Prologue

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This wasn't happening. This could not be happening.

Kurt was dead. Mercedes has accepted that.

So why the hell was she running from him?

"Mercedes, come on!" Rachel yelled at her, reaching for her hand. Mercedes broke out of her state and grabbed Rachel's wrist, allowing the frantic diva to drag her along.

"Where's everyone else?" Mercedes asked, her voice cracking several times. She shuddered and whipped her head around as the lights in the warehouse flickered.

"They're upstairs, but we have to-"

Rachel was cut off as a dark shadow appeared in front of them. Kurt stepped out into the little bit of light, his face teasing. Rachel shrank back into Mercedes' side, gripping her wrist to the point of pain.

Clicking his tongue, Kurt smiled. "Leaving so soon?" He asked playfully, his head cocked to one side. "But Mercy," he drawled, his eyes bearing into hers with such intensity that she couldn't look away, "I thought we were having a sleepover."

Rachel let out an exasperated sob as she lurched forward, swinging her fist at Kurt's jaw. The resulting crack made Mercedes flinch, but she ran after Rachel, ignoring Kurt's taunting chuckle.

"Freeze," He said quietly, just loud enough for Mercedes to hear over their loud footsteps.

Immediately, both her feet were stuck to the ground and she was unable to move. She squeezed her eyes shut and let a sob rake through her frozen body.

"Mercedes!" Rachel yelled, turning around.

"Get outta here!" Mercedes growled back. She opened her eyes and stared at Rachel, silently begging her to save herself. Rachel's head jerked up and down as she nodded. She pivoted on the spot and tried to make a break for it.

"You too, Miss Berry." Kurt's calm voice sounded. He was right behind Mercedes; she could feel his freezing breath on the back of her neck.

Rachel let out a soft scream as she stopped dead in her tracks too. Mercedes refused to take her eyes off of the back of Rachel's quivering head, afraid if she looked anywhere else she would completely lose it. The silence was driving Mercedes to near hysterics already. Just standing there waiting for Kurt to make a move was breaking her down.

All of a sudden, Rachel crumpled to the ground. Mercedes screamed her name, but Rachel didn't respond.

"Relax," Kurt whispered, his lips at her ear, "She's just unconscious."

Mercedes snapped her eyes shut again as Kurt's fingers wrapped around her wrist.

"Turn around."

She had no choice. She was nothing but a puppet on strings; a pawn in Kurt's sick game of chess. Her feet moved on their own account, turning her body around to face her once best friend.

Kurt's one hand stayed on her wrist, his grip firm, but light. His other hand lifted up to touch the locket hanging delicately around Mercedes' throat. Mercedes held her breath; scared of the close proximity of Kurt's hand to her airways. The attack never came; instead Kurt's free hand moved down to grip her other wrist.

"Look at me," he breathed gently. This time Kurt was asking- giving her the choice. Mercedes didn't. She was far too scared of what she would see if she did. Kurt chuckled under his breath.

"Always so stubborn." He sighed. "Mercedes…" he warned, his grip on her wrists tightening in the slightest, "Look at me."

There it was- the demand layered behind the words. Mercedes' eyelids unwillingly opened, revealing Kurt's face. She looked right into his clear eyes; the eyes she once loved- the eyes that used to fascinate her. Sometimes blue, sometimes green. Now they were clear blue; like water. They must have been blue the night he died.

The tiniest hint of a coy smile was pulling at the edge of Kurt's lips. He opened his mouth to say something else, but closed it again, letting the smile break free. Mercedes knew it was supposed to be a sweet, reassuring smile- like he used to give her all the time. But all she could see in it was evil. His eyes continued to hold hers, daring her to look away.

She couldn't.

Kurt let go of one of her wrists and lifted a hand, brushing a few strands of hair off of Mercedes' forehead.

"Are you scared?" He asked so quietly Mercedes almost missed it. She didn't fully grasp he was asking a question, she was so transfixed by his eyes.

Kurt's semi-pleasant features turned into a frown. "Answer me." He demanded in soft voice. Mercedes nodded once, just a slight movement of her head. Kurt's frown softened.

"Are you scared… of me?"

All the metaphorical strings dropped from her face and Mercedes was able to close her eyes again. She nodded once more, terrified of Kurt's next move.

He sighed and pulled her into a tight hug, his arms wrapping snuggly around her back. Mercedes' arms dangled at her sides until they lifted themselves around Kurt's middle. His head moved to the side and he planted a soft kiss on Mercedes' cheek, his cold lips sending a shiver through her whole body.

His lips parted and she felt cool breath on her skin. "Good." He whispered. Mercedes lifted her head to look into Kurt's terrifyingly beautiful eyes once more.

The last thing she saw before the ground came up to meet her was Kurt's wicked smile, taunting her all the way to unconsciousness.