My Gentle Receiver
It was perfect. 20 of the 21 Sacraments fulfilled, their meaningless lives used for a higher purpose. For Mother. For Her, I had done everything. I was fueled with the determination, yearning for the...love... I know I'd finally receive.
Perfect. Just like him.
Mother, please wait a little longer...I'm so close...
Walter Sullivan calmly strutted towards Henry Townshend- the Receiver of Wisdom, the 21st Sacrament, the key to freeing Mother. Injured and with no hope left to hold onto, Henry simply watched with apathy as his killer made his way to him. Eileen was gone; there was nothing left to fight for. He was just too tired to do anything else...
Despite the increase in apathetic feelings the brunette had, he still didn't want to die. He enjoyed his simple life as a photographer. It wasn't much, but it was something Henry excelled at. But as the wheels in Henry's mind began to spin, he was reminded of reality by a swift and painful gunshot.
The pain was horrible. Blood gushed out of the wound like a volcano, mad and without signs of stopping.
'I wanted a fast death...but then again, when in life do you ever get what you want? Not in mine, no...'
Henry fell to the floor, clutching his chest in agony, tears mixing with the red nectar on what was left of the Receiver's white shirt.
"Open your eyes, Henry."
'When had Sullivan walked all the way up to me?' Henry thought as he fought not to open his eyes. He wouldn't give Walter the satisfaction of seeing the light leave his eyes.
"It's best you do what I say, Henry. In case you've forgotten, I rule this world. I can control everything here. I know you're particularly scared of my little puppies...you wouldn't want me to call them here, would you?"
A brand new wave of fear hit Henry, shooting his eyes open. Anything...Anything but those...those monsters...any of the monsters...just... no...
"There's a good boy. That wasn't so hard, now, was it?"
Looking up at the maniac, Henry was overcome with anger. He wanted nothing more than to give Walter a little taste of his own medicine. Killing people for the twisted goal Walter had- It wasn't right!
"W-w-why..."
Walter smiled, not a sarcastic smirk or the grin of an insane man- no. He SMILED.
Henry, fighting the pain flaring in his body, rose a little bit to see and hear what Walter had to say.
"With the other Sacraments, they had reasons. They hurt me, most of them. The others, they were simply annoying. But Miss Galvin and you... you're both different. Miss Galvin was sweet- and by all means attractive. Men dropped down on their knees for her. Even Richard was attracted to Miss Galvin. But sweet, sweet Eileen didn't notice. Sometimes, ignorance is not bliss. Tell me, Henry, do you know what Richard liked as a past time?"
Henry was confused. Did he mean to say- oh. Oh, God, no. Henry's face revealed all of his thoughts, urging Walter to keep going.
With a sad smile, Walter continued:
"That's right, Henry... Richard liked to...entertain...young ladies like Eileen. How odd- Most notice the crimes I commit, but his crimes? Unnoticed. By all."
Henry released what sounded like a mix between a sob and moan of pain. Those poor girls...
"Do you see now, Henry?"
He didn't know how, but he did. Henry understood; Walter killed Eileen...to save her from the fate she was soon to suffer...
"Don't think for a second it was only females, either."
Had Henry been standing, he surely would've fallen after Walter's last comment. That...that meant...
"Yes, Henry. Do you not know how handsome you are? Had both you and Miss Galvin survived, you surely would've been her knight in shining armor. But let's not dwell on that. You, my Receiver of Wisdom, shall bless me with my Mother...the one I long to be with! You, with your pure heart, pure soul, Shall award me The Ultimate Gift! You are truly the perfect human-untainted, despite what I had to put you through. I am sorry about that, Henry. But it is for Mother...and I shall be with her again."
Henry closed his eyes, unable to fight the unbearable pain. That sound once again passed through his lips, but the sob was not for him, or anyone who was hurt by Richard.
It was for Walter.
Walter, the insane criminal. But that was the only the mirror surface. Underneath, Walter just wanted love. Unfortunately, he was taught that he had to murder people in order to receive that love.
Receive...
"Don't cry for your soul, Henry. Mother will take you to a better place, one without pain-"
"I'm not."
Walter had barely heard the whisper, but nonetheless he slightly lowered the gun.
"Don't be silly, Henry. Even if you are totally pure, one does mourn for their life-"
"It's you."
Full of confusion, Walter completely lowered the bloody pistol. Henry stopped to regain his breath, which was ragged.
"You...all, all you, you w-wanted w-w-was lo-love...I w-would h-have h-h-helped you...I'm-I'm- I'm so sor-sorry, Wa-Walter..."
Henry stopped talking, and closed his eyes. He was slipping, He could feel it. Fresh tears escaped his shut eyelids, mourning for the poor soul known as Walter Sullivan.
Drip. Splash. Drip. Splash.
What's that sound-"AHHHHHHHHH!"
The pain, the pain!
In Henry's confusion over the noise, Walter had without mercy attacked him, carving the numbers 11121 in Henry's Chest.
Henry quickly stopped shouting when he noticed a cooling wetness on his chest, burning his wounds but soothing his unmarked flesh. Opening his dark brown orbs, he stared into wet, bright green ones.
Wet.
Walter was crying.
The two stared into the other's eyes, as Walter continued to damage Henry, pushing him further over the edge to death. The tears continued to roll, the pain continued to escalade.
Henry didn't seem to mind.
As the numbers were finished, Henry once again began to close his eyes. He could feel himself beginning to drift, once again. Smiling slightly, he raised a shaky hand to the wet cheek of Walter Sullivan, his murderer. His angel of death.
"G-go-goodby-bye...Wal-ter..."
The last thing Henry saw in this life was the mouthing of Walter's trembling lips.
Piano. A lovely sound for such an unlovely death. Then again, he died to reunite Walter with his "Mother"...perhaps it wasn't as bad as he originally thought.
Such a nice, lovely sound...
Henry was drifting in death, relieved for the break from constant pain and nightmares. Here, there was nothing. Or at least, there had been nothing...
Where was that music coming from...?
Opening his eyes for the first time since he died, Henry was shocked to see so much...plainness.
'Surely, the other side would decorate a bit better than th-what the hell...'
It wasn't the other side.
It was Room 302- Mother.
Fear back in his system, Henry rushed up, only to be gently pushed back. Good thing too, Henry felt for the first time upon waking up his headache.
"You mustn't move for a while, Receiver."
That voice- of course. He was with Mother now.
Opening his brown orbs, Henry looked with confusion at Walter Sullivan. His angel of death -or life?
"What...the hell?"
"Confused? I figured so. You see, Henry, Mother helps those she loves...and she helped you."
"So, it...it worked?"
"The 21 Sacraments? Yes, my dear Receiver. Yes."
A comfortable silence occurred, then Henry had to ask his burning question.
"What...what are you going to do with me?"
Silence. As the clock ticked, Henry became more and more worried about his fate.
"Wal-Walter?"
Silence once again.
Henry was just about to shake Walter's shoulder when the blonde suddenly looked at him.
"Henry, Mother has allowed permission for you to stay here."
"She...has? But why?"
In the blink of an eye, Walter was inches away from Henry's face. With no time to spare, Walter gently kissed Henry's lips.
"That's why, my Gentle Receiver."