4 01:03// Overheard romance

~ Axel~

YOUR screams reigned across the room, shattering any possible defeat that is tugged deep in within you. It has seemed that YOU are looking at me when you do such a thing, and even as you do, I can't believe it. How drastically you've changed.

The house continues to be set ablaze, and I bet the bodies are still there, burning to ash. The locket around your neck is still there, and you touch it slightly as if it was some kind of good luck charm. I see that inside the mysterious box, is a small plastic container. I don't have a clue what is in this such container, and, as you scream once more, the whole house seems to bend down to YOUR will and shake with such misery.

But, then again, you have every right in the world to scream like that.

Your family was inevitably cruel to a sweet, innocent, girl like you.

" Ha," YOU say, as you grin at the blood that lays on your hands. YOU are beginning to taste its licorice taste, and I can't stop thinking...What has happened to you?

I'm gripping onto my blood-ridden mask in vain, as my heart beats a million miles per second, raging.

At that moment, I'm utterly heartbroken by the fact that YOU aren't the way you used to be. I climb down from the large oak tree, where I was perched on one of its branches, looking into the window of YOUR room. Some acorns fall on my head, as I mentally curse at those damn squirrels knawing away at their afternoon snack. Geez, and they had to fall on my head.

After I've reached the end of the tree trunk, my bare feet meet the prickly wet grass, and I even start to feel some ants slither their way up my ankles. Rage fills my brain as I try to find the goddamn person who stole my shoes...

" Looking for this, pretty boy?" I hear YOUR voice behind me. YOU have a sense of sarcasm within your tone of voice, lingering on every word with a smirk.

I frown, as I try to address, " Pami."

"What?"

" Why did you just lick your own blood?!" I'm disappointed in her, as my voice goes deep with a mix of concern and disgust, as I shiver in the cold.

" Ya know, it's not that cold, mister."

" I know that! That's hardly the point!!"

As the wind wisps past your brown, wavy, hair, you have a look of sadness on your face, maybe even grief. I want to take all those negative emotions you feel, and turn them into a look of pure joy. But, I know I can't.

I'll always be a villain to Pami in her eyes.

Nothing more, nothing less.

She smiles sadly saying, " Then what's the point?"

" I-I..."

" Exactly."

" Exactly what?"

" Well, you see, if I were you, I'd run away from me. Run far, far away, where no one will be able to find nor see you." She tells me this, her voice sad and her eyes wary, somewhat distant.

" But-" I start to say, and you cut me off saying, " Exactly. You don't want to admit it, so it's no point."

My dark brows furrow in worry as my heart starts pounding in on me, tearing me apart. No. She doesn't know.

She'll never know.

I'm just overthinking it, that's all.

" But, there is a point! Please, just tell me what you want to say!" I plead, my anger boiling up for no reason.

Does she not trust me?

" Well, I know for a fact that you have something to do with the house fire." She says calmly, and for some odd reason, I don't know why. Even more so, I'm terrified. The terror within me shreds up any evidence of even me I'm supposed to be, a good boyfriend. It's all hollow thoughts, and I know that I've truly fucked up.

And, I'm afraid that there would be no way to get back up and revive myself.

But then, she says something that I thought she'd never say, " It's alright, ya know. I understand why you did that, I don't blame you. However-"

I cut her off, saying, " Are you going t-to b-break up with me?" I'm clenching my fists as I say this, on the verge of slapping myself. Goddamn, I really am stupid.

" No."

I look at her, shocked, but also, still terrified.

" Really?!"

" What, do you want me to break up with you?" She's looking down, as she says this in a nonchalant manner. Her words seem bland, a bit monotone. Even her once gleaming expression, the kind that always appears when she sees me, is faded. Bit by bit.

" No." I answer, refusing to look into her eyes.

I continue, " Do you care that I'm a... I'm a murderer? Do you feel like I've somewhat betrayed you? Even just a bit?"

" No."

" Why?"

And then, she smiles, " Why! This makes it all more fun, now doesn't it, Axel?!" She has a wild expression on her face, and I widen my eyes. Now, I feel more scared.

But for her.

" What happened to you?"

" This has always been me, sweetie. You just never noticed! You were always refusing to accept my dark side, that you've probably never known, ha!" She snickers, as she looks at me, like I'm in the wrong here, not her.

I shake my head, refusing to believe her.

" No," I say, my heart throbbing, as I'm starting to get lightheaded.

" Yes." She says gleefully, as she walks away from me. When she comes back, she has the small plastic container, from earlier, and I see it is filled with... Blood.

Dar crimson is filled up to the top of the container, and I see that there's something floating inside.

She opens the container and dips her hand into the blood, excitedly. Once she's taken out what is floating inside, I see that it... Is a finger.

Or, what appears to be a finger. This looks like the same finger that I cut off from her old man's right hand, and it's covered in blood, the dark crimson seeping through the skin.

She takes the finger and takes a bite of it.

" Oh, isn't that delicious!!" She says, in a crazed, wild notion. She looks at me as if indicating for me to try it as well.

And, that's when I puke.

*****

Ten missed calls.

All from Pami Berger.

A few days has passed since that gruesome experience, and since then, I've been trying my hardest to avoid her. I even canceled the date we were supposed to have this weekend.

" RING!RING!RING!" The doorbell chants. Peeking through, I see someone.

And, it's not YOU.

A letter is tossed through the metal slot in the door, used for mail. This letter, it is yellowing at its ends and looked as if someone has crumpled it and then tried to smoothen out the paper, but has ceased to accomplish such a task.

The letter only has seven letters, and an address:

I'll kill her if you don't first.

1302 Salisbury Drive, 77678

Salisbury, New York City, United States

And, I see that a photo slips out of the crisp envelope. The photo looks burnt at its edges, and is ripped in half. The half of what I see in the photo is the face of a woman. She has long, black hair, an upturned nose, and is wearing a black magician's hat. Her face, I can't see very well, but I can recognize who she is.

And, I know: Pami has blackmailed me, and now, I have no choice.

Otherwise, this romance we have, will be overheard by the officials...

And they'll definitely not take my side, the man who has slain her family.

Looking at the plastic container of blood that is on the counter, I can't help but be tempted by its smell, its texture. There's something about blood that can make my whole body arouse in excitement, and that's...

A fact.