Chapter 4.51 – Game Over?

Disclaimer: this is a horrible chapter with many dark themes and should probably not be read by anybody.

When I was about six, my Mum told me that all men were testosterone-driven idiots. Like most six-year olds, I didn’t really know what the hell she meant by that.

Now it was obvious.

“Seth!” I called, running down the stairs after him and tripping over my own fucking feet. I stumbled, face-first down two steps, my fall only halted by Seth who whipped around to break it.

“Fledgling,” he hissed between gritted teeth. “Go and pack your things.”

“Don’t do this,” I sobbed, wiping black stains from my eyes and nose. Gross. “Please don’t do this. For me?”

Seth stepped up beside me and gently stroked my cheek, nudging me to look right at him. God, he was a handsome lunatic.

“This is for you,” he whispered, turned coat and carried on down the stairs.

“But I don’t want this!” I screeched, running down beside him. “Can’t we just go? Forget the twat?”

“No. Go and pack, Faith.”

I let out a scream and stomped down the stairs after him. He was faster so I was running in his dust, but I was determined to catch him, to change his mind.

Caleb was a huge dick, that much was obvious, but I didn’t want his end on my conscience – along with everything else.

I had made it to the kitchen, or what remained of the kitchen. Like most of the manor, and its occupants, it was rotting and falling to bits. I was just in time to see a cloud of mist evaporate.

A blur brushed past me; I felt the breeze and just made out he wisp of a man, leaving me alone in the kitchen, shivering in my bare feet, short skirt and hastily buttoned blouse.

I made a mental note to wear something a bit more substantial before we left.

Or at least put some boots on.

Where had they gone?

I felt a bit of relief that Caleb was probably too fast for Seth to catch and that, after a long chase, I hoped he’d give up. Seth was much stronger but he tired easily, like the old man he was, and Caleb, well, he was Caleb – a toy with an endless battery.

I settled back against the door to the basement, listening to the quiet of the manor until what sounded like a wardrobe falling over upstairs caught my attention.

Should I stay the fuck out of it?

Should I do what Seth said and ‘go pack’?

I gripped the door with my fingernails as the thud became a dragging noise across the room above me, rattling the remaining plates in the worn out cupboards.

What if Seth had caught him?

I could see it now, Caleb hung aloft by his hair, Seth hacking away at his neck with that old knife he’d shown me. I could see Caleb writhing and apologising and it made me sick to my stomach.

I knew that Seth used knives on his prey, but that was usually after they were already dead and drained, so kind of kind? No, definitely not kind. Necessary? Whatever. But he was calm then. I couldn’t imagine Seth treating Caleb with any kind of kindness, not after…

The idea that someone had hurt me and that someone cared enough about that to kill for me was kind of a buzz. On paper. In reality, it just made me feel really fucking guilty. ‘Cause no matter what had gone down between us, Caleb was just a huge fucking idiot, and I was partly to blame anyway.

He didn’t deserve to die.

More dragging above. I couldn’t stay put. I couldn’t just go pack up happily and run off into the sunset with my MurderBear knowing that we’d be leaving Caleb decapitated. I had to do something.

But what could I do?

Mediation had never been my strong point. Let’s face it, I was usually the one being mediated for falling out with someone or another over some bullshit, but this was Seth and he loved me, so… maybe I could change his mind; maybe I could calm him down.

Or maybe my blasty brain power would once again make an appearance.

I ran back up the stairs, listening hard to where the noise was coming from. It was from Caleb’s room, I was sure of it, and when I got near the door the source of the noise was clear. Caleb was barricading his door; Seth was outside on the landing, laughing.

What did Caleb think to gain from blocking himself in? Didn’t he know that Seth could just mist on in and he’d be trapped? Ugh, the boy really was as thick as shit sometimes.

“Caleb! Get out or he’ll just mist in!”

Seth smiled at me and did just that.

Shit. Shit and piss. Caleb was fast, but if he was cornered and in the hold of Seth’s mind magic…

I could hear raised voices but couldn’t make out what they were saying. I called out, but no one replied. Something fell over. There was a loud shout, but I didn’t know which man it was. And for the first time, I started to worry about Seth.

Caleb was also pretty strong; if he had managed to get hold of one of Seth’s knives… oh fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. I needed to get in there.

I think I danced a whole panicked circle before I noticed the doors to the balcony.

Aw, crap. I knew a way to get in but it meant scaling the block things on the roof over to Caleb’s balcony. Yeah, he had a balcony attached to his room with a telescope and everything. I thought of my room, tattered and stinking of mildew. I was definitely bottom of the ladder in Kitty’s mind, wasn’t I?

I felt a bit bummed but then she knew me the least so maybe it made sense. Maybe she’d planned to spruce the place up over time.

Or maybe she’d had an inkling that I wouldn’t be around for long.

I heard a weird sound and realised that it was coming from outside. Hastily making my way to the door, I arrived just in time to see Caleb climb over on to the flat roof, panic-stricken and shaking.

“Faith,” he gasped, a dry heave of a noise. “I’m sorry, tell him I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. Please. Don’t let him end me.”

“He’s not listening!”

“There you are,” came a disjointed snarl as Seth materialised between us.

“Run!” I called to Caleb, but he froze on the spot, mouth agape.

Oh fuck. I recognised this. Seth had finally got his manacles on Caleb’s mind.

“Seth, stop it!” I cried, slipping past him to stand in front of Caleb. It did absolutely nothing to get Seth out of Caleb’s little brain, but it broke his enraged trance. “He’s sorry!”

“He’s always bloody ‘sorry’.” He glared at Caleb. “Get out of the way, Fledgling.”

“No.”

“Well, If you insist on seeing the slaughter.” He withdrew that grisly-looking blade and took a step towards us.

“This is ridiculous! You can’t kill every guy who touches me, Seth!”

“I can try,” he murmured. “Get out of the way, Faith. I won’t tell you again.”

“Or what? What are you gonna do? Carve me up first?”

He growled and I felt him take hold in my head. I struggled against it, but it was pointless, he held on like a vice and I felt my body being moved aside, my feet had a mind of their own. I struggled, boy did I struggle, as he inched me aside.

And then, suddenly, something really weird happened.

It felt like… like he lost all control of me. It almost felt like he pushed, no, like… like he threw me…

There was a cold whoosh followed by a sickening crack.

“And that’s how you get a high score,” I said with boldness, as third place was mine.

“So, you cheat then?” Melinda huffed.

“I didn’t see any cheating,” April chimed in as she idly nudged the joystick on the huge arcade machine.

“I don’t cheat, Mellybean,” I insisted, reaching out to April for another token. “I just take advantage of loopholes, is all.”

Melinda rolled her eyes. “So, you cheat then. You’re going to get us kicked out of the arcade!”

“By who? No one’s even looking at us,” I fiddled with the coin hole a bit, trying to get my token in. The machines were really starting to show their age and the silver coin kept rolling out of the reject hole.

“Ah, screw this, let’s go get a burger from SacFondles.”

April clapped her hands but Melinda pouted. “I’ve got dinner in two hours and my Mum doesn’t like me having burgers anyway.”

“You’re so boring sometimes, Mel. April, wanna join me for a burger?”

“Do I!” April squealed. “Oh my gosh, I’ve never had a fast food burger, I’m so excited! What’s in one?”

“Ground up cow bladders and eyeballs,” I lied, watching Melinda turn green, as April tilted her head in confusion.

Winding this pair up was just too easy, but I loved them anyway.

I blink my eyes open and look up at the balcony I think I’ve just fallen from. Through my pretty blurred vision – hey, look, I can’t see for shit but at least I don’t have to wear my fugly glasses – I can just make out two figures.

I try to get up and in a flash, they’re both beside me.

“Aargh!!! He’s behind you!” Joy screamed, the little rascal bouncing up and down in her seat. “He’s going to get you! Run away!”

“You don’t want her to be eaten?” I asked, hoping that the knackered sofa could withstand my little sister’s energy. “That’s new.”

She turned to me, eyes glassy and pupils dilated. “But I like her – she’s dorky, like you.”

I grabbed her and wrestled her into my arms, tickling my fingers into her wriggling little body as she screamed and howled with laughter.

“What did you call me?”

“A-a d-d-dork!” she managed between laughs. “A big dork!”

“Why am I dork?” I asked, settling her in my lap as the bootleg DVD continued to play in the background.

“Because you fancy the monster!” Joy grinned.

I looked at the screen, where the villain was stalking his prey. He was haggard and kind of gross-looking.

But I still would.

I can see the darkening sky, the stars just starting to peek through.

Huh, this is kinda peaceful. I guess Seth was right about something.

In a blink, Seth had pulled me back. I fought against his hold. “Don’t touch me, you asshole, I spat.”

God, did I want him to touch me. I wanted him to do things to me that would make a whore blush.

He ran his gloved fingers down my throat. “You are conflicted, aren’t you?” He paused, I felt him flittering through my mind, reading. “How… graphic. You misunderstand my intentions.”

I didn’t know how to feel about him seeing the filth inside my brain. It felt like a violation and yet it felt kinda fun. Kinda kinky.

I hoped it was making him hard.

I struggled against his hold, but it was half-hearted.

“Calm…” he said to me in a cold breath.

My limbs became heavy, limp. I tried to twist away, lift my arms, anything, but I was trapped in a web of his making.

“Don’t hurt me,” I pleaded whilst thinking please hurt me.

He ran his fingers down my throat, his mouth right at my ear.

“You’re playing a dangerous game,” he whispered.

I can feel his gloved hands at my throat again but this time he isn’t fucking with my mind. This time he’s desperately trying to remedy what he’s done.

“Find Kitty,” Seth orders through the fog.

“But… her neck’s clearly broken, Seth,” Caleb’s voice echoes back. “What could Kitty do?”

Outside the cinema, next to the bins, I glared at April.

“You can turn me?”

“I’ve turned Melinda.”

“What? You turned Melinda before me? And she was OK with that?”

“I persuaded her.” April looked up at me, shyly. “Just you left, Faith. Then we can all be together, forever. Free.” She took my hand and I shivered at her touch. “Everything they say about vampires is true; no sleep, powers, frozen in time. Caleb is over 300 years old and he looks about our age. You won’t age, Faith; you’ll be nineteen forever…”

Nineteen forever…

“Yeah, OK. Let’s do it now, before I talk myself out of it. We need to swap blood, right?”

“Yes, you first.” April reached for my wrist. We both looked at the crosshatched mess of it, then at each other.

I pulled my arm away and brushed my mop of fake hair back. “Take it from my neck, then. But if you fucking kill me, I’ll haunt you.”

“I’m not going to kill you, silly!” April’s huge, doll-like eyes glowed when presented with my exposed throat. “I’d never do that because I’d miss you too much. Oh my gosh,” April gasped, as she observed this clearly beautiful sight. “I never thought I’d say this, but I really want you.”

“Try to fight the urge to fingerfuck me, Blondie.”

“You’re so crude!” April tutted, lifted my chin further, slowly tilted my head. “Try and relax now because this is going to hurt.”

Caleb’s words echo in my head.

My neck’s broken?

I’ll be okay though. Vampires are immortal. They can’t die from broken necks.

Right?

It was just another post-work Friday night.

The grubby fingers locked in my hair as he pushed deeper. I didn’t gag; I barely registered his tiny prick at all. Eyes on the prize, Faith.

Eyes on the prize.

It didn’t take him long to finish, as I expected, wasted as he was. He threw up right at the end, a sign of a job well done, I think.

I got back to my feet, my knees aching from kneeling on the piss-soaked tiles and he leered at me, dopey-eyed.

“Now,” I purred. “About that drink…”

Seth’s voice cuts through this memory like a knife. I never really appreciated how growly it is. “Just get her you fucking imbecile!”

Haha, after all this time with me, he finally said ‘fucking’. It sounds all weird, like it’s coming through water. I try to laugh but nothing but garbled wetness pours from my mouth.

“Stay with me,” he demands. “For Hell’s sake, Faith – stay with me.”

The door opened slightly; I could smell his aftershave ages before I could see him. It was cloying, sickening.

“Fay?” he asked softly into the darkness. “Are you awake?”

He came over to my bed.

I scrunched up my eyes and pretended that I didn’t exist.

Maybe one day, then, I wouldn’t.

“Faith, my god,” Seth’s voice sounds broken, like he’s just received terrible news. His words are so soft, barely more than a whisper. He presses a kiss to my knuckles. “Faith, I’m so sorry.”

Fuck, now it’s getting really dark.

Oh, I don’t wanna see this one!

Or that one…

Ugh.

“I need to get rid of it, Mel.”

What’s happening?

Is this game over?

Through all this doom and gloom, a movie reel of the worst fucking moments of my life, I can feel Seth gently stroking my face.

And, at his touch, the reel begins to shift.

“I dare you to!”

“You’re holding it upside-down.

“Your face is upside-down.”

“…And six pizzas, and a bottle of cherry pop, and five chocolate eggs, and…”

“Goodnight, Kiddo.”

My voice is failing me, so I try to reach out to Seth, brain-wise.

What’s happening? Why am I seeing all of this? Am I dying?

His reply is a final memory.

“You forget that, at their final breath, I am in their minds, Faith. And at the last, that is the moment all the secrets are revealed. They profess every transgression, confess every sin as they purge their godforsaken souls, preparing to meet their maker.”

“They do?”

“They do,” Seth said softly, taking my hand. “Ah, the things I’ve witnessed in that most hopeless place; the desperation of the dying man to justify, to repent…