of evidence located close to her feet.

    The small orange haired girl, who up until this point had unconsciously drooped her shoulders, lips in a small frown, quickly responded to Lea, expression quickly reverting to her usual positive self.

    ¡°Well, I am in need of some food at the moment...¡± Chloe pondered, finger beneath her chin as if she was earnestly pondering about how she could resolve the situation at hand.

    Lea looked over to Chloe and then burst out into a fit of laughter, keeling over after becoming out of breath.

    ¡°You better be making me some as well!¡± Lea responded, walking over and ruffling the smaller female¡¯s unkempt orange hair, a grin spanning her countenance.

    Chloe looked towards Aaron who promptly replied with a laugh, ¡°Does that include me as well? Honestly, I could go with something to eat right about now!¡±

    Orange orbs sparkled as she nodded frantically, hair fluttering around in the air making her look like a mop that had just been used to clean up some orange juice.

    Aaron lent up against the wall of the alley behind him, using his right leg to stabilise him against the bricks as he sharply took in some air.

    ¡°But damn, this is quite something isn¡¯t it! A complete 180 from your normal stuff.¡± He proclaimed; his tone impressed.

    Lea hastily span around, walking up to Aaron and staring into his eyes, arms at her sides as she bent forward, garnering his unadulterated attention.

    ¡°You like it? Which do you prefer? This or my work at school?¡± she interrogated, finding it hard to believe someone would prefer her graffiti over her classical work that she was so critically famed for.

    Aaron, finding himself unable to think for a few seconds due to her being so close to him, finally pulled his eyes away from Lea and towards the graffiti, looking at it and thinking about which one he preferred.

    ¡°I think this style suits you more. The cottage piece was really cool and everything, but this type of art is more of my kind of thing. The graffiti feels like it is more personal, you know?¡± He surmised, complementing both pieces of artwork whilst sneakily looking over to her expression.

    Lea¡¯s eyes widened, forcing Aaron into a tight hug as she replied, ¡°I knew you would agree with me!¡°.

    Aaron, assaulted by a flurry of new senses and smells, turned as stiff as a statue and pondered over whether it¡¯d be okay to hug her back or not.

    Whilst the two of them were having a moment together, the little orange haired girl forcefully averted her gaze and instead chose to walk over to the black backpack sitting next to the wall underneath the graffitied wall, rummaging through the different spray paints and inquisitively looking at them.

    She¡¯d never seen anything quite like them before, a surge of excitement rushing through her as she thought of all the things she could do with them.

    The graffiti had borne a striking resemblance to her nightmares. The small girl felt a disturbing feeling upon viewing it but quickly shrugged it off.

    ¡°What do you think about adding a giant eye encasing the whole piece?¡± Chloe asked, turning her head to judge Lea¡¯s reaction to her suggestion.

    Returning from her ecstatic trance, Lea looked towards what she¡¯d accomplished already, nodding her head in agreement after a second or two of deep thought.

    ¡°Do you want to try? I have an extra respirator in there that you can wear.¡± Lea offered, gesturing towards the spray cans inside the bag.

    Chloe nodded and gave a quick thanks before reaching into the backpack and grabbing the funny looking mask, equipping it and then picked out a bright red coloured spray paint can.

    Standing up, she started to draw the large eye, surrounding all of Lea¡¯s artwork.

    Midway through, Chloe looked over to Aaron and handed the spray canister to him, describing to him how to finish the eye.

    Since Lea was somewhat taller than Chloe, Aaron had to substitute for her when she got to the parts she couldn¡¯t reach.

    Stepping back to have a look at the artwork she¡¯d created, the trio smiled, Lea giving two thumbs up towards the pair.

    Their first collaborative piece.

    No one else but the three of them.

 C15 - Curiosity

    Three figures absentmindedly dangled their legs off the edge of a building, looking towards the fleeting sun that was quick to hide itself away behind the horizon.

    Having found an old ladder leading towards what seemed to be the roof of a particularly high building, Lea wasn¡¯t able to resist the temptation to see what was up there, resulting in all three of them ascending to the top.

    Chloe looked towards the sun, and then directly upwards towards the sky, she laid down upon the concrete roof and began to notice how a few stars were slowly becoming visible.

    Trying to ignore the scene that was occurring a metre or so away from the girl, Chloe recalled how things had progressed to this point.

    <hr>

    She¡¯d always knew about how Aaron felt towards the black-haired girl. Feeling that she should be happy for the two, she bottled the bitter ache that blossomed within her heart.

    Chloe had started to subconsciously focus on other things to distract herself from their growing relationship.

    Graffiti had become an excellent form of escapism from the fact that she was, once again, slowly becoming more alone, even though she had two great friends beside her.

    The tipping point had occurred about six months after the two had met Lea. At that time Chloe had just finished her first large scale graffiti piece on the back of her apartment, depicting a reoccurring scene from her nightmares.

    A large red tower surrounded by a torrent of green rain, two large orbs staring down from the skies above. A little girl in freefall, having already descended halfway down the large skyscraper, her tears merging with the rain that comforted her.

    Having enlisted the help of her two friends to fill in some of the small details, Aaron and Lea had been quietly whispering side by side for the whole duration of the operation, the boy letting out a loud sigh before shuffling over to Chloe¡¯s side.

    ¡°Me and Lea have been discussing something... we were wondering if you¡¯d mind us splitting off sometimes... y¡¯know... just the two of us.¡± He mumbled, looking towards the ground to avoid seeing the reaction the small orange girl would have.

    He knew how much they meant to her. After losing her father, Chloe had spent an abnormally large amount of time hanging out around him and then lea, leading him to believe that she had to have been feeling considerably lonely all the time when they weren¡¯t with her.

    Leaving her out meant reducing the time that they¡¯d get to hang out, he knew Chloe would most likely be averse to the idea.

    The small girl¡¯s long orange bangs flowed out of her black hoodie, covering up most of her expression as she subtilty bit her lip, a small trail of blood emerging from the wound.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s cool, since you guys have been getting closer and all...¡± she cheerfully responded, choosing to focus on the graffiti before her to distract her.

    Aaron let out a small smile whilst giving out a small word of thanks, turning around and beginning to walk back to his workstation.

    ¡°I¡¯m rooting for you, y¡¯know?¡± she quickly added, swerving around and standing on her tip toes to push his shoulder from behind with all her might, resulting in him stumbling forward slightly.

    The green-eyed boy¡¯s smile grew wider as his expression grew more embarrassed, bashfully looking towards Lea, who was inquisitively looking at his countenance.

    ¡°They just want to get rid of you.¡± the shadowy figure behind her growled, digging its foot into the ground before shrivelling back into the shadows from whence it came after receiving a sharp glare from the small girl.

    Chloe looked up towards the image which she had created, harshly staring at the two soul piercing eyes which bore into her from above.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    <hr>

    Eyes now drifting towards the traffic below, the small orange haired girl reminisced upon how the two of them used to be. Playing games every day, holed up in Aaron¡¯s room.

    Listening to his piano practice, whilst listlessly staring upon his sorrowful expressions for hours upon end.

    Nowadays, she¡¯d been deprived of such moments, The black-haired girl had taken her place long ago.

    The two of them were currently cuddling next to each other whilst looking towards the sunset, Chloe looking at the scene with a slight tinge of disgust unconsciously embedded within her expression.

    A raspy voice entered her ears causing her to frown in displeasure, a suggestion which had come out of the figure¡¯s mouth plunging her mood into a new low.

    It had now been two or so years since Lea had become friends with the duo, taking a liking to Aaron and officially started to date him six or so months after their meeting.

    Chloe looked down towards her hands, gripping them tightly as she wondered how her life would progress from now on. The time they spent together only dwindling as life progressed.

    ¡°Perhaps, one day, I¡¯ll be completely left out for good.¡± she sombrely pondered, instantly disliking the thought of such a cruel fate.

    Once again peering down towards the traffic, she flinched upon remembering a particular event, rubbing her left leg where a long scar was present.

    <hr>

    An enthusiastic voice woke the sleeping orange haired girl as she slowly arose from her short nap. A head of spiky blonde hair appearing before Chloe, the figure having had sat down next to her and opened a book whilst waiting for her to fully come to her senses.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been coming here more often lately. Not spending time with those two anymore?¡± he spoke out, his blue eyes peering down towards the messy figure that sat beside him.

    Chloe looked towards the boy, staring at his expression for a few seconds before letting out a dull sigh, ¡°They¡¯ve been hanging out without me a lot recently. It¡¯s as if they¡¯ve completely forgotten about me sometimes.¡°.

    Nathanial let out a small laugh before jokingly consoling her, ¡°Well, at least you¡¯ve got me, no?¡°.

    Chloe slowly smoothed out some of the creases in her uniform before letting out a light-hearted scoff, ¡°Who said I wanted you?¡°.

    The blonde looked somewhat wounded by the statement, letting out an exaggerated groan of pain before mumbling something about her being too uncaring.

    Nathanial had started to approach the small girl coincidently around the time which Lea had started to date Aaron, hanging around her whenever he found the chance.

    His attitude towards her had pulled a complete 180, apologising multiple times to the girl every time he¡¯d meet her until Chloe was forced to ask for him to stop.

    Nowadays the orange haired girl had, for the most part, forgiven him for his past transgressions and had taken some sort of refuge in his company, filling in the growing void of time in which she had to spend all on her lonesome.

    It got more aggressive when she was alone. Anyone would do.

    The blonde seemed to be her only option, the rest of the students avoiding her at any chance they got, it was as if she was the plague and getting even an extra millimetre closer to her would drain their lifespan.

    Looking down towards the book she had been reading, she frowned at the genre of it. Romance usually wasn¡¯t her forte, but ever since Aaron and Lea had gotten together, she hadn¡¯t been able to get it off her mind.

    What made her different from Lea? Why wasn¡¯t she the one he chose? What does ¡°love¡± feel like?

    All of these questions hung heavy on her mind, causing her to hastily put the book back from where she had fetched it from.

    The boy, who had been observing her reactions, seemed to have misunderstood something, a crooked smile blanketing his expression as he thought to himself how to proceed.

    Picking up her stuff, Nathanial walked over to Chloe and stared at her, blocking her path in the process.

    ¡°Are you free tomorrow?¡± he sternly enquired, tightly holding her possessions with a guarded posture.

    The small orange haired girl looked up towards him, wondering what he could be up to before cagily answering, ¡°What if I am?¡°.

    ¡°I made a reservation for two at a favourite establishment of mine, a friend bailed on me, so I want you to come. I know you have nothing else to do, join me.¡± He pridefully spoke, eyes peering down at the impish girl before him.

    Chloe looked at his features, finding that although he was somewhat handsome, nothing changed within her. It felt as though she was just looking at some random acquaintance she saw along the street.

    On the verge of rejecting one of Nathanial¡¯s many advances, the figure behind her croaked out, ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious? Don¡¯t you want to learn?¡±.

    The small girl froze, pondering for a few more seconds before frowning slightly.

    ¡°Alright then. Where do I have to be and at what time?¡± she enquired, relenting to her own curiosity and the figure¡¯s biding.

    Nathanial¡¯s expression lit up, a wide grin exploding onto his features as he waved his hand nonchalantly.

    ¡°Here, come to the address written on this note.¡± He explained, handing over her possessions and the little piece of paper before leaving the library, waving his hand at her as he left, signalling at her to hurry up.

    Unsure how to process the events that had just unfolded, Chloe equipped her rucksack and followed behind the boy whilst stuffing the piece of paper into her pocket, knowing that they had the same subjects and would mostly likely be miraculously paired up together like normal.

 C16 - Mistake

    Chloe looked at her barren wooden wardrobe that contained her school uniform and a few other pieces of oversized black clothing that she¡¯d borrowed from the older woman.

    Without much thought as to what she should wear, the small orange haired girl grabbed a few garments before checking the clock in her room, seeing that she had about half an hour to the location written upon the note.

    Putting on a pair of sneakers, Chloe descended her apartment complex and walked behind the stale structure, hands in her pockets due to the cold weather.

    Looking towards the large red tower that the apartment donned as if it were a piece of clothing, the girl smiled uncontrollably seeing that it had yet to be cleaned off.

    Then again, she doubted that the owners would ever fork out the money for something as simple as cleaning up graffiti on the side of their property.

    <hr>

    Still slightly out of breath from the twenty or so minute walk that she had just endured, Chloe hummed to herself whilst looking at the inside of the elevator that she currently was on.

    Unbeknownst to her, Nathanial had taken it upon himself to invite her to one of the most expensive restaurants in the city, located near the top of a humungous skyscraper.

    Thankfully, the small girl had saved enough money to buy a rudimentary second-hand phone so she could navigate her way to her destination. As soon as she turned 16, the girl instantly started applying for part-time jobs in order to obtain the money required to survive.

    Peering down at her pale left arm, she reminisced about how thin she had been in her earlier years. Without the money from her job to help buy her food, Chloe doubted she¡¯d be in a good as a state as she was now.

    The inside of the elevator had been coated in what seemed to be gold, finely polished to such an extent that Chloe could see herself in the metal¡¯s reflection.

    Feeling as though what she was wearing was probably not within the dress code of this place, the small girl uncomfortably shifted in place, watching as the counter located above the elevator doors slowly increased.

    One high-pitched ding later, Chloe stood dumbfounded outside of the elevator as its doors slowly closed behind her.

    Gold chandeliers furnished with a large quantity of white jewels hung from the ceiling; waiters dressed in black suits serving tables which seated at most two, others seamlessly gliding around the floor in order to reach their next station.

    Large marble columns supported the polished white ceiling, intricate carvings present on each of them. Every table was covered by a white cloth that had red and gold tapestry embedded into them, two glasses of wine adorning each table.

    What stood out the most to the girl were the crystal-clear windows that showed of the city in all of its glory, the sun slowly setting in the distance. The soft sound of classical music entered Chloe¡¯s ears as she slowly shuffled forward towards what seemed to be a customer service desk.

    It was made entirely of dark red mahogany, two men in tuxedos stationed behind the desk talking to customers who wore dark black suits and dresses, exuding a refined aura.

    Entering the eyesight of one of the workers, they accidentally let out a small laugh before regaining their composure, Chloe remaining unfazed as she began to talk.

    ¡°There should be a reservation under the name Mr. Sparrow?¡± she questioned, looking towards the man as his expression changed into one of shock, quickly bursting into action as he typed something on a computer stationed upon the desk, letting out a small satisfactory hum after finding something.

    ¡°Indeed, there is. Just a moment. I¡¯ll guide you over to your table.¡± He responded, exiting from behind the desk and leading her towards a table located next to one of the large windows.

    Nathanial soon came into view, blonde hair slicked back and donned in a matte blue suit which matched his eyes as he showed the small orange haired girl a toothy grin.

    ¡°Thought you wouldn¡¯t show!¡± he chuckled, eyes gazing over her shabby outfit as his smile widened.

    Chloe sat down opposite the blond after the waiter pulled back her chair, awkwardly looking around the restaurant, noticing how nearly all the tables had one male and one female, before looking back to the man as she responded.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that a friend cancelled on you? This hardly seems like a place you¡¯d go with a friend.¡± She stated, fiddling around with the multiple sets of stainless cutlery that adorned the embroidered table whilst giving him a questioning look.

    Nathanial let out a quaint chuckle, taking a swig of wine from his glass before jokingly responding.

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    ¡°Do I detect some jealousy? That I had planned to come here with another girl?¡± he questioned, blue orbs staring at her small figure.

    Chloe rolled her eyes in response to his ridiculous conclusion.

    ¡°Ha, of course not. Do as you please, it matters not to me.¡± Chloe chuckled, looking out of the window towards the falling sun.

    The blonde eyed the small girl¡¯s wine glass as he continued talking, ¡°You should try some. It is quite high quality.¡°.

    Chloe looked at the glass filled with a blood red liquid before frowning, ¡°I¡¯ve never tried anything alcoholic before. Bad memories.¡°.

    Nathanial took another sip from his glass whilst continuing to stare at the small girl.

    ¡°Come on, what¡¯s the harm in a small sip.¡± He coaxed once more, smiling slightly as he took in her the curious expression which she wore, torn between whether to try some or not.

    The black figure walked towards Nathanial, stopping behind him and then using its fuzzy hands to strangle the boy.

    ¡°Scared you¡¯ll become like her? Don¡¯t be. You¡¯ve always been a monster after all.¡± It chuckled, seemingly slightly disgruntled over the fact Nathanial had been unaffected by his actions.

    Chloe clenched her left hand and took another look at the glass, and then at the blonde before relenting, releasing a soft sigh before speaking.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I can get any worse... and I am a bit thirsty...¡± the girl mumbled under her breath.

    The blonde¡¯s smile grew wider in response to her choice of words, interested to see how she would react to the drink.

    If he remembered correctly, the first time he¡¯d tried red wine the blonde had nearly spat it out due to how bitter it had been.

    Suspiciously lifting the glass to her eye level, she swished the liquid around, turning it into what looked like a bloody whirlpool before taking a small sip, her expression contorting from the taste of the liquid.

    ¡°That tastes terrible!¡± Chloe cried out, causing a bout of laughter from Nathanial as he spiritedly responded in tow.

    ¡°It¡¯s an acquired taste. You¡¯ll get used to it eventually.¡°.

    A waiter equipped with two thin leather menus appeared before them, the blonde refusing the menus before reciting a French sounding dish, adding that Chloe would have the same as he, the waiter quickly dispersing after his words.

    ¡°Trust me, the dish I¡¯ve ordered for you is certainly the best one here. You¡¯ll like it.¡± Nathanial said, justifying his abrupt actions.

    Chloe gave a small nod whilst looking over Nathanial¡¯s attire. The inner waistcoat was made up from a silky-smooth white material, his shirt black as the figure who stood behind him.

    ¡°So, tell me about yourself. You hardly talk about anything other than the books you read.¡±

    Having been caught looking at him, Chloe¡¯s orange orbs flinched upon hearing his voice, quickly moving back up towards his eyes.

    Chloe paused whilst pondering what to say.

    ¡°Born to two loving parents, games and art are probably the two things I enjoy the most.¡± She summarised, skipping out a few important details along the way.

    The blonde broke out into a series of chuckles before speaking, ¡°All 18 years summarised within such a small sentence.¡°.

    The orange haired girl shrugged, going for another sip from the wine glass to fill the time.

    ¡°Must be harsh being slowly ditched by those two. What were their names again? Right. Lea and Aaron.¡± Nathanial smoothly spoke, copying Chloe¡¯s actions by taking a swig from his glass.

    The small girl tensed up from his words, eyes finding themselves wondering around the room, peering at some of the artwork that had been hung upon a large black wall, so as to avoid contact with the boy.

    ¡°Ditched huh? I won¡¯t lie that I¡¯ve been feeling slightly lonely as of recent. Their relationship seems to only progress further as time passes. Hardly any time for us three. Only for the two of them.¡± Chloe lamented, voice quietening whilst speaking the last sentence.

    The blonde¡¯s countenance distorted, a dirty smirk forming.

    ¡°Well, well, well. Seems like a little someone has been enjoying my company after all.¡± He teased, staring straight at Chloe and her waist length orange locks.

    Chloe shifted slightly under his gaze before mumbling, ¡°Thanks... For accompanying me the last year and a half. Would have been a lot harder on my own.¡°.

    She wasn¡¯t lying at all. When they were together as a trio, the black figure seemed to be confined. Spending more and more time alone had resulted in some... unfortunate side effects.

    Even with Nathanial becoming her friend, the time that she spent inside that apartment had increased when compared with before. Nothing good ever came from being in there.

    Perhaps the only good thing that had come with the extra free time she had obtained was the job she has obtained.

    A few hours here and there allowed for Chloe to buy enough food to survive on. After all, the fridge was never stocked by the older woman.

    Nathanial let out a small chuckle before replying with a sombre tone, ¡°You remind me of myself. All alone. At least, that¡¯s how I found myself after the death of my mother.¡°.

    Chloe opened her mouth, words failing to come out before she closed it.

    ¡°They broke in at night when my father was away on a business trip. Hiding me away, she tried to fight against the intruders but ended up passing away. I... Don¡¯t think my father ever finished grieving. Perhaps... Neither have I.¡± He continued, looking towards the endless metal city which gleamed under the dying sun.

    The small orange haired girl¡¯s lips firmly pressed into a thin pale red line, eyes staring at the thick crimson liquid that stagnantly sat in the wine glass.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think there is such a thing as ¡°finishing grieving¡± over a lost one. You may be able to fool yourself into thinking as such, however those lies aren¡¯t the truth. They never will be.¡± Chloe proclaimed, eyes calm as her gaze looked towards her hands, a crimson substance covered both of them.

    As if there was no end to the liquid, it poured onto the floor, transforming it into a pool of red.

    Nathanial¡¯s voice shook her out of the hallucination, the only crimson within her sight contained within the two glasses of wine which tranquilly sat before her, slightly gleaming from the sun which shone through the panes of glass.

    ¡°Wise words coming from a wise woman.¡± He praised, taking a large swig from his glass.

    The black figure behind the blonde burst out into a fit of laughter before it spoke with its usual scratchy voice, ¡°He¡¯s just like you. How fitting. Both murderers.¡±.

    <hr>

    A high-pitched ping cried out, alarming the small girl as her vision turned and twisted. The blonde slowly led her out of the elevator, his own movements stable and consistent.

    Two large black orbs harshly bore into the larger man¡¯s figure, a quiet chuckle filling the small girl¡¯s head.

    ¡°Murderers.¡±

 C17 - Leach

    I still remember the feeling of warmth leaking down my fingers, staining the floor crimson.

    A face scrunched up in pain, mouth quivering as several shrill shrieks leapt out of their mouth.

    A pair of hazel orbs frantically moving about, attempting to piece together what had just occurred before landing upon my face, pupils dilating ever so slightly.

    Two hands which clung to a serrated knife, which now sat deeply embedded into their torso, frantically attempting to stop the blade from being pushed in further.

    Red encasing my vision as a raw voice, which I couldn¡¯t even recognise as my own, bellowed out from my throat.

    A shallow inhale of air followed by their hands sombrely falling to their sides, countenance dimming as their body heavily hung upon the blade.

    Silence filling the room, broken apart by my erratic breathing. Knife escaping out of my loosened grip, the fresh corpse falling to the floor.

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±

    Brown hair had been scattered across a concrete floor, slowly becoming contaminated by a filthy red liquid.

    Peering down at my red palms, a groan escaped my lips. I hadn¡¯t noticed how hard I had been gripping the knife at the time.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ It?¡±

    Unconsciously clenching my teeth together, my foot fell heavy upon the small girl who lay still before me.

    Thud! Crack! Thud!

    ¡°Entertain me more! COME ON! MOVE! SQUIRM!¡± a raspy voice screeched out, queer snaps consuming their mind, actions growing more brutal after each second the corpse stayed quiet.

    <hr>

    When I¡¯d regained my¡­focus¡­ what greeted me was a wave of pain stemming from my feet.

    Below me laid a pile of meat, scarlet covering half the room. An arm stuck out of the pile, broken in several places as it limply sat atop the red mess.

    Two white orbs had been scattered across the room; pink matter mixed within the mound as I attempted to regain my breath.

    A high-pitched chuckle erupted from my mouth which had contorted into a wide grin, arms spread out, taking in the sigh laid before me.

    ¡°Ah¡­ How wonderful¡­ Aren¡¯t you happy¡­ To finally have been of some use in this world¡­¡±

    <hr>

    Winter had always been my favourite season. A deep navy devouring the sky as icy winds indiscriminately slashing at anyone who was unlucky enough to have been caught its path.

    Wrapped up in warm leather jacket, I followed two taller figures as they led the way forward.

    Apparently, we were going to a family get-together, although my parents didn¡¯t seem so happy about it, bickering back and forth in the car about something.

    I liked my uncles and aunties, but mum always bad-mouthed them when dad was away on one of his frequent business trips.

    She would always unconsciously bite her bottom lip when she was talking about something she really disliked, having to reapply a deep layer of rouge lipstick that she always wore.

    ¡°Those ungrateful leaches! Always trying to get their hands on what is rightfully ours!¡± she would resentfully cry out, tightly gripping anything nearby in order to release her stress.

    I didn¡¯t like it when dad went away. He would always say that it was for his work, but surely, he shouldn¡¯t be working that much? He must be a very important man.

    Following behind the two figures, I abruptly stopped before a dark alley. A series of whimpering having caught my attention, revealing two small children, who seemed to be about my age, huddled together due to the cold temperatures whilst dressed in very light attire.

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    A cold hand harshly grasped mine as I looked up towards my furious mother.

    Before I had time to think about what to say, words had already flown out my mouth.

    ¡°They must be cold¡­ why aren¡¯t they wearing anything warm?¡± I curiously enquired, my father quick to respond.

    ¡°Ignore them, Nathanial. Worthless beggars they are.¡± He frostily stated, dark brows furrowing in disgust as he spared the two children a short glance.

    My mother¡¯s hands pulled me forward as she started to speak, a haughty tone filling the boy¡¯s ears.

    ¡°Those things are what make up most of the world, Nathanial dear. They leach upon those who work hard to fatten themselves, not wishing to work. Better off dead in my opinion!¡±.

    Nathaniel¡¯s father frowned at such a statement, realising that her statement had been another shallow jab at his brothers and sisters, causing him to allocate an admonishing look towards the older woman.

    From that moment onwards, the small boy learned to see people differently. Those like him were natural born leaders, the high class.

    And below that were the leeches. Those who were better off dead.

    <hr>

    Lower body covered in crimson, the blonde silently trudged out of the room, passing through a thick iron door into a kitchen like area. He¡¯d had this underground area built under their house for a birthday present, his remaining parent distaining to go down there.

    Turning on a tap, he scrubbed his stained hands together with some soap, futilely attempting to rid himself of his dyed fingers. He¡¯d left it too long.

    Looking upwards, Nathanial peered at the large mirror which showed his reflection.

    Two hollow blue eyes bore back into him, a fuzzy black substance completely coating his body.

    Like waves, the black static ebbed and flowed, sometimes consuming nearly all of his body, leaving nothing but his grinning countenance.

    Behind him, three dismantled bodies hung from black nooses connected to the ceiling causing his to let out a small chortle chocked full of distain.

    The corpses appeared to be stitched back together, albeit poorly. Some limbs were in the wrong places, mismatched eyeballs hanging from sockets.

    The body hanging directly behind the boy seemed to be somewhat similar to the pile of meat he¡¯d just made but seeing the other two made Nathanial reminisce.

    <hr>

    How would a normal boy react to having a bag be put over his head, a fist driven into his stomach and subsequently being hoisted onto the back of a bulky man?

    Nathanial, age 13, had initially been grasped by fear, his new darkened surroundings cooperating with an influx of pain overloading his senses resulting in an initial bout of helplessness.

    But then it subsided.

    Hearing the frantic shouts of a few people as they ran away from the scene of the kidnapping into a noisy old car, the small blonde had thought at the time that they had seemed more afraid than he was at the moment.

    Jostled into the middle seat of the car, a tense fifteen-minute drive ensued. The driver frantically shrieking about not wanting to get caught, mumbling under his breath about how he will ¡°Save¡± someone no matter.

    A man with a greasy voice who sat to the left of the boy admonished the driver, telling him to just do his job, his tone laced with disdain for the man¡¯s behaviour.

    Much to his dismay, Nathanial passed out, rendering him unable to extract anymore information from the trio¡¯s conversations. He would have liked to see if he could have gained something hinting towards their identity or motive.

    Brutally forced awake by a cold bucket of water being thrown onto him, he found himself sitting on an old wooden chair, hands tied together.

    Three men stood in front of him.

    The first was a tall, tanned and muscular guy. He had tattoo of a skull on his left bicep, wearing a black tank top and a pair of black jeans.

    The second seemed to be a nervous wreck. He was short, wore glasses and constantly glanced at his two comrades, almost as if he was worried that they¡¯d start attacking him at any time.

    ¡°That must be the driver.¡± The boy deduced, eyes curiously wondering over to the third person.

    The boy¡¯s pupils dilating in shock; eliciting a deep laugh from the third man.

    Wearing a stained white tank top which could barely contain his overflowing waist, a familiar unshaved beard coupled with two dimly lit blue orbs and wheat blonde hair made Nathanial involuntarily let out a small gasp.

    ¡°Nice to see you, Thomas¡¯s kid.¡± The fat man chuckled, his grainy voice flooding the boy¡¯s ears.

    The third man had instantly been recognised as one of Nathaniel¡¯s family members by the small boy. Nathanial had seen him at a few family meetings, he was also a name which his mother often cursed at.

    The small blonde kept quiet, staring at his uncle. By now, he¡¯d pieced together what was happening.

    ¡°So kiddo, I¡¯m gonna need you to call your pops and convey a little message for your uncle. Whaddya say, feel like helping this old fellow of yours?¡± he spoke, a smile covering his face as if he was asking for a small favour.

    Once again, Nathanial chose to stay silent, making the man¡¯s smile disappear after ten or so seconds had passed.

    The fat man¡¯s blue orbs tightened into a thin line as he tightly gripped his fingers into a fist.

    ¡°Those fuckin eyes of yours always pissed me off. Look¡¯n at me as if I was trash!¡± he angrily spat, pausing for a moment as if he was thinking about something important before resuming his talking.

    Countenance softening as if he was about to comfort the small kid, he trudged over to the boy.

    ¡°How would you like it if we were to take one of those precious orbs of ya? Eh, kiddo?¡±

    Scrounging around in his pocket, he grabbed a medium sized pocketknife, waving it back and forth in front of Nathanial as if he were expecting the kid to burst out into a wave of tears.

    Seeing a lack of reaction, he recoiled in disgust, sluggishly scampering back to a seat directly opposite the small boy as if he was already tired.

    Sucking his teeth in anger, he looked over to the muscly fellow before commanding him, ¡°Teach the little brat a lesson, will ya?¡±.

    The tall man looked towards his employer and nodded, warming up his wrists, as he slowly stomped over to the boy.

    The blonde¡¯s sapphire orbs scaled the giant who stood before him, a confident smirk apparent upon his face, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t hit a ki--¡±.

    Bam!

    Cut short by a large fist connecting with his jaw, Nathanial accidentally bit his tongue as his head throttled upwards, flaring pain the only thing keeping him from fainting

 C18 - Sapphire

    Thump! Thump! Thump!

    Nathanial abruptly came to once again, relentlessly gasping for air before finding his vision to have become quite fuzzy, round black flesh located on the sides of his vision obscuring his sight.

    Weakly moving his head up slightly from its slumped position he saw four figures.

    Two of them seemed to have been sent into a frenzy for some reason, the tall and muscular man standing eerily still whilst facing the door from which they supposedly came from.

    ¡°¡­.know¡­¡­there! ¡­Out¡­ Hands¡­ Air!¡± a voice thundered, most of the contents of the screams inaudible due to his current physical state.

    A large portly figure glared at a small, shrivelled man, kicking him in the stomach, sending the man across the room with a yelp.

    His world had become almost completely muted, lest for the constant ringing which ricocheted inside his skull, making him feel as if some unknown creature was attempting to forcefully dig its way out to freedom.

    Unable to gather the strength to keep looking upwards towards the men, the blonde¡¯s head hung towards the ground, eyes widening upon seeing a few small objects laced upon the floor.

    A couple of cracked teeth laid upon the cold concrete, blood sombrely dripping onto the floor. Searching the insides of his mouth, the gritty taste of iron sliding down his throat from internal oral injuries, he confirmed that those teeth on the floor were in fact his.

    Two black hands inspected the bloody teeth which laid shattered upon the floor, a jittery voice erupting from within his mind, instantly quelling the ringing.

    ¡°Look at you. Bloodied. Powerless. Awaiting your death given to you by those who are below you.¡±

    The voice paused, as if it were thinking about how it could most effectively phrase its next words.

    ¡°He¡¯s a leach you know. Mum warned you in advance, but you foolishly thought he was one of you.¡±

    A black face appeared in front of the small blonde, one that looked incredibly lifelike and familiar to him.

    Bloodied blonde hair stuck to its forehead, two dull blue eyes solemnly sat within their prison made of rotting flesh. Stab wounds were present all over its soft paled skin, lips broken and bruised.

    Nathanial¡¯s mouth tightened into a firm line as his lips quivered, words teetering on the edge of them.

    But before he could spoke, the corpse beat him to it.

    ¡°Kill him. That leach killed me. KILL HIM!¡± It mumbled, voice loudening towards the end of its sentence.

    The stagnant blue orbs suddenly came to light, snapping in the direction of his own as they made eye contact.

    ¡°A leach? ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ A leach. How dare he? Reduce me to such a state? Me, powerless? Better off dead, right mum?¡±

    A metallic groan resounded within his mind once more, the corners of the once frowning dead corpse shifting upwards, the corresponding muscles stubbornly refusing to cooperate resulting in its skin to begin tearing as the smile widened.

    ¡°Heh. Ha¡­ Ha¡­ HaH¡­. AhaHahaha! Worthless Leach. Better off dead!¡± his powerless corpse giggled out, collapsing to the ground after finishing the sentence, black blood slowly pouring out of several cuts as all movement ceased.

    Nathanial found that his mind had become quiet. It was as if every thought he had echoed in the never-ending canyon that had become his own brain.

    The small boy felt another presence closing in on him, their podgy legs trampling the small corpse which laid still upon the cold concrete, more and more blood pouring out of his mouth every time it had been stepped on.

    <hr>

    ¡°Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Cowardly piece of shit!¡± a greasy voice sounded out, his mammoth-like legs striking the thin figure which had curled up into the foetal position.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    Hastily making his way to the beaten child, he frantically dialled a number on his phone, only for it to go to the answer machine.

    Pelting his phone against the hard concrete, he furiously stomped on it several times as he let out a few feral curses.

    ¡°Fucking dipshit brother! Always so perfect! Can¡¯t even answer the phone when I¡¯ve kidnapped your son!¡±

    Nathanial¡¯s body started to shake involuntarily as he seethed with an unknown emotion, a broken grin splayed across his countenance as he slowly lifted his head, glaring towards his uncle.

    A series of incoherent gurgles left his newly malformed mouth, eliciting the attention of the old fat man who refocused his fury from the smashed phone below him onto the small child.

    Equipping the pocketknife once again, he roughly cut the boy¡¯s arm restrains, handing him the knife all while heavily panting from physical exhaustion.

    Pulling a slender metallic object from his other pocket, he inched closer to Nathanial, pressing the cool metal against the boy¡¯s head, proceeding to scream, ¡°Boy! Choose! Blind yourself in both eyes or I¡¯ll smear your brat brains all over the wall behind ya!¡± he bellowed, a wide grin blooming upon his visage.

    Gripping the knife in his hands, the small blonde still only had one thought in his mind, constantly growing louder and louder until he felt as if his brain was going to explode.

    ¡°Leaches... They''re better off dead, right mother?¡±

    The small blonde lifted up the knife towards his sapphire eyes, pointing the blade end of it towards his left orb.

    Hands unable to hold the blade still, he stabbed towards his left eye, narrowly missing resulting in the knife plunging into his skin.

    ¡°Holy shit brat! You¡¯ve got some balls! No hesitation! I think me and you could have been good friends had I not taken you hostage!¡±

    A wave of laughter poured out from an unkempt face, jeering at how scared the little boy¡¯s expression scrunched up in pain as he attempted to dislodge the knife that was currently stuck in his face.

    BOOM! The door suddenly flung open, armed officers attempting to flood into the room, simultaneously snatching the fat man¡¯s attention as he looked over towards the origin of the sound.

    The muscular man threw himself towards the officer, the driver quivering in fear whilst in the fatal position.

    BANG! BANG! BANG!

    Three bodies fell to the floor with a loud thud, their blood quickly leaking onto the ground whilst frantic radio chatter filled the air.

    Sharply tugging the blade out of his skin, the small blonde¡¯s sapphire orbs glimmered, shooting up from the chair below him as he moved out of the firing line of the metallic gun which intently stared at him with a trained gaze.

    ¡°Leach!¡± the small boy shrieked out, releasing all of his cooped up rage in one swift series of movements, driving the thin knife into the fat man¡¯s left eye, tackling him onto the ground by using the fat man¡¯s weight against him.

    ¡°AAAGGGGGHHH¡­ MY EYE! MY EYE!¡± The man futilely wailed, chubby arms frantically thudding against the small boy¡¯s beaten body, causing the blonde to grunt in pain.

    But such pain wasn¡¯t going to stop him.

    ¡°HOW DARE YOU! DIE! DIE! DIE, DIE, DIE!¡± Nathanial bellowed, pulling out the knife and stabbing his other untouched right eye, over and over and over, pull, stab, pull, stab, pull, stab!

    Eventually the boy was flung of the old man, whose unkempt face had become unrecognisable from the tens of deep stab wounds that littered his countenance.

    ¡°YOU LEECH! YOU PEASANT! BETTER OFF DEAD!¡± the boy frantically thrashed around; actions gaining no purchase as both of his arms had now became tightly held down by two officers.

    Both of the policemen looked at each other, their expressions containing a hint of fear and pity as they slowly craned their heads towards the dismantled corpse that laid deadly still not too far away from them.

    Blood smothered the small boy¡¯s hands, face and body as he let out another round of triumphant broken gurgles, a noise resulting from his now deformed jaw and the blood that flooded his mouth as a result of his earlier injuries.

    <hr>

    The next time Nathanial awoke, he found himself to have been covered in bandages, the only person in the bleak hospital room his father, sleeping on an uncomfortable looking chair, head resting on his wounded son¡¯s bed.

    Recalling the previous events, a grainy voice erupting from beside him caused him to slightly jump in fear.

    ¡°Leach! Better off dead!¡± it choked out, leaning over him as Nathanial took in the black figure¡¯s new appearance.

    The figure was very fat, the width of the body reaching at least a metre and a half, the black material of its body seemingly phasing in and out of reality. It looked almost like the static he saw on TVs in the past.

    The black figure¡¯s face somewhat resembled his recently deceased uncle, that unkempt face of his loosely sewed up, eyes vacant from the damaged sockets which they used to rest in.

    Its droopy eyebrows were furrowed in agony, three parts of its lip poorly put back together, now fixed into a large permanent expression of pain, the corners of its lips artificially being pulled down so much that they nearly connected to its chin.

    Nathanial¡¯s eyes widened, expression loosening up after recovering from the initial shock of the jump scare. He¡¯d never handled being spooked quite too well.

    Words leapt from his mouth without him even needing to think about what to say.

    ¡°Yeah. Just like mother said. It feels good to have ridded the world of such a useless Leach.¡± He contently sighed, replaying the euphoric moment over and over again in his mind as he laid his head upon the comfortable hospital cushion.

    The excited quiver of the knife when it entered those large blue orbs, orbs that were just like his save for the slight red tinge which has stuck to his eyes, perhaps pointing towards that he had been deprived of sleep.

    His hands, exhausted from the force required to cut through his uncle¡¯s fatty face, continued still, unrelentingly so, as if he had tapped into a second wave of energy.

    The black figure¡¯s frown let out a metallic groan as it morphed into a large grin, albeit still displaying an expression of sheer agony.

 C19 - Fortune

    A blonde man splashed his face with some water, relishing the refreshing feeling of the cold liquid before running a hand through his hair, red mixing in with his golden locks.

    Looking back into the mirror, the three bodies were still as decomposed as ever.

    The body hanging on the left resembled his dead uncle, the blue threads which had previously held his face together now significantly loosened resulting in many gaping holes of flesh appearing upon his face.

    Slowly moving his eyes over to the body on the right, he unconsciously tightened his fists, to such an extent that blood stared to seep from his hands due to his nails digging into his palms.

    Long blonde hair cascaded down alongside the figure, some of the hair at different lengths, as if someone had taken a pair of scissors and started to cut places at random.

    A look of shock was present upon the body¡¯s face, eyes sewed together with some of the same-coloured blue thread. The thread which sewed her wounds was not as loose as the thread which hung off his uncle¡¯s fleshy corpse resulting in two blue orbs, which had stab marks all over them, only slightly peeking out from within their destroyed fleshy cages.

    <hr>

    After hearing what had happened to her son, Nathanial¡¯s mother had rushed over to the hospital with his father. Breaking down into tears upon seeing his state, she cried by his bedside for many hours until she heard what had occurred.

    The sound of metallic jingling entered the room, eliciting the attention of all those who resided within it. An officer leisurely walked in, greeting the doctor and then Nathanial¡¯s father before quickly glancing at the distressed women clinging to him, choosing to have a quick word with him alone.

    In the corner of the room the officer handed over a tablet, playing a video from the officer¡¯s perspective of the hostage retrieval.

    The blonde man¡¯s pupils dilated as he saw the frenzied state of his son, stabbing his good for nothing brother time and time again whilst a series of excited gurgles echoed within the empty room.

    Nathanial¡¯s face had been battered, a few teeth present in the background as a broken grin was plastered across his whole countenance, seeming to wide as to be physically impossible.

    A large frown crawled onto the father¡¯s face as he slowly turned towards the sleeping boy¡¯s body.

    Bandaged from head to toe, a soft expression laid upon his son¡¯s countenance. He found it difficult to believe that the boy he just saw in the video was really his son that laid still before him.

    Walking back over to his son, tablet in hand, he sternly stared at the small boy, and then at his wife who was looking at him with curiosity evident all over her countenance.

    The man looked down towards the tablet in his hands and then back up towards the woman before passing it over to her.

    The next twenty seconds were full of silence from the two, the only sounds coming from the tablet which erupted in a fit of fierce gurgling.

    The old woman dropped the tablet in a bout of shock, letting out a shrill shriek as she looked towards her son with fear consumed orbs.

    ¡°Who is this devil! He can¡¯t be our son! Not our perfect little son!¡± she cried out, rushing to distance herself from the monster in disguise as she hysterically ran out of the room.

    Nathanial¡¯s father paused, unsure what to do next, before bending down to pick up the tablet, watching the video one more time, and then handing it back to the officer, giving him a small word of thanks.

    The older version of Nathanial slowly walked towards a seat positioned next to his son¡¯s bed, quietly holding his hand, a smile blooming upon his son¡¯s broken face.

    <hr>

    The small blonde roughly nudged his eyes as a yawn escaped him.

    Staring towards the ceiling of his large room, a voice entered his mind.

    ¡°Today... is.. the.. day.¡± It groaned out, the fat monstrosity stated, as it lazily laid on the carpet which covered his bedroom.

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    A colourful card had been propped up next to his bedside table, reading ¡°Happy 14th Birthday to my amazing son!¡± caught Nathanial¡¯s attention, eliciting a quaint smile from the boy.

    Drowsily walking over to the bathroom, he looked at his reflection in the mirror. Most of his injuries had been completely healed, most in part due to the top-of-the-line medicine he had access to.

    Applying some toothpaste onto his electric toothbrush, he flinched slightly as it moved over a few metallic teeth that replaced the ones that had been punched out.

    Heading over to one of his wooden draws, he picked up a metallic letter opener that his father had gotten him for his tenth birthday. It had his golden initials embedded into the utensil and was something Nathanial treasured greatly.

    Shoving it into his back pocket, he went downstairs to get some food, hearing his parents that were fighting once again.

    Or rather parent. His father never was the type who acted based on emotions. That¡¯s why he was perfect in whatever he did.

    ¡°50% is what I deserve! My agents will be contacting you shortly!¡± a shrill voice screamed out, the figure of an overweight woman pridefully standing in front of her taller counterpart, who had a nonchalant expression splayed across his face.

    Observing the man¡¯s unchanging expression, the woman tightly grasped the cup of tea that she had just been sipping and threw it onto the man, the hot liquid causing him to flinch slightly.

    Seeing the boy walking into the room, the woman¡¯s face shrivelled up into one of fear as she paused for a moment. Seeing that he wasn¡¯t holding any seemingly dangerous items, she regained her confidence, storming over to the boy.

    ¡°And you! You devil! You¡¯re the whole reason that I¡¯m having to divorce your father in the first place! How could I ever birth a devil! Your father must have swapped my child with someone else¡¯s! What other explanation could there be!¡± the woman shrieked.

    Nathanial looked up towards the taller woman who stood less than half a metre away from him.

    SLAP!

    His hollow blue eyes now had been forcefully directed towards his father¡¯s direction. A series of deep giggles from a black figure standing behind him set him into motion.

    Today would be the last time he¡¯d see her. The divorce had nearly been completed, Nathanial¡¯s mother bragging about taking all his father¡¯s hard-earned money away. Apparently, she¡¯d already found another lover of a high status, who was ¡°Much better than your father will ever be!¡± according to the woman herself.

    Closing in on the tall woman, Nathanial burst into action, tackling his mother onto the ground once she¡¯d turned his back on him before equipping the metal letter opener that he¡¯d been hiding in his back pocket.

    His mother, who at that point in time had let out a small yelp of pain as her head hit the hard wooden tilling bellow, quickly turned around to see what had thrusted her to the ground.

    His father stood still, stunned at his son¡¯s actions, completely unmoving as if he¡¯d been paralysed.

    Seeing the small figure lifting a sharp metallic item up in the air, the woman attempted to stop him, her hands flailing around in the air.

    STAB!

    ¡°AAAGGGGH MY EYE!¡± the woman screeched, clawing at the boy as she struggled to get him off her.

    STAB!

    Another painful screech.

    ¡°TRYING TO LEACH OFF OF FATHER! HOW DARE YOU! DIE, DIE, DIE!¡± Nathanial raged on, quickly doing as much damage as he possibly could before he would inevitably be stopped by his father.

    STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB!

    THUD!

    Nathanial became winded as he was tackled by his father, body going limp as he didn¡¯t even try to resist.

    Tears welling up in his eyes, he spoke out, words occasionally muddled by sniffles and long bouts of crying.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry father! I couldn¡¯t stand watching her steal all your hard work! She¡¯s became a filthy leach! Once a peasant, always a peasant!¡± he wailed out in despair, his father unsure how to respond.

    Looking over to his soon to be ex-wife, he saw a pool of blood expanding from below her head, no longer any signs of life present apart from the occasional rigor mortis.

    ¡°It¡¯s not fair! What did I do that was wrong! All I did was rid this word of a dirty leach and mum calls me a demon! She was the one who said that they were better off dead!¡± he continued, bloody hands attempting to dry his eyes as tears flooded nonstop.

    His fathers¡¯ expression worsened as he looked at his crying son, choosing to embrace him in a hug instead of calling an ambulance.

    A pair of hollow blue orbs turned back towards the body which hung directly behind him.

    Just recalling how she would act around him made him sick.

    It was the last year of middle school, his age now 16. The school year was over, and he was about to enter a new year.

    There had been a girl who had become infatuated with the idea of living a luxurious lifestyle. She came from an upper-class family but had no skills to her name whatsoever. The typical spoilt princess.

    So, when her eyes first landed on Nathanial, who was the son of a major international conglomerate, she decided right then and there to do whatever it took to marry him.

    And so began many schemes, including isolating him from his peers through rumours of his past, stalking him obsessively to see what things he was interested in, constantly pestering him all the time to get him used to her.

    The blonde simply couldn¡¯t take it anymore.

    He invited her to his house, making sure to tell her not to tell anyone of their ¡°date¡± and then got rid of her.

    And oh god did it feel good. The surprised look on her face as the blade tore up her internal organs, the crimson blood which splattered on the floor, the screams which sounded better than any symphony in the world.

    The only thing that wasn¡¯t pleasant was the look he got from his father. He knew that Nathanial had invited a girl around. And that said girl wouldn¡¯t be leaving the house unless she was in a garbage bag.

    But... he¡¯d created this monster. If only he¡¯d been vigilant enough to protect his only son. Alas, it his responsibility to look after him. One way or another.

 C20 - Swing

    Seeing the state which Chloe was in, Nathanial chose to walk her home, stopping midway at an empty park, a large black car parked just outside the entrance.

    Metallic groans painfully rung out, two legs swinging back and forth as a veil of orange hair blossomed against the obsidian sky.

    Her surroundings seemed to twist and contort into large red buildings as she contently closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of the wind against her body.

    A small grunt came from the boy who had been pushing the small girl on the swing, his lips forming a thin and firm line as he exerted force.

    ¡°You really like swings, don¡¯t you?¡± Nathanial sighed out, his hawk-like eyes surveying their surroundings as he slowly reduced the strength he used to push the swing each time until it slowly came to a stop.

    The small girl¡¯s head swung forwards and backwards, her legs dangling off the plastic seat as she let out a small giggle, as if she was still riding the swing.

    ¡°Yeah... Swings... are... fun!¡± Chloe sluggishly exclaimed, her head accidentally bumping into the blonde¡¯s chest causing him to grimace slightly.

    Making doubly sure that there was nobody nearby, the blue-eyed boy searched for something in his pockets before bringing out a black blunt stick like object, quickly hiding it behind his back.

    The world span and trembled, multiple dark figures present in the small girl¡¯s vision, pointing and giggling at her as if she had just told the funniest joke they¡¯d ever heard.

    Head tilting upwards to face the dark sky, Chloe saw two eyes starting back into her own, two sapphire blue orbs which dimly bore into her figure.

    Nathanial¡¯s lips contorted upwards, hand winding backwards as he spoke, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go to sleep for a while?¡± he proposed, the small girl letting out a sharp yelp as she was sent flying off the swing.

    Landing on the coarse ground, tears started to well up in Chloe¡¯s small orange orbs, her body losing strength as she pressed one of her hands over the back of her head where she had been hit.

    Feeling a damp sensation sink into her fingers, she retracted her arm and took a look at her hand.

    A deep crimson paint covered them, causing the small girl to cry out in fear, black figures jeering at the small girl with their contorted expressions whilst growing closer.

    ¡°This is... Blood? Why... Why am I bleeding?¡± the small girl questioned, repeatedly attempting to push herself up from the ground as she looked back towards the larger boy who¡¯d been behind her when she¡¯d felt the blow.

    A small gasp escaped her mouth once she saw his expression.

    Eyes furiously furrowed, blood ran down from his red lips that he was strongly biting, his right hand held a metallic baton from which a warm liquid leaked down as he sprinted towards the girl.

    ¡°That should have been enough to knock out someone as feeble as you! Well, I guess you¡¯re accustomed to pain.¡± He spat out, closing in on the girl.

    Chloe looked around at her surroundings which were devoid of people, black figures slinking around her body, a black foot pushing down on the small girl¡¯s body in order to prevent her from standing up.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just... scream!¡± she quickly concluded, mouth opening and widening by the second as she slowly closed her eyes whilst preparing to let out a large outburst.

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    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you!¡± Nathanial hurriedly exclaimed, causing the small girl to reopen her eyes.

    Her eyes flinched at the taller boy¡¯s appearance, his face enshrouded by a black substance, lips tugging upwards into a sinister smile.

    Seeing that he¡¯d gained her attention, a smile grew upon his countenance before continuing his speech.

    ¡°You see Chloe, I¡¯ve been doing a lot of... let¡¯s just call it... preparation for this. And along the way I happened to acquire some... evidence that might get you and your friends in a tad bit of trouble!¡± he laughed out, scrambling around in his left pocket for a phone before pulling up a video.

    A familiar voice sounded out from the device as Chloe peered at the screen.

    <hr>

    ¡°You¡¯re not bad, Chloe!¡± a black-haired girl praised, patting a small orange haired girl on the back.

    A male also stood close to the two girls, his head looking at the graffiti which covered the side of the building which stood powerless in front of them.

    ¡°Yeah! You¡¯ve definitely got some talent for this!¡± he chuckled, shaking some kind of can in his hand before adding some colour here and there to the piece.

    Slowly walking over to the small orange haired girl, Nathanial pulled her up by the hand before whispering in her ear.

    ¡°Get in the car or the video gets send to the right people. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if I could get you and your friends expelled.¡±

    Nathanial tilted his head towards a car which was parked at the entrance to the park. Chloe had seen it on the way in but thought nothing of it, her world spinning at an abnormally fast pace as her legs felt like jelly, hardly able to support her own weight.

    The orange haired girl¡¯s mind spun as she attempted to come up with a counter, her eyes flicking upwards to meet Nathaniel¡¯s as her mouth opened.

    Seeing this, the tall blonde let out a harsh laugh before speaking, ¡°Yes, yes, that video of me having a little bit of fun with you.¡±

    He seemed to reminisce about the blow which his pride had suffered that day before continuing, his tone deep and threatening.

    ¡°Chloe. Look at it from an objective standpoint. If my video gets leaked, I¡¯ll just get a little scolding. If I leak your video, your whole future will be for naught. Get in the car. I won¡¯t ask again.¡±

    The small girl shifted in her shoes, her palms beginning to become sweaty as she failed to come up with any ways to escape the predicament she found herself in, relenting after a few seconds and slowly walking behind Nathanial¡¯s tall figure as they walked towards the vehicle, Chloe stumbling to and fro.

    Thrusted into the high vehicle, the small girl cautiously looked at the blonde, receiving a small smile in response as he turned the car on and began to drive off.

    Momentarily letting her guard down by accident, Chloe sank into the seat behind her and let out an uncontrollable sigh.

    The leather felt so comfortable Chloe felt like she could instantly go to sleep if she tried to, causing her to frantically shake her head as she thought of ways to solve her problems.

    Nathanial¡¯s weary blue eyes seemed to always be on the small girl whilst he drove for approximately twenty minutes.

    Arriving at a large house in the middle of the city, Chloe heard the doors of the car click shut as Nathanial equipped a mask which looked like a respirator before pressing a series of buttons on his car, prompting a hissing sound to enter the girl¡¯s ears.

    Chloe quickly grasped onto the blue-eyed boy¡¯s clothes, attempting to stop him from exiting the vehicle before being slapped away, her back hitting the door behind her causing a small moan of pain to leak out from her dirtied lips.

    Opening the car and closing the newly tinted black windowed door behind him, the blonde waved goodbye to the girl as her shrill cry for help became imprisoned within the sound proofed vehicle.

    Looking at the viscous gas that seeped out of the air vents in the car, Chloe instinctively took in a large gasp of air, eyes darting around the car to see how she could get out of the car.

    Beginning with the windows that had suddenly turned fully black, Chloe started to slam on them, using her legs when she realised her fists wouldn¡¯t do the job.

    But this was just a desperate struggle from the pitifully weak orange haired girl. With her condition, she knew that there was no way in hell she would be able to escape from the now fully gassed vehicle.

    Looking towards the dashboard of the vehicle, her eyes glanced upon a small little camera which seemed to be following her movements, zooming in once she glanced towards it.

    Oxygen running out, Chloe let out a strong smile, both of her middle fingers standing to attention as she flipped off the camera, frightened tears escaping from her orange orbs contrasting her seemingly strong front.

    Being forced to take in a large quantity of the white gas, Chloe suddenly felt increasingly drowsy, her countenance returning to neutrality.

    The black figure that had been silently sitting in the back of the car suddenly burst out into a fit of joyous giggles, taunting the small girl as her vision faded to black.

 C21 - Regret

    Opening the door to his car, Nathanial peered towards the small girl¡¯s limp body. A small strand of saliva trickled from her lips, her head hanging as her arms dangled to her sides.

    The blonde let out a small chortle at her condition before surveying his surroundings, ensuring that nobody was nearby.

    Carrying the small orange-haired girl in a princess carry, he shut the door to his car before trudging over to the main entrance to his house.

    Opening the unlocked mahogany double doors, the boy initially struggled to see due to how dark it was inside.

    Trudging through his abode, he soon reached a small door containing a staircase that led downwards.

    Tugging at the handle with his elbow, a heavy hand gripped his shoulder, causing him to let out a long sigh.

    ¡°Another one?¡± the voice questioned, its deep voice containing traces of tiredness.

    ¡°Lay off. I¡¯ve had my eyes on this one for a long time. Just be happy I don¡¯t bring one in every night.¡± Nathanial sighed, pausing slightly before adding to his statement.

    ¡°She¡¯s just a leach; what¡¯s the harm? The world will be better without her, right! Just like you¡¯ve taught me.¡±

    The figure behind the blonde released their grip on his shoulder, resting his face on his hand as he let out a long sigh.

    Seeing that the man no longer had the will to stop him, Nathanial opened the door and slinked into the basement, letting out a shrewd series of cackles that echoed within his father¡¯s ears.

    <hr>

    Damp hair clung to the small girl¡¯s forehead as a short-lived, sharp tingling sensation assaulted her body before quickly residing, a green storm obscuring her vision, leaving her short-sighted as she forced her eyes to open.

    Looking up towards the giant pair of black eyes in the sky, which jolted every once in a while, scanning the whole city before locking on to her position. Its eyelids widening in delight at the sight of the small girl, causing the very sensation she had just subjected to.

    Soon after, a figure entered her peripheral vision who sported a familiar bloodied face holding a red-dyed pointy piece of glass.

    The man¡¯s body was an amalgamation of broken limbs, his chest completely broken in as a black substance flowed from within his wounds. His eyes had become completely covered by the strange viscous matter.

    Choosing to ignore the charging man, Chloe laid upon the crimson concrete and closed her eyes, listening to the calming pitter-patter of the rain, interrupted by heavy footfalls that erupted in short intervals.

    Reaching its destination, the figure brought the sharp piece of glass onto Chloe¡¯s hand, resulting in a burst of pain that made Chloe let out an involuntary scream as she jolted forward.

    ¡°You were sleeping for so long, so I decided to help you wake up!¡± A grimy voice sternly spoke, his facial expression stiff as if Chloe had been in the wrong for taking up so much of his time.

    Orange orbs flickered to and fro, trying to piece together where she was and what had happened to her.

    A pungent, rusty smell infiltrated Chloe¡¯s senses as she looked down towards her body, finding her limbs to have been restrained by a set of half-corroded-looking leather belts that had dark red stains all over them, as if it had been contaminated with a deadly disease.

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    Eyes wondering towards the knife that had forcefully inserted itself into her right hand, the pain that had awoken her in the first place started to consume her thoughts, causing a loud scream to leak out of her mouth, her body involuntarily contracting, attempting to break free of the restraints she¡¯d found herself entrapped in.

    Nathanial¡¯s face hovered not too far away from the small girl¡¯s, a wide grin spanning from eye to eye prevalent upon his countenance as he slowly twisted the blade, causing Chloe¡¯s reactions to become amplified as tears leaked out of her orbs.

    Pushing the blade all the way through her hand and into the damp wooden chair upon which she sat, the orange-haired girl let out another deafening scream before losing her consciousness, her mind protecting herself from all the pain she had been subjected to.

    The rainfall¡¯s soothing pitter-patter as well as its ice-cold temperature made Chloe let out a sigh of relief, feeling as if a bucket of ice had been thrown upon her boiling hot thoughts and feelings.

    "Aggggrhh!¡±

    A loud wail synthesised from above reminded her of the presence of the man who¡¯d just stabbed her hand, eyes darting towards the glass shard that had crudely imbedded itself into her body part.

    The creature lifted its right hand and slapped the small girl squarely against her cheek, ripping her out of her unconscious state.

    ¡°I just woke you up! Don¡¯t you peasants have even a shred of decency within you?¡± He shouted, thoroughly enraged by her actions, hands on his head as he tightly gripped his blonde locks, mumbling to himself about how poorly mannered she was before he came to an abrupt stop, seeming enlightened before scuttling out of the room, a loud locking mechanism sounding out from the heavy metal door that shut behind him.

    Eyes drooping down towards her right hand, blood continued to pour down onto the wooden chair, the mouldy-looking leather belt making her wince at how greasily tight it bound her body.

    Chloe no longer felt the ability to move her right hand, a blockade of pain due to the absence of adrenaline halting any of the orders she made to her body as she attempted to recollect her focus, frantically looking around the room to see if there was any way for her to escape.

    It seemed as though she was being held in a rundown basement of some kind, looking almost mediaeval as a slew of mossy stones lined the decrepit walls, dark red stains covering every nook and cranny of the dungeon.

    A few shrivelled pink blobs laid upon the stone floor, sending her into a series of uncontrollable quivers over the question of what they could possibly be.

    ¡¯Looks like I ain¡¯t his first rodeo show.¡± She scoffed to herself, using all the power in her left arm to push against the incredibly tight leather belt that felt as though it had started to cut off her blood flow.

    Although it stopped her movement, it looked as though it would at least prevent her from dying of blood loss from the serrated blade that had been lodged into her hand.

    Only a short moment after he left the room, Nathanial came back in, wheeling a large metal trolley that contained a few objects, which made Chloe¡¯s eyes start to water more than they had previously.

    The blonde grabbed a syringe, filling it with some sort of viscous liquid before raising it up to his eye level, grinning whilst pushing a bit out the fluid out of the thin metallic tip.

    ¡°You see, being the benevolent man that I am, I¡¯ve decided that teaching you a lesson in manners is a must. You simply shan¡¯t fall asleep whilst we are in the middle of a lovely conversation!¡± He sang out, his tone sickly high-pitched as he strode over to the girl.

    Elevating her left arm, he injected the metal tip into it without pushing the liquid in as he once again started to speak, his eyes glossing over as he ecstatically peered at Chloe¡¯s terrified orbs, which never left the syringe.

    ¡°This¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re always awake and bursting with energy so we can talk all the time! Even when I¡¯m not here, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll always be thinking about what topic we can talk about the next time I am available!¡± He cried out in joy, pausing a few seconds after he had finished talking, staring into her orange orbs as if he were waiting for her to thank him.

    His expression turning sour from the lack of response from the girl, Nathanial slowly pushed the liquid into Chloe as his eyes watched her mouth opening to once again scream out in pain.

    A few syllables tried and failed to leave the small orange-haired girl¡¯s mouth as she laid slumped against the wooden chair, choosing to surrender to the pain.

    ¡°It¡¯s hot! My skin is on fire!¡± she thought, having run her throat hoarse.

    Pulling a wooden stall about half a meter away from the small girl, Nathanial crossed his legs and rested his head upon one of his arms that had been supported by his now raised leg.

    ¡°You and I are going to become best of friends.¡± he spoke, his jubilant tone nowhere to be found, becoming firm and stern.

 C22 - Merge

    Dried crimson covered the ground nearby, creating a clear divide between the worn grey stones that the basement had been made from.

    An orange-haired sat upon a bloodied throne, worn orbs drooping occasionally, as she attempted to keep her gaze steadfast upon a certain location.

    Noise from the outside world unable to reach the room, the chamber silently observed the mute girl that had been fastened to her throne.

    Her dried lips would occasionally open and close, as if they were trying to produce a sentence, but no voice erupted from within.

    The small girl¡¯s body constantly quivered, a small trail of saliva trickling down her chin as she suddenly broke out into a feverish fit of rage.

    Forcefully pulling against the leather belts, she threw her head upwards towards the darkness above her, peering towards two large orbs that had grown from within the abyss.

    ¡°Stop... please... Make it stop...¡±She cried out, futilely attempting to cradle her head in her hands.

    The two large orbs seemed to squint in disgust, two small pupils moving over towards the corner of the room, pulling along Chloe¡¯s attention with their movements.

    ¡°Stop? Why?¡± A disfigured body chuckled, its mouth forming a large frown as a broken arm was raised into the air near the figure¡¯s head, moving it back and forth as if it wanted to scratch its head but had been rendered unable due to the angle at which its arm had been snapped.

    ¡°Hurts... It... IT HURTS...¡±Chloe roared, her mouth moving open slightly even though no sound had been produced.

    Rushing over to the girl, the black figure placed its broken arms around the small girl¡¯s throat, tightening its grip on her as if it were attempting to choke her to death.

    Feeling her throat become compressed, stealing her ability to breathe, a pair of orange orbs darted back towards the two giant eyes above her.

    ¡°You. Did you think you¡¯d escaped? That you¡¯d finally repented enough? That life was getting better? That you... deserved the warmth that came with them?¡± Came a voice from the figure.

    The lack of oxygen causing her head to feel light resulted in her being unable to respond, the black figure increasing the strength with which it constricted her throat, as if trying to snap it into two due to the lack of response.

    ¡°This is what you deserve. Pain, suffering, and misery only. The only repentance is death.¡± The figure blurted out, the small girl¡¯s surroundings changing after it finished its sentence.

    No longer were there any grimy stones, the surroundings instantly brightening as neon rain fell upon her body.

    Finding herself in the middle of a familiar crimson-coated intersection, still bound by the throne in which she sat, Chloe weakly opened her mouth and attempted to catch some of the rain, relishing the feeling of the liquid wetting her dry lips.

    A queer scream erupted from the figure as its bones let out a series of pops and groans, its silhouette shrinking into a more feminine frame.

    The small orange-haired girl peered towards the black monster, which had turned itself into her mother. Its black teeth were clenched shut, eyes scrunched up, as it spat out a sentence filled with distain.

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    ¡°You should have died when you jumped off that roof, failure!¡± It screeched out, pausing for a second when the noise of a door opening sounded out behind it.

    The lone rusted metal door had been the only thing that hadn¡¯t changed, a loud groan erupting from the hinges.

    A tall blonde leisurely walked out from within the door, grinning at the sight of the orange-haired girl who was currently staring at him, blood-caked features and all.

    Mouth opening wide as if he were about to speak, the black figure jumped onto the man, thrusting him to the ground and launching a flurry of punches.

    Nathanial shouted out in surprise as he attempted to guard himself, futilely attempting to lift his arms up towards his head, but the figure¡¯s attacks rendered him unable.

    Screams of pain erupted from his mouth as red blood flung throughout the air, double coating his crimson surroundings.

    *SLAP*

    Chloe¡¯s head was sent flying to the right.

    ¡°Listen when I¡¯m talking to you!¡± the blonde reprimanded, his sapphire orbs peering into the surprised countenance that the orange-haired girl had been making.

    Looking towards the area of the intersection where the black figure had been punching Nathanial, the blonde boy was no longer present nor the blood that he had spurted out.

    The blonde followed the small girl¡¯s gaze, curious as to what she was looking at, causing him to let out a wide grin.

    ¡°Ah. So, you¡¯re seeing them as well. Good. Great! HAHAHAHA!¡± Nathanial jovially concluded, breaking out into a fit of giggles as he traced his hands across the small girl¡¯s injured arms.

    ¡°You¡¯re different from the rest. You did something you shouldn¡¯t have. You¡¯re just a Leach, yet you tarnished my stature... It¡¯s unthinkable! I¡¯d jokingly say that you must be crazy, but it seems that you truly are!¡± He dully spoke, his deep tone rising as he spoke, ending in another series of laughter to erupt from within.

    Seeing the perfect condition that the blonde was in, Chloe tightly clenched her hands, wincing at the feeling of her nailless fingers scraping against the moist wood that she had been confined against.

    Nathanial sat on a clean metal stool that stood not far from where the small orange-haired girl was seated and let out a small sigh.

    ¡°How durable! Seven days of no sleep and torture before you cracked. I must have been too lenient. Well, that doesn¡¯t matter now, does it?¡± He emotionlessly spoke, reminiscing all the sounds she¡¯d let out over the past few days.

    Looking towards the girl as if he were expecting her to say something, he lazily rolled his eyes and continued the one-sided conversation.

    Pulling out his phone, he started reading a file from it.

    ¡°Chloe Barker. Born physically weak from birth, her current age is 18. She lost her father at the age of 10 due to a drunk driving incident. Mother works multiple jobs and is an alcoholic. Multiple sound complaints over the past eight years point toward an abusive home life most likely leading to the degradation of her mental state. Attempting suicide at the age of 10, she survived but sustained a few major injuries to her legs and became mute. At the age of 13, she started to spend most of her time with a fellow student called Aaron Smith and started to regain her ability to speak. At the age of 16, the two joined a prestigious high school and met Lea Holton, starting a graffiti group. Mr. Smith and Mrs. Holton formed a relationship six months prior to the current day, resulting in Mrs. Barker finding employment and spending more time within her apartment.¡± The blonde read, summarising her whole life in one go.

    Chloe stared at the male, baffled at what he¡¯d just read out.

    ¡°How... did he get that information?¡± She thought, alarmed by the fact that he knew nearly everything about her.

    A black figure approached Nathanial from behind and put its fuzzy, formless hands upon his neck, seemingly attempting to strangle him to death.

    ¡°He obviously got someone to investigate you. How else is he supposed to get such detailed information! Seems like you fucked with a fucked-up guy! For all you know, he might be more fucked up than you are!¡± It cackled, strengthening its grip on the boy, causing him to gasp out for air as his blue orbs fearfully bore towards the pair of black eyes that called the black sky its home.

    Thirty seconds passed before the boy lifelessly fell to the ground, saliva pooling on crimson tarmac road, his gem-like orbs now hollow and unresponsive.

    *SLAP*SLAP*SLAP*

    ¡°I told you to listen when I¡¯m talking to you!¡± The blonde growled, waving his right hand in the air to get rid of the pain he felt from the impact.

    Chloe¡¯s eyes snapped onto the unharmed blonde, who was chuckling to himself about how far gone she must be before drooping towards the floor.

    Nathanial started to make his way to the iron door that stood unsupported in the middle of the road, making a short remark before opening the door and disappearing.

    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve lost it, we¡¯ll progress onto the next stage. Know your place, Leach.¡±

 C23 - Selfishness

    ¡°Nobody is coming to save you.¡± Nathanial coldly spat, his hands tightly intertwined while he stared at the bloodied body of the girl in front of him.

    Her orange eyes seemed to be hopping around from place to place, haphazardly so. They would never stay in one place for very long, a terrified expression splayed across her broken countenance.

    ¡°You¡¯re a murderer like me. In fact, they might already know. Otherwise, why would they be distancing themselves from you? Romance? Please, they still could have made time for you. They just wanted to rid themselves of you.¡± He confidently stated, as if there was no chance of him being wrong.

    ¡°Even the crazy guy agrees with me~!¡±Several black figures simultaneously spoke, each donning the figure of Mikhail¡¯s dead body.

    ¡°They¡¯ll still accept me... They have to...¡± The small, orange-haired girl croaked out, her voice broken from all the screaming she¡¯d done prior.

    The blonde broke out into a fit of laughter before speaking, ¡°I don¡¯t know about Aaron, but you¡¯d be remiss to think that of Lia. I know that girl very well. She¡¯s a sly one. Just the same type of person I am. She¡¯s just using Aaron for her own purposes. Who knows? She might even be doing the same thing I¡¯m doing to you now to him! Love? Don¡¯t make me laugh!¡±

    A scream erupted to the left of Chloe, causing her to quickly look towards its origin. An expression of disbelief spread across her face as tears started to pour down her already tear-stained face.

    Two familiar black figures, one sitting atop the other, were present. The one lying on the ground had green eyes and was futilely attempting to push the other of his body.

    The second figure had long black hair with red eyes and was holding a knife that had been lodged into the green-eyed figure¡¯s body, a grin blooming upon her countenance.

    He was currently loudly wailing, tears running down his face as the knife was driven further and further into his stomach. A red liquid started to leak from his fresh wound, making a large puddle on the floor.

    ¡°Ahahahahahah! You really thought that I¡¯d love a peasant like you? You must be fucking delusional!¡± The red-eyed feminine figure laughed, pulling out the knife and plunging it back into his body, creating several new wounds.

    The male¡¯s outstretched hand suddenly fell to the ground, his features growing dull alongside the halting of his breathing.

    Chloe let out a loud wail at the sight of Aaron¡¯s final moments, attempting as she to rush over to Aaron¡¯s side but being stopped by the leather belts that let out a loud creaking noise under the strain.

    But that didn¡¯t stop the woman from continuing to stab the poor boy¡¯s body, manically laughing all the while.

    Nathanial looked at her actions and continued speaking, a grin splayed across his face.

    ¡°We of the upper class would never mix with you filth if there was nothing to benefit from. Especially with a murderer like you. Face it, Chloe. There¡¯s nobody that will stay by your side anymore. It would be easier just to die here.¡± He smugly stated.

    Looking towards her broken appearance, Nathanial reminisced about the largest injury he¡¯d given to her, or rather she¡¯d given herself.

    <hr>

    ¡°No matter how long you keep me down here, nothing will change! I¡¯m not a stranger to pain!¡± The small, orange-haired girl growled, tugging against her restraints with all her strength.

    The blonde opposite her frowned and pondered his next course of action.

    ¡°She¡¯s been awake for three days straight; combined with the lack of food and daily torture, this should have been enough to break her will! What the hell do I do next?¡± Nathanial distressfully pondered.

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    Chloe bit her lips in anger before speaking once again, ¡°You¡¯re just a cowardly and weak boy who can¡¯t do anything without the help of a few ropes and drugs. You call me a leach to society, but what good do you bring? You murder those below you for your own enjoyment; how does that make you better than me? Out of the two of us, you¡¯re the real leach!¡±

    Nathanial¡¯s face exploded with rage, his eyes piercing towards Chloe¡¯s orange orbs as a stitched-together black figure who sat on the floor next to him spoke.

    ¡°Hahahaha, she¡¯s right, you know! Just like when you got kidnapped with by your uncle! You¡¯re just weak, Leach! Useless good for nothing!¡± It gurgled, slapping its broken hand against its shrivelled thighs as if it were enjoying a good TV program.

    ¡°SHUT UP! Don¡¯t you dare speak to me in such a way! As If someone of high birth such as I could be a ¡°Leach¡±!¡± He unconsciously screamed out.

    Hearing Chloe¡¯s words, unwanted memories resurfaced. Being kidnapped, beaten into a near-death state, and worst of all, nearly being forced to gouge his own eye out.

    Looking over towards the raging girl and then back to his phone, which had a file loaded up containing all of her information, Nathanial slowly made up a plan.

    A small laugh came from the boy¡¯s mouth, followed by a series of chuckles and then turning into a full-blown maniacal laughing spree.

    ¡°Say... How easy do you think it was for me to kidnap you? A peasant such as yourself?¡± He questioned, supporting his chin with his left hand as he awaited her response.

    Chloe¡¯s bloodshot eyes that had been dancing all over the room focused on the blonde in front of him, giving him the silent treatment whilst fiercely starring at him.

    ¡°Even if I were to be captured, my high-class background would serve as a shield for me! I doubt I¡¯d even get the death sentence using the best lawyers as my defence! So, who¡¯s to say if the next person after you I target is that other peasant friend of yours? What was his name again? Aaron?¡± He chuckled, pointing the knife towards his throat and playfully doing a slitting motion with it.

    Chloe¡¯s angry expression turned into one of worry as she quickly spoke, ¡°Don¡¯t you fucking touch him! I¡¯ll kill you! I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

    All emotion drained from Nathanial¡¯s countenance as he coldly spat, ¡°Stab yourself in the eye. I don¡¯t care which one it is. That¡¯s the price you¡¯ll pay for calling me a ¡°Leach.¡± Either that or I¡¯ll kill that peasant friend of yours.¡±

    ¡°Wha... What... Stab myself? Or you¡¯ll kill Aaron? Eh?¡± Chloe confusedly blurted out, her mouth wide open in shock.

    Her reaction made the blonde laugh a bit, but his face quickly turned serious once again.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you ten seconds to decide.¡± He spat.

    ¡°Eh? Ten seconds? That¡¯s not en...¡±

    ¡°9¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to stab myse...¡±

    ¡°8¡±

    ¡°If Aaron dies, I...¡±

    ¡°7¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll let him die to save yourself?¡±

    ¡°6¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want him to die!¡±

    ¡°5¡±

    ¡°Come on! Act like the cold-blooded murderer you are!¡±

    ¡°4¡±

    ¡°Choose Aaron¡¯s death!¡±

    ¡°3¡±

    ¡°Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!¡±

    ¡°2¡±

    ¡°If he dies, who else will I have?¡±

    ¡°1¡±

    ¡°Lea?¡±

    ¡°Times up! Which do you choose?¡± Nathanial chuckled, intrigued to see which she¡¯d pick.

    Chloe¡¯s orange bangs covered her expression as she hatefully stared towards the blonde before responding, ¡°Gimmie the knife.¡±

    Sapphire orbs squinted towards the girl as a smile bloomed upon his countenance, slowly moving over towards Chloe.

    Unlocking only the leather belt that constricted her right hand and arm, he passed over the small knife to the injured girl.

    Looking towards the knife and then the tall blonde who stood not too far away, Chloe toyed with the idea of throwing it at him but dismissed it as she thought that dealing a fatal blow would be impossible.

    Enraging him even more might cost her another eye.

    The small girl was already acquainted with this blade; the blade end had been completely covered in her own dried blood. Gripping it with her trembling right hand, she hovered her hand level with her left eye.

    ¡°You deserve this. Should¡¯ve killed yourself years ago! There is nothing but misery in stock for you!¡± Multiple black figures chuckled in harmony, blocking her line of sight of Nathanial.

    Green rain started to pour once again, metallic tings reverberating off the weapon as the raindrops hit it, causing Chloe¡¯s hand to shake from the force of water.

    ¡°I can¡¯t afford to let Aaron die. Lea... she took Aaron away, didn¡¯t she? Aaron is the only one who understands me. I can¡¯t afford to let him die.¡± Chloe convinced herself.

    ¡°Do it! Or I¡¯ll kill your peasant friend! This is what you get by disobeying those who are higher class than you!¡± Nathanial roared

    The last image the orange-haired girl would see with her left eye would be that of a crimson-red city with neon green rain pouring down upon her.

    Multiple black monsters that surrounded her in the middle of an intersection, another blonde monster standing close behind them.

    And a trembling and bloodied hand that drove a sharp crimson knife into her own orange orb.

 C24 - Murderers

    ¡°Lea¡¯s taking advantage of Aaron? She wouldn¡¯t mingle with us of the lower class elsewise?¡± Chloe mentally queried, the several fuzzy monsters surrounding her giggling with delight as they slowly nodded their heads.

    Suddenly, Chloe¡¯s surroundings morphed once again into another familiar place. Bright lights blinded the entrapped girl, muffled catchy game theme songs sounding out in the background as she watched herself coming out of the bathroom.

    Directly opposite her were her two friends, Lea and Aaron. Both were talking as if they had been familiar with each other for years, even though at this point in time they were merely acquaintances.

    The small orange-haired girl looked towards the two, laughing and joking about as they played an arcade game, Aaron teaching her how to play with a muddy smile splattered across his face.

    Chloe had never seen him look at her that way. In all the years that they¡¯d been together. Not even once.

    Looking over to the 16-year-old version of herself, her younger countenance downturned at the sight of the two cheerfully talking together, Chloe focused on Lia¡¯s face, reeling when she saw that her counterpart¡¯s face had become shrouded in black mist.

    When her face finally re-emerged, her appearance had completely changed. The corners of her lips were so high that they nearly touched her eyes, forming a malicious grin that sent shivers down the orange-haired girl¡¯s spine.

    Watching her stand behind Aaron as he taught her how to play, with such a face which he couldn¡¯t see, Chloe abruptly screamed aloud as to alert Aaron, shattering the illusion.

    Finding herself back inside the groggy mediaeval dungeon, she looked towards her scarred body, full of injuries and cuts that hadn¡¯t had medical attention, left to bleed and become infected.

    The darkness consumed the sight from her remaining eye, the hole where her left eye had once been feeling hollow and empty, causing her to shiver slightly.

    A black figure crept out of the shadows and fell to the floor, no longer moving as if they¡¯d just dropped dead from exhaustion.

    Finding it hard to see whose body it was due to the poor lighting, the girl scanned over the horrific injuries that the person had sustained.

    They were missing their left hand and leg, which appeared to have been poorly cut at the join, flesh and bone exposed to the air.

    Patches of skin were missing from their body, blood staining every inch of it. One thing that did stand out to Chloe was that the figure had long orange hair, just like hers.

    Seemingly with their last burst of strength, they pushed themselves up with their remaining right hand, which had been broken in several places.

    Seeing the figure¡¯s face, Chloe started to shake her head in despair, tears pouring down her small face.

    Their left eye had been dug out, leaving a dark void where a golden orange orb once sat. Their remaining orange orb seemed to have been cut in several places, to such an extent that Chloe was sure that they could no longer see anything.

    No nose could be seen; most of its skin ash black as if it had been burnt.

    ¡°No¡­No¡­NO! I¡­ Don¡¯t wanna end up like¡­ Like that!¡± She mentally screamed, finding her throat to have lacked the required fluids to scream.

    Unable to thrash about in her leather restraints that looked like they would break at any moment, another fuzzy black figure slithered to the orange-haired girl¡¯s side.

    Its hand tightly grasped Chloe¡¯s bony shoulder as it whispered into her ear.

    ¡°You have no one. Your two only friends have left you, and Aaron might just end up like you~! You¡¯re going to rot in this cellar, with your only company a monster just like you~!¡±

    ¡°Aaron¡­ But¡­ I deserve this. It would just be easier to give up and die. I¡¯m tired of struggling. LOOK WHERE IT¡¯S GOTTEN ME! WHERE IS MY LEFT EYE?¡±

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    ¡°Besides. Even if I did escape. Eventually the fact that I murdered my father would come to light. Aaron would¡­ Leave me,¡± Chloe reasoned, barely gathering enough energy to grasp her hands, a few broken fingers newly unresponsive.

    The black figure¡¯s hands gathered around the small girl¡¯s throat and started to choke her, letting out a series of shrill laughter, before starting to speak.

    ¡°Then¡­ just make him like you~!¡± It cackled, the statement spoken so casually as if it were reminding Chloe of an obvious solution that she¡¯d been avoiding.

    The small girl remained silent as she sat in pain that had embraced her for the last ten days. Most of Chloe¡¯s rational brain didn¡¯t even take what the monster had said into consideration. But there was a small part of her, a part that liked what she¡¯d heard.

    <hr>

    A monolithic metallic groan echoed within the pitch-black room as the door slowly swung open. A blonde walked towards the small girl and dumbfoundedly stood in front of the half-dead Chloe.

    The large figure harshly bit his lip, blood starting to pour down to his chin as he tightly grasped his hands into a fist until his knuckles started to turn white.

    Blood-stained orange hair slowly tilted upwards as Chloe¡¯s orbs climbed the man¡¯s tall figure. Only able to see the man¡¯s blonde hair from the light that bounded in from the room leading to the dungeon, she slowly mumbled something in a low voice.

    ¡°Please¡­ Kill me, please.¡±

    Hearing the words slowly flowing from her mouth made the figure¡¯s countenance turn for the worse, his once neutral expression turning into a deep frown as he burst into action.

    Nimbly unlocking the blood-stained leather belts that bound the small girl, he started to talk in a calm voice.

    ¡°I should have stopped him. You wouldn¡¯t have had to go through this. I¡¯ve called the police and ambulance. They¡¯ll be here soon. Regarding Nathanial¡­ I¡¯ll personally take care of him.¡±

    Chloe¡¯s worn eyes caught a small metallic glint coming from the large man¡¯s pocket, the item¡¯s black leather handle poking out from within its holder.

    Unable to speak, the small girl simply started to cry, relieved that she was finally going to be freed.

    ¡°Why are you trying to free my little plaything?¡± A voice sounded out, a new figure leaning against the heavy metal door, a small smirk equipped upon his face.

    The larger blonde seemed to freeze in place, his sapphire orbs moving towards the origin of the voice as his hands slithered towards the object that slept within its holster.

    *BANG*

    A deafening sound roared next to Chloe¡¯s ears, making her wince slightly, the larger figure falling to his knees as blood started to seep from his mouth.

    ¡°Son. I¡¯ve failed you,¡± he choked out, still attempting to reach for the object in his trousers.

    *BANG* *BANG*

    The older man let out a rough grunt as he fell to the floor in front of Chloe, the younger of the two slowly strolling over to his father before kneeling down to the bleeding man.

    ¡°This is the monster you¡¯ve created. Aren¡¯t you proud?¡± He screamed, roughly shaking his father¡¯s body as tears started to stream from his orbs.

    The older man seemed to be struggling to reply, multiple grunts and grasps escaping his mouth as if he were focussing all of his energy on one task, unable to divert any attention to answering his furious son.

    ¡°DON¡¯T YOU DARE APOLOGISE, DAMN IT!¡±

    *BANG* *BANG* *BANG*

    Smoke poured out from the end of a black object as Nathanial coughed out some blood, his attention looking down towards his abdomen, blood now pouring out from three bullet holes.

    Chloe stared at the boy who was the origin of the last ten days of torture and gritted her teeth, her vision turning red. Her hands started to shake, the three bullet holes in his stomach giving her a sliver of hope.

    ¡°Kill him! This is your first and last chance! Do it now!¡± A black figure beckoned Chloe, its hands grasping the small girl¡¯s small injured hands, forcefully guiding them over to the steel tray that sat next to the orange-haired girl¡¯s crimson throne.

    Eye grinding over the various blood-stained weapons that had been used on her in the past ten days, the black figure thrust her small hands over to a large knife, grasping it so tightly that it made Chloe¡¯s eye glisten with tears.

    Haphazardly stumbling over to the injured boy after being pushed by the large black figure, the small girl, who was continuously picking up speed, let out a shrill scream as she used up all of her remaining strength to push the blade towards his eye.

    The smaller blonde quickly looked up towards the even smaller girl and wore a loose grin. Feeling the strength leave his body, he knew that he couldn¡¯t dodge in time.

    ¡°Wait! Chloe! Wait, Wait, Wait! I SAID WAIT YOU LEA¡ª¡±

    *STAB*

    The orange-haired girl forcefully pushed the knife into Nathanial¡¯s left eye, a sickening squelch entering the small girl¡¯s ears as she flinched slightly.

    But she wasn¡¯t going to stop there. Not after accumulating a lifetime¡¯s worth of hate towards the boy in the past ten days.

    With the help of the black figure¡¯s hands, she pulled the knife out of the boy¡¯s eye socket, Nathanial screaming out in pain as he flopped about on the moist stones below him.

    *STAB* *STAB* *STAB* *STAB*

    A series of screams flowed from Chloe¡¯s mouth as she endlessly stabbed the boy, his face no longer recognisable.

    Nathanial¡¯s father, who was bleeding out on the floor, looked at the sight before him, a thin frown upon his lips as tears started to stream down his face.

    But he wasn¡¯t going to intervein. After all, his son had this coming. The least he could do for the victim was to let her get some revenge.

    The last thing Chloe remembered before passing out was the bloodied sight of the stabbed boy who laid before her and the endless laughter coming from the black figure who had helped her kill Nathanial.

 C25 - Demon

    The first thing Chloe awoke to was the cold neon green rain that lightly danced upon her body. Looking up at the giant obsidian orbs in the sky, the small orange-haired girl thought back on what had happened to her over the past ten days.

    Especially replaying the moment when she had been in a frenzy stabbing Nathanial¡¯s lifeless body until she herself became lifeless.

    In the middle of a crimson intersection, Chloe lay on the concrete floor, unable to move from where she had found herself.

    Struggling to grow accustomed to the fact that her left eye was no more, reducing her vision by half, the small girl weakly tilted her head so as to survey her surroundings.

    Soon, among the decaying skyscrapers that littered her field of view, she found two black figures.

    The first was a familiar face who¡¯d been with her for the better part of eight years; the second was a newcomer, but still someone Chloe recognised immediately.

    ¡°I dealt quite a bit of damage, didn¡¯t I, Leach?¡± A rugged voice sounded, the figure examining his stabbed and blackened body with intrigue.

    Coal-black hair adorned his head, his face poorly stitched together with blue thread where Chloe had stabbed him multiple times. A small smirk appeared on his slashed lips, turning into a series of chuckles as he turned to his left to look at the other figure that silently stood next to him.

    ¡°So you¡¯re as crazy as I thought~. Tell me? How did killing me feel? It seems like you lost yourself in the moment, I mean, look at me! I¡¯m a complete mess! My handsome face is no more!¡± Nathanial chuckled, strolling over to the girl who was unable to move.

    The blackened boy was standing ten or so meters away from Chloe, pinching himself on the cheek before letting out a surprised hum.

    The small girl¡¯s vision blurred all of a sudden, Nathanial reappearing right in front of her debilitated self.

    ¡°I should just get revenge on you right now, while you¡¯re unable to retaliate!¡± The boy pondered aloud, covering the small girl¡¯s throat with his fuzzy black hands when he reached where she was lying.

    Chloe hatefully looked towards the once blonde¡¯s new figure before looking over to the other black figure, who had just been silently standing still.

    The boy tightened his grip, enjoying the painful look that spread across the helpless girl¡¯s face. Suddenly his countenance lit up, and he let go of Chloe, the latter gasping for air whilst curiously looking towards the monster.

    ¡°On second thought, I think another type of revenge would be most satisfactory. You may have been able to cover up your first murder, but your second¡­ That¡¯s always a different story. Let¡¯s see. Will your friends stay by your side? Or throw you to the side after learning who you truly are,¡± Nathanial chuckled, looking up towards the abyss-like sky whilst reminiscing about his own past.

    Chloe lay still, no words coming from her mouth.

    ¡°Perhaps he is correct. But, even so, I¡¯ll believe. In Aaron. In Lea¡­?¡±

    <hr>

    And so days passed, each without any visits from the two of them. One week turned into two which then turned into four. Over the past month, perhaps only a few things of note had occurred while she was healing from her injuries.

    Firstly, it seemed like she would lose consciousness every few days, subsequently losing memory of anything that had happened on that day. So far it had happened eight times in total, but Chloe brushed it off as a side effect of her mental instability.

    Secondly, Nathanial¡¯s father had turned himself into the police, submitting evidence from CCTV tapes to prove Chloe¡¯s innocence and the misdeeds of his son. Whilst under the surveillance of the police, he came to see Chloe, verbally promising to give all of his assets to her as an apology. At the time, Chloe hadn¡¯t understood what he meant.

    The next day she received notice of his death. The cause? Suicide. Apparently, he had hung himself with a rope he had smuggled into his holding cell, the cleaner finding him the morning of the next day, face a purplish red colour due to the asphyxiation.

    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s what he meant when he said that he¡¯d be giving all his assets to me¡­¡± The small girl mused, not even slightly affected by the news of his death. Perhaps she¡¯d lost what remained of her humanity in that dark chamber.

    However, Chloe never received a single penny. Nathanial¡¯s family claimed that his father was not in his right of mind when he changed the will so as to give all of his assets to the small orange-haired girl. They instead claimed that it should be split between them instead, leaving the small orange-haired victim with nothing.

    <hr>

    Limping out of the hospital with the help of her new best friend, a pair of good ¡¯ol crutches, Chloe started the trek back to her house.

    The cold October weather sent a shiver down her spine as she navigated the familiar streets that lead to her apartment, bumping into lampposts and walls due to not being used to only having one eye.

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    ¡°Seems like my depth perception skills have gone to shit¡­¡± Chloe grumbled, hoping that it wouldn¡¯t affect her ability to dodge a glass bottle or two.

    However, what sent an even chillier feeling throughout her body was the looks she¡¯d been getting from onlookers. Those terrified expressions that they wore. The way they stopped whatever they were doing to stare at her figure, quickly peering towards the ground once Chloe had noticed their staring, as if holding eye contact with her would result in them contracting some lethal plague.

    Reaching her old home, the small girl groaned at the sight of the flights of stairs that she would have to ascend.

    ¡°Getting used to walking was already a challenge¡­ and now I¡¯ve got to go up a fuck-tonne of stairs?¡± The small orange-haired girl sighed in despair.

    The two black shadows behind her cheered her on as she slowly climbed what seemed to be a never-ending flight of stairs, the girl sending a middle finger towards the blackened boy after a comment he¡¯d made, ¡°If you fall, I¡¯ll take it as though you chose the easy way out~!¡±.

    Knocking on the door to the apartment felt like she¡¯d just volunteered to jump into the pits of hell, but she felt there was no other option; Nathanial had taken the key away from her, threatening to kill the older woman, but that had no effect on the girl, so he had thrown it out at the time.

    As if Chloe were standing in front of a tombstone that was slowly moving so as to reveal a secret passage, a heavy moan erupted from the rusty iron door, a sign that its hinges were dying for some oil.

    Dishevelled orange hair flooded Chloe¡¯s vision as a taller figure filled her vision. Dark bags slept under their eyes; barely any clothes clung to her body as the strong smell of alcohol

    Despite the fact that she had clearly just woken up, the older woman was still equipped with a bottle of alcohol in her left hand.

    Two groggy orange orbs slowly edged downwards, pupils shrinking once a few orange locks entered her sight.

    There stood Chloe in all of her glory.

    A white gauze had been strapped over her left eye, her face filled with cuts, deep and shallow alike. The small girl¡¯s remaining orange-orb calmly peered at her older counterpart, both of them not saying a word.

    Dragging her eyes over the rest of the small girl¡¯s body, the older of the two found even more injuries. Biting her lip when she saw the two metal crutches that Chloe was using to support herself, her expression softened slightly before hardening once again.

    ¡°I heard ya killed the bastard. Ended up messed up, you and him both. Still alive, eh?¡± She chuckled, placing her hand behind her head whilst continuing to look at the scars that covered the young girl¡¯s body.

    The blackened boy approvingly nodded in the background at the sight of Chloe¡¯s mother, as if he were pleased that his original hypothesis had somehow been proven correct after just one line from the woman and a few expressions.

    Chloe remained silent as she inquisitively peered towards the older woman¡¯s face, or lack thereof. A black mist had completely covered all but her mouth, the words flowing from her mouth sounding as if they¡¯d come through an old 20th-century radio.

    The older woman noticed Chloe¡¯s gaze, causing them to maintain eye contact for a few seconds, unbeknownst to the smaller girl.

    She reeled back after observing the look that the small girl¡¯s orange orb held, one of complete exhaustion. It looked as if all of the colour had been wrung out of it, leaving nothing but the empty husk of the colour it used to be.

    Chloe thought that the older woman had stepped out of her way, so she slowly limped into the dark and messy apartment, making sure not to step on any of the new and old shards of glass on the way to her room.

    But after no longer than ten seconds, she heard a small chuckle sound out behind her, causing her to look towards the origin of the noise.

    There stood the older woman, the door now closed behind her, shutting out any remnants of natural light from entering the apartment as if she¡¯d just closed the exit from hell behind her, leaving no path for Chloe to escape to.

    Some artificial light poured out of a small TV set in the corner of the room, the laugh track from a comedy show playing in the background as the small orange-haired girl peered towards the no longer calm face of her older counterpart.

    The older woman¡¯s fists were tightly scrunched up into fists, her knuckles turning white from the pressure, although Chloe didn¡¯t notice due to not having gotten accustomed to the low light level yet.

    Blood drizzled down the taller woman¡¯s face as she wound her left hand back as if she were about to throw something.

    ¡°YOU! ARE YOU MOCKING MY MIKHAIL? WHY WON¡¯T YOU JUST DIE ALREADY?¡± She screamed, launching the glass bottle, which sped through the air before smashing against Chloe¡¯s forehead, throwing her to the floor, where even more glass shards pierced into her back, eliciting a small scream from the girl.

    ¡°Fuck! I thought the bottle was farther away than it actually was!¡± Chloe cursed, trying to push herself up to the ground before letting out another yelp when she saw the sight in front of her.

    The older woman sprinted over to the smaller girl before mantling her, tightly grasping her small throat with both hands.

    The woman¡¯s deranged laughter filled the room alongside the chuckling of the two monsters who were crouching right beside the two women.

    Chloe felt her breath becoming scarce as she weakly flailed around her arms in a pointless act of retaliation before slowly accepting her fate.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t I ever just be allowed to be happy?¡±

    Blood dripped onto her lips from above as her vision started to darken, the irony taste spreading within her mouth.

    ¡°Ha! Serves you right, Leach! I told you! I didn¡¯t even need to do it myself. Everyone around you despises you! Your friends have abandoned you! Your mother is going to kill you! What have you got left to live for?¡± Nathanial sang, his charcoal grey orbs staring up towards the obsidian pair of eyes that had blossomed upon the ceiling of her apartment.

    Chloe¡¯s orange orb bore into the pair that had appeared above her, one final thought appearing in her mind before she prepared to shut her eyes close for the last time in her life.

    ¡°Aaron¡­ You haven¡¯t given up on me, right? You haven¡¯t thrown me aside, have you? No¡­ No¡­ It can¡¯t be. NO! No. Lea. It has to be her doing¡­ She¡­ She took him away from me¡­ I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll take him back¡­ If it¡¯s the last thing I do.¡±

    As her eyes shut close and her mind came to a stop, a solemn tear ran down her face.

    Chloe Barker tried to do the best with the cards she¡¯d been dealt, but her best was never good enough. A glimpse of happiness snatched away by her at the last second. But it¡¯s fine. She¡¯s used to it.

    Everyone had a breaking point, and hers had arrived long ago.

    For Chloe, it was just a matter of time before she embraced the demons within.

    ¡°Ahahhahaha~!DIE!~¡±

    STAB

 C26 - Despair

    Warmth spread throughout the small girl¡¯s fingers as she sank to the bottom of a seemingly endless crimson ocean.

    In front of her stood another feminine figure; her features blackened, and a snarky smile spread across her countenance.

    Slender black fingers reached out towards Chloe, strangling the submerged girl whilst giggling, seemingly unaffected by the warm liquid that flowed into each and every one of its orifices.

    Black lips opened, a grating voice echoing within Chloe¡¯s mind.

    ¡°How long are you going to play pretend?¡±

    <hr>

    Launching forward from the bed in a cold sweat, the small orange-haired girl panted hard as she touched her throat, pain flaring throughout her neck just by touching it.

    Her long orange locks fell to her sides as she plopped back onto her mattress, wincing due to the discomfort she felt stemming from her back.

    ¡°Must have slept in the wrong way... Wait¡­ How did I get here?¡± The small girl pondered, surveying her surroundings to make sure that this was indeed her room and not the boring old hospital room that she was so used to.

    Hopping off the bed, she felt the cool floor hit her feet, once again reassuring her that she wasn¡¯t dreaming; her dreams were never as detailed as this.

    ¡°Agrh, this again? What is it now, the ninth time? It seems like I lost another day¡¯s worth of memories... but it doesn¡¯t seem like they were that important anyway. Probably just got beat up by the old woman again¡­¡±

    Chloe felt a pair of eyes on her small figure stemming from her right. Nathanial was quizzically looking towards the girl, his expression incredibly befuddled.

    ¡°You. You don¡¯t remember, do you? What happened yesterday?¡± The ashened boy asked, his charcoal fingers intertwined as he waited for the girl to answer.

    Nodding slightly, a series of hysterical laughter flowed from the broken boy¡¯s stitched mouth, red tears slowly leaking from where his brilliant sapphire orbs used to be.

    ¡°Oh Chloe, you are hysterical,¡± he cried out, a wide smile equipped.

    The small orange-haired girl gave him a confused stare before pushing the matter to the back of her mind.

    ¡°He¡¯s probably just fucking with me, bloody nuisance¡­¡± She concluded.

    Whilst walking out of her room, using her new crutches, and into the bathroom, she quipped at her once captor, ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have just stayed dead like a good little boy?¡±

    Nathanial just smiled, deciding to keep quiet and see how things would play out instead of intervening any further.

    Peering at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, Chloe grimaced.

    ¡°Y/n¡­ he won¡¯t mind. In fact, I doubt he¡¯ll even notice!¡± She wholeheartedly thought, wincing at the bruise marks that covered her neck.

    ¡°She must¡¯ve been pretty rough with me yesterday... I wonder if she¡¯s at work now... Hopefully so¡­¡±

    Brushing her teeth after washing her face, Chloe¡¯s reflection started to morph slightly, startling the girl.

    The lower half of her face had been completely replaced, a fuzzy blackened version with an ominous, large grin splayed across its charcoal lips.

    Shaking her head slightly, the vision disappeared, her scars returning alongside the frown that she had been wearing.

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    Unbeknownst to the girl, a crimson substance pooled within the bath, not too far from her.

    <hr>

    Chloe had never minded being isolated from her peers. She¡¯d gotten used to the feeling of being alone when she was young, so she hadn¡¯t been that phased when people started to avoid her once again.

    But the reason this time around was different compared to when she was young.

    They were scared of her.

    Of the girl who killed another.

    Of the girl whose scars spanned her whole body.

    Of the girl who only had one eye.

    Of the girl who was not like the rest.

    Strangely enough, it seemed as though any random student that she had run into had the top portion of their faces distorted by a fuzzy black material.

    All she could see were the horrified expressions that they would make upon seeing her appearance.

    The whole time Nathanial and the other black figure had been snickering at the students reactions. Chloe swore that if they had popcorn, they would have been stuffing it into their stitched faces.

    <hr>

    Turning a few corners, Chloe soon found the two that she had been looking for. Hearing that they were having a conversation, she slowed down, wanting to listen in on their conversation.

    ¡°Did you hear about what happened to Chlo?¡± A masculine voice queried, worry evident within his tone.

    A tall female figure shifted slightly, a frown appearing upon her countenance. Her movements clearly showed how uncomfortable the topic was for her.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe she killed him... I heard it was pretty gruesome too,¡± she said, once again shifting in place.

    Y/n¡¯s expression became conflicted for a second, an understanding look eventually surfacing upon his countenance, his lips opening as if he were about to speak.

    But Lea beat him too to it, ¡°I mean, surely she could have avoided outright killing him, right? I know Nathanial is a bastard and all, but killing him? I don¡¯t know. Just seems a bit far, no?¡±

    This time Y/n¡¯s expression turned sour. He didn¡¯t like what she was saying but could understand where she was coming from.

    Chloe unconsciously held her breath as she waited for his response, Nathanial softly chuckling behind her as if he already knew what Y/n would say.

    ¡°Yea. I get where you¡¯re coming from. Murder. Killing someone, huh?¡± Y/n replied, looking as if he was about to add something else to his sentence before he heard a loud noise from not too far away.

    The small orange-haired girl had fled from the scene, her mind a mess.

    ¡°Eh? What? Y/n¡­ he¡­ Lea¡­ Agreed... that I¡¯m... a murderer?¡±

    She felt as if she was being choked by someone, as if her life was all of a sudden draining out of her.

    ¡°Hahahahaha! I told you, didn¡¯t I? The second murder is always different! Face it, Chloe! You¡¯re different from them! The only people you can trust have turned their back on you! What else do you have?¡± Nathanial quickly blurted out, his speech impeccably pronounciated as if he¡¯d been practicing those specific lines for quite some time now.

    His words made the small girl stop dead in her tracks.

    ¡°What else... do I have? Y/n was all I had¡­ All I¡¯ve ever had... And he thinks of me as a murderer!¡± She concluded in despair, feeling as though her life had just lost all of its meaning.

    ¡°If Y/n isn¡¯t there... then what reason do I have to live? To continue taking beatings day in and day out...

    The small girl¡¯s body swayed to the left and right as black spots started to fill her vision. Soon she started to hyperventilate as she left the school grounds and aimlessly wondered back to her apartment.

    ¡°So end it all! Do it with a bang!¡± Nathanial cheered her on, as if he were watching the series finale of a rom-com series where the main love interests were about to get together.

    ¡°Why should I... go on? I¡¯ll just kill myself.¡±

    <hr>

    The dark apartment was only lit up by the small TV set, which sat in the corner of the lounge, a random comedy channel rambling on in the background as Chloe held up a sharp kitchen knife up towards her throat.

    ¡°Suffering¡­ Suffering.. More suffering¡­ Isn¡¯t there anyone... ANYTHING out there... except more pain for me? Is my life really just that cruel?¡± The small orange-haired girl pondered as she brandished the metallic weapon.

    Reliving her past, Chloe realised that her life really was just made up of agony. She¡¯d murdered her father at the age of ten, failed at taking her own life a week later, was abused by her mother for the better part of the last eight years, and was tortured for ten+ days straight by another murderer just like her because of her upbringing.

    In comparison to all that suffering, the only joy that had been brought into her life had been the time she¡¯d spent with Y/n.

    But even that had to come to an end.

    Because of her.

    But it didn¡¯t matter anymore.

    She didn¡¯t matter anymore.

    Because it would all be over soon.

    A glimpse of happiness snatched away at the last second, but it¡¯s fine. She¡¯s used to it.

    But how could you blame her for giving up? After all. No longer was there any light at the end of the tunnel. In fact, the tunnel might as well have collapsed in on itself, leaving the small girl to die alone due to dehydration or hunger. Whichever one claimed the girl for itself the quickest.

    ¡°If only she hadn¡¯t existed.¡± Chloe sighed.

    But ¡°What Ifs¡± had no place in the real world.

 C27 - Confliction

    Darkness slithered onto the steel blade, matting the once gleaming metal and repainting her reflection.

    Instead of seeing the image of a crying girl on the brink of ending her own life, a monstrous grin bloomed upon her countenance, an orange swirl replacing her eye, seemingly hypnotising Chloe as she stared into their seemingly infinite depth.

    A sharp whisper breached her ears, a deceivingly silky-smooth voice dancing its way through her mental barriers.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be free. Like you¡¯ve always wanted to be,¡± It sang, two ashened hands slowly gripping onto the handle of the knife, ever so slightly tightening by the second, as if it were an anaconda carefully entrapping its long-awaited prey.

    A warm mass consumed her body, freeing her tensed muscles from their unruly prison, allowing for the figure to take total control of the disfigured girl¡¯s body without her knowledge.

    Chloe¡¯s orbs bore into her grinning reflection, finding the task of keeping her eyelids open to have become more taxing by the second.

    ¡°Ssssshhhh¡­ Relax¡­ It¡¯s all over now.

    Welcoming the darkness that took over her mind as she closed her tired eyes, Chloe wondered what came after death. After all, that was all that was in store for the small orange-haired girl now.

    ¡°Well¡­ It can¡¯t be... worse than-¡°

    ¡°Chloe?¡±

    Chloe¡¯s eyes burst open, the warmth that had previously encumbered her body nowhere to be felt.

    Orange orbs darting over to the noise¡¯s origin, her pupils widened at the sight of the person standing in front of her.

    A bouquet of marigolds lay upon the floor that was haphazardly covered in sharp shards of glass, rays of light flooding into the small girl¡¯s apartment, revealing small amounts of red stains dotted upon the dirty carpet.

    But the figure paid them no mind, their crimson contacts gleaming with beads of tears, one of their slender hands covering their mouth, countenance electrified by the sight before her.

    ¡°Chlo¡­e? What are you doing?¡± Lea worriedly enquired, stumbling over her words as she quickly approached the girl who was holding a knife up to their throat, the blade end pointed towards her vital point, both hands tightly holding the handle.

    The door slammed shut behind her, causing both of them to flinch slightly, darkness once again consuming the apartment.

    Unperturbed by the newfound lack of light, Lea stormed over to the small girl, causing Chloe to panic, fear consuming her entire being as her orange orbs darted between her best friend and the blackened knife that she held before her.

    ¡°This would be the per...¡± Stopping herself before she could finish the thought, Chloe attempted to speak, only managing a few mangled words.

    ¡°Wh¡­y? Why are... are you... here?¡± She blurted out, her countenance petrified as if the worst possible outcome had arisen.

    Lea seemed to become a bit confused by such a question, her speedy approach not faltering as she spoke, ¡°Why? Weren¡¯t you the one who invited me here? You know? When me and Aaron went to visit you.¡±

    Stunned by the words that had just left her mouth, Chloe¡¯s mind blanked as she attempted to search for any memories of such an event occurring.

    A rejuvenated black figure quickly grasped upon the knife¡¯s handle, tugging it towards the small girl¡¯s throat as if in a hurry to end it all.

    ¡°She¡¯s lying to you. Do it! DO IT NOW!¡± Nathanial hurriedly commanded, the other shadow cooperating with him by blocking her view of the black-haired girl whilst covering her ears to shield her from such treachery.

    Feeling her hands inch closer, a wave of pain burst from her throat, the small girl flinching at the feeling of a hot liquid starting to trickle down her neck.

    But before the weapon could do any more damage, the blade halted in its monstrous march. A painful squeal somehow entered the small girl¡¯s mind as two pairs of hands burst from within the black demon that stood before her.

    Tightly grasping onto the blade end of the knife, two slender hands forcefully halted the sharp weapon, crimson trickling down her hands and dripping onto the carpet below.

    ¡°Chloe! Let go of the knife! We can tal-¡°

    The small girl unconsciously tugged upon the knife, willing it closer and closer as she disdainfully snarled at the woman in front of her.

    ¡°We can talk? We can talk? Do tell, what is there to talk about? I have nothing! And you have everything! You¡­ You took everything! And now you won¡¯t even let me choose what I do with my life?¡± Chloe screamed, tears welling within her remaining orange orb.

    Lea seemed shocked to hear such words coming out of the small girl¡¯s mouth, her grip momentarily loosening, causing the blade to continue on its path of death.

    Seeing that Chloe was about to stab herself, Lea desperately attempted to change the course of the blade, using her body weight to push the blade to the slide slightly.

    However, soon after the taller girl lost her balance and entered a state of free fall, sending both of them to the ground, a loud gasp erupting from between them.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    Having been suddenly thrown to the floor, the small girl had unconsciously closed her eyes, waiting for the feeling of glass becoming one with her back.

    But such a familiar feeling of pain never came, replaced by a sickly sensation that spread throughout her fingers, as if they¡¯d just been shocked with corrupted electricity.

    Quickly releasing her grip on the knife, she was surprised to not hear the soft noise of it hitting the carpet, inquisitively opening her orange orb to see what had occurred.

    Orb widening, a chorus of laughs entered her ears as crimson covered her vision.

    As if a red plague had infected the area, the small girl¡¯s surroundings were ruled by the deathly colour. Crimson clothes bleeding into a crimson carpet, crimson orbs peering into her crimson soul.

    ¡°Ahahahah~! Kill her! I knew you had it in you! Atta girl!¡± Nathanial praised, heavily patting the small girl¡¯s back, making her tremble from the force.

    ¡°N¡­no¡­ No¡­ Lea¡­ I¡­¡± The small girl mumbled, her vision becoming consumed by darkness, only the crimson outline of a body left before her.

    The once-towering girl had fallen, her quivering crimson lips suddenly opening to cough out blood, some of it drenching the small girl¡¯s features due to their proximity.

    Chloe¡¯s thoughts began to stall, her mind raving within the boundless prison that was its feeble body, leading the girl to suddenly begin to claw at her face and let out a shrill scream.

    ¡°Ah¡­ Ahh¡­ AAAHHH¡­. What? What have I¡­¡±

    A weakening warmth dripped from her face and onto Lea, drops of blood beautifully painting a picture of the artists¡¯ strained countenance.

    Lea appeared to have become incapable of speech, such newfound pain shutting her brain down so as to protect herself from such a cruel feeling causing her to faint.

    ¡°Now you¡¯ve really done it! So two wasn¡¯t enough, huh? Well, I can¡¯t say that I disagree. Four wouldn¡¯t have been my limit, that¡¯s for sure.¡± The ashened boy cackled, the other shadow letting out an indecipherable screech as it equipped a blood-red grin.

    ¡°Finish her! Do it now! Before she wakes up! Whilst she¡¯s defenceless!¡± He screeched in her ear, hands upon her shoulders, as if guiding them towards the knife that had already done half the job.

    The small girl remained silent, as if she had also lost consciousness from her actions, before a few tears splashed upon the crimson-orbed teen¡¯s face.

    ¡°No.¡± She croaked out, her remaining orb softly raking over Lea¡¯s features as one of her violently trembling hands cupped her friend¡¯s cheek.

    The blackened figure behind her seemed to be frozen, his disfigured countenance twitching slightly as a small smile graced his lifeless, sliced lips.

    ¡°She¡¯s going to die either way. That wound. It¡¯s fatal. She¡¯ll die from blood loss even if you do nothing. But before that happens, she might alert your neighbours, who¡¯ll call the police. And then you¡¯ll be locked up for the rest of your life.¡± Nathanial sighed, seemingly sad for the small girl as he tightened his grip on her shoulders.

    Chloe¡¯s body tensed up once she heard his words, her quivering lips thinning into a firm, thin line.

    ¡°She¡­ She saved my life, and look what¡¯s happened to her now. She wouldn¡¯t have done that if what you told me about her was true.¡± The small girl calmly stated, her remaining eye fixed upon where the knife had been lodged.

    Sticky hot blood dyed her whole abdomen red, making the lower half of her body seem as though it had been submerged into a boiling hot crimson ocean.

    ¡°Perhaps I used a bit of hyperbole; however, she still influenced Aaron¡¯s thoughts about you in a negative manner. Aaron¡­ Aaron! Chloe! If you kill her now, he¡¯ll be all yours! Just think about it! You¡¯ll have a reason to live again! A light at the end of the corrupted tunnel!¡± He joyfully stated, as if he¡¯d been struck by a moment of wisdom and thus had come up with an infallible plan.

    ¡°A¡­Aaron¡­¡± Chloe chocked out, her hands unconsciously reaching for the knife.

    ¡°We could go back to those days, when it was just the two of us!¡± She persuaded herself, hands gripping onto the handle of the knife, and slowly pulled it out, earning a groan from the girl below her, who slowly began to wake up from the new round of pain.

    Chloe¡¯s body trembled as she slowly raised the knife into the air, halting after seeing the look that Lea was currently giving her.

    There was no hatred in her orbs. No blame or worry to be found. As if she were just happy her friend was okay, her eyes seemed to be smiling, hiding the debilitating pain that she was suffering from away from the small girl.

    ¡°Aaaaa! I¡­ I can¡¯t! I can¡¯t do it!¡± Chloe wailed, the blade hovering in the air above her best friend¡¯s throat as if halted by an invisible force.

    Both black figures suddenly grasped the knife, pushing with all their might as Chloe resisted against their overwhelming might.

    ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t do it! Don¡¯t make me! Please! Not her! Not my friend!¡± Chloe wailed, her head frantically shaking as she took in the taller girl¡¯s features.

    A bloodied smile had bloomed upon her countenance, as if she¡¯d come to terms with her impending death and was fine with it, more concerned with the wellbeing of her murderer than herself.

    ¡°You¡¯ve already killed two. What¡¯s one more at this point? She won¡¯t survive anyway. The least you can do as her ¡°best friend¡± is put her out of her misery.¡± The boy coldly spoke, as if he were ashamed of the way Chloe was acting.

    Unable to fight back the two monsters any longer, the blackened knife sang as it cut through the air, lodging itself deeply into the crimson-orbed girl¡¯s throat.

    Chloe felt as if her hands had millions of bugs crawling within them as the sensation of the knife cutting throat Lea¡¯s flesh was transmitted to her limbs.

    Bloody foam bubbled up from within Lea¡¯s mouth as her smile began to falter, no longer strong enough to put up her usual strong front. A painfilled expression overtook her countenance, her brows scrunched, crimson orbs dulled as a frown solidified upon her face.

    Crimson soaked the skin surrounding her lips, dripping onto the stained carpet while her breathing slowly halted.

    Chloe¡¯s mind blanked as she looked at the scene before her.

    ¡°I? I killed her? I killed one of my best friends?¡± She queried, holding up her hands, which had been consumed by a black fuzzy material.

    Unable to face reality, Chloe lost consciousness and slumped onto the dead body of her best friend, her body becoming corrupted by crimson.

    <hr>

    Once again, the small girl found herself sinking within an endless crimson ocean. A blackened girl warmly grasped Chloe from behind as another taller figure, equipped with a horrific expression chock full of pain, pierced the orange-haired girl¡¯s abdomen with a black knife.

    ¡°How long will you continue to play pretend?¡±

    <hr>

    Waking up in a cold sweat, Chloe opened her eyes and let out a loud shriek.

    Before her laid the cold, bloodied body of her best friend, hollow eyes cursing the small girl for being alive.

    Chloe scrambled backwards to get away from the girl, hitting her head against a wall before calming down.

    ¡°She¡¯s dead.¡±

    Looking over her pale corpse, the frail girl suddenly got the verge to vomit, rushing to the bathroom and collapsing in front of the sink.

    Weakly peering up towards her reflection in the mirror that was placed just above the sink, Chloe lamented over her scarred face before noticing three figures sombrely standing behind her.

    Two had become familiar to the girl, the last a newcomer somehow looking even more terrifying than Nathanial.

    There stood the towering girl, her limbs elongated, and her dark green eyes fixed upon the small girl¡¯s figure.

    The figure¡¯s abdomen and mouth were unlike the rest of its blackened body, entirely covered by a deep red liquid that ebbed and flowed as if it had a will of its own.

    All three figures spoke simultaneously as Chloe peered at them from within the stained-glass mirror, saying the exact same thing as each other.

    ¡°Murderer.¡±

 C28 - Infection

    Goose bumps covered up the small girl¡¯s body as she shivered atop a red skyscraper.

    The world below had become submerged in a never-ending crimson ocean, neon green rain blurring Chloe¡¯s vision.

    Combined with the harsh winds that tugged at her frail body, the orange-haired girl dug her feet into the floor and stared upwards towards the abyss that lay above her.

    Two giant obsidian orbs greeted her, reminding the small girl of all the times she¡¯d peered upwards towards them in her life.

    Their first appearance had been when Chloe had been forsaken by the world she¡¯d lived in up to that point, unchanging even when their host developed, for better or for worse.

    They bore into her soul, pupils unmoving and lacking emotion as if they had been carved from stone, forcing the girl to shake herself out of the trance she had found herself in, focussing her attention onto something¡ªor rather someone¡ªelse.

    A gurgling sound erupted from in front of the girl, sounding as if the person it came from was simultaneously choking and laughing.

    Chloe¡¯s singular orange orb flung towards the disfigured body that stood slanted before her.

    As if struggling to come to terms with its new body, the green orbed monstrosity ferociously shook its limbs, as if it had been submerged in dirt and was currently trying to rid itself of it.

    Following its towering body, the figure¡¯s long black hair fell to the floor, spreading several meters around their feet, leaving the girl wondering how long it would even take to grow one¡¯s hair out that long.

    A deep frown, fraught with pain and discomfort, had been splayed across its countenance, two stabbed emerald orbs frantically rolling around in their destroyed sockets before suddenly locking onto the stunned girl who stood in front of it.

    The orange-haired girl opened her mouth, attempting to say something¡ªanything¡ªto the figure that stood well over twice her height but failed in doing so.

    ¡°So this is one of those dreams, huh?¡± The girl inwardly scoffed, subconsciously gripping her fists so tightly that her knuckles started to become white.

    Orange orb trained upon the figure¡¯s blackened hands; she silently watched as it reached into their abdomen and pulled out a crimson weapon forged from its own blood.

    The handle of the knife came out first, the liquid sloshing around within the monster¡¯s hands before hardening into a wooden-like handle that let out small metallic whimpers upon contact with the never-ending neon green rain that had been thrust down from the abyss above.

    Chloe¡¯s mouth inched upwards as she lowered her centre of gravity, squatting close to the ground as if preparing for her opposition¡¯s inevitable charge.

    Just as the girl had finished her preparations by holding out her hands in front of her as if she were about to hug the being who stood a few meters in front of her, the ruby knife finished solidifying, an inhumanly deep chuckle crawling its way out of both of their mouths as they locked gazes.

    ¡°Oh Lea. My best friend? Hah, of course not.¡± She chuckled to herself, launching forward towards her opposition.

    Under the roaring rain, a crooked voice broke through, like a poisonous lighthouse that would lead ships towards its turbulent shores with promises of salvation and civilisation.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad that you¡¯ve shown yourself before me once again, Lea! I wasn¡¯t satisfied with just killing you once!¡±

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    A thunderclap of lightning smashed into the ocean, illuminating the two who were about to make contact. A fragile figure clashed against one twice as large as herself.

    The crimson weapon plunged into Chloe¡¯s stomach, forcing the girl to let out a shrill cry as she coughed up blood into the taller figure¡¯s crimson abdomen.

    A satisfied gargle sounded out from the emerald-orbed figure before they suddenly found themselves laying on the floor, neon green rain forcing them to close their eyes or lose their sight for a few moments.

    But when they finally opened up their eyes, a blackened knife proudly hung above its throat, a few black drops of rain dripping from the weapon and onto the tall figure¡¯s jugular as if the knife was drooling at the thought of lodging itself into the monster.

    Timidly raising their disfigured hands up towards the orange-haired girl, they started to tremble after seeing the expression upon Chloe¡¯s damp countenance.

    Above it stood a small girl pinning down its body by sitting on its blackened shoulders; her once vibrant orange hair now turned a shade of damp bronze that cascaded down her figure, making her look like a resentful statue.

    With all the force she could muster from her fragile body, Chloe brought down the blackened weapon upon the monster¡¯s throat and pierced all the way through it, the knife refusing to move further upon hitting the cold concrete below it.

    The knife seemed to have an odd aspect to it; everything it touched became ashened. As if infected with a lethal virus, the floor below the monster started to become covered by a sticky black liquid, shackle-like tendrils reaching from within it and immobilising their prey by slithering around the monster¡¯s elongated limbs.

    Attempting to free itself from the teen¡¯s grasp, the emerald orbed being thrashed against the chains, each struggle weaker than the last as obsidian blood leaked from within the gaping hole in its throat that had been created by the other frenzied monster.

    And Chloe wasn¡¯t going to stop there.

    Black blood launched into the air with every stab, fighting its own futile battle against the endless onslaught of neon green troops that fell from the abyss above.

    The black orbs above the two figures melancholily looked onwards, turning downcast as Chloe struggled to pick up the nearly lifeless body of the monster who had once been so lively, dragging it over to the edge of the now blackened skyscraper before jumping off with it and entering freefall.

    A crazed streak of laughter erupted from the small girl¡¯s body as they fell towards the ocean below, ceasing slightly at the sight of the abyss above.

    Chloe¡¯s countenance stiffened as she peered upwards, forgetting about the now lifeless body that she had jumped off the building with and focussing entirely on the scene that was occurring directly above her.

    In the ten years that she¡¯d dreamt of this hellish landscape, not once had she seen the black orbs that rested in the abyss above act in such a way.

    Tears.

    Black tears fell from their orbs.

    <hr>

    Letting out a dissatisfied growl as she stirred awake, Chloe slowly opened her remaining eye and stared upwards towards the black abyss that had infected the ceiling of her apartment, and more importantly, the pair of obsidian orbs that calmly bore into her sole.

    She scowled at the sight of them, kissing her teeth in dissatisfaction before greeting them.

    ¡°Good morning to you too. Huh. Since when can you feel emotion?¡±

    Chloe rolled around in her single bed, groaning at how sore her whole body felt before sighing, ¡°Whoever said that getting a good night¡¯s rest will rejuvenate your body is a liar.¡±

    Holding both of her scarred hands up towards her eye, she looked at the dried blood that caked them.

    The small orange-haired girl harshly bit her lip whilst going over the contents of the dream she just had before scoffing, ¡°As if I¡¯d ever do something so cruel, such as relentlessly stabbing my best friend. Lea¡­ Lea was an outlier¡­ It couldn¡¯t be helped¡­ Or rather, It wasn¡¯t even me who killed her. I didn¡¯t want to kill her¡­ A¡­ And¡­ She was going to die either way.¡±

    ¡°Using us as a scapegoat once again? Come on, Chloe, we both know you¡¯re worse than that!¡± Nathanial chuckled, nudging the fragile girl with his mangled arm as he let out a small chuckle.

    Chloe gave him a harsh stare, choosing not to reply to his provocative words. She knew he was just trying to get a rise out of her.

    ¡°Fucking hell. What is that smell?¡± The girl questioned, thinking that it might just be due to the fact she hadn¡¯t showered before going to bed.

    Inspecting her body, she still was hesitant to believe that she really smelled that bad.

    ¡°Do I really smell like a dead corpse?¡±

    <hr>

    Slowly moving into the living room, she silently made her way over to the ground, where she¡¯d put Lea to rest just a day prior.

    But no corpse was to be found. The only evidence of what had happened yesterday having occurred being the crimson carpet that she was currently standing on.

    Her feet felt just like how her hands had when she stabbed the taller girl, as if millions of critters were crawling around them, attempting to find an orifice in which to enter her body.

    ¡°Definitely going to have to buy a carpet to cover this up¡­ Yikes¡­¡±

 C29 - Heaven

    Aaron hated mornings. Having to wake up was such a routinely unpleasant experience, and everything that ensued was even worse.

    Slowly stumbling down a flight of stairs, with one misplaced step throwing you so far into the painful pits of hell you¡¯d wish you were never born.

    ¡°How am I still alive after all those tumbles, you may ask? Well, they say that... I¡¯m somewhat of a miracle worker myself. ¡°Who¡¯s they?" I hear you ask? Me.¡±

    Exposing his body to the cruel whims of the outside world, Aaron made a move on towards Lea and his normal meetup point.

    Along the way, he saw several pieces of graffiti slothfully clinging to a few drab walls, enlisting a smile upon his face.

    Thinking back to the times when the trio had gone around town and created one piece of graffiti after the next, his smile morphed into a deep frown.

    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine how much she must have suffered... And that bastard! The things I¡¯d do to him if I could just get my hands upon him! But... it seems like Chlo beat me to it.¡±

    He had to admit though, the thought of the frail and kind girl that he knew snuffing the life out of someone shot shivers down his spine.

    ¡°Even though he did the things he did to her... killing someone... I dunno... Killing someone seems a bit extreme¡­ no?¡± He sombrely pondered, shoving his hands into the warm pockets of his jacket lest they get even more battered by the miserable weather.

    Pushing the thought to the back of his mind, he chose to pick up his pace, wanting to reach his destination as soon as possible. The longer the time he had to spend with Lea, the better.

    Turning another corner, a small figure scuttled behind the male, her remaining eye trained upon Aaron¡¯s sluggish demeanour.

    Her scarred lips bent upwards into a deformed grin, mind ablaze at what she should say when she ¡°coincidentally bumped into him on the way to school¡±.

    ¡°Everyone else is no good. They all treat me like a monster... Now that I¡¯ve gotten rid of... that I¡¯ve given Lea peace... I can finally show Aaron that I¡¯m still the Chloe that he knew!¡±

    <hr>

    Impatiently tapping his foot against the concrete below, the brunet¡ªfor what seemed to be the millionth time¡ªpulled out his phone from his pocket, eyes staring at the built-in clock.

    ¡°Where is she...? It¡¯s not like her to be so late. Aaron mumbled, his eyes darting towards the road that the crimson-orbed girl usually used.

    Normally, if Lea couldn¡¯t meet up with him, she¡¯d call him before hand to give him ample notice... but she hadn¡¯t today.

    Aaron leaned up against a colourful wall, a large skyscraper reaching towards the heavens and connected to the deepest pits of hell, supporting his weight.

    Hearing a familiar voice, Aaron¡¯s emerald orbs widened slightly, his head snapping to the origin of the sound.

    And there she was.

    There¡­ There she was...

    Well, at least most of her was.

    ¡°Fucking hell. My god. That bastard.¡±

    Unconsciously tightening his hands, he attempted to put on a smile for his best friend who had suffered so much but ultimately failed, his countenance downcast equipped with a large frown.

    Chloe remained unperturbed by his expression, jumping on the boy and enveloping him in a hug, her short arms struggling to encompass his whole body.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    Speechless, Aaron slowly tilted his head downwards towards the orange-haired girl who was currently clinging tightly to his body, sensing how her hands trembled, and her remaining eye began to well.

    Aaron¡¯s mind grew frantic under the pressure of trying to find what to say to the girl, eventually deciding to just hug her back, slowly combing her long locks with his fingers.

    ¡°He can¡¯t hurt you anymore, Chlo. Good job surviving it all.¡± He finally eked out, his mind calming as he felt her relax in his grasp.

    Chloe¡ªburied deep within Aaron¡¯s chest¡ªlet out a small sob, a large smile hidden from his softened gaze.

    ¡°Ah¡­ I wonder how long he¡¯ll let me stay like this... If I continue showing him such a fragile state, then it should be for quite a considerable amount of time.¡± Chloe contently sighed inwardly.

    ¡°I was... so scared... Aaron! Everyone¡­ They treat me... Like a criminal! Like a murderer!¡± The small orange-haired girl wept, somehow tightening her grasp on the male even further.

    Aaron¡¯s eyes flickered up towards the sky momentarily, inwardly admonishing himself for the thoughts he¡¯d harboured not too long ago. He¡¯d been completely wrong.

    Chloe was still the same old frail and scared girl that she had been for as long as he knew her. And he was sure that being ostracised by everyone around her would have had a large effect on her.

    After all, Chloe had never been a social person in his eyes. Without his literal pushing and prodding, she might have never made even a single other friend.

    But she did.

    And that¡¯s what led to this mess in the first place.

    ¡°If only¡­ If only we never excluded her... then... maybe she wouldn¡¯t be in such a horrific state, treated like a heinous criminal after surviving an encounter with a demon from the deepest pits of hell.¡±

    Aaron shifted slightly, an immense feeling of guilt washing over his senses as he ground his teeth together.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Chlo. If only¡­ I¡¯d never left you alone. I promise you¡­ It¡¯ll never happen again. We¡¯ll be together forever. I¡¯ll always be your friend,¡± Aaron choked out, burying his head into her hair as he closed his eyes, wishing that by some miracle he¡¯d go back in time and stop all this from having happened.

    Alas such a thing would and could not occur. Now, all he could do was help the girl recover from her mauled body and mind.

    But, at that moment, Chloe was the furthest thing from being sad or in despair.

    Her mind ground to a halt, her mouth wide open as her cheeks grew warm.

    ¡°Aaron¡­ me and Aaron will be together forever? He¡¯ll never leave me alone again?¡±

    Supressing the urge to break out into a euphoric fit of laughter, Chloe¡¯s small body shivered with delight, making Aaron hug her tighter, thinking that she was still scared.

    ¡°Ahh¡­ I knew it! I knew it! Aaron would never abandon me! See you fucker! We¡¯ll be together forever! You died for nothing! The light at the end of the tunnel! I¡¯ve finally obtained it! Now that that wench has disappeared forever, there is nothing standing between me and my Aaron!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Lea will feel the same way! We¡¯ll both be with you forever!¡± Aaron reassured the scarred girl, feeling her body stiffen in his grasp at some point during his sentence.

    Chloe¡¯s wide grin dissipated slightly at the mention of the other girl¡¯s name, recovering quickly after remembering how she had already dealt with the problem.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing that can stand between us now~!¡± She sang within her mind, her mood slightly dampening as Aaron lightly pushed away from him.

    ¡°On that topic, have you seen Lea recently at all? I haven¡¯t heard from her at all since yesterday,¡± Aaron queried, pressing his lips into a thin, firm line whilst wondering what could possibly be the reason behind her sudden lack of communication.

    Chloe visibly stiffened at the question, her face hardening before quickly correcting herself and equipping a small smile before replying.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her in ages.¡±

    Staring at the disfigured and ashened body that stood behind Aaron, orbs fixed upon his stature, Chloe¡¯s orange orb dug into its elongated body, causing the monster to jolt back, equipping a painful expression as if it had just been stabbed.

    ¡°I¡¯d really love to see her again.¡± She added, her smile growing by the second.

    <hr>

    That night, Chloe returned home with a medium-sized black carpet. Laying it over the giant section of crimson carpet, she hopped in the shower after cooking something simple.

    The three figures followed her around, two of them equipping a neutral expression while Nathanial seemed to have a small smile drawn upon his visage.

    Apparently, he wasn¡¯t affected at all by her gloating earlier on in the day, as if he knew that all her words held no value.

    After all, at this point, he didn¡¯t even have to do anything more than what he had done. The hourglass had started to pour, and the girl hadn¡¯t even noticed, going about her day like everything was fine.

    ¡°Oh, how wrong she is... Well, it doesn¡¯t matter to me anyways. Either way, I¡¯ll see her suffer.¡± He leisurely thought, a long smirk equipped upon his face as he admired the marks he¡¯d made on her body, beads of water slipping down her fragile body as she stepped out of the shower.

    ¡°I should become a tattoo artist in my next life¡­ Ah, who am I kidding¡­ There¡¯s nothing but hell in store for me now. And that¡¯s the way I like it.¡±

 C30 - Hourglass

    Winter¡¯s first snowfall coated a large estate, a middle-aged man shivering slightly while blowing into his red hands before reequipping a pair of green gardening gloves.

    Tending to the Holton estate¡¯s garden was no easy task. That¡¯s why there was a whole team of gardeners that were constantly on rotation, five of them in total.

    Trimming the edges of a large snow-covered hedge, Evan thought back to the commotion that he had seen just earlier today.

    <hr>

    In order to start his long day of work, Evan first has to reach the gardening hall, where equipment was stored, located at the back of the mansion.

    Now, usually he would take the long trip of circling around the estate to enter the gardening hall through the back door, but today was different.

    ¡°By the gods, it¡¯s cold!¡± He sighed inwardly, quickly deciding to walk through the mansion rather than brave the cold outside.

    Scanning his badge in front of the large metallic gates, the Holton¡¯s family name engraved in bold letters atop the monstrously large barrier, he slowly shuffled towards the doors of the mansion before entering.

    Letting out a sigh of relief as he entered the heated building, Evan made quick work of navigating through the mansion, using every shortcut and secret passage he knew to traverse throughout the mansion.

    Getting to work late was heavily frowned upon, and considering that he was currently five minutes behind his usual schedule, Evan kicked it up another gear until he heard a familiar voice, one that he had yet to hear using such a distressed tone.

    Backing up towards the area where he had just scuttled past, Evan slowly crouched down and moved his eye closer to the keyhole of the mahogany door.

    ¡°Where is that girl, for God sakes?¡± A feminine voice shrilly croaked, a loud sigh erupting from another larger person, the female pacing back and forth within the wide room.

    Searching his mind, Evan realised that this room was the owner of the estate¡¯s study, Mr. Holton.

    Green orbs peered towards the woman who frantically jostled about in front of him, a hand stroking his black beard as he thought about how to calm the woman down.

    ¡°Anastacia dear¡­ Lea¡­ That girl has always been a rebel. This latest... stunt... of hers is just a fruitless threat towards us in order to barter more freedom.¡± He coolly summed up, his fingers harmonically drumming against his black-oak desk.

    The tall black-haired woman paused in place, lifting up a delicate and slender hand up towards her flawless countenance before sitting down on a comfortable chair, gold embroidered into the edges of the seat.

    ¡°But Andrew! It has been two whole weeks since she was last seen! The last time she tried to do something like this, she only lasted three days!¡± The woman distressfully pointed out.

    Andrew let out a heavy hum in agreement, pausing to ponder over their next actions before speaking with his usual stable tone.

    ¡°Alright. If you are worried about the girl so much, then we shall hire a private investigator. I knew of just the right person. She¡¯ll be back within our grasp very soon.¡±

    A graceful smile bloomed upon Anastacia¡¯s face as she slowly danced her way over to the refined man.

    Putting both her hands upon his well-built shoulders, a small giggle fell from her mouth before she spoke once again.

    ¡°Good. Very good. I knew I could rely on you to solve the problem, my dear Andrew! With her, we¡¯ll always live in great comfort!¡±

    The tall woman seductively winked at the black-haired man, leaning in for a kiss as Evan threw himself away from the door¡¯s keyhole.

    ¡°Nope, nope, nope, nope, I ain¡¯ seen nothin,¡± He inwardly screamed, scuttling away towards the gardening hall.

    Evan craned his neck as he groomed a round-shaped piece of shrubbery, pondering to himself over the meaning of his employer¡¯s words.

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°I¡¯d heard about the missing person report they filled for the young lady, but why are they hiring a private investigator? They said something about her running away before...¡±

    A frown enveloped his worn face, wrinkles starting to form as the years went by.

    ¡°Best to stop thinking bout it. Nothin but trouble to be had.¡±

    <hr>

    Warmth radiated from a small coffee shop located on a quiet high street. A small layer of snow coated the whole area, turning the red hare that was the shop¡¯s mascot into a white one.

    A small girl with long orange hip-length hair moved from table to table with drinks upon a tray she was holding, a brown apron covering the white T-shirt that she wore to work from getting dirt.

    Chloe had always liked working in the Red Hare. It was a quaint establishment, surviving due to its uniquely brewed coffee and friendly employees.

    The workload was also quite manageable, something the orange-haired girl had always appreciated. Back when she had always feared returning to that ghastly apartment, working here was always a good way to escape from reality and earn the money to feed herself.

    A loud ring erupted from the front of the store, prompting Chloe¡¯s orb to make its way over to see who had come inside.

    Seeing a familiar figure, a large smile grew upon her countenance as she greeted the boy.

    ¡°Looking good today, Aaron!¡± She teased, giggling at his incredibly stiff posture.

    The boy who had his black hair slicked back, a red tie complementing the black suit he wore, grimaced slightly as he let out a tired sigh.

    Slumping down into a chair, he loosened his overly tightened tie and groaned out, ¡°Chloooo... I¡¯m so exhausted! It was so scary!¡±

    Aaron had been applying to a few jobs here and there in order to make some spare change, but for some reason thought that he had to wear a suit and tie for every interview he had.

    ¡°Not that I¡¯m going to complain... I mean... He does look good in suits¡­¡± Chloe inwardly thought, moving over to his table.

    ¡°So what¡¯ll it be today? Feeling adventurous, or do you want to go for the usual?¡±

    Aaron¡¯s expression grew stiff, as if he were putting a strenuous amount of thought into his next words.

    Letting out a small sigh, he resigned himself from his thoughts and mumbled, ¡°Gimmie whatever you recommend, Chlo.¡±

    Chloe let out a small, satisfied hum, patting his black hair before walking over to the drink-making station and whipping something up.

    Aaron watched her small figure making some sort of drink as he thought back over recent events.

    One of them in particular hung heavy within his mind.

    Something bad had happened to Lea.

    And he didn¡¯t know what.

    Two weeks ago, he had lost contact with her and never heard back from her since.

    Her family had released a missing person report to the police, alongside a generous donation, but the girl had yet to be found.

    Aaron found it hard to believe the girl would just up and disappear without telling him and Chloe first, which left only one other likely possibility.

    Something bad had happened to Lea.

    Lost in his own world, Aaron failed to notice another employee walking up beside him and softly tapping his shoulder.

    The employee had short blonde hair and two delicate silver earrings combined with a metallic eyebrow piecing adorning her features.

    Her cheeks were a mellow shade of sakura, lips a deep crimson, making them pop out from her other features.

    She wore a cosy-looking rouge turtleneck serving as the backdrop for the golden necklace that loosely hung around her nape, two black metallic bracelets jingling upon her right wrist.

    A pair of dark black jeans clung to her frame, white converses completing her look as she leaned forward to enter Aaron¡¯s vision and break him from the trance he was stuck in.

    Pushing back a few strands of blonde hair, she swooped into the chair opposite the emerald-orbed boy, friendly winking at the boy opposite her.

    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m one of Chloe¡¯s co-workers, Ella! I¡¯ve got a bit of an embarrassing question to ask, but would you go on a date with me? You¡¯re really my type~! I¡¯ve seen you come to visit Chloe sometimes, but it doesn¡¯t exactly look like you two are dating to me,¡± The blonde cheerfully enquired, a large smile blooming upon her face as she finished her sentence.

    Aaron dully looked towards the vibrant girl that sat opposite him, unable to process what had happened.

    Seemingly stunned by the girl¡¯s forwardness, Aaron¡¯s cheeks slowly began to grow warm, his eyes lowering towards his lap while he wondered how to reply.

    But then he remembered what he was just thinking about.

    Lea.

    And her sudden absence from his life.

    Equipping a small smile, he spoke with a calm tone, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m currently in a relationship. She¡¯s the only one for me.¡±

    Seemingly a bit disheartened from his response, Ella¡¯s smile remained constant as she let out a small sigh.

    ¡°Ah well, at least I can say that I tried. Well, if you ever find yourself in a position where that changes, my offer will still stand.

    During the time in which the blonde had hit on Aaron, Chloe had been solemnly staring at the two, her eyes bearing a great deal of distaste for her stylish co-worker.

    ¡°He¡¯s in a relationship, apparently. Seems like Lea¡¯s the only one for him.¡± Nathanial snickered, peering towards the small girl¡¯s expression with intrigue as to what he would see.

    But what he saw was far from what he had expected.

    A tranquil expression had been haphazardly splayed across Chloe¡¯s countenance as her mind darkly brooded.

    ¡°I thought you¡¯d never leave me again, Aaron? Lea¡¯s gone now. She doesn¡¯t matter anymore. Why won¡¯t you understand such a... such a... simple fact?¡±

    Chloe¡¯s eyes peered over to Ella¡¯s figure, her teeth grinding at her audacity.

    ¡°As you are... I can¡¯t make you mine... That¡¯s fine¡­ That¡¯s ok¡­ I¡¯ll just need to change you... and her¡­ I¡¯ll have to deal with her... That slut¡­¡±

 C31 - Influence

    ¡°It really gets dark so quickly nowadays,¡± Aaron lamented, his emerald orbs moving upwards towards the endless expanse above, hopping between several stars that shone bright, breaking through the lifeless realm that was space and somehow reaching his eyes.

    The small orange girl glanced towards her taller counterpart, taking in his saddened expression before twiddling her thumbs; her expression slowly became red.

    Whether that was due to the cold weather that had descended upon the living world or some other factor, only Chloe could tell.

    ¡°So you don¡¯t like winter?¡± She queried, rubbing her cold hands together in a futile attempt to warm them up, her eyes locking on to Aaron¡¯s hands, which lifelessly hung from his shoulders.

    He looked tired. Exhausted even. As if he had spent all his energy on something, only to come up with nothing to show for it.

    ¡°Dislike, huh? Well... that¡¯s one way to put it. For some reason... I always lose things in winter¡ªthings that I hold dear to me. Things that don¡¯t come back in spring.¡±

    Snatching his left hand within her scarred right, Chloe let out a small sigh, a smile breaking out onto her countenance.

    ¡°Well¡­ At least you¡¯ll always have little ol¡¯ me, right?¡±

    Aaron¡¯s expression brightened, clearly appreciating her attempt to cheer him up. Suddenly he broke out into a small fit of giggles, which took a few seconds to recover from before he regained his ability to speak.

    He gave her a little smirk before speaking, ¡°Little ol¡¯ you, huh? You might be a little too small for me though~¡±

    Chloe¡¯s expression turned into a frown as she wound up her left hand into a fist and sent it into Aaron¡¯s chest.

    The larger boy bent over in mock pain, a bout of laughter flowing from his mouth as he quipped back at the girl, ¡°Still as weak as ever, huh!¡±

    Still holding his hand in hers, Chloe bit her lip slightly, her eyes nervously diverting from his form before speaking.

    ¡°You¡­ You should come round mine... We can watch a movie or something¡­¡±

    Aaron turned stiff at her words, his face slowly turning towards the small orange girl¡¯s.

    ¡°Really?¡± He asked, his mouth slightly hung open in shock.

    Reverting back to his normal posture, he faced his friend directly before continuing.

    ¡°You¡¯ve never invited me over to yours before.¡± He exclaimed, his expression becoming more excited by the second.

    ¡°We¡¯ve gotta buy some snacks! What movie do you wanna watch? I¡¯ve heard the Godfather is pretty good?!¡±

    Chloe felt as if a large weight had been taken of her shoulders, a relieved smile blooming upon her face.

    ¡°I was never capable of winning by playing fair. And I¡¯ve never tried. Nor do I intend to start now.¡±

    ¡°Oh, trust me darling, I know. Our kind never does.¡± Nathanial scoffed, his deformed face sporting a deep frown.

    <hr>

    ¡°Lea Holton. Age 18. Renowned classical artist reported missing after not being seen for the past two weeks. History of going out on her own... Last scene leaving the house for an unspecified reason.¡± A scraggy voice summarised, taking a large puff of a cigarette before exhaling it, a grey cloud slowly rising into the air.

    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    The glow of the red-hot cigarette butt shimmered in the reflection of his glasses, throwing the object to the ground once it had been fully used, stomping on it with his dark leather shoes until the final embers died out.

    A tall brunet combed his hear with his right hand, his left holding a small file containing a certain girl¡¯s information.

    Dressed in casual wear, he looked like any other unimportant passerby, his unkempt beard selling his disguise even more.

    Or perhaps it wasn¡¯t a disguise.

    He kissed his teeth in dissatisfaction, cursing under his breath before letting out a heavy sigh.

    ¡°Oh well. At least it¡¯s going to be an easy case. Finding that man¡¯s brat in exchange for a favour is a pretty good payment.¡±

    Sifting through a few more folders, the man abruptly paused once his eyes met the picture of a certain small orange-haired girl.

    ¡°Those eyes. Somethings up with this one.¡± He pondered, black orbs quickly flowing down the sheet of information.

    ¡°Best friend of three years, involved in a DUI accident that took her father¡¯s life at the age of 10, multiple noise complaints from neighbours over the past couple years pointing towards a possible abusive relationship with her remaining family member... Who has gone missing? Not shown up to work... two weeks. Same timing.¡±

    The man scrounged around in his tracksuit bottom¡¯s pockets, grabbing a box that was supposed to be full of cigarettes but turned out to be empty.

    In an even fouler mood than before, the man scoffed and focused his attention back onto the folder in front of him.

    ¡°Same time of disappearances. Might have some connection to the brats case... Definitely worth looking into.¡± He concluded, walking towards a nearby convenience store, the neon lights of the store sign causing him to wince slightly.

    <hr>

    A metallic groan sounded out as Chloe slowly pushed the door open to reveal her apartment to her taller counterpart, who quickly entered, flippantly taking off his shoes, and inquisitively started to look around.

    ¡°Good thing I made sure to clean up all those glass shards¡­¡± Chloe relievedly sighed, taking off her shoes and locking the door behind her, a few black figures phasing through the door, making her kiss her teeth in dissatisfaction.

    The brunet entered the small girl¡¯s lounge, letting out a little nod of approval before jumping on the sofa. He continued to look around the apartment, seemingly interested in every little detail he could find.

    Emerald orbs turned towards the large fuzzy black carpet, rolling around it like a kid whilst letting out a small series of laughs.

    ¡°So this is where you¡¯ve been living for the past eight years? Seems like a great place! Why didn¡¯t you invite us over sooner?¡± Aaron pouted, supporting his chin with his knee as he peered up to the small orange-haired girl.

    Chloe looked down towards the boy, slightly stunned at what she was seeing.

    Aaron was sitting down on the carpet, a blackened body lifelessly laying next to the boy. Blood covered every crevice of the brunet¡¯s outfit, his face now completely crimson, the beautiful liquid dripping from his lips.

    A small smile crept up onto the girl¡¯s face, turning into a full-blown grin as she looked at the scene before her, a few giggles escaping out of her mouth, resulting in her attempting to cover her reaction up with her hands.

    Aaron seemed a bit confused, raising an eyebrow at the girl¡¯s sudden breakout before disregarding the thought and joining her in on the laughter.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t know all it took to make you laugh was to roll around on a carpet. I¡¯ll make sure to add that to my playbook.¡± The boy teased, climbing onto the sofa and searching for the controller.

    Chloe wiped a tear from her eye, slowly recovering from her fit of laughter before walking over to the kitchen, grabbing a few cans of alcohol and some snacks that they had bought previously.

    Placing them down next to the sofa, the small orange-haired girl flopped onto the sofa next to Aaron and passed him a can.

    The brunet slowly craned his neck down towards the container, scratching his neck whilst holding it with his other hand.

    ¡°I¡¯ve actually never drunk before.¡± He stated, his voice slightly tender, as if he were afraid the girl would suddenly laugh at him for such a thing.

    Chloe glanced towards the emerald-orbed boy before responding, but not before opening a can and taking a swig of the manipulative liquid.

    ¡°Neither have I, but what¡¯s the worst that can happen?¡±

    The small girl¡¯s slender and scarred hand lifted the can in the air, holding it before her counterpart before shaking it slightly.

    Aaron let out a small laugh, a smirk blooming upon his countenance as he agreed, clinking his can against his best friend¡¯s and then taking a large mouthful of the liquid, swallowing it all in one gulp.

    Immediately breaking out into a fit of coughs, the brunet stuck his tongue out as if it had been burnt, complaining about how his throat burnt.

    <hr>

    A swaying figure straddled another larger one; a pair of small, scarred hands tenderly stroked their counterparts face.

    Burning hot tears dripped from their orb, face scrunched up in pain as their hands traced down to the brunet¡¯s throat.

    ¡°WHAT DOES SHE HAVE THAT I DON¡¯T? Why? WHY! ¡­ WHY WON¡¯T YOU LOVE ME?¡±

 C32 - Carnal

    ¡°Fuuuck,¡± A small orange-haired girl mumbled as she uncontrollably stumbled forward, leaning too far to recover her posture, resulting in her tumbling on top of a larger male figure.

    Distorted rays of light pierced into Chloe¡¯s orb as she squinted in pain, a giggle erupting from behind the girl, causing her to whip her head back in disgust.

    There stood a slanted charcoal figure who had propped himself up upon a nearby wall. The horrific apparition slowly combed his hair as his sapphire eyes sliced the small girl apart.

    Nathanial stifled another laugh with his hand as he slowly strolled over to the girl, his predatorial gaze strengthening.

    An unbearably loud series of shrieks constantly rang within her mind, which gleefully absorbed every piece of information her shattered senses provided.

    The uneven huffing of the boy below her, the nearing steps of a blackened monster, the dying screams of those she¡¯d ki... been... forced... to get rid of.

    Unable to resist against the torrent of sounds, the small girl attempted to hoist her arms up to block her ears, finding that they went numb halfway through the movement, resulting in both of her scared appendages snaking their way around Aaron¡¯s neck.

    The boy in question was totally out of it; his head was listlessly bobbing to and fro, as if it were cast from a rod into the depths of a relentless sea.

    Jumbled words flowed from his mouth, something Chloe had a hard time hearing over all the other louder sounds that shielded his words.

    ¡°Lea¡­ W¡­ Where have you gone? P¡­P¡­ Please come back to me...¡± He distraughtly mumbled, his head craning to the side as he momentarily shut his eyes for what seemed to be a short eternity.

    Now within arms reach of Chloe, Nathanial violently started to choke the girl from behind, lifting her upper body upwards until she was straddling the drunken boy below him.

    Vodka. What a deceiving substance. Initially taking a shine to the liquid after the lack of taste, Aaron had started to guzzle the bottle down his neck, drinking the substance as if he had been stranded on a desert, gleefully gulping down some fresh water he found on the brink of death in a beautiful oasis.

    Chloe¡¯s orange orb peered down to the boy, her scarred arms fruitlessly attempting to reach the boy, attempting to reach out to the only person she trusted in this cruel life of hers.

    But, alas, her arms were too short.

    Fuzzy black spots devoured what little vision she had remaining; her breathing completely halted as tears started to stream from her remaining orange orb.

    ¡°Even on the brink of death, all the boy cares about is his lovely girlfriend. I wonder what his facial expression would look like if he found out you ******* the shit out of her.¡± Nathanial scoffed, his countenance disgusted at the boy¡¯s behaviour.

    Chloe¡¯s mind rattled as her world turned grey. Her head fell backwards, her orange orb starting towards the two endless orbs that bore into her soul from within the starless void that had long consumed her apartment¡¯s ceiling.

    ¡°I¡¯ve come so far... I¡¯ve done so much... Is this how it goes? Is this the end for me?¡± The girl howled inwardly, the two obsidian orbs unmoving in response to her inner turmoil.

    Consciousness growing dull, just one question remained on her mind.

    ¡°Why¡­ Why didn¡¯t you choose me?¡± She quietly mumbled out, feeling heat gather within her head, her emotions growing more violent by the second.

    ¡°WHAT DOES SHE HAVE THAT I DON¡¯T? Why? WHY! WHY WON¡¯T YOU LOVE ME?¡± Chloe distressfully cried out, her head slightly shaking back and forth, not wanting to face the fact that Lea had a lot that she didn¡¯t.

    A lot of desirable quantities.

    Perhaps somewhere within her mind she had come to terms with her failure. But that was only an incredibly small part of her mind.

    The rest of it was filled with rage over the futility of her life.

    ¡°You know, I might not be fuckin royalty like that princess was, but I¡¯m still a good choice, ya know?¡±

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    Finding the inner strength from somewhere deep within herself, Chloe broke away from Nathanial¡¯s grasp, hovering slightly above Aaron¡¯s face.

    Her remaining orb carefully studied his uncontrolled expression, unaware of what was going on around him.

    Chloe¡¯s long orange hair cascaded like a waterfall around the two, encasing them along together, as if they¡¯d entered a new world where only they existed.

    The small girl¡¯s hot tears splashed upon Aaron¡¯s eyelids, causing him to flinch awake and stir for a few seconds, slightly distressed upon finding out his vision was blurred and that someone was sitting on his body so that he couldn¡¯t move his arms.

    Peering up towards the blurred figure that lay just above his face, a smile graced his face as he let loose a small mumble before moving closer to what he thought was his beloved Lea.

    ¡°I love you, Lea.¡± He mumbled out, lips encasing the small orange girl¡¯s as her heart throbbed with pain.

    Heat. Moisture. The rough texture of his lips. Chloe didn¡¯t know how to feel; she¡¯d never felt something like this. How long had she wanted to do this? But¡­ Not like this. Never like this.

    Finding herself unable to control her body any longer, the small girl leaned into the kiss and pushed her hands under his shirt.

    Aaron seemed to let out a small, muffled laugh as he thrust Chloe into a deeper state of corrupted ecstasy, the latter¡¯s mind full of thoughts that went and came at a million miles an hour.

    ¡°He called me L¡­¡± Chloe sombrely thought, her heart scrunching up in pain as if a knife had been plunged into the pitiful organ, turning it multiple times and pulling it out before ruthlessly stabbing into it again.

    ¡°Keep going¡­¡± An unfamiliar voice erupted within her mind, devouring all voices of reason.

    ¡°I know he doesn¡¯t love me¡­¡± Chloe¡¯s voice fought back against the mysterious force that inhabits her mind.

    ¡°Who cares?¡± It moaned out, seeming to enjoy her current activity tremendously.

    ¡°I care, I... I care about him.¡± The small orange girl inwardly cried out. She¡¯d suffered so much to get to this point, and where had that gotten her? The boy she¡¯d loved for the better part of half her life loved another woman.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t care about you. So, make him.¡± It called out to her; it¡¯s offer irresistibly sweet and rewarding.

    Momentarily losing herself in the sensations she was feeling as Aaron upped the intensity of the kiss, the corrupted voice used that moment of weakness to take more control of Chloe¡¯s mind.

    Attempting to copy Aaron¡¯s actions, his rugged lips on hers made her feel as if she was a hundred times more drunk than she currently was, and she was currently drinking that nectar straight from the tap.

    Aaron¡¯s hands broke loose from under Chloe¡¯s light body and snuck up her shirt, making the small girl let out an uncontrollable murmur as his cold hands slid across her scarred skin.

    But soon she grew accustomed to his touch, the feeling of ecstasy multiplying tenfold as he started to up the stakes, his movements refined and unwavering as if he weren¡¯t incredibly drunk.

    ¡°He¡¯s clearly got a lot of experience¡­¡± The small girl winced as another pang of pain throbbed from within her heart.

    ¡°Bitch relax, that hoe¡¯s dead~.¡± The low voice gleefully proclaimed, it¡¯s voice peaking halfway through the sentence as Aaron¡¯s voice grasped onto something.

    Without noticing, her voice had been slowly growing dimmer and dimmer while the ashened voice¡¯s truths only grew in volume.

    And soon she found herself unable to think.

    The ashened voice dominated her mind.

    Aaron dominated her mind.

    At some point she no longer was able to control her body.

    But she could still feel it.

    And boy did she like it.

    Aaron pushed her down on the sofa, reversing the positions they had been in what seemed to be an enjoyable century ago.

    Releasing her from the iron grip that Aaron had developed on the small girl¡¯s body, the boy coolly broke out of the kiss that he had initiated, slowly inhaling a large breath of air as a large, lopsided smirk splayed across his face.

    ¡°You¡¯re acting almost as if you were a virgin again, Lea.¡± The taller male lowly groaned, his black hair of head slowly starting to travel further down Chloe¡¯s shivering body as the girl in question struggled to regain her breath.

    Struggling to lift a hand up to grasp his, she gasped for air once again as she let out a few fragmented murmurs.

    She could still feel that feeling rebound within her mind, the same corrupted feeling that had devoured all reason and morality within her, or at least what little of such a feeling she had.

    ¡°Be¡­d I¡¯ve got a... a bed...¡± She breathlessly gasped out, causing the drunken, emerald-orbed boy to let out a low laugh.

    ¡°I... I almost went down on you here... You¡¯re right as always, Lea. Let¡¯s... move to the¡­ bed. Lest the sofa get messy.¡±

    Forcefully lifting the girl upwards with her tightly in his grasp, the small girl locked her legs behind the male¡¯s back, her breathing still laboured as she remained unable to recover from the dam of ecstasy that had been newly destroyed.

    Leaving her no time to recover, Aaron once again locked their lips together, stumbling left and right as he walked over towards two doors.

    The one on the left was stained with multiple coats of liquid, some of it red, the other another indistinguishable colour. The wood of the door was curling on the edges and looked completely malfunctional in comparison to the cool, polished black wooden door that lay to their right.

    Chloe, with all her might, managed to mumble out a singular word while her mouth was being dominated, directing the boy towards the left door.

    Fumbling with the door, he finally found purchase, scrunching his expression as an extremely strong smell of air freshener assaulted his senses.

    ¡°Lea¡¯s room smells different¡­ eh¡­ She must have changed it up¡­ but still¡­ why is this smell so goddamn strong?¡± Aaron mentally queried, wasting no time in thrusting the smaller girl onto her single bed and continuing right from where they left.

    ¡°Was her bed always this small¡­? Oh, whatever¡­ It doesn¡¯t matter. Can¡¯t wait the fuck the shit out of her again.¡± He concluded, a large smirk covering his expression.

 C33 - Acceptance

    ¡°Have you read this book yet? The ending was such a shock to read!¡± A jubilant voice recommended long orange locks cascading down her small figure, a polished golden necklace hanging from her neck, accenting the orange knitwear that she had chosen to wear.

    An interested hum sounded out from her right, a larger figure¡¯s slender left arm draped over the girl¡¯s shoulder.

    A similar golden necklace adorned his figure as he mumbled the book¡¯s title, as if he were attempting to remember if he¡¯d read such a book.

    ¡°I¡¯ll add it to my reading list.¡± He responded, emerald orbs lingering upon the female¡¯s figure for a few seconds too long, his cheeks growing slightly red, resulting in a few giggles erupting from the girl.

    Chloe leaned closer towards Aaron, nestling her neck below his as she slightly tilted her head upwards, looking directly towards the boy.

    ¡°After all this time, you still get flustered over me? How reassuring. I thought you¡¯d have gotten bored of me by this point.¡± She jokingly pouted, sending a light fist towards his stomach in a fit of mock rage.

    Aaron¡¯s lips bent upwards into a small smile as he faked a shocked expression, ¡°As if.¡±

    The boy¡¯s gaze once again lingered upon her figure, the taller of the two slowly leaning in towards the other.

    Chloe expectantly closed her eyes, calmly waiting in the darkness.

    ¡°Aaron¡­ I lov-¡°

    ¡°Chloe? Why are you in my bed?¡± A confused voice queried, grappling the small girl away from her dreams.

    Slowly blinking her eyes open, a strong smell assaulting her senses, aiding in waking her up.

    The small girl groaned and tilted her head upwards, unconsciously tightening her grasp on the warm pillow she¡¯d grabbed at some point in her sleep.

    But the ¡®pillow¡¯ resisted her compression, the warm and course texture hinting that the thing she¡¯d been clinging to was anything but a ¡®pillow¡¯.

    Looking upwards, her gaze aligned with two worried emerald orbs, eyelids still droopy from his sleep.

    Aaron¡¯s orbs ventured further down the girl¡¯s figure, his gaze completely halting, causing Chloe to think that steam might literally come out of his ears like it did in cartoons.

    ¡°Why¡­ How¡­ Whaaa?¡± He puzzledly rambled, face reddening even further when he realised the sensation he was feeling on his chest hadn¡¯t been that of the sheets he¡¯d slept in.

    Even if his duvet did sometimes cling to him in the mornings, one thing they didn¡¯t do was radiate warmth.

    The orange-haired girl¡¯s lips turned upwards, forming a bountiful smile of the kind the boy hadn¡¯t seen before.

    ¡°You¡¯re in my bed, silly. Gosh, was I so bad that you subconsciously forgot about our first time? Or more accurately, times?¡± Chloe teased, squeezing his body even tighter than before.

    Aaron¡¯s mouth opened and then closed repeatedly, looking as if he¡¯d forgotten how to speak entirely.

    But then his expression hardened, his gaze rising towards Chloe¡¯s face as he gently pushed her away, cautious of where he put his hands.

    ¡°I¡­ Lea¡­ Chloe¡­ You know that I have a girlfriend... This was a mista-¡° Aaron attempted to explain but was cut short.

    ¡°He¡¯s trying to run away.¡± A deep voice resounded within her mind, its tone dead serious and heavy.

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    Resisting his pushing with all her feeble might, the small orange girl¡¯s lips formed a firm line as her remaining golden orb solemnly bore into Aaron¡¯s.

    ¡°What? I was a mistake? You take your best friend to bed and then say it was all a mistake afterwards?¡± Chloe monotonously spoke, sending a shiver up the boy¡¯s spine, never having before seen his best friend using such an expression.

    Aaron paused, unsure of how to proceed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let him get away.¡± The voice once again declared, its message reverberating within the small girl¡¯s skull, endlessly on repeat.

    Wincing slightly due to the headache that the voice caused, Chloe once again spoke, leaving Aaron no chance to respond.

    ¡°Aaron. Aaron¡­ I love you. I¡¯ve always loved you. Didn¡¯t you tell me? You told me! You said that ¡®We¡¯ll always be together¡¯! Don¡¯t leave me!¡° The orange-haired girl begged, digging her head further into his chest, unwilling to look him in the eye any longer.

    The black-haired boy¡¯s expression scrunched up in pain upon hearing Chloe¡¯s words. Unconsciously tightening his grasp upon his crying best friend, he slowly gathered his breath and spoke.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He coolly stated.

    ¡°No! No, No, No! NO! You¡­ You can¡¯t leave m-¡° Chloe screeched, her nails digging into his skin, drawing blood.

    Staving off the wave of pain he felt, Aaron continued.

    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for Lea then¡­ this¡­ I¡­ I would have been able to love you back. But I ca-¡°

    ¡°SHE¡¯S DEAD! SHE¡¯S DEAD, AARON!¡± Chloe spat out in a fit of rage, the voice in her head going haywire as her surroundings started to turn red.

    The black-haired boy¡¯s countenance became heavily confused after hearing such a statement, a small frown sported upon his face.

    ¡°You idiot! If he finds out you killed that bitch, then he¡¯ll really leave you forever! Then you¡¯ll have nothing!¡± The voice hurriedly barked, hurriedly taking control over the small girl¡¯s body, embarking on a fruitless journey to attempt to salvage the situation.

    Chloe¡¯s body started to shiver, as if she had broken out into a fit of cries and was simultaneously scared of what she was about to say.

    ¡°I mean, just think about it, Aaron! We both haven¡¯t heard about her for two weeks, and her parents have filed a missing person¡¯s report! We both know that her relationship with her parents is pretty rocky, so the report is understandable, but surely she would have told us if she was gonna disappear for two weeks!¡± The small girl rambled on, as if she had been possessed by some demon that was frantically attempting to fulfil her role as damage control.

    Aaron seemed to recoil from her logical words, attempting to find some sort of loophole within them. But before he could think any longer, Chloe began to speak once again.

    ¡°Something must have happened to her. Something ba-¡°

    ¡°SHUT UP!¡± Aaron growled, having already withdrew his arms to support his aching head.

    Chloe flinched from his aggressive outburst but refused to let go of her grasp on his body, rather tightening it.

    Sensing her scared state, Aaron let out a guilty sigh as his emerald orbs bore into her long orange locks.

    But the anger he felt hadn¡¯t fully subsided yet.

    ¡°Do you honestly think I haven¡¯t yet thought of such a possibility? That she might be out there, all alone, with nobody to help her in her time of need?¡±

    ¡°And yes. She might¡­ have died. I hope that she hasn¡¯t. I hope with all my being that that isn¡¯t the case. But I¡¯ve long accepted such a possibility.¡± He continued, his voice tainted with sadness.

    ¡°I will replace Lea. You¡¯ll love me like you did her. You¡¯ll see.¡± Chloe blurted out, now completely facing Aaron, slowly drawing near him by the second.

    Mentally tired out from his unplanned outburst, Aaron couldn¡¯t find the energy to repel her.

    Perhaps some part of him didn¡¯t want to turn her away.

    Maybe it was because of the newfound terror of what would happen if he did.

    When Aaron first looked at Chloe after waking up, he¡¯d been initially¡­ distracted. But not any longer.

    And when the small girl distanced herself to meet his eyes, he saw everything.

    Such a sight shattered his will to resist.

    The broken girl grew near to him, gripping his shoulders tightly as she forcefully pressed her lips upon his, as if she were scared that she¡¯d be pushed away.

    But the pleasant feeling was immediately dismissed by the black-haired boy.

    What seemed to be hundreds of horrific cuts and scars covered Chloe¡¯s bare figure.

    Even worse was that her injuries seemed to be grouped into two camps.

    The first were deliberately disfiguring, all of them looking incredibly excruciatingly painful to bear. He could guess that the psychopathic bastard had caused those.

    And the rest were small lines that seemed to have been inflicted with a blade, each cut having narrowly avoided being fatal.

    Aaron had seen those types of wounds before.

    On the corpse of someone who he held very dear.

    And just the thought that the small orange-haired girl might be even slightly similar to that person petrified him.

    So much so that he was willing to let Chloe do whatever she wanted to him.

    Now that Lea had disappeared from his life, he didn¡¯t know if he could handle losing his small, orange-haired best friend.

 C34 - Negligence

    ¡°DON¡¯T TOUCH ME! All of you¡­ alllll of YOU!!!! You¡­ You DEMONS! Don¡¯t! DON¡¯T COME NEAR ME!¡± A shattered voice screeched out, bloody fingerprints dyeing their pale white skin as if the woman had been crying out tears of blood.

    Long black hair cascaded down a slim figure, cuts and bruises shabbily hidden behind crimson bandages, ten bloodied fingers pulling at their scalp with all the might that they could muster.

    ¡°The creatures¡­ OSKAR! The DEMONS! They¡¯re¡­ THEY¡¯RE COMING FOR ME, OSKAR!¡± The voice continued, strands of darkness slamming against a stained carpet as nailless fingers balled into two tight fists fell like sledgehammers upon the floor below, as if the owner of the lethal weapons was attempting to escape from prison that had confined them for so long, the floor mutely screaming back at its assailant.

    As if were retaliating against the pale woman, two shadows grew large, ripping through the floor and hastily beginning to strangle the life of their aggressor, the beforementioned woman now choaking on the ground as two distant figures drew near, their expressions like a slot machine, hate, envy, anger, and finally sadness fighting for dominance.

    Milky white pearls synthesised from two emerald orbs, each peerless gem reflecting the trapped soul inside the woman, who was locked within the great, boundless depths that were her fragmented, fragile psyche.

    *SLAP*

    A bony figure slid a few meters across the surface of a snowy sea, their body rolling multiple times before coming to a stop.

    The figure dimly looked upwards towards its assaulter, coughing out a green liquid from her mouth¡ªthe neon solution briefly reflecting the image of three figures before quickly dissolving into the silvery ocean.

    ¡°You knew this would happen if you stopped taking those.¡± The white figure¡¯s assailant growled, slowly strolling towards the collapsed creature, its black teeth tightly grinding against each other, the sound growing louder and louder the longer it laid its sight upon the animal.

    The white creature rolled over, facing towards the endless black abyss that lay above the silvery sea¡ªa clear divide created between the never-ending darkness and light.

    ¡°And for WHAT? For a brat whom you¡¯ll never see grow up?¡° The figure spat, raising its slender limbs high into the air once reaching the white creature¡¯s side.

    A small smile bloomed upon the wounded creature, two large black eyes staring into its pitifully weak soul.

    ¡°Indeed. And I¡¯d gladly do it again.¡±

    Letting out an injured howl, the blackened creature harshly stomped down upon the white creature, piercing through its heart and into the silvery sea below.

    And as quickly as the blackened creatures limbs pierced through the surface of the sea, darkness quickly spread throughout it, as if the endless abyss above had spread into the large body of snowy liquid.

    Soon the sea would be one with the sky.

    Soon the sea would be an endless expanse of darkness.

    <hr>

    Shattered bottles of alcohol lay scattered around a lonely man. His scraggy beard was unkempt and unsightly, a small strand of drool seeping from his mouth and onto the carpet below as he looked upwards towards the ceiling of his office.

    In his right hand was a large bottle of vodka, and in his left a packet of tablets.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    The man hovered the packet above his head, his grip shaky as he struggled to read the description of the pills.

    ¡°Emma¡­¡± He mumbled, his hands deftly unpackaging the sheet, which held several pills from within the packet.

    Emerald orbs sombrely counted the pills that each sheet contained before losing all interest in the metallic sheets, throwing them to the side.

    Taking a long gulp of vodka, the man dragged his sleeve against his mouth, cleaning up all the remnants that had taken refuge in his beard.

    ¡°Why did you lie to us¡­¡± He wept.

    <hr>

    A small black-haired boy sluggishly slipped out of his bed, leaving the embrace of his warm duvet to venture forth into the cold and unforgiving unknown that was the world that existed outside his room.

    Slithering upstairs towards a room that had been locked from the outside, the small boy thrust a tiny hand into the pockets of his blue pyjamas, nimbly pulling out a small key before slotting it into a worn-out door¡¯s keyhole.

    Silently twisting the metallic key, the small boy checked over his shoulder and then peeked down the bannister of the house to ensure he hadn¡¯t woke anyone up from their slumber.

    The little boy hadn¡¯t seen his mother for two weeks now. His father stopped him from seeing her.

    The little boy didn¡¯t like that.

    And so he decided that he would sneak into his mother¡¯s room, even if it¡¯d get him into trouble.

    But when he slowly opened the door to his mother¡¯s room, the sight that greeted his innocent eyes would be one that the small boy desperately wished he could forget for the rest of his life.

    But alas, the mind was a mysterious construct. If it wanted to replay the sight of a scarred woman clawing at her neck as she dangles from a noose constructed from the bedsheets that were supposed to be on her bed, then there was nothing he could do about it.

    Moonlight shone down upon the pale corpse-like creature, blood running from her wrists and fingers; her body limply hung to and fro from the makeshift death contraption she had made, a few sombre laughs falling from her crimson lips, slamming down upon the small boy¡¯s body with the weight of a thousand bricks.

    Black hair loosely covered the woman¡¯s deathly expression, but not enough to cover the smile that graced her slashed lips upon noticing the little boy¡¯s appearance.

    ¡°Pia¡­no¡­ I¡­ Pi¡­ano.. Pla¡­y..¡± She choked out, crimson dripping onto the carpet below, the small boy¡¯s orbs brimming with tears, tracing the liquid as it merged with the ground below her.

    His small lips opened slightly before immediately shutting.

    What was he supposed to say?

    The small boy didn¡¯t know.

    So he closed his eyes.

    And wished it all away.

    <hr>

    Head feeling like someone was constantly drilling a nail into his skull, Oskar blinked awake, a loud groan escaping his chapped lips, a weightless hand accidentally slapping down onto his face as he groggily cried out in pain.

    ¡°What¡­ What am I¡­¡± He mumbled out, pushing himself up from the floor, failing several times in the process.

    Looking at the corpses of the several smashed bottles that lay motionless upon the battlefield that he had fiercely fought upon only a few hours ago, the middle-aged man stumbled out of his office and made his way towards his wife¡¯s room.

    He had to check on her.

    ¡°The doc¡­ said¡­ Argh. What¡¯d he say again?¡± He spurted out, rubbing his sore head.

    ¡°Recoverable¡­ Her condition is recoverable¡­ Gotta make sure she don¡¯t kill herself or something like that.¡±

    Immediately sobering upon realising that the door leading to his wife¡¯s room had been opened, Oskar stormed into the room, his brain completely coming to a halt once seeing the scene that had waited for him for so many hours whilst he¡¯d been drinking.

    Falling to his knees, Oskar grasped at his wiry black hair as he silently screamed into his chest, hot tears merging with his dirtied clothes.

    But the man did not make a single sound.

    For his son lay not too far away from him.

    Silently sleeping next to the swaying corpse of his mother.

    Choking upon his own morbid thoughts, Oskar pondered over gouging his own eyes out.

    But he knew that it wouldn¡¯t erase the sight that had been forced upon him.

    That had been forced upon his child.

    Steeling his fists, Oskar gently picked up his son, silently carrying him towards his room, placing him upon his bed before tucking him into bed.

    Such a sight was unbefitting for a child to witness.

    Oskar knew that he had failed his son.

    He should have been the only one to see such a thing.

    Perhaps then he would have acted upon his spur of the moment thoughts of joint suicide.

    To suffer the same fate that he had let his¡­ dear Emma had.

    But alas. He had a job to finish.

    <hr>

    Peering down upon the scarred body of the small orange-haired girl that peacefully clung to his body in her sleep, Aaron¡¯s emerald orbs bounced from each wound to the next.

    He¡¯d already lost one person in his life to such a cruel fate.

    The last thing he wanted was to lose another.

 C35 - Tongue

    A lopsided grin slyly plastered itself upon the visage of a certain small orange-haired individual, both her appendages, hardly able to be called ¡®arms¡¯ anymore, joyfully swinging to and fro as she skipped through a busy school hallway.

    One orange orb loosely swam around the hall in front of her, half-heartedly jumping from person to person, as Chloe moved closer to her destination: the rooftop.

    Various sounds played on loop within the small girl¡¯s collapsed mind, moments from yesterday¡¯s¡­ ¡®activity¡¯ with Aaron widening her inhuman smile with every passing second.

    She hoped that she could spend the rest of her life like this¡­ blackened figures clawing at her body as she skipped onwards, ecstatic memories of the past nullifying the pain of their lethally cold stares.

    Her surroundings had all been defiled with dried blood, some of it sliding down the walls and pooling upon the very floor she had been using, the liquid leaving monstrous shapes behind the girl, somewhat resembling what had presumably once been a human foot.

    Playfully glancing up towards the ceiling, the small girl saw two familiar obsidian orbs staring back at her, following her every move.

    ¡°Just watch me¡­ Nobody can stop me now! Because now I can do anything in his name... anything... I¡¯ll do everything for him.¡± She vehemently swore, slowing down once she approached a stairwell that led to the rooftop.

    Vision flickering between reality and her illusions¡ªwhich was which, not even the small girl knew now¡ªChloe saw a disfigured corpse pop into existence; its face¡ªor what one might have previously called a face¡ªhad been smashed into a pulp, losing all semblance of its once beautiful appearance.

    The body had a name. Although the only thing such an insignificant piece of information could do was adorn the corpse''s grave. Assuming it will ever be found, that is.

    The girl scoffed at the sight of it before mumbling, ¡°Whore.¡±

    But then the corpse vanished, leaving nothing but a puddle of blood in its wake.

    It reminded her of the corpses lying dormant under her bed. Or at least used to.

    The corpse that had lain before Chloe¡­ wasn¡¯t a corpse¡­ yet.

    ¡°Tch¡­ Trashy bitch¡­ You¡¯re next.¡±

    <hr>

    A small girl let out an exhausted groan as she wiped her bloodied sleeve across her forehead.

    ¡°Why do these bodies have to be so fucking heavy?¡± She groaned, letting her arms rest for a short while before getting back to the task at hand.

    ¡°Maybe you shouldn¡¯t of killed¡¯em then, shortcake.¡± A smug voice responded to her comment, its tone jovial and vibrant as if it had been enjoying watching such a scene unfold before the small girl.

    Chloe looked down towards the pool of blood that had accumulated in the makeshift garbage dump that her bed¡¯s storage had been used as.

    Her eyebrows were raised slightly, still befuddled as to why she couldn¡¯t exactly... see... the dead bodies before her.

    It was as if something in her mind disabled her brain from comprehending the image that the light entering her singular orb had transmitted to it. A black fuzzy veil covered both of the bodies, only showing the hands and feet of the two corpses to aid in the small girl dragging them to another destination.

    ¡°Weird¡­ But then again¡­ I don¡¯t wanna see them again anyways¡­ So I guess I¡¯ll have to thank myself for being so mindful of my mental state¡­¡± The small girl surmised, pausing for a few seconds.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    All of a sudden, she burst out into a fit of broken laughter, her voice increasing and decreasing in pitch as time passed, seemingly undecided upon which range it wanted to equip.

    ¡°As if it would fuckin matter anyway; it can¡¯t get crazier than crazy, amiright?¡±

    A few moments of rare silence passed, the small girl having come to a complete halt as she looked around her room in surprise.

    When had it last been this quiet within her mind?

    ¡°Yup. I think this is as bad as it gets¡­ talking to yourself and shit.¡±

    And then it all resumed.

    Sluggishly dragging the bodies into the older woman¡¯s room, Chloe locked the door and went back to her usual life.

    <hr>

    Warmth. Her whole body felt as if she had just come out of a warm bath. Snuggling up even closer to Aaron¡¯s body, the small girl let out a happy sigh before looking up at his expression.

    Aaron¡¯s countenance was one of confliction. He wasn¡¯t going to lie to himself and say that he didn¡¯t like where he currently found himself, but then again he already had someone he loved dearly.

    How could he so simply forget about the girl he¡¯d previously thought he¡¯d grow old with?

    If only life could be so simple.

    Feeling a hand reach down to somewhere it shouldn¡¯t have, Aaron¡¯s emerald orbs slowly travelled downwards, finding a smug expression dominating his small friend¡¯s face.

    He wanted to lie to himself.

    But then again.

    What happened if pushing her away made her turn out like his mother had?

    Aaron didn¡¯t want to be left behind again. Even if he¡¯d still have his little sister and his father.

    They couldn¡¯t fill the loneliness that had tightly gripped his heart, threatening to burst it in one fell swoop.

    Looking back up to the blue sky that daintily stared down at them, Aaron closed his eyes and lost himself in ecstasy.

    What else could he do but that?

    <hr>

    Feeling the thorny wind nip her pale skin, Chloe closed her eyes as her long orange hair fluttered, being lifted up by the elements.

    Soon it¡¯d all be over. Just one more thing to deal with and everything would be perfect.

    Entering her apartment, she looked around the room and flicked the lights off. Everything was in place.

    She¡¯d still yet to¡­ coerce Aaron into verbally saying that he acknowledged Chloe as his new girlfriend, but soon he¡¯d relent.

    A dirty smirk grew upon her chapped lips before disappearing.

    ¡°Focus.¡± She reprimanded herself. Now was not the time for... those kinds of thoughts.

    She¡¯d have all the time in the world to fuck around with Aaron after dealing with this problem.

    In both the literal and metaphorical sense.

    This ¡®play¡¯ of hers was going to require some skill and a lot of luck. The timing had to be perfect¡­ and it wasn¡¯t going to be easy.

    Unbeknownst to the brunet boy, his phone had been tampered with.

    Nothing too serious, though.

    Just a few messages sent and timers set.

    Any moment now, the latter should go off, prompting Aaron to head over to her apartment and the former.

    Ohhh~, the former.

    They should walk through her door anytime now.

    Hiding herself behind her bedroom door, equipped with a kitchen knife in her hand, Chloe¡¯s orange orb glimmered with lethal intent.

    It all came down to this.

    A metallic groan erupted from her apartment¡¯s front door, a grin slowly finding itself onto the small girl¡¯s face as adrenaline started to flow throughout her body.

    ¡°Aaron?¡± A sickeningly sweet voice sounded out, the sound of the door closing behind her sealing her fate.

    ¡°You like to do it in the dark, I see? How naughty¡­ Not like I have any objections though.¡±

    Grin ripped from her expression, Chloe waited until she saw a dark figure approach the kitchen from the small gap she¡¯d left open in her door, where a small note was lying upon the counter.

    ¡°Being mysterious, huh? Leaving a note in the dark for me to read.¡± The voice coyly sung, turning her back on the door that led to Chloe¡¯s room, a figure taking the chance to slowly slither out from within it.

    The tall blonde struggled to make out the words that were messily scribbled upon the note before finally making out a few words.

    ¡°How¡¯s¡­ hell? What the fu-¡° Ella queried before screaming out in pain, her back searing with pain.

    Looking down to her midsection, she saw a small pointy object emerging from within her, a sticky crimson substance coating the weapon that had inflicted such lethal damage upon her.

    Coughing out some blood, Emma weakly turned around before suddenly being forced into a messy kiss, unable to make out the culprit.

    But this wasn¡¯t the type of kiss that was meant to bring pleasure.

    Using the fact that the blonde was too surprised by the sudden erotic act to think, Chloe suddenly bit hard down upon her opposition¡¯s tongue, ruthlessly tearing it out from the blonde¡¯s mouth.

    A wide grin bloomed upon her countenance as she swallowed the piece of meat, blood dripping down from her mouth.

    ¡°At least you taste good, Bitch.¡±

 C36 - Dance

    An ashened figure lazily laid on the sofa located just behind the two girls, their blond hair drooping over a pair of sewed-shut eyes. The figure¡¯s loose smile tightened slightly when a screech exploded from the other blonde, crimson pouring from her mouth and onto the floor as she opened it.

    Two hands shot up towards where her tongue used to be, eyes darting down to see her newly vermillion-coated digits.

    ¡°Uuuggh¡­ Couldn¡¯t she have been a bit more considerate of her volume? Someone¡¯s trying to enjoy a murder here¡­ Tch.¡± The phantom angrily spat, his sapphire orbs moving lower towards her pierced abdomen.

    ¡°And Chloe, I know that tongue didn¡¯t taste good. Been there, done that. I¡¯d rather eat a raw steak than another tongue~.¡± He giggled, his demeanour slightly trembling at the thought of consuming such a thing again.

    Demented gaze shifting towards the small female, whose clothes were now splattered with blood, causing a murderous glow to seemingly appear around her, Nathanial¡¯s stitched smile grew wider as his supremely sharp teeth formed a predatory grin.

    Chloe¡¯s orange hair haphazardly cascaded down her figure, some stray strands covering her visage, but unable to cover the breathtaking expression that had consumed her countenance. Dimples showing in all their lethally cute glory, a small trail of blood slipped down her chin as a toothy grin devoured her sanity, divorcing all semblance of reason from her utterly shattered psyche.

    Her two hands frantically trembled as they restlessly hung loose from her shoulders, as if they were raring to strangle the life out of the obstacle that stood in its way.

    Head bopping to and fro, drunk from the taste of the piece of Ella that she¡¯d tasted, a loud fit of laughter flowed from her larynx, a small drop of blood departing from one of her sharp blood-coated teeth.

    A golden orb, mesmerised by the sight before it, glowed with ecstasy as it frantically dashed around Ella¡¯s body, as if trying to take in each and every one of her last breaths.

    Nathanial¡¯s body shuddered from the sight before him, some part of him thankful that he was already dead.

    ¡°Never mind. I guess her tongue must have been of better quality than the one I ate.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°AHAHAHAHAHHA¡±

    That was all she could hear. As if it was being played on a record player at max volume, all she could think about was the state of the girl in front of her.

    It made her laugh! Made her scream out in joy! Just thinking about the brutality of what she¡¯d done sent her into another unrecoverable fit of laughter that felt as if it would never end.

    Multiple other ashened figures appeared before her, laughing side by side with her, hands on their stomachs as they doubled over in pain.

    Some figures were even lying on the floor, kicking their legs up in the air uncontrollably.

    Feeling as if she was in a party, multiple bodies pushed up close to her; she put both hands out to her sides and placed them upon the ashened¡¯s shoulders, jostling from side to side as if they were all high on drugs at a rave.

    A few rogue tears leaked from her singular orb, turning her vision blurry, causing the figures to merge together into one large blob.

    Suddenly, Chloe felt her shoulder be roughly tugged, pulling her out of the way of a body that smashed through a crowd of apparitions, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    At some point, the small girl had completely forgotten about Ella¡­ She had become irrelevant; the only important thing to her was enjoying the moment. Dancing around the room, a taller body chased after her, never quite coming into contact with the smaller of the two.

    The large, black, ashened creatures smiled at her like they were playing a game of tag, helping Chloe escape from the raging bull behind her that had tried several times to tackle her to the ground.

    Her own laughs mixed with the endless screams, which she¡¯d shed many times in her life, mixed together and reverberated endlessly within her distorted world, her body¡¯s exhaustion a thing of the past, vision blurry, spinning and glowing with several incomprehensible colours, bright enough to give someone with epilepsy a seizure that they¡¯d never recover from.

    Then it all froze. A sharp pain shot out from her left thigh, a low growl escaping from a mouth that was not hers.

    Orange orb peering towards the knife that loosely bit into her flesh, crimson flowing down her limb, Chloe gave the girl in front of her a small smile.

    ¡°Sorry about that. I lost my head for a bit there¡­ tend to do that a biiiiiiit too often nowadays, huh. That was rude of me, my bad, Sweetie. Let me give you the attention you so truly deserve~¡± The small orange-haired girl cackled, her two hands balled into fists as she sent one towards Ella¡¯s bloodied visage.

    <hr>

    ¡°What the fuck is going on???¡± Would probably be along the lines of Ella¡¯s thoughts if she had the mental composure to think rationally.

    Still unable to recover from the shock of being stabbed and then having her tongue ripped off and¡ªworse yet¡ªeaten in front of her by the very same person who stabbed her, the taller girl wearily stood, body and mind numbed by a wave of insurmountable pain that crushed her body like a mountain had been placed upon her shoulders.

    But soon that pain turned into pure anger.

    Seeing the small orange-haired girl burst into a fit of laughter, acting like a complete drunkard who¡¯d just won the jackpot on a slot machine, Ella¡¯s mind broke in two.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill this bitch if it¡¯s the last thing I do.¡± She mentally seethed, gritting her teeth as she ruthlessly jerked the kitchen knife out of her back.

    Immediately vomiting blood onto the carpet below her, Ella listlessly stared at her crimson feet, vision blurry and weak.

    But it didn¡¯t matter. Once again, pain turned to more anger, a never-ending process that gave her the energy to continue.

    Her body felt paralysed from forcing her body to move, but she clenched her teeth together and forged forward. These injuries probably weren¡¯t going to be healable, and she knew that even in the best case, she¡¯d be disabled for the rest of her life.

    Launching herself towards Chloe, she tightly gripped the knife with both hands and swung the knife in front of her.

    The least she could do was end this bitch¡¯s life right here, right now.

    ¡°HAHAHAHAHHAHAH~!¡± Chloe screamed, her orange orb frantically jumping around the room as she started to stumble around, her arms raised as she attempted to balance herself.

    Swiftly dodging Ella¡¯s lethal attack, the girl stumbled from the uncontrollable momentum she¡¯d created and fell to the floor, the knife falling to the floor next to her.

    Hatefully glaring towards the orange-haired girl who was now effortlessly dancing around her apartment, the taller girl gathered herself and continued her assault.

    ¡°I¡¯ll fuckin end you!¡± She vehemently swore.

    <hr>

    ¡°Snapped back to reality, eh?¡± Nathanial enquired, now standing behind the small girl as he peeked into her field of view with a smile plastered upon his once peerless face.

    ¡°Only so much pain a girl can take before she becomes delulu, Natty~!¡± Chloe singed, a small, yet controlled, smile growing on her countenance as she relished the feeling of her knuckles once again sinking into Ella¡¯s face.

    A crisp crack sounded throughout the air as the small girl took in a deep breath of air. Ella¡¯s nose was now no longer perfectly straight, but rather pointing off in some random direction.

    The girl let out a cry of pain as more crimson ran down her face but refused to rid herself of the knife within her grasp.

    It was the only way she was going to win against this psycho, especially considering her current physical state.

    Suddenly a loud metallic groan erupted from the entranceway, daylight pouring into the room, banishing the darkness that clung to each and every surface so heavily.

    In its wake, vermilion shone brightly, now coating most surfaces in the room as if it were the new fashion statement of the year.

    Chloe¡¯s controlled expression exploded into another wild grin as she hastily grabbed Ella¡¯s hands, pulling the knife up to her own throat whilst the girl was still partially blinded from the brightness.

    Leaning dangerously close to the blade, the small girl tightened her vice-like grip upon the knife, ensuring it wouldn¡¯t move even an inch closer than it should.

    Lips nearly touching Ella¡¯s ear, the taller of the two¡¯s eyes widened upon realising how close Chloe had just gotten.

    A small giggle left Chloe as she whispered, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have craved what was never yours~. Now¡­ dance for me.¡±

 C37 - Quell

    Aaron¡¯s body stiffened as several crimson stains angrily growled at him from the entranceway to Chloe¡¯s apartment.

    Just the sight of them made his head feel stuffy, as if he was drunk all over again. A wriggling sensation deep within his cranium appeared, feebly attempting to prevent him from entering the decrepit apartment.

    Hands clammy, the emerald-orbed boy balled them into fists as he strengthened his resolve.

    Whatever was going on inside there had become his problem as soon as he opened that goddamn door.

    ¡°But it wasn¡¯t like I had an option in not coming here¡­ I don¡¯t even remember setting the alarm that led me here in the goddamn first place!¡± He inwardly protested, frustrated at his sudden loss of memory and lack of current options.

    Maybe he was just particularly sleepy when he set it. Yeah. That must be it.

    A loud and familiar whimper sounded from within the apartment, causing his legs to involuntarily jolt forwards, leading him into whatever danger laid awaiting him inside.

    The room was completely pitch black, devoid of light apart from the lonely rays that courageously ventured from the feeble sun that slowly descended in the dark sky outside.

    But even that would soon disappear; stepping into the apartment, Aaron let go of the heavy door, flinching at the anguished squeal that erupted from it as it slammed back into its frame.

    There really was no going back now.

    Hearing two sets of breathing, one steady and the other laboured, the boy went to move his head towards the origin of the sounds.

    But Chloe¡¯s voice beat him to it.

    ¡°Aaron! Help¡­ me! This crazy bitch is trying to kill me!¡± A small orange-haired girl cried out; her posture slightly leaned back as if she was resisting tremendous force.

    Her voice was out of breath but had a tinge of hope embedded within it, as if her spirit had been completely resurrected just from his seemingly timely appearance.

    Two orbs darted over to a larger blonde figure, their entire body covered by a strange liquid, but that wasn¡¯t the important part.

    Chloe¡¯s attacker was currently pushing down a kitchen knife towards the smaller girl¡¯s throat, orbs locked in on the smaller girl¡¯s figure, completely ignorant of his sudden appearance.

    The small girl was suddenly pushed back slightly, the knife growing ever closer to Chloe¡¯s scarred neck, causing Aaron to quickly advance towards the two girls without any time to plan.

    Tackling the blonde to the ground with a staggering amount of momentum, Aaron sent the girl tumbling towards the floor, the knife still somehow tightly held within her grasp.

    Unable to control himself, the brunet fell atop his friend¡¯s aggressor, a loud gurgle of pain erupting from below him as a sickening crunch entered his ears.

    Suddenly, the body below him grew still. Deathly so. Gaze slowly craning down towards the blonde, Aaron¡¯s pupils dilated from the horrific sight that laid before his emerald orbs.

    There laid a knife deeply lodged within Ella¡¯s throat, a black liquid streaming from the lethal wound that he had inflicted upon her.

    Her crazed orbs locked onto Aaron, fear evident in them as pain consumed her quickly fading consciousness. A few tears seeped from them, washing away the caked blood that had previously found itself there.

    Attempting to say something, the boy heard a few gurgles erupt from Ella¡¯s lips, but nothing intelligible came forth.

    Blood shot out from her mouth, the result of the girl trying to stop herself from choking on her own blood, a futile endeavour.

    The blood covered Aaron¡¯s countenance as a terrified grimace dominated his expression.

    Breathing slowly halting, the life within her eyes died out right in front of the boy, her final moments forever ingrained within his mind.

    Maybe if she hadn¡¯t been grasping the knife so tightly in the moment before Aaron tackled her, she¡¯d still be alive. Some part of Aaron, a part hid so deeply within him that he didn¡¯t even register the feeling, enjoyed the scene before him.

    Karma was indeed one hell of an evil bitch.

    Due to being suddenly thrust backwards, Ella¡¯s grip on the knife had caused it to swing backwards into her throat. She definitely hadn¡¯t intended on killing herself, but Chloe¡¯s final push right before her being tackled played a large role in making such a dastardly thing take place.

    Hands trembling from what had just occurred, Aaron unconsciously attempted to remove the knife from within Ella¡¯s throat and stop the bleeding, shoving his hands atop the location of her injury and putting a frightening amount of pressure on her wound, almost as if he had thought that he could force her wound to heal so he could reclaim his old life.

    However, he knew that what just occurred would grant him an unrefusable new one.

    But such a futile action would never achieve any merit, especially on a deceased corpse.

    A small giggle sounded from behind him, but Aaron wasn¡¯t even listening. Instead, certain thoughts were crossing his mind at breakneck speeds.

    ¡°Did I¡­ Did I just kill someone? A person? I¡­ I killed them?¡± His inner self trembled, not wanting to believe what he had just thought.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    ¡°No¡­ No, No, No¡­ I¡­ I-I haven¡¯t killed anyone. This was just¡­ It was just self-defence. Yeah. Self-defence¡­ I walked in on my¡­ being attacked by a deranged¡­ murderer¡­ It was the natural thing to do! I had no other option! I didn¡¯t mean for her to die! I just wanted to save Chloe!¡± He reasoned, already feeling better about his brave actions by the second.

    At least he had been feeling better until Chloe had to go and fuck it all up.

    A high-pitched, quivering voice trembled as she spoke, as if she was almost scared of him!

    ¡°A-Aaron? A¡­A-Aaron? What have you done? Is¡­ Is she breathing?¡±

    Her small figure limped over to the brunet who laid atop Ella¡¯s corpse.

    Aaron grinded his teeth, unresponsive.

    A sharp gasp sounded from the small orange haired girl, tears seeping down from her singular orb as she feebly fell to the ground, kicking her legs on the carpet in order to distance herself from him.

    ¡°What have you done?¡± She screamed, her hands clawing at her face, desperately attempting to shield herself from the sight that laid bare before her eyes.

    A low growl escaped from Aaron¡¯s mouth, a solemn stream of crimson forcing its way out from within his lips.

    ¡°Chloe! I didn¡¯t mean to! Believe me! I¡­ I just wanted to protect you against this girl! I really thought you were about to die!¡± He hastily explained himself, his hands frantically waving around in order to express his sincerity.

    But the orange-haired girl seemed to have broken down and become unresponsive, a never-ending stream of tears flowing from within her two folded arms that were tightly clinging her legs to her body.

    Aaron stared at the girl below him, who seemed to have completely broken down.

    ¡°Was all that talk of suicide bullshit? Could this girl really kill herself? This girl, who has broken down just from the sight of a corpse?¡± He questioned to himself, mind thinking back to the scenes where she¡¯d forced herself on him.

    The small girl slowly rocked back and forth, her hands now pulling her hair as she quietly begged someone who no longer existed within the material world.

    ¡°Please¡­ Please don¡¯t hurt me anymore¡­ Please Nathan! I just want to go home!¡± She wept, her movements growing even more frantic as Aaron grew close.

    ¡°Murderer! Murderer! Don¡¯t come near me you¡­ you PSYCHO!¡± She screamed out after realising that Aaron was still getting closer to her even after her previous statement.

    Deep down, she knew begging was never going to work. After all, it hadn¡¯t been effective all those other times, so why would it be now?

    The brunet¡¯s expression grew still, unsure as to how to proceed. What the fuck was he supposed to do now? Seeing the orange haired girl¡¯s state hurt him, it really did.

    A new wave of anger surged within his body as he once again cursed the demon that had hurt Chloe so much.

    And he had to unleash it somehow.

    If he didn¡¯t move fast, and put an end to her fit, the police would be called. And with how Chloe was acting right now, Aaron was pretty sure she¡¯d be unable to accurately retell what had happened here.

    Heck, he didn¡¯t even know if she¡¯d ever recover from the panic attack she was currently having. She seemed¡­ broken. And in a way that didn¡¯t look like a cure was¡­

    ¡°How the fuck do I stop her from freaking out¡­ After all I did for her, this is how she fucking repays me? After that fucking blackmail bullshit, she tried to pull on me¡­? Blackmail? Blackmail¡­¡± Aaron frantically scrambled to come up with a plan, a cynical smile blooming within his blood-stained visage.

    Squatting down to Chloe¡¯s level, Aaron made his voice as low as possible before harshly grabbing the small girl¡¯s shaking shoulders in a powerful grip to stop her from moving.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to fucking tell anyone about this, alright? Otherwise, it¡¯ll all start again¡­¡± He whispered into her ear, looking for a reaction from the girl.

    But nothing changed, her breath rapidly increasing in speed as she began to hyperventilate.

    Thinking for a few more seconds, the boy added a few more words to his threat, feeling as though it would do the trick.

    ¡°And trust me, I¡¯d love to torture you all over again¡­ So be a good girl and close that pretty mouth of yours¡­ Or I might just get the urge to cut it up again¡­¡± He lowly growled, his smile growing in size after seeing Chloe freeze, her breathing quickly stabilising as her singular golden orb slowly panned towards his figure, which was now closing hanging above her, his right hand placed upon the wall behind Chloe, trapping her escape path to the door.

    The small-orange girl¡¯s head slowly shook up and down as she signalled her understanding.

    Aaron¡¯s body relaxed as he let out a sigh of relief, closing his eyes for a brief moment.

    Just then, a small smile grew upon Chloe¡¯s face as she shot towards the door, her pace a second too slow due to her injured thigh.

    The brunet¡¯s right hand instantly found itself upon the small girl¡¯s ankle as he dragged her closer to him, quickly feeling Chloe¡¯s laboured breathing upon his cheek as he completely quelled her escape attempt.

    A grimace was splayed across Aaron¡¯s face as he grinded his teeth together in frustration.

    ¡°How the fuck do I stop her from trying to escape¡­!¡± He angrily pondered, before suddenly pulling Chloe¡¯s body close to his with his left hand.

    Feeling her body pressed firmly against his, Aaron cleared his mind and forced himself to cry.

    ¡°If she wants to play crazy, then I¡¯ll just have to play crazy.¡± He calmly concluded, making his breathing sound frantic.

    Burrowing his face into her chest like she had done to him just a few days ago, Aaron cried out in a distressed voice.

    ¡°I THOUGHT I WAS ALL YOU HAD??? Was¡­ Was that all a lie?¡± He wept, slightly increasing his grip on her every second he didn¡¯t get a response.

    Chloe¡¯s terrified expression conformed into one of utter pain, unbearable emotional pain.

    Enduring his tightening grasp, the small orange-haired girl quietly spoke, ¡°It¡­ It wasn¡¯t¡­ You¡¯re all I have¡­ But even you are! You¡¯re just like those two!¡±

    Aaron frantically shook his head as he responded, his voice drenched in pain, ¡°No! No! No! All that I¡¯ve done was for you! I¡¯m not like them! I¡¯d never hurt you! I promise! I love you, Chloe! Don¡¯t! Don¡¯t you dare try to leave me!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to do what I¡¯m about to do¡­ but consider it payback¡­ for when you forced yourself upon me. Now we¡¯re even, Chloe.¡± Aaron solemnly thought before springing into action.

    Slithering a hand up towards her blood-soaked orange hair that he¡¯d looked at for half of his childhood, Aaron pushed his lips onto Chloe¡¯s and forcefully shut her up.

    The kiss was so damn overwhelmingly one-sided, with the small girl even fighting back at the start. But soon her resistance quickly quelled as she melted into him and started to reciprocate.

    ¡°It seems like her attraction to me is stronger than whatever hell she¡¯s gone through. Dunno if I should be happy or not¡­¡± The black-haired male joked, enjoying their kiss almost so much that he nearly managed to escape the situation he found himself in for a second or two.

    But alas, human needed cursed air.

    As the two parted, both parties kept their eyes trained upon each other, two emerald orbs full of lust, the other golden orb slightly guarded, but mostly calm.

    Aaron felt an uncontrollable smile devour his countenance as he took him Chloe¡¯s flushed expressions, her cheeks dusted pink, decorated with crimson as her eyes were completely lost in a trance within his.

    A small laugh escaped Aaron¡¯s lips as he slowly lowered his lips towards the small orange-haired girl¡¯s again.

    ¡°I might as well enjoy myself a bit whilst I¡¯m at it. Life be damned. And Lea¡­ I¡¯m sorry. But I¡¯ve no choice but to leave you behind. I enjoyed our time together, I really did. And I thought it be you and me until the end. But life is cruel and complicated. Fate is unpredictable and¡­ irresistible.¡±

    Losing himself to temptation again, he shut the already quiet girl up once again and pushed her completely down on the dirtied floor.

    All the while a pair of orbs, completely devoid of life, stared at the two murderers passionately losing themselves to lust, crimson tears departing from her orifices in a lonely protest.

 C38 - Envy

    A low groan escaped a pair of chapped lips, the result of an especially harsh breeze of winter wind infiltrating a run-down car.

    Smoke billowed from within the normal-looking vehicle, a pair of binoculars sitting on top of a large black folder.

    A slender man threw a burnt-up cigarette outside his car before quickly rolling up the manual window that was barely visible to outsiders under the moon''s quaint embrace.

    ¡°Five hours, huh?¡± Matt mumbled to himself, glancing towards his worn-out watch that loosely hung from his left wrist.

    Lazily slumped against the stained leather seat of his covert car, the brunet pondered over his recent findings.

    ¡°Indeed, those two kids are suspicious. I decided to stake out that orange-haired brat¡¯s apartment and didn¡¯t even have to stay here long enough to force me to use my good ol¡¯ jar¡­ Well, that¡¯s probably for the best.¡± He chuckled to himself, picking up the folder that laid below the sleek military-grade binoculars and beginning to jot a few things on Chloe¡¯s page.

    His hands moved quickly, dancing in a flurry across the page, his previous slothful nature nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°One girl goes in, and then ten minutes later another girl. A further ten pass, and a third boy shows up. Hesitant to enter the door after opening it, he sprints inside, leaving the door to slam shut. Three hours later, only two leave, the little orange girl and the brown-haired boy holding bags containing what looked like clothes and other essentials. Both seeming disgruntled and worn out.¡±

    Mark didn¡¯t like what his intuition told him was going on, and sadly it was hardly ever wrong.

    This would require a bit more serious work than he had previously estimated.

    ¡°First things first, I¡¯ll make sure my initial hunch is correct. I¡¯ll stake this place out for a day or two and make sure I notice if that other blonde ever leaves the orange brat¡¯s apartment. After that¡­ I¡¯ll just have to forcefully find some evidence myself¡­¡±

    <hr>

    A small girl cosily snuggled into a small double bed, hugging the black duvet so hard it would make others think that it was her most prized possession.

    Rubbing her small hands against her eyelids, Chloe let out a little yawn before her countenance hardened.

    ¡°That went surprisingly well. I applaud myself for being such a great actor!¡± Chloe gloated to herself, golden orb staring upwards towards Aaron¡¯s bedroom ceiling.

    Currently the two had decided to stay over at the brunet¡¯s house for a small while whilst they decided what to do with the blonde¡¯s body.

    Or maybe it would be more accurate to say Aaron decided. During the whole thing, Chloe tried to keep as quiet as possible, letting the boy spiral as much as possible.

    After all, it was for his benefit. Tearing down a few of his mental barriers that made him sane would make them able to understand each other better.

    And who wouldn¡¯t want to understand their loved one better?

    Only one figure leisurely laid upon the floor next to the bed in which Chloe was currently residing.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    Nathanial¡¯s stitched-up corpse lazily drew images upon Aaron¡¯s carpet, waiting for something interesting to happen.

    ¡°So. How can you possibly top today? I think this day may be the craziest one of both our lives.¡± Nathanial enquired, as if he was worried that his main source of entertainment would up and vanish after what had just occurred.

    ¡°Good question. How indeed¡­¡± The orange-haired girl pondered, thinking back to the events that had just taken place a few hours ago.

    Aaron was currently downstairs with his father and sister, leaving Chloe upstairs to her lonesome to hopefully help her calm down.

    Although Chloe thought it was more along the lines that he actually needed to give himself some time to consolidate the actions he¡¯d taken and consequently realise the villain that he¡¯d become.

    The small girl let out a small angry humph as she thought some more.

    ¡°Although I¡¯m happy with how things turned out, he did hypocritically accuse me of trying to leave him. Talking about how ¡°All I have is him¡±. I mean¡­ he¡¯s 100% correct¡­ but it somehow ticks me off.¡±

    The ashened boy¡¯s eyebrow raised slightly after hearing her thoughts, triggering him to also recall what the boy had said.

    A mischievous smile grew wide upon his face as he spouted out an idea, sewed orbs moving under their eyelids towards where Chloe was currently lounging about.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably because he still has things other than you, whilst all you have is him. Seems a bit unfair, no?¡± Nathanial explained, his patched lips growing wider by the second.

    Chloe¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as her singular orb moved over to her tormenter¡¯s deceased corpse, intrigue clearly evident upon her brow.

    ¡°Go on¡­¡± She prodded.

    ¡°Why not just kill off his family? Then all you¡¯d have is each other! Sounds perfect, no?¡± Nathanial beckoned, snapping his broken fingers and holding them under his chin as if he had solved a crime or the world¡¯s most important problem.

    Chloe¡¯s expression turned slightly ugly as she attempted to make peace with such a violent solution.

    After all, even if she was a cold-blooded murderer, that was usually only towards those who she bore ill will towards.

    Chloe was fond of Aaron¡¯s family.

    ¡°Family, huh¡­ Wish I had something like that¡­¡± She momentarily thought to herself before getting back on track.

    Soon the thought of an Aaron who could only rely on herself entered her mind; the boy¡¯s mind shattered and in disarray as he clung to her body, a dishevelled look embedded within his gaze that signalled the lengths he¡¯d go to protect her from the world.

    ¡°Now that¡­ that would be¡­ perfect¡­¡± The small girl dreamily concluded, already thinking about how she could kill the two obstacles that impertinently stood in her way.

    <hr>

    Reluctantly getting out of Aaron¡¯s perfect bed, Chloe scrounged around in one of the backpacks that she¡¯d brought from her house, picking up a small bottle of sleeping medication from it.

    Chloe had told Aaron that It helped with her nightmares, helped quell her mental problems somewhat. Aaron seemed to believe her whole-heartedly.

    In reality, such pills never had been able to protect Chloe from the monsters that called her name at night. And she never expected them to be able to in the first place.

    The reason she¡¯d brought them was exactly for a situation like this, where she¡¯d need the house to herself with all its residents fast asleep.

    All she needed to do was slip an abundant amount of the crushed pills into their food and it¡¯d be nighty night for them.

    It might have adverse side-effects on their longevity due to the overdosage, but they wouldn¡¯t be alive for much longer, so Chloe thought that they wouldn¡¯t mind it.

    Chloe wasn¡¯t about to do something that would endanger the brunet¡¯s life, now that would be truly stupid.

    So instead, she¡¯d give him a lower, more risk-free dose, and then ensure that he would be completely physically exhausted before he dozed off to sleep.

    That she could do. With pleasure.

    After they had all been sent to sleep, all Chloe had to do was suffocate those two nuisances with a pillow and send¡¯em both to hell where they belonged.

    ¡°Good riddance. That¡¯s what you get for standing in our way.¡± She thought to herself, once again noticing in the corner of her eye that reality had started to merge into that of her nightmare world, that abhorred crimson city.

    Choosing to ignore her collapsed mental state, Chloe started crushing the pills and preparing for the long, long night ahead of her.

    She was going to have to find a way to get rid of the bodies as well and before morning came.

    What a nuisance.

 C39 - Smother

    A quiet groan escaped Aaron¡¯s mouth as he splashed some cold water on his face, his body hunched over the bathroom¡¯s sink as he stared at his reflection in the mirror opposite him.

    His black hair had grown longer than he usually allowed it to, somewhat covering the gloomy look he was attempting to give himself.

    Lips slightly chapped from the cold winter weather, the boy futilely licked his lips before moving his attention to his hands.

    They looked like they had always looked. Just a normal pair of hands. Not overly groomed nor dirty, usually neatly clipped nails overgrown long enough to draw blood if he balled his hands into a fist hard enough.

    ¡°Are these really the hands of a killer? Am I really¡­ a murderer?¡± He solemnly queried, some small part of him hoping that an omniscient being would come down from their heavenly abode and console his worries away.

    Regardless of whether he liked it or not, he had technically taken a life. And the one witness to his ¡°crime¡± had called him a murderer.

    ¡°No. What I did was¡­ it was justified. Had I not done such a thing, Chloe would have died. It simply had to be done.¡± He reasoned to himself.

    Aaron quickly shook his head and dismissed the terrible thought, once again splashing his head with cold tap water.

    Perhaps that would help ward away such damaging thoughts.

    <hr>

    Slightly out of breath, the brunet gasped out for air, only to find himself once again caught in Chloe¡¯s grasp.

    How she had gotten so good at this type of stuff was beyond him. By all means he should have been the dominant one in this irregular relationship of theirs.

    Managing to push the small orange-haired girl away from his lips, he heard a low whine erupt from Chloe, followed by both of them ravenously inhaling oxygen.

    The small girl was first to recover, but instead of diving right back into where they left off, she sat still atop the emerald-orbed boy, sitting just above his pelvis, staring at Aaron.

    Aaron, still gasping for air, caught a glimpse of the small, orange-haired girl¡¯s frivolous appearance, beads of sweat running down every visible crevasse of her body.

    His emerald orbs met her cold gaze, instantly causing a cold sweat to run down his spine.

    Her golden orb tore into his soul, tearing him apart. Almost as if her gaze was full of disgust for the boy, questioning why she was doing all this.

    Slashed lips opening to form sharpened words, the small girl spoke, each sentence weighing heavy upon the boy¡¯s consciousness.

    ¡°Do you think that you¡¯re not at fault for killing that girl?¡± She questioned, her two small hands digging into his chest¡¯s skin, sending out a sharp wave of pain within his mind.

    Aaron was too out of breath to reply, instead choosing to melancholically gaze upwards towards his bedroom ceiling, forcefully averting her accusatory gaze.

    Chloe¡¯s long orange locks flowing freely down her body, covering her like a robe as a cruel smile grew upon her lips, more weaponised words following from her last assault.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen your type; you¡¯re just like my mother. Trying to escape from the guilt of your actions, never facing reality. Always making excuses.¡± She stated, as if it were an irrefutable fact.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Then, she slowly leaned down closer to Aaron, the boy flinching when he felt the cold contact of their bare skin together, and whispered quietly in his ear.

    ¡°But don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll still accept you for who you truly are, whether that is as a dirty murderer or not. Because I love you, Aaron. And I know you love me too.¡±

    Slowly moving her hands upwards from his chest to his neck, Chloe pulled him closer and kissed him, the brunet still in a state of disbelief from registering what the small orange-haired girl had just said to him.

    ¡°So either way she¡¯ll love and accept me?¡± Aaron inwardly cried out, slightly relieved to have someone stand by his side no matter what would happen next.

    Deep down, the boy had been constantly worried about what would happen to him next. Perhaps he¡¯d be sent to prison for the rest of his life, forced to go insane within the confines of four cold walls.

    Taking a more dominant role, Aaron promised himself that no matter what would happen in the future, at the very least he would make sure no harm would come to his small childhood friend.

    Perhaps he¡¯d made a series of incredibly poor decisions.

    Maybe if he¡¯d been a bit cooler headed, he would have just called the cops and explained everything to them.

    But he hadn¡¯t been in his right mind in those frantic moments. I mean, who would be? Watching the life pour out of someone as a result of their direct actions would freak anyone out.

    That insanely cold feeling emerging from his stomach, devouring his entire body as the insidious realisation of what he¡¯d just done dominated his mind.

    And then being blamed by the very person you tried to save.

    But nothing mattered now.

    Now all that mattered was Chloe.

    And finding a solution on how to get rid of that damned body.

    For now, he¡¯d have to continue his crazy act in front of Chloe. That was the only way he could think of to reliably control her antics.

    And slowly, even the guilt from manipulating the small orange-haired girl was fading away.

    ¡°Perhaps¡­perhaps I¡¯ll become a true monster.¡±

    <hr>

    Holding back the urge to burst out into a fit of laughter, Chloe had one last squeeze of Aaron¡¯s warm body before slinking out of his bed, equipping a few garments and a baking apron that she¡¯d stolen from their kitchen.

    Grimacing due to the feeling of exhaustion that stemmed from her legs, Chloe stood still for a few seconds before resuming her plan.

    Now was the time for action.

    Hearing the brunet¡¯s stable breathing in the background the small orange-haired girl slowly exited his room and moved towards her first prey of the night.

    ¡°Oh, I love how strong he¡¯s trying to act! It¡¯s so adorable¡­ I could really just eat him up! Well, I just did, but whatever, get your mind on track, Chloe!¡± She mentally scolded herself as she pleasantly hummed a quiet tune to herself.

    Entering Camelia¡¯s room, Chloe listened to the small girl¡¯s breathing before confirming that she was indeed asleep.

    Picking up a big pillow, the small orange-haired girl smiled and started to smother her beloved¡¯s sister, guiding her to the afterlife.

    A few seconds passed and then ten, twenty and half a minute.

    Chloe¡¯s eyebrow raised slightly due to the lack of resistance from the small girl.

    ¡°Those drugs really did the trick, huh. Well, I¡¯m honestly surprised that she hasn¡¯t died from an overdose yet. The amount of sleeping pills I gave her was not a small amount to say the least.¡±

    Chloe¡¯s lips crept upwards as she felt that this job was going to be easier than she had previously thought.

    And then, soon Camelia¡¯s breathing stopped.

    Checking that the small girl was indeed dead, the small girl lowered her head to Camelia¡¯s chest, letting out a small laugh when she failed to hear any heartbeat.

    ¡°Dumb bitch really up and died, huh.¡±

    Standing up, she discarded the pillow and stretched her back to shake off the bout of stiffness she felt.

    Turning around, she let out a small frightened gasp as she saw a blackened figure that stood less than ten centre meters away from her.

    Their brown orbs where completely bloodshot, skin colour a deep shade of purple. The corpse¡¯s neck seemed to have been broken in multiple places, loosely moving around to and fro, sometimes threatening to hit Chloe.

    The small orange-haired girl grimaced as her orb roamed over the ashened figure¡¯s appearance.

    ¡°That was fast you little fucker! I guess you really wanted to get some revenge as quick as possible, huh?¡± She cursed at the corpse, almost wanting to launch a kick at the bitch.

    Folding the small girl up into a ball, Chloe pushed her into the large duffle bag that she¡¯d used to bring items over, just barely fitting Camelia in the container.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna have to cut the old fucker up to fit him into one of these bags¡­ and there¡¯s gonna have to be multiple trips¡­ for fucks sake¡­ the things I do for you, Aaron¡­¡±

 C40 - Fool

    ¡°Now what are you doing here, little birdie?¡± Mark questioned to himself; intrigue evident within his gaze as he saw a small orange-haired girl laboriously drag a seemingly heavy duffle bag up the five flights of stairs that led to her decrepit apartment.

    The unkempt man scratched the stubble on his chin as he attempted to piece together what was going on.

    ¡°It¡¯s 3 am, and this girl is nearly dragging back a large bag into her apartment. But where is that other boy? What she¡¯s carrying is clearly too much for her to move easily. Unless what she¡¯s doing is a secret from the boy?¡± He pondered, slightly shifting in his seat as he let out a small groan from having sat in the same place for far too long.

    Mark¡¯s eyes wandered away from the small girl¡¯s door once she sluggishly entered her abode, his cyan orbs fixated upon a worn-out-looking lockpicking set that had been used one too many times for certain unlawful deeds.

    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s just you and me again, partner.¡± He joked to himself.

    ¡°The next time she leaves that apartment, I¡¯ll wait half an hour and then attempt to break in. I¡¯ll send you two kiddos to the slammer where ya belong. My intuition¡¯s telling me that there must be a boatload of incriminating evidence locked up in that hellscape.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°Why the fuck is this old dead geezer so goddamn heavy?¡± Chloe groaned out as she struggled to lift the two duffle bags that contained his bloody remains.

    The small girl had tried to contain his bleeding, using several towels around the house to attempt to ensure no mess was created, but even then, she clearly wasn¡¯t a master at cleanly chopping people up.

    In the end, she had just resolved to use the old man¡¯s bed sheets to wrap him up, mentally reminding herself to redo his bed once she got back to Aaron¡¯s abode.

    Having practically dragged the two bags for nearly fifteen minutes straight, Chloe let out a relieved sigh once seeing that her apartment was so close by.

    ¡°I only have to scale these final steps, and I¡¯ll be right there!¡± She celebrated, poking her head around the stairwell as she scaled the final step.

    But soon the smile that had once adorned her face faded.

    A middle-aged man dressed in all black, his face fraught with surprise as his orbs slowly panned towards the small orange-haired girl¡¯s appearance, took centre stage within her vision.

    The door to her apartment was half-opened, a few tools still inserted in the door visible to the small girl.

    Quickly covering the door¡¯s keyhole and removing his lockpicking equipment, the tall, heavily dressed man threw a quick smile towards the small girl and started to explain what he was doing.

    ¡°Oh, hello there. I was just passing by and saw that someone had left their door open! Don¡¯t get me wrong; I wasn¡¯t trying to break in or anything! I was really about to shut the door!¡± He attempted to lie, the small girl¡¯s countenance souring by the second.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°Did¡­ Did he see anything? He can¡¯t of, right? He hadn¡¯t opened the door wide enough yet!¡±

    Chloe shifted in her shoes; a large frown formed upon her face.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember leaving my door wide open.¡± She coldly remarked, quickly closing the distance between the two to gauge how much of her apartment was visible to the man.

    Confirming her doubts, Chloe gave the man a cold scowl, causing Mark to back off from the door.

    ¡°He nearly saw her.¡± The small girl relievedly thought, ensuring the man was far enough away from the door for her to enter her apartment without him seeing anything.

    Slamming the door shut behind her, Chloe let out a small sigh of relief.

    Reopening her eyes, her legs nearly gave out from the scare she was given.

    There stood six people. Each a different monster in their own right, scary enough to make any child cry at first sight.

    They all stood still, silently staring at the small orange-haired girl.

    ¡°Hah. What¡¯s this, a family reunion? You guys are going to make me shed a tear of joy.¡± Chloe laughed, quickly regaining her composure as she strode forward.

    She needed to deal with that bitch¡¯s corpse. It was still laying out in the open in the lounge, crimson carpet surrounding it.

    But as she moved forward, and past the six figures, the largest of them all placed a hand on her.

    Feeling as if a mountain had been placed upon her shoulders, stopping her from advancing any further, Chloe¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as she gave the ashened monster a pissed-off look.

    ¡°Let go of me, you fucker!¡± She shouted, the fuzzy being unfazed by her outburst.

    The figure that had stopped her from advancing was one that Chloe was the most familiar with. The one that started it all.

    After her incident with Nathanial, the big guy hardly ever interfered with the small girl, choosing to quietly observe Chloe¡¯s horrific deeds.

    Realising that she wasn¡¯t going to be released anytime soon, Chloe burst out in a fit of rage, cursing all six of the figures that now stood around her in a circle-like pattern.

    ¡°You fuckers should have just stayed dead! Don¡¯t fuck with me! I¡¯ve got shit to do! A person to protect! Don¡¯t get in my fucking way! Don¡¯t think I won¡¯t send you all to hell for a second fucking time!¡± She screamed, her arms frantically waving around as if she was trying to scare away a wild animal.

    Tackling the mountainous shape to the ground, Chloe balled her hands into fists and threw punches at its face, or at least what the girl had thought was his face.

    A frenzied grin devoured her features as she lost herself in the violence, unaware of the fact that the other five figures had quickly gained ground on her.

    Shoulders and torso held back by three sets of decomposed arms, Chloe throttled around in the air trying to escape their hold and continue her assault on the large monster.

    Looking down towards her prey, the shape was non-responsive as is laid still on the bloodied carpet, twitching once in a while as if its body was going through its final death throes.

    The sorrowful sight of the monster¡¯s broken state made Chloe break out into a fit of uncontrollable laughter, her legs kicking her surroundings as she continued to escape their grasp.

    Two new figures slowly walked into the small orange-haired girl¡¯s field of view and silently stood just out of her leg¡¯s range.

    The stared at the person who¡¯d cowardly smothered them to death with hatred, hands reaching for the small girl¡¯s neck.

    Chloe stared to kick the monsters as soon as they came close enough, but the two ashened figures took the blows with no problem, two sets of hands quickly reaching her throat.

    Completely lost in a lethal rampage, Chloe tried to bite at their arms, willing to sacrifice anything just to inflict some more damage onto them.

    But alas she could no longer achieve anything.

    Fully mobilised by the remaining five monsters that surrounded her, the small orange-haired girl let out a small laugh, uncaring of the fact that she could no longer breath.

    ¡°How many times has something like this happened¡­ You lot think I¡¯m scared of something so harmless like being choked to death. Hah. You¡¯re all under estimating me. I¡¯ll kill the lot of you if it¡¯s¡­ if it¡¯s¡­ the last¡­. last thing I¡­. d¡­.¡± She frantically thought as her consciousness faded to black.