Page 12

Chapter 11

The Grouch

I paced back and forth, grumbling to myself as I tried to understand what happened. It wasn’t until I heard a familiar humming that I slunk back into the shadows, waiting for her to come near. Fucking Max; I should’ve known she was up to something. As she turned the corner, I shot from the shadows of the building and grabbed her by her throat, slamming her into the brick wall.

“Where the hell have you been?” I demanded, squeezing with little remorse. “I went to the bar, and May-Martha wasn’t there. I sat there waiting in the shadows like a fucking idiot, realizing no one was coming!” My hand tightened as my face crouched closer, my hot breath hitting her cheeks as she squirmed, gasping for air. “Why did you lie to me?”

“I–I—” she couldn’t speak.

“You, what? Knew I would take the bait? Tell me!” I shook her as she cried out.

“I–I went to see May.” My anger raged inside me as I struggled not to snap her neck. “S-she works at the brothel, and I-I knew she’d go there.”

“Why?” I growled.

“Because.” I pulled her body from the ground, her feet dangling as she clawed at my arm. For the first time, she was absolutely terrified of me. “I wanted to kill her,” she strained, her face beginning to change colors. Something inside me snapped as I forced myself to release her neck. She crumbled to the ground, choking and coughing.

“Go home, Max.” I turned and began to walk towards the brothel, gripping the handle of my axe.

“Wait,” she cried, struggling to stand. “Don’t go, please!” I ignored her, nearing the end of the alley that turned into the town, tossing all but my Santa pants aside. “She doesn’t love you! Please, come back with me. I love you!” I could hear the pain in her voice as she cried after me, desperately trying to keep me all to herself. It took every inch of my power to resist her, to not scoop her up in my arms and take her home. But I needed to do this.

“Until I have her heart in my hands,” I whispered over my shoulder, “I can’t love you.”

I found the brothel on the opposite end of the same street as the bar. It was old and towering, but nothing I couldn’t handle. With the axe in one hand, I raised the other and began to scale up the wall, using the rigid, uneven bricks to pull myself up. As I did so, I peeked into the rooms, searching for any sign of her. It wasn’t until I reached the highest level that I found her in her room—and she wasn’t alone. She was with Gus.

I leaned against the window with my axe in hand, watching and listening, waiting for the perfect opportunity to attack, to finally get my revenge on them both.

“Why? Why would the Grouch’s whore try to kill you?” Hearing Gus call Max a whore made my grip tighten around the handle of my axe. If I didn’t already want to murder him, I sure as hell did now.

“You know why!” May screamed back, pressing a blood-soaked handkerchief to her nose. Fucking Max. “Him returning, Max killing Cindy and coming after me, the murders, it’s all happening because of us! It’s our fault Gus, ours . It was only a matter of time before the past caught up with us.” Gus rubbed his face, his temper rising.

“No. No, I’m not going to let some monster and crazy bitch come in here, after all these years, and take everything away from me! I fucking won’t let it happen!” He shot towards her, grabbing her neck. “None of this is my fault, you hear me!” He violently shook her. “This is all happening because of you . You’re the one who toyed with his heart, making him think he was worthy of being loved. You’re the one who led him on, and you’re the reason she died.”

“Gus—” She tried to hit him and make him stop, but it was no use. Part of me wanted to jump in and save her, but another wanted to watch as he strangled the life out of her.

“That night changed everything. Do you think he would’ve been welcomed in this town if it didn’t happen? Ha. The unfortunate tragedy merely set things straight.” May reached behind her into the small drawer of her nightstand, her fingers grasping something as Gus continued to choke her. “I didn’t know you two were sneaking around, that you would let him go. But here we are, because of your mistake. Maybe I should let them kill you. That is, if I don’t do it myself first.”

May swung her arm, a small knife ripping through his gut as he released her neck and stumbled back, bleeding out with a shocked look on his face. She gagged and stumbled as she eyed him, circling the room. Gus fell to his knees, trying to stop the bleeding as his guts spilled onto the floor.

“Don’t you fucking dare blame her death on me!” She picked up her sheer shawl, twisting it around her hands as she slowly approached him. “ You killed her!” She wrapped it around his neck, groaning as she dragged him, tying it to the wooden poster of her bed, his body raised slightly from the ground in a mini noose, hovering an inch from the floor. She then crouched next to him, wiping her bloodied nose as she watched him panic, trying to free himself.

“I’ve spent years fearing you, letting you use me however you wanted because I was haunted by the past. But I’m done.” May spit in his face, falling back onto her backside as she hung her arms over her knees and exhaled. “If he wants to kill me, I’ll let him.” Gus strained, trying to free himself from the noose, his face turning purple. “My only regret is that I didn’t tell him the truth.”

The truth?

My hand opened her window, her head snapping as she stood, gasping at the sight of me. I crawled through the small space, stepping into the room, the ceiling inches from my head as my axe remained at my side.

“Crispin,” she breathed my name. It was the first time I’d heard it in years. Even Max didn’t know it.

We stood there, staring at one another, transfixed. My heart leaped uncontrollably at the realization that she was here, with me. After all this time… I tried to push those feelings aside, remembering why I was here, stepping past her as I kneeled next to Gus.

“Hello, old friend,” I grinned, his eyes bulging as he stared back at me. “Did you miss me? Did I grow into the monster you always claimed me to be?” He tried to speak but couldn't, thanks to May’s ingenuity. I examined him closely, scoffing at his appearance. “God, you really let yourself go.” I stood, gripping the axe. “Good thing I got here when I did. Any longer, and May would get to claim credit for your death. And that wouldn’t be fair, now would it?”

“Crispin, no!” I raised the weapon with both hands, grinning as I swung, chopping off his head. It rolled to the ground and stopped at May’s feet, blood pooling beneath it. She covered her mouth, screaming as his dead eyes looked up at her, his mouth twitching for a few seconds.

“Well, that was a bit anticlimactic. All these years of dreaming how this would happen, and a hack to the head is all it took. Pity. Now,” I sighed, twirling the axe in my hand, “I’m going to give you one chance to explain.” May quivered, her eyes watering as she watched me. “What truth?” She just stared, horrified by what I’d done. “What truth, May?”

“Y-you killed him,” she stuttered. “You killed Gustopher.” A tear fell down her cheek as I rolled my eyes.

“I did what I came here to do. I know you loved him, but?—”

“I did not love him.” The growled statement stopped me in my tracks, her jaw clenched as I looked at her, realizing she wasn't wearing his ring. “I have been abused by that man since the day you left!”

“Oh no,” I snarled as I charged her, lifting her chin with the blade. “Don’t you try and put this back on me. He tormented me . And you…” I looked her up and down as she tried to hold her head high. “You used me.” I removed the axe and stepped back. “And for what you two did to me, what you took from me, I’m going to get my revenge.” My hands gripped the handle as she watched me raise it high, my nostrils flaring with rage.

“Wait!”

“I have waited! For years, May! I let you live your life, hiding away in that fucking cave after you stole mine from me!”

“I didn’t?—”

“Yes, you did!” I snarled. “You played me. You pretended to love me, to want me. We spent years sneaking around, making plans to run away from all this together. But when I needed you most, the truth came out.” Tears burned my eyes. “You never loved me. And when everything happened, you let her die!”

“I didn’t know!” May completely broke, falling to her knees. “Gus never told me what he was going to do! I knew he had something planned, but I didn’t think it was that ! Crispin, please. I didn’t know your mother was inside!”

My fury and pent-up anger took control as I roared, grabbing her throat.

“Liar!” I yelled as May sobbed.

“Please,” she cried. “I only knew he was going to try and hurt you. That’s why I asked you to run away with me. I didn’t know he was going to set your house on fire!”

“My mother,” I choked back tears, “was burned alive in that house, and Gus simply sat back and watched.” I dropped her neck as she fell forward. “I could’ve saved her if it wasn’t for you. We had come home just in time, but Gus and his band of misfits jumped me, keeping me from helping her. I had to sit there and listen to her screams as they beat me, May.” I bent down, yelling into her ear. “I listened to my mother cry out for help, calling my name as he beat the fucking shit out of me! And why? Because he didn’t want to get caught! And when you realized what was happening, what did you say?”

“Please,” she begged.

“What did you say?” I screamed as she tried to cover her ears.

“I only said those things to make him stop! I never meant them!”

“Ha!” I snapped back, pacing the room with absolute fury. “You told him I was nothing! Nothing !” My eyes landed on the axe. “And now, that’s all you will be. Nothing.”

“Crispin, please!” She rose to her knees. “If you want to kill me, fine, but I swear to you, I didn’t know. I tried to stop him. After you ran away, I tried to find your mother, but it was too late.”

My heart ached as I clutched my chest, the overwhelming trauma and old scars ripping open, flooding me with emotions.

“The fire department arrived and tried to make me leave, but I refused. They had to physically drag me from your home. Once the fire was out, I searched the rubble for her, but it was too late.” She sniffled as I closed my eyes and sat at the foot of her bed. “Your other mother was distraught, too heartbroken to do anything, so…” She stood, cautiously approaching the bed as she kneeled and reached for something underneath. “I—” She held a little black box close to her chest, gazing up at me. “I saved what I could of her remains.” May extended her hands, offering me the box.

Her remains?

I hesitated, taking the box and lifting the lid. Inside was a small, silver antique urn covered in an etched filigree. On the front of it was a small plaque with my mother's name inscribed across it.

“You-you did this?” I asked, touching the urn.

“I knew you’d want to keep her safe, not buried in the ground. You always hated the idea of your mother one day becoming worm food.” She wiped her eyes. “I was going to give it to you, but you never returned. So, I’ve kept her here with me all these years, hoping that, one day, you’d come back for her.”

“May.” A tear slipped down my cheek as my heart completely broke. “I didn’t know.” My eyes met hers.

“I know we hurt you, Crispin. I can never make up for what happened, but you must know, I always loved you. I never meant for any of this to happen.” Her hand reached out, trembling as it touched my chest, moving my fur as she smiled at my tattoo. “I meant every word that day. You have my heart, always and forever.”

“May,” I choked out, sliding from the bed and embracing her, hugging tight as I cried into her neck. “I’m so sorry.” She sobbed with me, hugging me back as we unleashed years’ worth of pain and guilt.

“I’m so sorry, Crispin. I wish I could’ve saved her.” I stroked her hair, knowing in my heart that she meant every word.