Page 23

twenty-two

Killing 101

Scarlett

O nce again, I'm sandwiched in the back of the car, but instead of being between Blade and Saint, I'm between Riley and Nixon, and the chill that runs down my spine is getting progressively worse. As if we're just a group of normal people, Blade pulls up to a McDonald's drive-through and turns in his seat, smiling as his eyes lock onto mine.

"Are you hungry?" he asks, dropping his gaze to my parted thighs and then back up quickly, keeping that dangerous smile on his face that sucked me in from the start.

"I could eat," I answer in a soft tone, still nervous about where we're going once we leave here.

They said something about going to the park to pick up a toy. In so many words, I was told I'll be killing someone tonight and I feel sick to my stomach, but still, I'm starving.

A voice cuts through the speaker, asking if we'll be using the mobile app today, and Blade answers with a solid no, continuing with the order.

"We'll just take 10 mcdoubles, five small fries, and five large cokes; that's all." There's some sighing on the other end before the voice tells him to pull forward for his total.

"Why work here if they're going to have a fucking attitude?" Blade scoffs, pulling up to the next window and taking his wallet out of his back pocket.

Once we have our food and are back on the road, we eat in silence, the sound of crinkling wrappers and slurping sodas echoes in my ears, but my eyes stay glued to the sight of Salem out the back windows—the town I haven't seen in days. It's funny, even though I know it hasn't changed, everything looks so different.

Buildings that used to be lit are dark as we pass them. Parks that used to have kids playing in them at this time of night are now empty and desolate, leaving a shiver scattering along my tailbone as I slowly sip on my soda, relishing the burn from the carbonation. I pop a fry into my mouth, sucking the salt off of it and letting it melt against my tongue before finally chewing it and swallowing.

"So…" Nixon says, rubbing his belly as he lets out a loud burp. " Are you excited about tonight, Scarlett?" He grins, rolling the back window down as he lights a cigarette, holding the pack out to me. I take one as my mouth waters, craving the taste of nicotine for some reason.

"Ecstatic," I sneer as he lights the cigarette for me, knowing they can all hear the sarcasm in my voice.

Riley leans forward, whispering something to Blade and Saint in the front seats, and as hard as I try to hear what he's saying to them, I can't. Blade and I lock eyes in the rearview mirror, and the look in them turns my blood cold, almost freezing it as it courses through my veins. I don't like it. The look. Somethings going on. I know it is.

They have something planned and I'm not going to like what it is. Out of nowhere, Blade pulls a random U-turn, sending me sliding into Riley. He wraps his arms around me, kissing the top of my head as he lets out an evil chuckle.

"It's about time they listened to my ideas," he whispers into my ear so quietly that no one else can hear.

My body starts to shake against his, but as he begins softly grazing my thigh with the tips of his fingers, oddly, I begin to relax. Nixon reaches into his pocket, retrieving those two little white pills again. Grabbing my chin, he tugs me toward him and forces my mouth open, placing the pills onto my tongue.

"I almost forgot about these." He smiles. "We don't need you going crazy on us now do we?" He forces my mouth closed as the pills begin to dissolve into my saliva, leaving a disgusting, bitter taste on my tongue that I should be used to by now, but I'm not. I cringe, trying hard not to gag or throw them up.

"Swallow them, sinner. Be a good girl for me," Blade orders, still watching me in the rearview.

There goes me trying to save one. I think to myself as I swallow the pills with all four of them watching intensely. One of them has to be crazy because these are crazy pills they give to the insane and all they're doing is making me even more insane than I already was.

Noticing we're going back toward my apartment, panic surges through me, and I find myself reaching over and gripping Nixon and Riley's thighs, digging my nails into them deeper than I'm thinking I am. But they don't say anything; they like pain too much. I haven't seen a newspaper or a TV and I haven't had my phone since they took me, so I have no idea what they've been saying about what happened at my apartment. And what's even worse, I have no idea what they've been saying about me and if they're even looking for me. Plus, I have no clue where Melanie is.

"Why are we going back here?" I ask angrily, loud enough for all of them to hear as my eyes turn big and wild, a darkness taking over the color within them.

The pills are kicking in. I have to find out exactly what they are… not a guess; they feel like a poison to my body and I hate the way they make me feel—these ones anyway.

"Because, we have a little surprise for you," Saint chimes in, not even bothering to turn around as he speaks deeply with a devious tone.

"But I don't want to go inside my apartment… I don't want to see all the blo–"

"Who the fuck said that's where we're going?" he growls, growing angrier by the second, turning into a man that I've only seen a couple of times—a man on the verge of losing his mind and everything he's been trying so hard to control.

"Where are we going then?" I keep pestering them, a grateful smile claims my lips as I await the answer… but it never comes.

All that follows is silence as things continue to grow tense, and I know that whatever they have planned for me isn't going to be about sex tonight… at least not all about it.

Saint

Trying to distance myself from Scarlett is a lot fucking harder than I thought it would be, especially when all I want to do is just be with her all day long. How did it come to this shit? Where did our fucking plan go wrong? We don't fall for these girls. We don't fucking fall in love or whatever this shit is. We play around and have our fun with them… and then we kill them. But none of this shit is going according to plan and it's getting on my fucking nerves.

Pulling up to our apartment building, I see the realization in trouble's eyes as Blade shuts the car off and opens his door.

"Why are we here?" She asks as Riley opens his door and gets out, shutting it behind him.

"We have to grab something. Blade and I will be right back," Riley assures her, grinning sadistically from ear to ear as his eyes darken .

She slumps against the seat next to Nixon, suddenly mute and questionless, which I'm grateful for because her questions were getting on my fucking nerves. Holding the mask I got for her in my hands, I face forward, keeping my eyes on the doorway, knowing to pop the trunk when I see them coming.

"Are you guys really going to make me kill a random person?" She finally speaks again after a few peaceful minutes of silence, causing Nixon and I both to groan and roll our eyes again.

"No, we're not. So stop fucking worrying about it, trouble. Now just shut the fuck up, will ya?" Just as I turn around, I see Blade and Riley walking back out—the package secured in their grip. I reach over and pop the trunk as Nixon plants his hands over Scarlett's eyes causing a slight panic attack to frighten her.

"What are you doing, Nixon?" She screams, frantically clawing at his hands.

"Shh, relax. I don't want you to see your surprise." He winks at me as the boys put the goods in the trunk, closing it with a loud thud that makes Scarlett lean into Nixon for comfort. Now that shit makes me jealous… it should be me, not him.

When the guys get back in and Blade starts the car, he turns around and gives Scarlett a devious smirk as soon as Nixon uncovers her eyes.

"Ready to go have some fun, sinner?"

"I doubt it'll be fun, Blade, and I don't have much of a choice, do I?"

"Well, no, you don't have a choice. But I can promise you that it'll be fun."

Blade

Getting to the cemetery, sinner looks even more confused than she did when we pulled up at my apartment… probably cus she thought we were going to the park. But that was before Riley switched the plan around at the last minute. I hate to admit it, but I like this one a lot better. The four of us get out of the car, but she refuses to budge, being stubborn as fuck like always.

"Get out of the fucking car, Scarlett." I use a deep, authoritative tone, making her brown eyes widen as she slowly slides across the seat toward the open door.

Holding out my hand, she takes it for help getting out of the car. She doesn't bother looking around the cemetery; she's seen this place enough in her lifetime now I'd say.

"Here, we got this for you, trouble." Saint hands her a black mask, making her nose scrunch as she looks at it in disbelief.

"I'm not taking that!" She screams, backing up into the arms of Nixon, who shoves her toward me like a fucking ball in a pinball machine.

I snatch the mask and grab her head, forcing her still and pinning her to the car with my body. "You're fucking putting it on, sinner. Stop fucking fighting it." Slipping the mask over her head, I gently tug it over her eyes, smiling proudly as I take a step back to admire her.

The four of us look at her in silence, probably thinking the same thing—how fucking sexy she looks in a fucking mask.

"You're one of us tonight, sinner," I whisper into her ear, leaning in just to touch her cheek.

She sighs softly, swallowing hard, and only nodding in response, probably too terrified to do anything else. Taking her hand, I nod to the guys to retrieve her surprise from the trunk as I lead her over to a darker part of the cemetery, right near the area where Carli is buried. Taking advantage of the moment alone, I pull her against me and slide my hand under her chin, gripping it between my fingers.

"You look even more beautiful tonight than you ever have, sinner." Her eyes soften and the panic dissipates within them.

With her back turned toward the guys as they put their masks on, she can't see what they're dragging out of the trunk… but I can. Excitement rushes through me as I switch my gaze back to Scarlett, bringing my fingers to her mask.

"Do you like it?" I ask, gliding the tips of my fingers over the silky fabric surrounding her eyes.

"I like the idea of no one knowing who I am when I'm wearing it," she says, not batting an eye, a dead, distant look clouding them. The meds must be kicking in… I like her better when she's off them. Her crazy side is fucking sexy.

"That's true… you can do whatever you want, and nobody will know that it's you. "

Licking the shell of her ear, she shivers, reaching out to grab the bottom of my shirt. Clinging to me, she leans in, resting her forehead on my chest, making this shit even fucking harder than it was earlier. Mother fucker. This needs to stop.

Luckily, the guys walk up, interrupting the moment that I needed more than I thought I did, but I needed to stop it.

"Turn around, trouble." Scarlett looks at me and our eyes lock beneath our masks.

I smile and nod my head, giving her a boost of encouragement even though she's probably going to fucking hate me in a second. Slowly, she turns around, gasping and falling backward into my arms when she sees the sight in front of her.

"Oh my… Melanie!" With her hands in front of her bound tightly in rope and her mouth taped, Melanie stands there between the guys, mascara stained tears and dried blood coating her fair skin.

"Surprise!" Riley laughs, twirling his knife in his hand as he puffs on his cigarette.

"Is this some fucking joke?" Scarlett screams, clearly pissed off as anger finds her voice.

"Now, Scarlett. Have we ever fucking joked about anything before?" Nixon drags the tip of his knife down Melanie's cheek, making her tremble even more. Oddly enough, Scarlett stops shaking.

"I'm not killing her, if that's what you're fucking planning." Saint shoves Melanie to the ground and storms over to us, snatching Scarlett by the throat. Getting in her face, he hisses through tightly clenched teeth, his eyes wild and wicked with each word.

"Yes you fucking are, Scarlett. You're not the fucking boss around here, in case you forgot— we are. And you're going to drop this fucking bratty attitude or I'll give you something that will make you fucking drop it." He throws her down so she lands at my feet, tossing a knife down with her.

"Now pick it the fuck up, trouble."

Scarlett

I feel numb and it's not from the crazy pills Nixon keeps feeding me. I feel numb from seeing my best friend bound and bloody in front of me… and numb from the fact that I'm the one who has to kill her.

Staring at the knife, Saint's loud, threatening voice thunders in my ears, but I ignore it.

"Pick it the fuck up, Trouble."

I reach for the knife because I want to—not because he told me to.

"Good girl. Now how does it feel in your hand?"

I can hear Blade's voice now—a lot smoother than Saint's, much more calming. Focusing on the knife, I swipe the tip of my finger along the length of the edge, testing it's sharpness. I don't know what's happening to me...

"It feels… great—satisfying, actually." I can hear myself admit, but I still don't look up. I can't bear to see my best friend in the condition she's in, knowing there's nothing I can do to save her.

"He's talking about the handle; how does the grip feel, silly girl?" Nixon laughs, crouching down with his hand rubbing my back.

Moving my hand to the handle, I close my fingers around it, feeling pleasure rush through me rapidly as Blade inches even closer. Power surges through my veins as I hold it, feeling like I've never felt before, mixing with the pleasure and making me feel on top of the world.

"Amazing…"

Maybe it's the meds. Maybe it's the lack of meds. Maybe it's the feeling of holding a knife in my hand...or maybe it's knowing I'm about to kill someone. I don't know. My mind is all fucked up. I don't know what's real and what's fake anymore.

Right and wrong have no meaning after the things that I've been through this past year.

"Good, you're ready for this, Scarlett," Blade says calmly, as if coaching me, pulling my mind from the trance the knife has sucked me into. "Stand up now, sinner."

On command, I stand up, feeling lost in a trance-like state, but nothing about this feels wrong to me... even though it fucking is.

Gripping the knife in my hand, I turn to face him, smiling for reasons which I don't understand. He pulls me into him roughly, grabbing me by my throat, and slamming his lips on mine the second I part them. Hearing the guys growl hungrily as they watch turns me on, making me only intensify the kiss.

What is happening to me? Our tongues fuse instantly, colliding fiercely as everyone watches, inching closer to Melanie as she thrashes around on the cold, wet grass.

"MHMMM!! AGGGRHHH!!" Her muffled, terrified screams fall on deaf ears as I get swept away in Blade's kiss, too busy enjoying the way his tongue feels as it curls around mine.

"You've never been hotter than you are tonight, brat."

Pulling away, Blade covers my hand with his, making sure mine is holding the knife tightly as he lowers me to the ground in front of Melanie. As I look up, my gaze heavily foggy, I see Nixon, Riley, and Saint all crouching down, their knives drawn, masks on, and they're all watching me… waiting for me.

"Everything comes down to this moment, Scarlett…" Riley tells me, but I don't focus on his face.

"You can do this, Scarlett. Make us proud," I hear Saint whisper, his voice smooth like silk, as smooth as I've ever heard it.

Looking down at Melanie, I try to picture someone else—anyone else—gliding the knife point down the center of her body.

Blade starts touching me, getting me excited as I watch Melanie tremble as goosebumps cover her bloody flesh, the knife still torturing her body. He starts kissing the back of my neck, holding onto my hips as he stays kneeling behind me, sending all kinds of feelings of desire, lust, confusion, excitement, and more rushing through me.

"Come on, baby… use that knife for me," he says, sinking his teeth into the nape of my neck, making me shiver as he carelessly rips off my underwear like it's nothing. Right now, for him, I'll do anything...and I don't know why that is...

The cool air kisses my pussy, making a hard shudder rock my body, and as calm as can be, I raise the knife, blackness filling my eyes as I stare down at Melanie. The second Blade bites harder, I plunge the knife into her stomach, watching as she convulses instantly and blood spurts from the gash.

"AHHHH!"

"Yes... Good fucking girl, sinner," he says proudly, kissing my skin even harder as his fingers find my dripping pussy.

He drills his fingers into me without warning, ruthlessly pumping them deeply in and out of my pussy for everyone to watch, rewarding me for what I just did. Unknowingly, I smear her blood around as he fingers me, dragging the edge of the blade along her flesh, still cutting her open.

"Yes, Scarlett... yes, baby," Saint cheers, giving me a grin and a nod of approval.

This is just a dream... right?

"Keep going, baby... keep fucking going until she's dead... but this time, go for her fucking throat." Licking the side of my neck as he pounds three thick fingers into my pussy, Blade tells me what to do, and I find myself listening to him like he's my master or something.

"Okay... okay."

Stabbing her over and over again, my mind goes completely blank and not a single emotion runs through me. I don't even realize what I'm doing. All I know is Blade's fingers are inside me, I'm stabbing my best friend over and over while Saint, Nixon and Riley cheer me on, and I'm acting like nothing is even happening.

But it feels so good—so liberating…

Covered in blood and on the verge of coming, he pinches my clit and thrusts his fingers in and out of my pussy viciously.

"Fuck... yes!"

"Look at you, brat."

"Fucking gorgeous, isn't she?"

"She's fucking perfect... too perfect."

"Nobody's... perfect... Saint."

Blade's intense thrusts make me plant my hands in a pool of Melanie's blood as I hang my head, moaning from the pleasure.

"Not fucking true, sinner." He pulls his fingers out of me, making me crave them desperately the second they 're gone.

"No, no, no! Please!" I whimper, turning back to look at him, shaking hard as my pussy clenches around nothing.

"You can come when you slit her throat." He smiles so beautifully as his eyes glimmer under the full moon.

Turning around, I pick the knife back up, putting the bloody edge to Melanie's throat, desperate for an orgasm. In a single swipe, I make a deep gash from one side of her throat to the other, opening a deep wound and watching as dark, red blood pours out.

"That's my good little killer."

"I knew you had it in you, Scar."

"Yeah, it wasn't that hard, was it?"

They all comment, but I ignore them, only concerned about one thing as I turn to Blade with murderous desire heavily clouding my eyes.

"Can I come now? please?"

"Give her what she wants, Blade. She's been a good girl... she deserves it."

"I'm so fucking proud of you, Scarlett. You deserve the fucking world after this," he says, sliding his fingers back into my pussy, pushing me on top of Melanie's dead body to finish me off.

He thrusts them into me hard and fast, pushing on my lower back to keep me planted down. I smile at the guys watching, oblivious to the sin I just committed. But in this moment I couldn't give a fuck.

"I told you, you are my little psycho."

"Yes, yes!!"

"You're one of us now…" Looking into his eyes, I soak his fingers, feeling calmness wash over my entire body as a smirk spreads across my lips.

They just made the biggest mistake of their lives and they don't even fucking know it.