One and the Same 2

 One and the Same

2

    Albert sighs and opens the door wider with a shake of his head. She would just come to but him later anyway. As Charlotte steps inside Rosey growls get louder. Rosey never liked Charlotte, all she ever managed was tolerance. Albert pets the dog's head and she goes silent.

    "How is your dad doing?" Charlotte asks when he doesn't speak.

    "Don't pretend you care." Albert folds his arms over his chest, "We both know you aren't here to talk about my father's declining health."

    "I was just being polite."

    He didn't believe that for a moment but they could argue all night if he pushed her, "Let's get to the point, what requires you talking to me in the middle of the night under Yemth's protection."

    She flinches but her tone is indignant, "The protest won't take all day and you don't even have to be there for all of it."

    Not this again, how many times did this make? "I already gave you my answer, you can't convince me otherwise."

    "Why!" Her shriek starts Rosey growling again, "Your mother died in that stupid war and your dad--"

    "I know full well the devastation the war caused." He stops her, "Many people lost mothers, sisters, and wives and those that came home still have to live with the nightmares the war brought. I don't   wan tto be there when you create a place that belongs to Tutala."

    "You're over-exaggerating, we aren't creating a battlefield."

    "Do you think war is the only time she reigns?" He scoffs and opens the door, "Tell your excuses to the people who have to clean up after your protest. As long as you insist on creating chaos my answer won't change."

    Charlotte Scowls at him as she leaves, "Nothing will change if they don't understand how serious we are. If you were even half as brave as your mother you would stand up for your convictions."

    Her words dredged up memories of his dad crying. Albert's voice is low and harsh, "The letter we got with my mother's ashes described her in the same way."

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One and the Same 1

This is set in the same world as Our Condolences. This one is about a grown up Albert, and like any that takes place in this world, is a heavier story. I should warn there are mentions of violence and self-harm.

    -Rose B.

One and the Same

1

    Standing in the tall grass behind our house, I look up at the clouded sky and imagine Samth is so angry that it's affecting the weather. I hope Thuren calms her down; Dad is less sad when the sun is shining. I say to Margie, but her big fluffy head is turned to the house. I ran home. She must have been worried, she always knew when Dad was having a bad time, but she stayed with me like she was supposed to. My heart pounds in my ears, and extra weight settles into my bones. It feels like forever before we reach the stairs. I jump to the door and fling it open. Margie leaps through the door, leaving me behind. Dad! I yell, chasing after the furry tail.

    I shouldn't have left him alone. I should have kept an eye on him with how depressed he's been. I should have known something bad would happen with how he's been acting. Margie's whine leads me to the parlor. He's sitting on the ground looking like a broken doll, in front of him is a typed letter. My gut clenches. That pristine paper doesn't belong here; it must be a mistake. My gaze gravitates to the blood-soaked letter in my father's hands. Dad?

    As if my voice is the signal, people rush into the room. They crowd around my father, screaming things I can't understand. When a stretcher is brought in, my dad enters my vision again. The letters are gone, but he looks the same, an empty husk. Blood pools on the floor, falling from arms scratched to an unrecognizable mess. As they carry him off, the blood splashes on the floor with a bang.

    Albert jolts awake. Old military documents fly from the bed as a streak of fur bolts from the room. Albert groans, each bark a sharp stab to his brain. He pushes a palm against his forehead. "Rosey," His first shout is horse and thick with sleep. "Rosey!" His second shout is clearer. The barking is replaced by a low growl, that was as much as he was going to get out of her. Albert pushes at the bigger dog next to him, "Come on, Margie move." She rolls over in a huff, displacing more papers.

    Another knock cuts through the air as Albert is getting up. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" He replies before muttering, "My streak of sleepless nights continues." He fumbles his way through the dark to the front door and almost trips over Rosey. he picks up the dog and unlocks the door. He can't see much but he recognizes Charlotte's defiant stance.

    "Charlotte," He sighs.

    "Are you going to let me in?" She smiles like she always does when she wants something.

 

 

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Killer King 7

This is the last of Killer King. I hoping to start the next one next month, but I started a new job and adult responsibilities has me a little overwhelmed so we'll see.

           -Rose B 

Killer King

    The room is silent as his voice fades. The attorney takes a quick look around then turns back to the man, "Why did you continue to stay with her, even after those experiences?"

    The man pulls out another tissue and dabs at his eyes, "I fell in love with the fire in her eyes and her cunning. After seeing her I couldn't imagine myself going back to that bar, back to that life. I didn't care what we were doing as long as I was with her."

    The attorney nods and turns to the Jury, "Ladies and gentle man of the jury. Jonathan Morris is not a crazed murderer. He was hard working even after he was with Lisa Jackson. He did his best to be with and please the woman he loved. he even tried to help the victims in the best way he could think of." He gestures to the man whose eyes are red, "As we all know Lisa Jackson, the main perpetrator, confessed to her crimes and lost her head for it. With his main reason to continue living the life of a murderer gone, there is no reason he should continue killing. He has already lost the woman he loves, is there any need to punish him more?"

    The man stands up, "To many of you I have lived long enough but if I had one more day I would be a better man. I can't promise to be the best citizen but I would be a better man than I've ever been."

***

    The man walks out of the courthouse in a maroon suit. he buttons his cuffs and adjusts his hat. Everyone on the street goes about their business, his trial forgotten in the months it took to get paperwork completed. A toothy grin splits his face. Not a single soul cared about his release but that would be their mistake. The worst predator is one people don't see coming.

    "Indeed," The man whispers, "And no predator is more harmful than one that has nothing to lose."

    We'll make the streets run red.

    "And the ones who betrayed us will know we are coming."

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Killer King 6

Don't ask me why I was late last month I don't know. But I'm on time this month.

-Rose B.

Killer King

    "And you participated in the killings after that?"

    The man shook his head, "I stayed close to her after that. I didn't want someone else escaping when I wasn't there. There were a couple of times I would give a killing blow just to put someone out of their misery."

    "And she allowed this?"

    He nodded, "The first time she cut herself part way through the killing cut so I finished the cut to prevent suffering. The second time she was so angry that her hands were shaking, I offered to make the throat cut and she let me. I did what I could so no one had to suffer needlessly."

    I only picked two other targets after the Englishman. All the others were her picks or ones we had decided on together. Sometimes she wanted me to kill them, other times we each had our own knives. I never left her side even when she knew we were about to be caught, I refused to run a leave her with the blame. Instead I helped her plan how we would be caught. That last week was the most fun we'd ever had. We did what we wanted, killed who we wanted. When the police showed up with the handcuffs we freely submitted, smiling the whole time.

 

 

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Killer King 5

 Killer King

    In the beginning, I only helped with the set up and take down of the the kill room. I would stay in the area through the kill so that she could call me in an emergency. I didn't participate in the chase or kill until the Englishman.

    He was on a train loudly chewing out the assistant who was unable to get him first class tickets over the phone. He was obviously thought he was better than us and I hated him. As he continued to make remarks to the assistant on the phone I imagined him being in one of the kill rooms; unlucky for him, he was just the type of man she killed. I seized my chance when he hung up. I smoothed down my dress shirt and approached him.

    He was wary at first, but after telling him I was a reporter for an art magazine wanting to do an article on him, he was very willing to talk. I told him my sister was a follower of his and I became an art reporter so I could one day tell her I met him. He was flattered, declaring my sister had good taste. It wasn't until I pulled up a picture of Lisa that he really became interested. He gave me two invites to a party he was hosting that night and told me he would love to have a conversation with my sister. I thanked him profusely and got off at the next stop.

    We arrived fashionably late and looked stunning. We didn't go straight for the target, we mingled with the other guests and scoped out the room. We were only there for about an hour before he made his way over to us. I introduced them and she played her part spectacularly. She gushed over him and his art. He soaked up the praise, never considering it was fake. We didn't do anything to him that night, just laid the groundwork.

    A week later we were invited to tea at his house. I formally "interviewed" him. He only had eyes for Lisa and didn't notice that not all of my questions were normal. We learned his daily schedule and the people he was likely to have nearby. Throughout the following weeks he gradually saw more of Lisa and less of me. He would take her out to dinner, art galleries, she even modeled for him on one occasion. Lisa wasn't the only one he was seeing but she was only in it for the information.

    During the day we acted out our roles, at night we picked the perfect spot for the kill room. After visiting the Englishman she would come back and we would change the kill room as she felt necessary. Once we were ready we set the plan in motion. He never suspected a thing, right up to the moment we took him from his home. The look of betrayal as we chloroformed him, will stay with me forever.

    I was nervous that he would wake up too soon but she had done this so many times, she didn't worry at all. She was right, he stayed unconscious until we were ready. As soon as he woke up he tried to talk. She just laughed at him and tapped his mouth.

    I was prepared for her to start her normal routine so when she handed me the knife, I looked at her shocked. She simply smiled and said, "He was your choice so you get to do the honors." For a moment I felt my heart pounding but as I approached the table my mind calmed. I started to press the knife to the pulse in his neck but as my eye wandered the knife glided down his neck until it rested above his heart. I pressed my hand to his chest, feeling the strong heart that was beating quickly underneath. I don't know how long I stood there until she touched my arm. I looked up to see her standing next to his head smiling softly.

    I smiled back then turned back to his chest. I slowly pushed the knife in between his ribs and I heard her sigh over his muffled screams. As his heart stopped beating adrenaline flooded my system. I looked up at Lisa to see her looking at me with that dark fire in her eyes. From then on I played a part in every step. I became whatever role was necessary, a driver, a jealous ex, an absentee husband.

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Killer King 4

This one is going to be short because the next one is long

   -Rose B.

Killer King

    His statement charges the room with energy. The prosecution scrambles through their case notes, looking like dogs searching for a lost bones. A smile ghosts across the man's face. The judge bangs his gavel and once the room is quiet he asks, "Are you telling us you were a participant in the wharf murder, and you waited until now to tell us?"

    "No. I was just a spectator. I didn't do anything more than some heavy lifting."

    The judge looks him over and seems to decide he is being honest enough, "Very well continue."

    The attorney nods and faces the man, "Tell us about the murders you helped in."

    "I didn't do much. Mostly lifted what she couldn't, help her set up and take down."

    "What about the Englishman? As they have shown the jury, the prosecution is certain you killed him."

    The man nodded, "I did kill him but that is because he got loose and overpowered Lisa. he was going to kill her. I grabbed the closest thing to me and tried to fend him off. He wouldn't back down and I ended up stabbing him."

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Killer King 3

 Killer King

    "That's how things started between you two?"

    The man nods, "I couldn't just leave her to her own devices what if she got caught or something went wrong."

    "Then how did you end up being her accomplice?"

    "I told her I would help her, if she promised to be as cautious as possible. I don't know if she wanted to test how truthful I was being but that night we drove to an abandoned warehouse near the wharf. After that I helped her anyway I could."

 

 

    She didn't once look at me as she spoke, and she continued to look out at the city as she let me digest her words. Without thinking I asked if she needed help, and she turned to me the spark of fire still in her eyes.

    She smiled knowing what I was talking about but she still asked, "What could I need help with?"

    I told her to take my words however she liked. I would help her with whatever she needed. I didn't care where those words might lead me, I didn't want to be away from her. I wanted her to look at me with those fiery eyes, and say my name in that sinful tone.

    She smiled again and the next night she took me across town to an abandoned warehouse near the wharf. Inside she had already set up a kill room and a man was strapped to a table. His eyes went wide as he saw us and his voice came out in a muffled whimper behind the tape. She picked up a knife and shushed him as she softly ran the blade across his chest. She pressed into the soft tissue of his stomach. Blood slowly eld up from the wound and her eyes glittered.

    The man sobbed a little and she pulled her attention away from the crimson stream. "There have been men before you who begged and pleaded but it won't do you any good. They all broke down into tears eventually and it didn't change anything."

    He looked terrified and she smiled sweetly for a moment before sliding the knife across his neck. Blood flew from the knife onto me and sprayed on to her. She placed a hand on his chest and looked deep into his eyes. He gurgled as the light in his eyes started to dim. He gave his last exhale and she breathed in deep. She closed her eyes and leaned back as if that last breath was something to savor. Her shoulders relaxed as she opened her eyes again and looked at me. Her gaze was charged and wild, her smile full of danger and sin.

    I walked over to her and said, "Lisa, my Mona Lisa, you're going to turn this world upside down."

    I kissed her with the iron tang of blood on our lips. From that night on I helped her anyway I could.

 

 

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