6She was on the rooftop of a skyscraper. The sun was setting on the horizon. A glass of gin and tonic in her hand. She leaned against the railing and looked out at the view. She took a sip of her drink and choked. She looked down at the glass. It was no longer clear alcohol. It was blood. She screamed and dropped the glass.
"Senorita, would you like me to clean that for you?"
She turned around and saw the woman from the hotel. Dark ugly bruises covered the woman's neck and her eyes were unseeing.
"Y-you... you-re dead!"
"Por favor, senorita, mis ninos! Mis ninos!"
She started walking towards her.
Suddenly a man's scream pierced through the air, "HELP ME! PLEASE HELP ME!"
The bloodied man from the office appeared from behind the woman. A crimson liquid oozed down his face and a hole ran straight through his forehead.
The night guard appeared next to him. Not saying anything, just staring at her with lifeless eyes. Blood ran down his face and into his eyes from a bullet hole between his brows.
She stepped back further, unable to find her voice to scream again.
"We're only over when I say we're over! Why won't you marry me?!"
Andrew stepped forward from behind the others. Several bullet wounds in his chest were gushing blood.
She choked out a sob. Tears burned her cheeks.
"Please! Don't take that one! It's my sister's!"
Her mother appeared next to him. Blood seeping from her gut.
"Just take whatever you want! Please don't hurt us!" Her father appeared by her mother's side, blood pouring from his chest.
Tears rolled down Evlin's face. She stepped back further. The edge of the building was getting closer.
"You twisted the blade. You killed me. You twisted the blade." The man who broke into her home appeared next to her. "You killed me to watch my pain."
Evlin screamed, "NO!"
They all stepped closer.
"GO AWAY!"
They were all speaking at once now, stepping closer and closer.
"MARRY ME!"
"Senorita! Mis ninos"
"Please! Don't hurt us!"
"That was my sister's please!"
"HELP ME!"
"You killed me."
Suddenly they all disappeared. She choked back a sob. And looked around terrified.
She turned her head back around and there was Damon. Towering over her and smiling the same cruel smile.
"Miss me?"
She screamed. "GET AWAY FROM ME! LEAVE ME ALONE!"
"We're more alike you and I. We both kill. We are killers. You are a killer."
"NO!" She closed the distance between them and started hitting him. "NO! NO! I'M NOT! I'M NOT LIKE YOU! I'M NOT A KILLER!"
He tackled her and pushed her against the railing. She fought furiously against him. "We both are killers."
"NO!"
He grabbed her arms and pushed her further back against the railing. Her hair spilled past her shoulders and over the railing.
"You are a killer. And this is how it ends, Evlin."
"NO!"
He started pushing her over the edge.
"I'M NOT A KILLER!"
"Evlin! Stop fighting me! Wake up! Evlin! Wake up!"
Evlin tore open her eyes. She was back in the hotel suite, on her bed. Her head was hanging over the side of the bed.
Aric was pinning her to the bed. Even in the dark, an angry red mark was visible on his cheek. He pulled her back onto the bed but kept her hands in his vice-like grip.
The reality of the dream came crashing down on her. She began sobbing hysterically.
Aric paused, not knowing how to react.
"It's alright. It was just a nightmare."
She turned her face to the side and felt the hot tears freely falling down the side of her face, "I-I'm n-not..."
"Shh, its alright, you just had a nightmare."
She squeezed her eyes shut trying to push out the images from the dream, "i-it was so horrible."
"Its the middle of the night Evlin, that didn't actually happen. It was just a dream."
She hiccuped a sob, "b-but its true."
Silence filled the room. Images of the ghosts filled her mind, their screams echoed inside her head. She buried her head into his chest.
Aric studied her, "You're not a killer, Evlin."
She pulled her head back from him. Her lips trembled, her glistening gray eyes found his green ones. The green pools bore right into her.
"Yes I am. I am a murderer."
He leaned down closer to her, lips almost brushing against hers, "You are not a killer, Evlin."
She squeezed her eyes tightly closed, pushing the tears down her cheeks, "I killed them, it's my fault. I killed them all."
"No, Evlin."
He met her parted trembling lips with a soft tenderness.
She tore her eyes open with shock.
He slowly released her wrists and slid his hands down her arms and sides.
She left her hands by her head, paralyzed by his kiss.
Suddenly the passion and hunger caught up with them both and the kiss grew fierce. Evlin closed her eyes as her hands moved up his shoulders and tangled themselves in his hair. He slid his arms around her and pulled her to against body. His hands slid under the back of her shirt. She wrapped her arms around his neck. She slid her hands down the smooth contours of his bare back.
Aric slid the shirt higher and higher up her waist and finally broke from the kiss to pull it over her head.
Evlin untangled her arms from around him and ran them down his sides to his boxers. She held onto his waist and rolled over to straddle him.
Aric reached to her lips again and forced her mouth open with his. He held onto her waist with one hand and unclipped her bra with the other. He slid the straps from her shoulders and tossed the article to the side. He grabbed her waist with both hands and rolled over her on top of her. He grabbed her shorts and quickly slid them off.
He got up onto his knees in between her legs and slid his boxers off. Aric leaned over her and took in the sight of her. He trailed kisses up her stomach. She arched her back, pressing against him.
He leaned back down over her, pressing his body against hers but holding his own weight. Evlin wrapped her legs around his waist.
Aric paused and took her face in his hands and stared deep into her gray eyes.
"Evlin." His cool breath tickled her lips.
Her last tear ran down her cheek. She kissed him.
Evlin stretched her back. Thin smooth sheets caressed her body and slid down her chest to her waist. She shivered when the cold air met her bare skin. She rolled over and her arm slapped against a strong bare chest. Goosebumps covered her against the contact of the warm skin. She opened her eyes and closed them immediately against the invasion of bright daylight.
"Evlin."
She groaned, "mmm, the light."
Aric slid out from beneath her arm and left the bed empty. Evlin squinted at his blurry form as he crossed to the window and pulled down the thick shade. Evlin felt her eyes dilate and accustom themselves to the new darkness.
"Better, thanks."
"Evlin."
Evlin sat up in the bed and pulled the sheets around her chest. She looked down bulge of her feet beneath the blanket. "Aric. That was..." She paused and smiled, "that was..." She looked up at him and smiled, "good morning."
"Evlin, I-"
"Aric. For the first time, in a long time, I feel... I feel so, so comfortable. I feel relaxed. I feel safe."
"Evlin I need to tell you something."
Evlin looked up, blank curiosity covered her face, "what?"
"Evlin, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. It was- it was wrong, to say the least. Evlin, I-"
Evlin shot out of the bed taking the sheet with her, "Aric, don't you dare. Don't you dare give me that, 'it was wrong' crap. For the first time in a long time I feel safe. I felt happy. Don't take it away with your self-suffering 'I want to kill a man' shit. I know you were happy too. Don't you dare ruin this."
The corner of Aric's mouth twitched and for a moment Evlin thought she had convinced him. But a dark flash of knowledge crossed his face and he looked back down. "Evlin. Just listen to me, I shouldn't have... it was my fault... I shouldn't have..."
"Aric! Why? Why are you doing this? Weren't you happy? That is all that matters! We were both happy! It wasn't anyone's fault! It was you and me, and it was... it was... for lack of better words, fucking fantastic!"
"Evlin-"
She turned away and paced across the room, "No! Stop it! I don't want to hear it!"
"Evlin, listen to me, you need to hear it. It is important."
"You think I want to hear you tell me that you regret it?! That it wasn't meant to be?! That- that-"
"Damon is my brother."
Evlin stopped. "What?"
"Evlin, Damon is my brother."
She turned around. "Is that supposed to be some kind of joke?"
She met his gaze with intensity. It wasn't a joke.
She stopped breathing. Her face went void of all emotion. She stared at him blankly. She felt a stinging in her eyes as her throat swelled.
"I-I can't.. I can't..."
"Evlin-"
"I... no... I..."
"Evlin, listen-"
She jerked her head up. "NO! Don't you dare say my name!"
A stiffening silence filled the room. Aric watched her patiently with calculating eyes.
She numbly walked back to the bed and collapsed on the edge.
Aric watched her warily as she began shaking. To his surprise she started chuckling. Then she burst out laughing. She was laughing hysterically, but without humor.
Aric began to worry, "Evlin-"
She abruptly stopped laughing. "You are Damon's brother."
He didn't say anything, he furrowed his brow trying to decipher her.
She stood up.
"You are his fucking brother."
Still, he didn't move or speak.
"How could you be his brother?"
"Evlin-"
"Don't fucking say my name!"
"Please-"
"NO!"
She walked around to the other side of the bed, raking through her thoughts.
"I just can't. This is just. Damon's brother."
"Let me explain-"
"So what was the plan?" She stopped again and looked up at him. Her face expressionless.
"What? Evlin-"
"Fuck the messed up girl and then toss her back to the sadistic killer?"
"No!"
"Oh, I'm sorry, toss her back to your brother, the sadistic killer. Does it run in the family? The psychopathic trait I mean-"
Tears flooded down her cheeks, "I just- I just- you just fucked me! I just slept with you! I-I trusted you. Y-you said you would help me, that you would save me." Suddenly Evlin felt dirty. She felt disgusting. She knew no amount of scrubbing could clean her though. She began to scratch at her abdomen. "I-I trusted you! A-and, you're-you're his brother!" Her knees buckled and she continued raking her hands at her stomach. Scolding hot tears burned her cheeks.
Aric rushed to her. He began to put his arm around her but she smacked his hand away.
"Don't you dare fucking touch me. You already fucked me. Don't touch me ever again."
"Evlin! Please, understand-"
"I CAN'T! I CAN'T DO THIS! This is just too fucking much!" She gasped in thick breaths, "W-what- why? I-I... FUCK!"
"Evlin, please! I am not on Damon's side, I'm on your side!"
She burst out laughing again. The trail of thick tears left angry trails of red down her face. "Oh that is just- just- perfect! You're 'not on his side'! That's good! How many times did you have to practice that to make it fucking convincing?"
Aric's face turned stoic, "Evlin, I never lied to you. I have always told you the truth. Just not the whole truth."
"NOT THE WHOLE FUCKING TRUTH! OPPS! YOUR BAD! YOU JUST FORGOT TO FUCKING MENTION THAT YOU'RE HIS FUCKING BROTHER! HIS FUCKING FAMILY!"
"Evlin stop yelling please."
"DON'T YOU DARE TELL ME TO STOP FUCKING YELLING!"
She stopped. She dragged in more heavy breaths. "I just- we just- slept together... and I felt- I felt safe. I was... happy! I was safe! But- but I wasn't safe! This whole time! This whole time you were his brother! You- you- betrayed me! We just had sex and you betrayed me!"
"I'm sorry Evlin. I shouldn't have done that, I should have told you first but you have to understand, I meant it when I said I want to kill Damon."
Evlin looked up at him through blurry eyes, "what?"
Aric kneeled back down next to her, "Evlin, Aric murdered my parents- our parents. The same day he killed my mom and dad he tried to kill me. He murdered his own family. He murdered my family."
Evlin deadpanned. In a tight voice she asked, "how am I supposed to believe you?"
"I only ask that you listen to me."
She studied him carefully, "Why should I?"
"Because I listened to you."
Evlin's lips parted. She immediately closed her mouth again and tightened her jaw. She nodded her head slightly. Aric held out his hand to help her up, tentivally, she took it. They sat down on the edge of the bed. Aric dug his elbows into his thighs and put his face in his hands. Evlin sat up straight clutching the sheet around her and studied him.
Aric took in a deep breath,"Damon had left our house when he was eighteen. We didn't see him or hear from him for three years. We hadn't heard a word from him or of him. But suddenly three years later he shows up on our door step. I was seventeen at the time, and Damon twenty one. Our parents," bitterness filled his voice, "of course, willingly let him in and offered him a place to stay. I had to go to school the day he showed up, but I wanted to stay at home. I wanted to see Damon. See what he wanted. But my parents made me go.
"See, growing up with Damon, was... He was, incredibly smart. He was an excellent student. People, well they loved him. But no one ever talked to him really. I mean sure they talked to him because he was the town's pride and glory, but no one, not even my parents, really talked ever really talked to him, or saw the real him, except for me. He- well... I had never had a really close relationship with him... I kind of lived in his shadow. He was charming... people found him charming, they were so enthralled by him. Girls loved him... He had this way with people. He could so easily fool them. No one ever knew what he was really thinking... or doing... well. I was walking back home through this short cut I had just recently found... through the woods. And- and I heard a sound. I knew, just like how you know someone from their footsteps, I knew that the sound had something to do with Damon. I didn't call out to him, I just knew something was up, something wasn't right. So I followed the sound. I crept up behind a tree, and I found him. He was... he was... He was standing over a body. Holding a knife. He didn't have a drop of blood on him. At first I thought, oh my god, he, he found a dead body. But then... but then he started cutting into the body. He didn't get a drop of blood on him. He just kept on... he kept on... cutting the body up. I never found out who it was... I made a sound and Damon found me. I just ran for it. I ran home. I didn't tell anybody. But that night Damon left. He just left. He left without a word to anyone. I wanted to tell people. I wanted to tell my parents what I saw. So I did. But, they didn't believe me. They refused to believe me. They blamed it on movies and books 'these days'. Said I was just imagining things. Making up things. I was fourteen that night.
"Well anyways, three years later Damon showed up. My parents let him in, and made me go to school. I should have somehow stopped them.. I should have... When I came home from school I knew.. I just knew... that something wasn't right. Just like that night when I found Damon. I knew something was was wrong. And something was wrong. I called out for my parents and for Damon. But no one answered. I walked into the kitchen and then I found them. My parents. Our parents. Dead. They were lying on the floor, dead. There was blood everywhere. Then Damon walked in. He didn't even have the fucking guts to say anything to me. He just fucking stared at me like he had right to. There wasn't a drop of blood on him... but I knew that he had done it. I knew that he killed them. He had killed our parents.
"I couldn't believe it at first, but just looking from Damon to our parents' dead bodies... I just knew. I understood that my parents were dead and that Damon had killed them. Then I lost it. I lost control. I attacked him. I took whatever I could get my hands on and just hit him with it. At first he didn't fight back, he kept telling me that I was wasting my time. but when I didn't stop he began to fight back. I guess he thought that he had killed me when I blacked out. When I woke up he was gone."
Evlin stared at him. She couldn't form any words.
Aric ran a hand through his hair, "I know you probably don't believe me. And I know I don't have a right to make you believe me, but-"
"How does this happen?"
"What?"
"Who decides to fuck up people's lives?"
Aric looked up at her, "I don't know."
Sooooo sorry that took me so long to update! My hardrive broke and so it took a while for me to get my computer back. But that was that chapter. It was a lot of stuff in very little time frame, I hope it wasn't confusing! Let me know what you think please! I promise Damon will come back soon! Also: THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS! Really, it is so inspiring to see people liking the story! It helps me continue on with the story! I will try to update the next chapter as soon as possible! :)