Funerals Are Lame!

Ezell zipped up his jacket. The night was getting colder and he still needed to meet up with his friends at “The Hangout Place.” He hadn’t seen them for a while, but that was his mom’s fault. “Stupid mom!” He mumbled, kicking a pebble. “Trying to fucking ground me! I don’t need those stupid pills! I’m perfectly healthy!” He began to grumble to himself. “She blames me for everything! For dad leaving…” He picked up a twig. “For her alcohol addiction…” He forcefully hit a tree trunk with it as he walked on. “… And for us being so fucking poor!” Out of immense anger, he threw the stick across the street and watched it break from hitting the ground at such a speed.

A cold gust of air slapped the back of his neck, causing him to pull up his hood. The cool and dark of the night calmed him down, gave him time to think. But most of the thoughts that invaded his head were harsh and morbid. They used to scare him. But after several years of it, it was normal. Besides, his friends helped him through it. They told him that it was normal, including all the stress and blame he was undergoing.

“Ezell!” A voice cheered. The poor boy was snapped out of his thoughts when an all-too-familiar voice called out to him. He whipped his head to the left only to see Rina, his friend, standing across the street. “Come on! We’ve been waiting. And you know how impatient Avery gets.”

Ezell stopped and stared at her. She was leaning against the gate, her dirty blonde hair draping over her shoulders. Her slender figure was slightly exposed with her short shorts and small tank top that showed off her belly ring. Her green eyes shimmered in what dim glow the moon and stars gave off. The boy felt his face heat up as he walked across the street towards her.

“Maybe you should try putting some clothes on. It is getting colder, ya know.” He grumbled. He wanted to hug her… even kiss her, but not in that outfit. Other parts of his body would get a mind of their own. And besides, Rina was WAY out of his league.

As they walked down the path to “The Hangout Place”, Ezell noticed a black and purple line around her neck. “R-Rina… what’s that?” He asked.

The girl just smiled at him. “Isn’t it cool? It’s a tattoo~” She laughed. “If you look really closely, it’s actually words~!” She ran her finger across it. “It’s some poem about something called ‘The Hanging Tree.’ It’s pretty dark, but cool.” She flashed him a smirk. “We should get matching ones.”

Ezell’s face went red as her eyes met his. The rest of the walk was pretty silent except for demanding thoughts telling him to make a move. The entire time he managed to keep his hands behind his back.

Soon enough the two kids had come up to “The Hangout Place”, only to see Avery sitting on a rock with Yoko, the petite Asian girl, sitting backwards in his lap as they were basically eating each other’s faces.

“Gross!” Rina scoffed, lightly tugging a strand of Yoko’s long, black hair. The little Asian girl let out a soft yelp as she felt her head being pulled back. She quickly turned around and smirked when she saw Rina behind her.

“Jealous?” She teased, draping herself all over the boy she was sitting on. Ezell’s eyes widened. He’d never seen Yoko like this.

“A-As if!” Rina shouted, stomping her foot defensively. Her face got all red and she turned away, crossing her arms.

Ezell faked a laugh. No one seemed to notice the jealousy that coated it though. Good enough for him. He looked at Yoko and she made eye contact with him. As soon as that connection happened, her face lit up and she gasped happily.

“Ezell!” She squealed, jumping off of Avery’s lap and into Ezell’s arms, giving him the biggest hugs. “I missed you! You haven’t been here in so long!” The seventeen-year-old boy was in shock by this sudden act from her. She was usually so calm and quiet.

“M-My mom tried to ground me…” Ezell muttered, slowly releasing himself from Yoko. He looked at his shoes. “That’s why I’ve been gone. She uh… she thinks I still need to take those pills to help me think straight. And... And I don’t! I hate having to choke them down! So lately… I-I’ve been throwing them away. She found me out…” His voice began to waver. “And she keeps blaming me for shit that isn’t my fault! I try to tell her that I--”

“She’s a bitch.” A male voice spoke from behind Yoko. The eighteen-year-old girl turned around, revealing Avery, who was behind her with a lit cigarette between his fingers. He was leaning against the rock, a puff of smoke leaving his lips. “Hit her next time.” He grumbled.

Ezell laughed nervously. “I seriously worry about your sanity sometimes, Avery.” He joked. The troubled child brushed past Yoko and stood in front of the smoker. “Besides, she’s still my mom. I’m not going to hurt her.” He looked around for an agreeing nod from either Yoko or Rina, but neither helped him out. They both stood frozen, staring at their feet.

Avery stood up and walked in front of Ezell. “Listen here, kiddo.” He blew smoke in the younger one’s face. “You’re… kind of a man. So man up! Take her down!” A demented laugh gurgled out of his nicotine-coated throat. “Make her suffer like she’s made you suffer.” His voice began to heighten in twisted excitement as a sick smirk crawled up his face. “Break her! Beat her! Ki--”

“Avery! Shut your trap, you drama queen!” Someone yelled from the trees. Everyone smiled, except for the target of humiliation. Ezell glanced at Rina in time to see her softly giggle into her hand.

Avery threw his cigarette on the ground in frustration, and stepped it out. “Dammit Trumiter!” He yelled. He yelled. He looked around, trying to find the source of the outburst. “Come out, you dumbfu--”

“Ah, ah. Language, bro!” The voice teased. Soon enough, Trumiter, Avery’s twin brother, hopped off of one of the nearby tree branches and landed right beside his twin. “Trumiter, at your service~!” He took a bow as Avery clapped sarcastically.

“Very funny.” Avery grumbled, turning away from his twin.

Ezell laughed at their differences. They were identical in looks, except for the fact that Avery died his hair a bleach blonde. But their personalities varied so much that it was almost dangerous to leave them together alone.

Trumiter walked up to Ezell and wrapped a brotherly arm around him. “Dude, I was thinking… do you remember how we all met?” He laughed, nudging the boy’s shoulder.

Ezell looked up thoughtfully for a moment. “How we all met?” He looked at Rina, then at Yoko. Then slowly and cautiously, his gaze turned to Avery. The blonde man stared right back, another lit cigarette between his lips and a murderous glint in his eyes. Something about Avery tonight terrified Ezell. “D-Death. We all met because of death.” The boy stated, slowly peeling his eyes from Avery to look up at Trumiter.

Rina smiled. “You do remember~” She jeered happily. She ran up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Do you remember the words?” She asked.

Ezell’s face flushed. “Huh?” He looked down at his shoulder. Her touch was warm.

“Dearly Beloved…” Avery grumbled, impatiently flicking his cigarette.

Yoko, who was a bit distant, suddenly gasped at those words. She began to frantically look around at everyone, as if they were supposed to stop him. But no one moved.

“We are gathered here today…” He stood up and walked over to the Asian girl.

She turned from him and kept her head down. “Stop it, Avery.” She mumbled, her voice wavering. “You know I hate that.”

The smoker narrowed his eyes and smirked. He aggressively grabbed Yoko’s arm, making her cry out in pain as he jerked her around. Ezell began to run towards them so that he could help her, but Trumiter grabbed his shoulder and shook his head. “You don’t want to get into that, man.” He stated. The twin glared at his brother as the blonde made a complete ass of himself.

Avery got his face extremely close to Yoko’s and snickered. He lowered his voice to a harsh whisper. “In great memory of--”

“STOP IT!” Yoko screamed.

“SHUTUP!” Ezell yelled in unison. He broke away from Trumiter and pushed Avery to the ground. “What’s wrong with you, you dick?!” Yoko gets enough abuse at home, she doesn’t need your shit too!” He yelled, standing over Avery. He heard a sniffle and turned around only to see Yoko rubbing her arm. “Does it hurt?” He asked.

Yoko raised up her sleeve, showing a huge bruise. “M-My dad got mad again...” She sighed, looking at her shoes. “He didn’t like how I prepared the meal. He said my arms were useless so there was no point in having it. So he squeezed it until I screamed. He… He tries to break me…” She locked eyes with Ezell, making him feel slightly queasy. “But I will not let him win!” She hissed. “And you!” She shot an evil glare in Avery’s direction. “You know talking about funerals bring back awful memories! Why the hell would you do that?!”

Trumiter stepped in. “We all know Avery’s an idiotic douche bag!” He stated, trying to find some way to justify his brother’s actions. “B-Besides, funerals are stupid.”

Hearing that statement, Ezell glared at Trumiter. How could he say that after what Yoko had just said? But soon, his look softened when he noticed that she was slightly smiling.

“Y-Yeah. Funerals are ongoing and boring. I don’t like dead people.” She murmured, sniffling.

Rina, who had been quietly thinking and repeatedly running her finger over her tattoo, spoke up. “Funerals are useless.” She grumbled, sounding slightly irritated. “Why do they shove a bunch of sad people in a room with a dead loved one? They don’t make anyone feel better.” She looked at Ezell. “Don’t you think so?”

The seventeen-year-old stared at her like she was crazy. But he just decided to go along with it. He winked at Rina, and then smiled at Yoko. “Yeah, funerals are lame.”

~X~

Namine, Ezell’s mother, continued to quickly jog down the street. “Ezell!” she called out. “Ezell, where are you?” She began to quicken her pace. Earlier, she had decided to apologize to him for yelling at him, but when she entered his room, he was gone. “Ezell!” She shouted, hoping he’d hear. “I’m sorry I yelled at you. It’s just that… how is the doctor supposed to help you if you don’t take your medicine?”

She slowed her jog to a fast walk, and soon from that to a complete stop. She leaned up against a street lamp and began to cry. Only God knows what happened to her baby boy. “Ezell, I’m so sorry…”

“SHUTUP!” She heard a voice yell… Ezell’s voice. Namine looked up and across the street only to see her seventeen-year-old son in the town’s graveyard.

“Oh no…” She groaned in a hushed tone. She ran into the gate and hid behind a nearby tree, watching her son. What could he possibly be doing alone in a graveyard? Or maybe to him… he wasn’t alone.

“What’s wrong with you, you dick?! Yoko gets enough abuse at home, she doesn’t need your shit too!” Ezell yelled at the dirt under his feet.

‘Yoko?’ Namine thought to herself. ‘Yoko… where have I heard that name before? Isn’t she… oh my God! She’s that little Japanese girl who was beat to death by her father! I remember now! She was dating Ezell’s friend, Avery. Poor Avery. I remember, he died almost right after his girlfriend. He wouldn’t stop smoking those awful cigarettes and developed lung cancer.’

Ezell looked towards the tree, causing his mother to go stiff. “Does it hurt?” He asked, concern coating his voice.

‘Is he talking to me?’ She let out a silent deep breath. Cautiously, she peeked around the tree trunk to see him looking in the other direction. Soon her mind began to wander back to Ezell’s deceased friends. ‘Didn’t Avery have a brother? Oh, yes! True!’ Or at least, that’s what Namine called him. ‘He died as well, I believe.’ She looked down mournfully. ‘…In a car accident. True was such a good kid.’ She shook her head, pushing back tears and turning to check on her son. He shot daggers at a tombstone, but soon softened after a few seconds.

Namine’s own eyes widened when she saw her baby boy stare at the tree she was hiding behind and say, “Yeah, funerals are lame.”

Slightly frightened by the way he was acting and talking, Namine reached into her coat pocket and pulled out his Zypexa, pills for his Schizophrenia. She jumped out from behind the tree. “Ezell!” She screamed, running to her son.

The seventeen-year-old gasped and turned to face his mother, panic in his eyes. Why the hell was she there?! “Go away!” He yelled, backing up. He picked up a pretty sizable rock, remembering Avery’s words about making her suffer. “I’m warning you!” He growled.

Namine stopped dead in her tracks, only feet from her son. Her eyes began to fill with tears. “What happened to my baby?!” she screeched, throwing the pill bottle at him. It hit his chest and fell to the ground, popping open, the pills spilling all over. “I want my little boy back!”

Ezell stared at the pills on the ground. Then at his mother. Unexplainable anger built up in him. How dare she throw those pills at him. Thos worthless, brainwashing monstrosities! “Avery was right… you’re a fucking bitch!” He screamed, raising the rock high. He brought it down upon her head more times that he could count. Up until her cried died down, until her lungs no longer filled with oxygen, until her heart refused to pound any longer.

His legs began to feel weak as he wiped his mother’s blood off of his hands and onto his shirt. He fell to his knees and stared at his hands. It… it was staring to sink in. He just… he just killed…

He covered his face. An overwhelming feeling washed over him and he began to chuckle. His laughter began to become more and more hysterical. “Know what, Rina?” He managed between laughs. He looked up at the trees she had hung herself from. “Funerals are so lame!”

All About MSB (Animals; Completely True)

(MSB is a friend of mine. He tells a lot of stories and they're all really true and usually really funny. I'm not ever going to mention his real name unless given the permission to do so. His stories will seem fake, but they are completely true. So, this starts off the first of his stories.)

When I was seven I liked chameleons. So my dad got me some. I liked them, I thought they were cool. So my dad and I would go out and get crickets to feed the chameleons. And my dad would kinda teach me how many crickets would go in and so I got to feed them. Great! They got to be in my room, ya know. So we buy a bunch of crickets and I’ve earned my dad’s trust the with chameleons, ya know. Kay? So I’m super excited! So here’s my bag of crickets, in go the crickets, and off to school. I get home, then I get all teary-eyed… the crickets killed the chameleons!!! I put in… you’re only supposed to put in a couple… I put in, like, two bags!!! Thinking like, ‘oh, there’s two bags here, why don’t I just put them in?’ And it’s so gross and sad. It’s like they ate the skin of the chameleons. So now I have two dead chameleons and… bounce… crap all over. The crickets were just, like, celebrating. They’ve over-thrown the Roman Empire.

That’s not even the worst one. Kay, have I told you the break-in story already? Alright, so I really do have the coolest mom in the world. But my mom has a little evil to her. We used to have gerbils at our house. So my brothers and I each have a gerbil. So three gerbils in the house. So we decided to build it a city, so we have gerbil tunnels all over the place. And so we decide we either need three dude gerbils or three chick gerbils because we don’t need 85 gerbils. Well, the vet was wrong, so eventually we have around 30, honest-to-god gerbils in our house. There was easily over 50, but they’re having babies left and right. So we have 15-20 gerbils running around and we come home from school one day and I’ll be darned if we don’t have, like, four gerbils. It went from 20 to four. I’m like “what in god’s name happened to the family of gerbils.” Here’s what my mom tried to tell us back then, “I was trying to clean. I was… I was vacuuming and stuff and the gerbils were out, they got out somehow.” And of course we believe our mom and she’s probably telling the truth, but gerbils don’t just pop out of cages or anything. And she goes, “Gerbils are fast kids! I couldn’t tell where they were going!” I’m thinking ‘Okay, get to the point mom.’ Then she goes, “So… I vacuumed up some of the gerbils.” NO! What she means is, she either killed the gerbils because she’s super-mean-mom or, god help her soul, if she honest-to-god intentionally vacuumed up the gerbils. I hope she, like, let them free. That’s in my head, where I’m at.

Like when your dog goes to the farm. Ya know, I was told the dog went to the farm when I was seven. Didn’t hit me til I was, like, 22. Like, “Holy sh—No, No! Wait a second, my dogs not at the farm, is he?”

But point of the story is, my mom is a gerbil murderer!

Thank you

Thank you all for reading my stories. It always keeps me going. ^.^ It takes a lot of work and time to post a story, let alone type one up. A lot of work, time, and thinking. I've been working on two more stories. One being an original and the other being a part of the 100 theme challenge. Sorry it's been a while since I last posted. If anyone has any requests or would like to ask me questions about my work please email me at xionkun@gmail.com. Please tell your friends and your family's about my work. I'd really love to get my stuff out there. I might be getting a facebook page for my stuff. so keep checking in~! 


                                ~Xion

100 Theme Challenge #6

Theme 58 – Heartfelt Apology

As soon as I stepped out of the shower, I glanced at the clock. 12:43. Had I seriously been lying in my own bodily fluids for four hours? I shuddered at the thought. Absolutely disgusting! Looking at myself in the slightly foggy mirror, I noticed that my eyes sparkled with sadness and my hair was straight from being soaked. I quickly grabbed my towel off the rack and tightly wrapped it around my body.

Walking out of the bathroom, I immediately came face to face with Noishe’s bedroom door. I stared at the wooden opening, wondering what to do. ‘Should I try and talk to him? Will he hurt me again? I’m so scared!’ I placed a shaky hand on his doorknob. Trying to assert myself, tightening my grip. ‘Turn it. Walk in. Take control. This is your house!’  I took in a deep breath and… let go of the handle. I couldn’t go in there, not after what just happened.

I ran to my room, feeling ashamed, and slammed the door behind myself. Not caring about the sound it made, I slid down it and hid my head in my knees. “Noishe… I really enjoy your company.” I mumbled quietly, knowing he couldn’t hear me. “Why can’t I convince myself that you need to leave?” I closed my eyes and clenched my towel. Infuriating anger stung in the pit of my stomach. Anger at myself for trying to find a way to justify his wrongdoing. I grabbed the closest thing and chucked it at the wall. “I don’t even know you!”  I screeched. “You don’t deserve a second chance! You deserve to rot in the streets!”  I opened my eyes as angry, selfish tears ran down my face. “I’m not supposed to trust you.” I sat with my head in my knees for what felt like forever, crying until no more tears came out. “I’m not supposed to trust you.”

~X~

I gulped and lightly pressed my fingers against the wood of his door. “N-Noishe, we need to talk.” I spoke quietly. I wasn’t sure if I wanted him to hear me or not. “I thought it over and I decided that…” I took in a deep breath. “That it’s better for me if you don’t stay here.” My heart lunged forward as I said it. I didn’t want to be all by myself again. It gets so lonely and I guess I never realized that. And even though I’ve only known him for one night, just his existence here made me feel… safe.

I didn’t want to do that. But it was for my safety! He…He could’ve been playing me the entire time! I closed my eyes tightly. I didn’t want to believe it. ‘No! No! He wouldn’t do that! He told me he’d protect me! But then… why’d he hit me?’ I gripped the doorknob. ‘Stop being a wuss and kick his ass out on the street! Don’t let him abuse you!’ I turned the handle and pushed the door open. “Noi--” Empty. The room was empty.

‘Did he already leave?’ I looked at the messy bed. ‘He didn’t even say goodbye…’ I wiped my eyes and faked a laugh. “Heh. Th-The little freak knew what was best for him.” I smiled. It hurt to do, but lying to myself was my only resort at the moment. ‘So I’m going to be alone again? No big deal. I’ve done it for four years, I can do it again.’

As soon as I had falsely assured myself that I was going to be happy that way, I went into the kitchen. I had to clean up my “mess” and eat something. As soon as I took one step inside, my eyes widened.

“Hashiri! Are you all better?” He asked. He smiled at me and gave me a thumbs up. But his smile slowly faded when he saw bittersweet tears drip down my face.

“N-Noishe…” I mumbled, my head hanging. “I-I thought you… and I was… you scared me…” I looked up at him only to see guilt and worry plastered all over his expression. “I-I thought you left me all alone!” I cried as I ran up to him and hugged him. I could hear him gasp in shock when our bodies collided, but after a few seconds, he wrapped his arms around me as well. His warmth invaded my body, making me wish I could stay in his arms. “You scared me…” I sighed.

Then a soft whisper tickled my ear. “I’m so sorry, Hashiri.” He swooned.

I pushed him away. It wasn’t because I was mad or anything. It just kind of shocked me. Unexpected. I put my hands up to my red cheeks as my heart thudded heavily against my chest. I wish he hadn’t done that… it made my skin crawl. Unsure of what exactly I should say to him, I just gave him a pleading look.

He chuckled softly. “Don’t make such a cute face towards me~” He teased. “You’ll make me want to stay here forever.” He put some dishes in the sink.

My heart skipped a beat when those words fluttered into the air. As his back was facing me, I reached over and grabbed his sleeve. “I don’t get you.” I growled. “How can you act so calm and happy after what just happened?” I stared him dead in the eyes, determined to get an answer.

The silver haired man looked at me as if solving a difficult math problem. “It’s far too early for you to understand me yet. All I can tell you is that it’s behind us now. No point in trying to change the past.” He took my hand in his and lowered his voice. I glanced down at our entwining fingers and blushed lightly. “But even so,” He mumbled, leaning over to his head was down to my level. I could feel my heart rate increase and my face get hot. He began to whisper in my ear once more, causing me to squeeze my eyes shut. “I never wanted to hurt you. You saved me and now I must return the favor. Please find it in your heart to forgive me…”

Then he did it. He… He kissed me on the cheek! I stood there, stunned, as he slipped his hand out of mine and walked past me. After a few seconds, I snapped out of my daze. I quickly twirled around so I could ask him why, but when I did, I realized that I was alone. ‘N-Noishe… you idiot!’ I clenched my fists in slight embarrassment. That’s when I noticed he had slipped a piece of paper in my hand.

Extreme curiosity caused me to open it, rather harshly, almost ripping it. After that little “gift”, I had to see what he had written. When I read it, I got a bit confused. All it said wad, “Enjoy~!” in very messy, child-like handwriting.

I looked up from the paper with utter confusion on my face. “Enjoy? Enjoy what?” My eyes scanned the entire room and that’s when I noticed it. Sitting on the kitchen table was a freshly cooked, steaming hot plate of eggs and bacon.

Theme 58 – Heartfelt Apology

A Knock At The Door

Screw It!

I’m done with all these visitors. This last one was the final straw. Apparently I wasn’t perfect enough for her. I love my life and my family, don’t get me wrong. I just honestly believe I have it harder than the average person.

For instance, my father is emotionally abusive towards me. He says he’s just trying to get me over my fears. Even so, he still scares me to death. He calls me stupid all the time. He seriously hates me. I think it’s just because he can’t grow hair, his wife gives me more attention, and on top of all that he’d kill for a coin. I remember once he practically stole from a museum to get rich. That plan didn’t turn out too well.

My mother on the other hand, is the complete opposite. Her personality is so kind. I love it when she rubs my back and hums a sweet tune until I drift off to sleep. I can trust her with all of my secrets. She just smiles. Sometimes she calls me good. I know I’m kinda old for that, but it’s still nice to hear different than father’s harsh words. Whenever father is mean and hurtful, she almost always defends me. Although there are a few moments when both her and my father either don’t believe me, or ignore me altogether. Those moments are the most critical times.

Like when my cousin came by for an unexpected visit. He has these… odd habits. He stared at me all the time… just smiling at me. I couldn’t help but wonder if he was either gay or just a creep. I will admit, I did my best to avoid him. But there was a point of time where I was accidentally locked into a room with him. I think it’d be best for your innocence, and whatever is left of mine, that I don’t repeat what happened in that room. Eventually he left, smiling the entire time. What a sick fuck!

And like the time my mom came into the house with a nasty bite on her arm. I kept on telling her that it looked infected, but she wouldn’t listen to me. No one listens! Eventually she started to act weird. She became extremely aggressive and mean. She practically bit my father’s face off. I became worried, so I called up the doctor. He came to our house, seeing as my mother refused to leave. He checked her out and said that there’s nothing to worry about. Man, was he wrong. I swear she was rabid or something. If only she would have listened in the first place.

But the visitors is what gets to me. They must love terrorizing children, because that’s all they do to me. I’m not sure if they mean to or if it’s just in their nature. Even so, I don’t trust a single one of them. It all starts with a knock. And my mother, bless her oblivious soul, just opens her home to them like it’s no big deal. I know that if they travel further on, despite that it may take a while, they’d hit a hotel or something. But no, they have to stop here! They just prance in like they own the place and my parents, who are too caught up in their own littler world, don’t even realize the consequences. So, like always, having to be the buzz kill, I cut their stay short. Usually having to use force. I don’t’ care if they hate me forever. It’s my home and my family and I’m not going to let them intrude.

The only person I would invite into my house would be my online friend. He’s a genius. He answers every question I could possibly throw at him. Although he’s usually in a bad mood and calls me mean names. But still, he helps me out. Although, I’ve realized that I usually only talk to him when I need help. I think he’s noticed as well, because lately he’s been responding with, “You’re on your own kid.” That’s when I log off and panic. Some of those questions needed to be answered.

Well, now that I’m almost finished with this rant, I realized that I never really spoke much of myself, but of the ones around me. Well, to sum myself up, I’m small, have short hair, have bags under my eyes, and big ears. Even though my father despises me, I’d jump in front of a bullet for him and my mother. I suppose…

…Eh? Did…Did you hear that? I swear I just heard someone outside. Or my name is Shligganhoffer… and it’s not. Oh well, let me finish up quickly, and I’ll check it out later. So, like I was saying, I suppose I have the courage of a dog and--

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

…The things I do for love…

100 Theme Challenge #5

Theme 33- Seeing Red

“It looks like blood.”

“It’s not blood, Noishe. It’s ketchup!”

“It still looks like blood.”

“Stop complaining and just eat it!”

“Hashiri, it smells weird!”

I turned away from the stove to face him. “Do I need to shove it down your throat? I made you this breakfast. So you ARE going to eat these eggs with that ketchup and you are going to damn-well like it!”

I saw the boy’s face contort into a pout. “I don’t want to.” He crossed his arms and turned his head up. At first, it was kinda cute what with his long hair all nappy and his clothes all wrinkly from sleep. He looked childish.

“You’re acting like a five-year-old.” I teased, taking the… umm… burnt bacon off the stove.

“And the eggs have black in them.” He groaned, prodding it with his fork. He looked up at me through his stringy bangs. “You ruined it.” I watched as he continued to poke his food as if it were road kill.

I blushed from embarrassment and went into defense mode. “It is not ruined… just burnt a little.” I mumbled. ‘What a jerk!’ I set down the skillet after throwing out the bacon, and walked over to Noishe. “Just try it.” I pleaded.

He rolled his eyes, as if this were a game that he was growing tired of. “I’m not hungry.” He grumbled, pushing his plate away from himself. “Besides, judging from last night, your cooking sucks. I’ve had better tasting garbage.” He sneered. His entire personality just suddenly changed. It went from being childish to becoming a total douche bag for some reason.

I tried to brush it off and laugh at his attempt to crush my good mood. But as I locked eyes with him something in me snapped. His eyes were laughing at me. He thought he was so funny, trying to hurt me like that! I forcefully shoved him out of his seat, watching him fall onto this back. I glared at him while he stared back at me in shock. The same way as when he made me feel his chest that resonated nothing. I kicked his chair out of my way so I could have easy access to him. How dare he… how dare he! “How dare you!” I screeched. I pounced overtop of him and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. The noise he made when I did that caused my anger to increase. It was so pitiful.

“Think your tough shit now?!” I got my face dangerously close to his, my light blue eyes digging into his black ones. “Who the hell do you think you are?!” I pushed his head back, hearing it hit the ground. I backed up and walked over to the stove. “What right do you have to be so rude, so… inconsiderate? You… You’re a monster!” I turned to him so I could see his expression. “I try so hard to be nice to you. But all you do is sexually harass me, break all my shit, and then you blow off my cooking after I worked so hard to make it! You are absolutely terrible!” I took in a deep breath and locked eyes with him once more. “I should have left you out there with the rest of your kind… the scum!”

I hit a nerve. I know I had. The look in his eyes told me so. He kept his glare in sync with mine as he stood up. “Get your facts straight, girly! You know nothing about me!” He began to walk towards me and, in slight fear, I backed up. This man could do anything to me. He was tall enough… strong enough… angry enough.

I stumbled over my own feet multiple times, trying to get away. “Stay back!” I meant to say in a firm voice, but it came out frantic. I swiped my hand at him, attempting to scare him off.

My mistake.

He grabbed my wrist and jerked me towards him, as if a way to show that he was in control. “Who do YOU think YOU are?!” He stared at me for a second. This his scowl slowly turned into a smirk and he lifted my head. “Just another cute face and another selfish, backstabbing soul.” He let out a snicker. “Maybe that’s why daddy left you.”

That was it! That was fucking it! He had crossed the goddamn line! Tears welled up in my eyes. “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! I hope you burn in hell, you monster!” I fought back with all my strength and eventually got out of his grasp. Frantically I glanced around the room… and found it! The knife on the table! Without hesitation or second thought, I reached for it, but Noishe got to it first and chucked it across the room. My rage increased and I tackled the man. He didn’t budge, didn’t move.

I punched his torso multiple times and scratched at him. He didn’t seem to react at all. When I looked up at him, he was looking… looking down at me… his black eyes digging into my skin. I backed up, an extreme feeling of dread growing in the pit of my stomach. Then, he spoke up. “Poor Hashiri. What kind of demon crawled into your soul?”

I stared at him. I let my anger build up. That comment caused it to increase even more. “The fuck is your problem?!” I screeched. “Get the fu—GAH!” He cut me short.

Red… there was red on the floor. Red from… from…

I closed my mouth, tasting metal. And that’s when the pain kicked in. I began coughing violently and gasping for air, clutching the lurching stomach that Noishe’s fist had made contact with. I looked at the floor. Blood red… red blood! I fell onto my side, vomiting from the increasing pain, my eyes wide open, tears still escaping.

There was a minute of complete silence until suddenly. “BLOOD!” I heard Noishe scream. “OH GOD! SHE’S BLEEDING! Oh God! It’s all over the floor! God help me!” He cried. The silver-haired man stumbled into view, as I sobbed from wide eyes and coughed up more of the red liquid. He slid down the wall and curled up in the fedal position. I could hear his voice waver and see his own tears escape his eyes. For the next five minutes up until I lost conciousness, he only mumbled two words. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m--”

Theme 33- Seeing Red

A Hunter's Game

She must have been at least ten years of age when I first saw her. I couldn’t even explain how I felt. People believe it’s wrong for someone like me to have an interest in a girl so young. But that didn’t stop me. Nothing can stop me from getting what I want. She was a beautiful possession.

See, when I first saw her, I was hunting in the woods. The sight of her caught me in a daze. My heart skipped a beat and I began to feel weak. I hadn’t seen someone so innocent and… vulnerable in a long time. I wanted her. Something in me hungered for her. I was at a distance, so she didn’t seem to take note of me, and she looked as though she were lost. I would have taken her right then, but my game ran off and, in a desperate need of food, I had to hunt it down. I decided my next prey would be the child.

By the time I had caught the damn deer, the little girl was gone. I spent the rest of the day looking for her. When the sun had set, I decided to head home. She was long gone by then. I had lost my chance. All I wanted to do was see her… touch her… taste her. I could feel myself start to drool a bit.

The last child I had taken was not quite as stunning as this one. This girl… her brown hair dripped in two loose pigtails… her green eyes shimmered when the sun hit them. Besides, I believed this girl would last longer than the other girl I had taken. The other had only lasted three days under my care. At least I got the most I could out of her.

Two days later, I saw her again. AS soon as I saw her emerald eyes and fair skin, my body shuddered. Even so, that was not the time to take her. I needed to watch her. See how much I could strain her until she breaks. I wanted to make sure I wouldn’t hurt her too badly. I didn’t want my new toy to ruin too quickly. I decided to follow her this time, but at a distance. I wasn’t going to let her get away again. Within ten to fifteen minutes, we came up to a shabby old house on the outskirts of the woods. I wanted to jump out and grab her before she went into the house… out of my sight again! But just before I could, an older woman came out. I dodged into the bushes and watched as she hugged the girl.

Something in my snapped. How come this woman is able to touch my toy, but I can’t even lay a finger on it? Was I being too shy? Is it that I’m scared this girl won’t be as good of a treat as I was hoping? My eyes narrowed as I saw the woman rush the girl into her home. I needed to get rid of that lady, that way, the child would be mine. I needed to get the girl alone. There would be no one for her to run to if she were to ever escape my grasp.  I will be all she will ever have. A tingle ran down my spine to know that I’d have her soon. A small chuckle left my lips. Oh, the fun I’d have with her.

By the time the sky had grown dark, I saw the girl blow out the candle in her window. I waited a few minutes to make sure she was asleep. When I felt as though the time was right, I crawled up into her windowsill and watched her rest. I was perfectly content with my visual of her and the excitement of my fantasies.

After a few days of plotting, I saw her again. But this time, I did something I never thought I’d do. I stepped out of the shrubbery in front of her, a grin plastered on my face. “Hello~!” I swooned, looking her over and taking a small bow. “What is a young girl like you doing in the woods all alone?” I smiled wide, showing her all my teeth.

The girl gasped and slightly backed up. She looked at me with terror-filled eyes. “I-I’m not s-supposed to talk t-to stranger mis-mister…” She stammered, fumbling with her dress. “I have s-someone waiting for m-me. I have to go now.” She looked up at me. “So please let me through.”

My smile slowly turned into a smirk. ‘She’s easy.’ I took a step towards the girl, wanting to badly to pounce on her and grab her! “Why not pick them flowers? Everybody loves flowers.” I suggested, gesturing to a flower patch. I needed to find some way to stall her, and this was the best way I could think of. “Aren’t they beautiful? I’m sure your… person… would appreciate them.” I swooned.

The girl gave me a hesitant look. “I really should be getting…” She seemed to be talking to herself more than me now. She glanced over at the flower patch. “Well, I-I suppose I could…” She let her voice trail off as she walked towards the patch.

I let a silent snicker slip off my tongue and I ran off. It wasn’t hard to find her house. It was obviously the same one as before. I walked up to the door and took in a deep breath. ‘Just one hit oughta put’em out.’ I boldly knocked on the door. Then I quickly heightened my voice, imitating the girl. “I’m here! I’m here! Please let me in!”

That’s when I heard a feeble sound from inside. “Little Red Riding Hood? Is that you?”

My tail began to wag and I could feel my mouth start to drool. “Yes, it is, Grandmother. I brought you some treats. Will you please let me in?”