| "Crimson on White" | |||
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"I'll never waste another day, forever lost, no reason He never chose to play this game Taken too far out of control Liar, you tempt me I don't know what to do, no guilt is in my heart I don't know what to do, I'm not the reason" ~ Self Deception, by Lacuna Coil Safehouse 1 11th floor, Medics Lounge It was dark. But it wasn't pitch black. It was that kind of dark where you could see certain things but you had to look a little away from it to see it clearly. That was the kind of dark it was. And he saw certain things. A figure on the floor. It was moving. But only a little. He sat up, grimacing at the tightness in his chest. It was hard to breathe. The figure was moving again and he could not figure out who it was. He couldn't stand, hell, he could hardly catch his breath. The air was so thick it was almost choking him. A sudden burst of light caused him to squint his eyes, but it died down quickly and was replaced by a softer glow. A candle. Whoever it was lit a candle. He closed his eyes, leaning back trying to catch his breath. He could feel the figure moving, lighting more candles, each one sending the distinct smell of sulfur from the match into the already oppressive air. "Wake up Joshua," the voice said softly. He opened his eyes and caught his breath. Paige. It was Paige clothed in black silk that clung to her body and barely covered her. Her long golden hair spilled over her shoulders and she smiled softly, lovingly at him. She was breathtaking. But it wasn't Paige. It couldn't be. Paige was in her room, she was resting, she had fallen...so far...it should have killed her. This couldn't be Paige. "Who are you?" he whispered. The Like-Paige smiled again softly. "It's me, Joshua. It's your sweetness." He shook his head, mesmerized by the figure before him. He wanted to look away, wanted to tear his eyes from whoever this Like-Paige was. But he couldn't. He couldn't tear his eyes away. He couldn't move. The Like-Paige moved towards him and he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on edge. She moved until she was in front of him, so close he could reach out and touch her if he wanted. "Look what you did," the Like-Paige said softly then held out her hands. Joshua looked down and his breath hitched in his throat. Chains. Tied around her wrists so tightly, dug into the silken white flesh so deeply they were bleeding. "Look what you did," she said again. His eyes moved back up to hers. "No, I didn't mean to..." She threw her head back and laughed. The sound sent chills down his spine. It was so empty. Could that be possible? An empty laugh? "Yes, you did," the Like-Paige hissed at him, moving over him, straddling him. "Yes, you did," she hissed again. The feel of her hot breath burned his skin. Her skin was so cold it made him shiver. The contrasting feelings left him motionless unable to move, unable to escape. He gazed into her green eyes, dark and glowing with a mischievous tint that promised nothing good would be happening anytime soon. Her head moved slowly back and forth, like a snake moving to the rhythm of a snake tamers tapping foot. Her tongue flicked out and he swore, just before he closed his eyes, he swore it was forked. It rasped against his neck and he hissed as the flesh burned underneath it. "Please stop," he moaned. The Like-Paige giggled. God, it sounded so much like her. "Please stop," she mimicked him then giggled again. "I could have asked the same of you...but I didn't. Cuz I love you baby, love you like no other." "No," he said trying to find his strength. "Oh yes," she said excitedly pulling on his hair forcing his head back. "I love you like no other. Love when you hurt me. Love you especially when you hurt me." He felt something hard yet flexible over his throat. A belt. His belt. The Like-Paige leaned into him pressing her chest into his and tightening the belt over his neck, like it wasn't hard enough to breathe already. Her hot breath was in his face, burning it. "I'm so filled with love for you...all the way to the top," she giggled, still moving over him, still holding the belt over his throat. "And what about you...sweetness...what about you?" She was still. Waiting for his answer. But he couldn't answer the Like-Paige, couldn't do anything but stare at her. The expression on her face changed, from excitement, to confusion, then finally to hurt. "I know what you feel," she hissed and stood up suddenly. He noticed her wrists were no longer bound by the chains. "I know exactly what you feel." He stared at her. "Nothing," she said softly. Her voice was filled with so much pain, so much hurt, that he felt his heart breaking with it. In the next instant a knife appeared in her hand and she pulled it across her throat. "NO!" he screamed moving from the couch and grabbing her as she fell limply into his arms. "No, Paige, what did you do? What did you do?" The blood seeped out of her throat, all over her, all over him. The crimson color a sharp contrast on her white skin. He could smell it. "What did you do?" Joshua snapped awake with a sharp intake of breath. He concentrated on drawing in another as he took in his surroundings. It was dark. But it wasn't pitch black. It was the kind of dark where he could see certain things but had to look away from them a little to make them out. He looked to the floor instinctively. Nothing. Nightmare. Had to be a nightmare. But what the hell was it about? He shivered, then shook himself throwing his hair over his shoulder. He had been plagued by nightmares since he was a little kid. And that wouldn't be so bad except that he could never quite remember them. Not fully. He had to think. Paige. Paige was in the nightmare. And black. She was dressed in black. Mission black. He looked to his watch, pressing on the small button to light up its face plate in an eerie green glow. Three o'clock. So he had slept for almost five hours. He took a deep breath and stood to stretch. Five hours was good enough for the long night he had ahead of him. He gathered himself mentally, shaking off the adrenaline from the nightmare and concentrating on the task at hand. The beginning of the game. He hated it but shoved that feeling inside, instead concentrating on the hollowness of his person. The one feeling that remained steadfast when all other feelings deserted him. He walked to the door and entered the medical reception area. There was no one there now, not that it mattered, he had free reign in this building anyway. Joshua walked to Paige's room and opened the door. He stopped just at the threshold, at the sight before him. Paige was awake, sitting up, moving more than she had done just before. But she still looked out of it, like she just dropped onto the planet two seconds ago and needed some directions. And still vulnerable, god, she was so vulnerable to him. It hit him hard, but even then, a part of him was just empty. So empty. And empty people always had an amazing capacity for doing horrific things. Return |
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