Page 11

ten

The Ruthless Red Mask

July

Scarlett

I sigh and rub my throbbing temples, hoping my medication will start working soon. After noticing the time on the wall and the loud, taunting tick of the clock in my ears, I grab my coffee mug and walk out the door. Naturally, I would have a migraine today.

The drive to work is fuzzy. When I try to push the events of last night out of my mind, everything else becomes a massive blur. It seems as though every memory but that one has been erased from my mind. I shouldn't have gone out.

Every time I close my eyes, I keep seeing his mask—his red mask—and it makes me gag. How is it possible for one person to make you feel so dirty? I shiver as I finally pull into the prison's parking lot. After arriving at my office, I set up for my first patient while taking a few extra minutes to enjoy my coffee and try to put these gruesome flashbacks out of my mind.

The two months I have been working here, counseling prisoners who are about to be released, have been great. It undoubtedly aids in distracting me from Carli and Shawn. It'll be a year in just a few months since she was murdered and he went missing, and there's still no word about either of them. It's like they were forgotten about. I 'd hate to see what would happen if I were to ever end up dead or missing.

Riley

"You did what? " Blade and Silver growl in unison as I smirk and bite on my apple, my feet kicked up on the couch.

"I went to see her last night."

"But she wasn't home!" Saint spits through his clenched teeth as he yells. When I told them, I anticipated their outrage.

"That's cus we didn't make it back to her place. I followed her from the bar."

They stare at me as if they want to rip off my head, which I find amusing.

"You're not supposed to touch her, Riley."

"Relax. She's still a fucking virgin if that's what you're getting at. Besides, you seem to be forgetting that it was my sister who was killed, not yours. Why can't I have a little fun?" In defiance, I bite back and finish my apple before throwing the core behind me into the trash.

"You take shit too far, Riley, and we agreed we'd visit her together, " Blade bites, clearly pissed off.

"It was one fucking time; relax." I keep a smirk on my face that makes both of them squirm.

"Tonight, we take the fucking ex. It's time to play another game," Saint hisses, turning on his heel and speaking with a tone that makes my skin tingle.

They sprinted out of the apartment, leaving me alone with Nixon, who’s so absorbed in whatever game he's playing on his Xbox that he didn’t even hear the argument we had just moments earlier.

"Did you hear that, Nix?" I challenge him while flinging a crumpled piece of paper at the back of his head.

He spins around, itching the spot where the paper hit him and staring at me through his dark, evil eyes, the tattoos covering his face giving him a sadistic appearance. But they're quite fitting, really.

"What the fuck, Riley?"

"It's paper, Nixon. Boo fucking who."

"What do you want?"

"Did you hear Saint?" I ask, a smile curling dangerously on my lips as I lick them.

"Nah, what did he say?"

"Tonight we play."

His eyes light up and he sets the controller down, shifting his body so he's focusing on my face now. "Oh, and who's the unlucky player this time?" He grins again, clearly wanting to play along.

"River, the ex." I rub my hands together just as his brow raises intriguingly.

"Oh fuck yeah. This ought to be fun."

Scarlett

After work, I spend the entire drive home looking over my shoulder, in my rearview mirror, and in my side mirror, making me feel like a fucking crackhead, for God's sake. I haven’t stopped looking over my shoulder since my terrifying encounter with the man in the red mask last night. It was very different from the visits in the middle of the night with the men wearing the Black and Silver masks. And while these visits are already terrifying enough, this one truly shocked me.

Since they usually don’t bother me when I’m out in public, I figured I would be safe walking. Normally, they torment me while I sleep, but not the man in the red mask. As I was returning home after meeting Melanie at the bar, he came for me. She wanted to get drinks because she was spending the night at her boyfriend's apartment. She persuaded me to meet her at the nearby pub because it wasn’t too far from our apartment.

When I arrive at my house and pull into my spot, I quickly gather my belongings and dash inside, checking to make sure no one is following me. I’m hit with a vivid flashback of my walk home and the horrific events that followed the moment I walked through the door, bolted the locks, and turned on the lights.

Flashback, the night before

"I'm gonna take off, girl; it's getting late!" Over the loud music blasting from the pub's surround sound speakers, I yell to Melanie.

I take my final sip of absinthe and return the glass to the bartender, oblivious to the burn that is coursing down my throat.

"Already?" she pouts, sitting on her boyfriend's lap.

"Yeah, I have to be at the prison pretty early tomorrow," I say proudly, already loving my new job and not trying to fuck it up by being hungover .

"Alright, bitch. Make sure you text me and let me know you made it home safe."

"Always, girl." Before I leave the pub, the warm summer air caresses my body in an endearing way as we exchange a quick hug and kiss on the cheek.

I start the short walk home, enjoying the breeze as it continues to blow, cooling me off from the alcohol rushing through me and feathering light kisses over my skin.

I considered stopping by the cemetery to see Carli, but I decided against it because I knew it would not be a good idea given what happened the last time. Ugh, the severed fingers... ewww. The memory makes me gag and shudder uncontrollably. That was the worst thing those nefarious, devilish, masked men have ever done to me in the past nine months.

As I approach my apartment, I can see it just a few blocks away, but as I get closer, I can hear the faint tapping of footsteps behind me. I turn slightly, but no one is in sight. I abruptly come to a stop as I look back toward the front of me, and a figure wearing a dark red mask walks out into the open in my direction. I immediately realize that whoever he is, he must be with them , and I freeze. As I stand here frozen, unable to form a single word, my body begins to shake.

"My my, look what we have here," he says, his tone commanding and rough, sending an intense tingle along the base of my spine. "Looks like it's my turn tonight."

He has me lifted over his shoulder with my ass in the air, carrying me off into the dark alley faster than I can blink. I desperately hold onto the hem of his shirt as he guides me into the unknown. Finally finding my voice, I managed to speak up.

"Put me down, or I'll scream."

"Then fucking scream, Scarlett. I prefer my girls to be feisty. Besides, once we get where we're going, I'll give you something that will shut you the fuck up." Upon hearing his threat, I avert my eyes and lower my head to the ground in resignation, realizing that there is little I can do while in his grasp.

Why am I the one getting punished and tormented all this time when I'm not the one who killed Carli? I get that I helped bury her body and cover up the murder, but I didn't actually kill her.

When we get to the cemetery—the same one where Carli is buried—Red takes me towards the back, right to the Mausoleum, where River and I found Shawn's phone the night we came to look for him. My head hits a crumbling tombstone as he throws me to the ground. I hold the area and rub it while I look up into his menacing, sadistic eyes, trying to get the throbbing to stop.

Fearful of what he’s about to do, I start to shake. "Why'd you bring me here?"

"The guys were right. You do ask a lot of questions for a girl who's about to... never mind." He trails off and then stops, looking around the cemetery as if he's deep in thought. "I figured you'd want to be with your friends, you know, Carli, who's also my fucking sister ." Hearing him say it makes me tremble, and I know immediately he's not going to take it easy on me tonight. "Did you know we're the ones who killed Shawn too?"

My jaw drops hearing him admit it, even though deep down I had a feeling it had been them all along.

"Yeah, we had a little fun chasing him through here; cutting him up was even better." He bends down, grabs my throat, and pulls my body against his so that his lips are right next to my ear. "Drinking his blood was the best part, Scarlett. We drained every last drop from his body, cut him up, and scattered his body parts across Salem."

My body convulses as he continues his confession, and tears painfully prick my eyes, threatening to stream down my cheeks.

"Oh, but you have a few of his fingers, and I'm pretty sure Saint still has his fucking head."

My jaw drops, and I try to scoot back, but Red's grip on my throat tightens immediately.

"Where do you think you're going, Scarlett? You're mine for the night, and we're gonna play a little game." He lets me go and roughly shoves me to the ground. "I can’t fucking wait until the time comes for us to bend you over one of these fucking headstones and ruin that tight virgin pussy."

I gasp for air, frantically rubbing the spots on my neck left by his fingers.

Oh my God! Those are Shawn's fingers? They used Shawn's fingers on me!

He paces in front of me as I gag and try to contain the bile rising in my throat. He rubs his hands together and looks at me once more, his dark eyes glistening and his black pupils widening as if something in his mind had finally clicked.

"Tell you what. If you can find your way out of here, then I'll let you go home, and I'll leave you alone tonight."

I look at him, worry making my brows crease. "And what if I don't find my way out?"

"I'm glad you asked... If you can't find your way out in time, well, then you're mine," he laughs coldly, and the sound reverberates throughout the pitch-black night as birds fly through the trees and across the starry sky.

Riley

When I explain the straightforward rules of the game that me and the boys invented, I notice utter fear swirling in her terror filled eyes. I know she doesn't want to play, but she has no choice. She's definitely aware that she 's being set up to fail, but it's still entertaining to play with her perception by making her think there's a way out when there isn't.

I extend my arm and reach my hand down, helping her to her feet. She sways back and forth, attempting to maintain her balance with the help of a tombstone beside her—the same one she cracked her head on when I shoved her ass down to the ground. A tiny gash on her head catches my attention, and blood is already dripping from the nasty wound, making my mouth water and my cock harden. I approach her, licking my lips, eager to taste how delectable she is.

I take her face in my hands and lower her head, pressing my lips against the cut. I swish my tongue over it softly, licking away the oozing blood that coats my tongue and teeth. My taste buds are roused by the metallic flavor, and internal fireworks begin to erupt. I try to clean the gash while sucking on her skin like a fucking vampire, savoring the taste of her blood on my tongue despite the fact that I’ll soon be tasting more of it. I couldn't wait.

She writhes, and I eventually release her, leaving her with a look of complete shock as I wipe my lips with my fingers and immediately suck them into my mouth.

"Yummy."

"Gross," she scoffs, like she's better than me or something.

"You haven't even seen gross yet, trouble. I'd get running if I were you. You don't wanna see what happens if— when I fucking catch you… so run. "

She finally musters the strength to move her feet, which are frozen in the dead grass, and runs through the eerie cemetery as quickly as her long, sexy legs allow her. I take my time, knowing the graveyard is rigged with traps, and casually walk in the direction she runs, grabbing rope, a pack of smokes, and my lighter, knowing how much pain I can inflict on her with just these items. This is going to be so much fun.

Even though I’m pretty sure which way she went, I take my time lighting one of the cigarettes and looking for her. I hear a light scream shortly after hearing the rustling of leaves not too far away. I turn to face the source of the noise while grinning, the corners of my lips pulling up. She’s huddled down in front of me, wailing and clutching her twisted ankle as she's caught in one of the nets Nixon has strewn about.

"That's not fair! You didn't even give me a chance!" she cries, cowering as I stand over her, dangling the rope above her head.

"Nobody said anything about rules." I make a noose out of the rope, loop it around her neck, and tie the other end to her hands so that if she pulls, the end around her neck will get tighter. "So, I heard you work at the prison in Bridgewater, huh?" I pull her pants down and force her to her knees, revealing her chubby little ass. She lets out a painful gasp as I grab a handful and dig my fingers deep into it. Ripping her thong off, I run my hand over her pussy, coating her ass with her wetness, knowing what I’m about to do will hurt like hell.

"Who told you that?" Her voice is shaky as she tries to transport herself elsewhere in her mind—anywhere but where she is right now.

"I have my ways. You should know that by now." I plunge two fingers into her tight, untouched hole without warning, causing her body to jerk and the rope around her neck to tighten as her hands moved in surprise. "Hold still, or you're going to choke yourself to death. Unless that's what you fucking want."

I pull out my cock and tap the tip of it against her quivering lips to get her to open her mouth. She sucks me inside, ever so willingly, while gently massaging my shaft with her tongue and gazing intently into my eyes. I brutally, rhythmically press my fingers into her ass to prepare her for the surprise we have in store for her on Halloween.

By now, we’re all aware of how good she is at sucking a cock, but we’ll all be surprised by what she’s capable of doing with her pussy and her ass.

Still smoking my cigarette, I take it from between my lips and taunt her with it. She cries out in pain as I lift up her shirt and start to bite at her skin, leaving menacing-looking bite marks all over her tender, olive flesh. But when I press the glowing end of the cigarette against her breasts, she screams at the top of her lungs, opening her mouth wide enough for me to slam my cock down her throat and see the outline of the area I’m obsessively massaging.

She writhes as I press my fingers deep into her ass while she continues sucking on my cock as hot liquid leaks out and collects in her belly. I slip out of her mouth, allowing my cum to spurt all over her lips and neck, showering her skin and ruining her tear-stained face.

"Even more beautiful, covered in cum, Scarlett. Who would've thought?" I laugh, but she doesn't think it's funny.

She’s held captive exclusively for me by the rope that’s still wrapped around her wrists and neck as I pull my cock away and push her to the ground. I yanked my fingers out of her ass and put them in my mouth, sucking her juices clean off. Her taste lingers on my tongue, reawakening my cock.

Once I’m behind her, I kneel down and spread her ass apart, licking a line from her sopping cunt to her tight, bloody ass while slurping up the juices I’ve already extracted from her. Her whimpers echo around us as she writhes on the grass, careful not to move her hands. I dip my tongue in her pussy and then move to her ass, repeating the act until her body shakes with need. When I slap her cheek with my hand raised in the air, the other cheek vibrates and bears a vivid red imprint. I slap her again, ripping yelp after yelp from her throat with each strike.

By the time I’m finished, her ass is raw and bright red, and she’s lying in a heap beneath me, panting from an orgasm and sobbing from the pain I’ve caused her. I take my knife out of my pocket and cut the rope to release her from my wrath—at least temporarily. She scurries to her feet while desperately looking for her clothes. Like the fool that she is, she runs… so I chase her.

Scarlett

As I run, I can’t see anything. My body trembles violently, and tears cloud my vision. I just want to be clean and tucked back into my bed. I want to be free of him. I feel filthy, but how come it feels so good? This is fucked up. They are monsters, and I can not get away from them because they are real and not just in my head.

Although my body is in excruciating pain, I run as quickly as I can. My skin is covered in bite marks, which are swollen and painful beyond anything I have ever known. The burn marks give off an unabating sensation of fire melting my flesh. Everything hurts more in the cold air. My ass stings, and the pain grows worse with each step I take. My heart overflows with hope as I see the iron gates that will eventually lead me outside of this bizarre prison. The sensation is transient, though, as the man in the red mask approaches me while brandishing a bat. I pause and take a step back, shrieking and shaking even more than before.

"P…please. Let me go home." Even though I know it’s pointless, I beg.

These men do whatever they want. The chase is what they wanted all along. He expected me to flee, and I fucking fell for it. How stupid can you be, Scarlett?

He remains silent. Instead, he approaches me, raises the bat in the air, and swings forcefully, the blood-stained wood striking my shins with great force, knocking me to the ground like a sack of potatoes. I lay here staring up at him when an instantaneous, blinding pain shoots up my spine, rendering me helpless .

"We're not done yet, trouble. We're far from finished, you and me." He strokes his cock once more, and I catch myself licking my lips as he lowers to his knees and directs it toward my mouth.

I close my eyes as I feel the wet, swollen tip rubbing against my lips. Here we go again.