Hello everyone! I wrote this for Halloween upon the request if a friend. Hope you enjoy it and not be too disturbed by the end of this. Oh and just for the record this is the 'friendlier' version of the story. If you want me to post a more 'intense' version, tell me in a review! If enough people, about 10, show interest then I will do it!
Disclaimer: (Insert witty disclaimer here)
Anyhow on to the story...
He had seen and heard it all. The knife gleaming in the moonlight. The scream that pierced the prevailing silence and the thud of the body colliding with hard concrete. He backed away slowly from the scene, shaking his head in disbelief while his suddenly quivering hand covered his mouth. His heart raced and adrenalin infused blood pounded in his ears. He trembled in anticipation as he neared the bend in the alley that would lead him to the safety of the main street.
He didn't make it…
"Roxas!" A feminine voice that he knew all too well called from behind him.
Roxas turned around. A grin graced his features at the familiar sight of his blonde girlfriend. She strode towards him calmly, sapphire eyes radiating tenderness and affection, and hugged him in greeting as soon as he was in range.
He breathed in her scent, a mixture of roses and Jasmine flowers, and felt the warmth radiating off of her pale silk-soft skin. After a few seconds of bliss, they broke contact to examine each other. Roxas noted that Naminé was wearing a sleeveless black lacy dress that was torn strategically at the edges. Underneath it were fishnet stockings that were also torn and revealed more skin than they concealed. Her hands and forearms were covered in black gloves that looked worse for wear, as if they belonged in another century. However, it was her makeup that really amazed him, she looked deathly pale and had a stitched scar surrounding her whole neck, giving the impression that at one point she had been decapitated then her neck and head were somehow sewn back together. If Roxas were to describe her look in two words he'd have chosen grotesquely beautiful.
"You look stunning, I think you'll win the best costume competition hands down." Roxas spoke as he reached out and squeezed her hand.
"You really think so, Larxene helped me with the makeup, I thought she might've went too far." Naminé said, while she nervously squeezed Roxas' hand.
"No you look perfect, and you always will in my eyes." He said sincerely as he drew closer to the blonde girl, pressing his lips to hers gently before he drew back and smiled softly.
Naminé smiled back, eyes lighting up in sheer joy. "Well, you're costume is better than mine." She eyed the frayed, worn black tux that her boyfriend wore, noting the crooked necktie and torn shirt, in addition to the peeling leather shoes. His skin had a faint green quality to it but she concluded that makeup was behind it.
"Ready to go Nami?" Roxas asked when Naminé was done ogling him.
"Yes!" she exclaimed excitedly as she linked their fingers together, sapphire eyes glittering under the ever present grey moon.
Roxas was both nervous and excited. This was his first official date with Naminé, actually his first official date with a girl, and he did not want to ruin it. He had met her a few days ago, in the town's library while doing some research for school. She had helped him find the book that he was looking for and as a way of thanking her he had invited her to a nearby coffee shop. They had chatted about a lot of things, half of which he couldn't remember because he was too lost in her stunning ocean-blue eyes and mirthful laughter. Somehow things escalated to holding hands, hugs and finally kisses. All of this during a couple of days. He had asked her a few days ago if she wanted to go with him to his friend Demyx's Halloween party, she had agreed eagerly and that's where they were heading now.
Unfortunately, neither noticed the figure watching them across the street shrouded by the shadows…
The walk to Demyx's house was relatively uneventful, except that Roxas couldn't shake the chill that suddenly overwhelmed him but when he turned his gaze to Naminé, he saw that she seemed completely comfortable in her mini-dress. She caught him looking and smiled gently at him, leaning comfortably closer to him as she walked.
However Roxas couldn't get the strange feeling to leave him. He surveyed his surroundings carefully, hoping to spot the source of his discomfort. They were walking down the sidewalk of one of the main streets in town with not a soul in sight, Halloween decorations adorned houses, shops, trees and even the street lamps were not spared. But there was nothing strange about that, it was Halloween. What he did find was strange was the fact that the air was still and not even a single breeze had blown in their direction all night, as if waiting in anticipation for what was about to unfold. The silence was deafening and Roxas couldn't help but think that this was uncomfortably close to the settings used in gory horror movies.
Roxas shook his head as if to dislodge the eerie thoughts from his head. Naminé noticed and gave him a concerned look. His reply was a forced smile and a reassuring squeeze of her hand. She opened her mouth to question further but closed it again when the sound of blaring music drifted into her ears.
The house they stood in front of was by no means small. It had two stories and a pool in front with a large carefully trimmed lawn. Halloween decorations were scattered everywhere, from carved pumpkins and plastic skeletons to paper witches and fake blood, and there were a LOT of them. As if silently warning those who dared enter their owners' house.
The house looked packed with people, some were dancing maniacally around the lawn and others sitting and chatting the pool. The thing that they all had in common were the Halloween costumes that they wore. Roxas didn't dare even think about going inside, he reasoned that he would probably suffocate from lack of oxygen with all the people breathing the same air… However he was brought out of his train of thoughts when he saw a person, dressed in a vampire costume, walking to greet him.
"Demyx!" He exclaimed as soon as he recognized him, his dark blonde hair styled into a mullet/Mohawk was always a dead giveaway, "Long time no see man!"
"You too Rox, and who's the lovely lady with you?" Demyx smiled, showing off his fake fangs.
"This is Naminé, Naminé this is my friend Demyx." Roxas introduced them.
"Pleased to meet you" Naminé said, a friendly smile gracing her pretty face.
"The pleasure is all mine." Demyx seemed taken aback by Naminé's open and welcoming attitude, but he composed himself quickly. His face turned grave so quickly that it was almost comical "Any news on him?"
Roxas went rigid. His hands clenched tightly to hide the fact that they were suddenly trembling. "No." he uttered, voice laced with something akin to apprehension.
"But that's good, isn't it?"
"No, that's what scares me." Roxas looked down, reality seemed to drift away from him as unwanted memories forcefully crashed into his mind. He stood there for a few long seconds with a faraway look in his eyes. The only thing that snapped him out of it was Naminé's voice calling his name with urgent anxiety.
"Roxas are you okay?" She repeated softly as she moved to hug him reassuringly. She cupped his face gently when they drew apart giving him an inquiring look.
"I'm fine." Roxas, forcing his second smile that night.
She seemed to doubt him for a second, but then she just nodded and hummed in acceptance.
Roxas felt a stab of guilt at lying to his girlfriend but he couldn't bring himself to tell her, not because he didn't want her to know but because he didn't have the courage to delve into that matter yet. He had hoped that if he ignored the memories and pushed them to the darkest of corners in his brain then he would eventually forget and it would all go away.
As deep in thought as he was, Roxas barely heard Demyx speak. "Well, I gotta go. I've got so much to do, enjoy the party!" However he did watch as he disappeared into the house.
Roxas looked at the blonde girl beside him, took a deep breath, cleared his mind and asked, "Ready to have some fun?"
"Of course." She beamed, and Roxas thought his heart would explode from happiness. Little did he know that it wouldn't last…
"Naminé!" Roxas called, chest constricting in anxiety. "Nami please answer me!"
It was entirely his fault. He shouldn't have waited so long to look for her. She had gone to get some drinks for them but never returned. He'd waited for full five minutes, coming up with excuses to why she was late, when they were up he'd tried to call her phone number but all he got was the dial tone. He had waited some more, thinking that it was irrational for him to worry so soon. Now he cursed himself for that decision.
It was fifteen minutes later when he had started to freak out. He had scoured the whole house checking every single room for any sign of her. He found none. However he did bump into Demyx again who told him, when he asked, that he had seen Naminé leave the party a while ago and that she was on the phone so didn't hear him when he called out her name. Roxas didn't even stick around to hear the details, he had sprinted outside of the house and onto the street they that had walked up to a few hours ago.
It was now half past midnight, exactly twenty five minutes since he had last seen Naminé. The streets had gotten darker and the moonlight seemed to be doing little to ease it. Roxas walked down the sidewalk, being extremely attentive to every sound or movement around him. He had decided that he would go to the police office at the end of this street and report his missing girlfriend. However he hoped that it wouldn't come to that, he hoped that she was okay and that there was a reasonable explanation for her sudden disappearance.
It was then that he heard it, a muffled conversation coming from the alley to his left. Under normal circumstances he would've just moved on and forgot about it, but these were hardly normal circumstances and he was fairly sure that he had heard Naminé's voice. So without further thought into the matter, Roxas stepped into the alley.
It was significantly darker and his vision took a few seconds to adjust to the new light level, or lack of thereof. Only a few beams of silvery light penetrated the two buildings on either side of him, without them he wouldn't be able to see his hand right in front of his face.
He moved deeper into the alley. He listened to a rational part in his brain told him to walk on the tips of his toes and make as little sound as possible. The closer he got to the source, the clearer the voices became. He found himself unconsciously listening attentively to them as he neared a bend in the alley.
"...stay away from me!" It was Naminé's voice, he was definitely sure of that now, and she was panicking.
A burst of maniacal laughter echoed around the alley's decaying walls. It made Roxas stop as time seemed to stop and blood froze in his veins. That laugh, he knew it all too well.
It can't be, he thought.
He started moving again this time with more urgency in his gait.
"Why should I? You dared touch what's mine." He said. To any other person the tone the words were spoken with would seem neutral, however Roxas knew it was far from it. He was angry, in fact angry was probably the understatement of the century.
The alley seemed to stretch on so endlessly that the prospect of reaching Naminé in time was almost laughable to Roxas, but he never gave up. He had to get her away from him, that person was a psychopath.
"I-I don't… know what you are… t-talking about." Naminé's voice was strained as if she lacked air.
Was he strangling her? Roxas thought frantically as he pushed himself to an even faster pace. He wouldn't go that far, would he?
"Yes you do you bitch! You stole him from me and now you'll pay the price!"
Naminé screamed.
Roxas rounded the corner.
What he saw, made him lean heavily against the wall as every shred of energy he previously possessed seemed to desert him.
No!
Naminé was pushed against the opposite wall, her body partially concealed by her attacker's, who had his back to Roxas. He wore a black coat that covered all his body except his hair, head and neck. Even if he had covered every inch of his body, Roxas would have recognized him easily. The excessively lean and tall body and disheveled crimson red hair were recognizable anywhere even in the murky darkness of the alley. It was definitely Axel, his ex-boyfriend.
Oh God please no!
It was then that Roxas noticed the knife, lodged way too deep into Naminé's throught, cutting straight through the fake stitch markings on her neck. Blood gushed from the open wound like a never-ending stream. A faint gurgling noise was all that came out from the blonde girl's open mouth and even that stopped milliseconds later. Her body stilled as she succumbed to the merciful darkness of death.
The attacker, no murderer, took a step back and without his support Naminé's body collapsed onto the ground like a lifeless rag doll, a puddle of red growing around her as she fed it from her blood.
NO! No…no…
Roxas backed away slowly from the scene, shaking his head in disbelief while his suddenly quivering hand covered his mouth. His heart raced and adrenalin infused blood pounded in his ears. He trembled in anticipation as he neared the bend in the alley that would lead him to the safety of the main street.
He didn't make it.
Just as he was about to round the corner, he felt something collide with his left foot. Milliseconds later, a shattering sound echoed in the silent, dark alley. He froze completely. His eyeballs, the only thing that he felt he could move, gazed downwards. It took him precious seconds to comprehend what he was seeing in his shocked state, broken glass shards lay at his feet, twinkling brightly in the natural light of the moon like small gems, mocking him with their very existence.
I'm dead. I am so dead. There is no way he didn't hear that! He thought, dread and fear weighing at his heart.
As if in confirmation, the dull sound of footfalls reached his ears. They weren't quick, quite the contrary, they were relaxed and measured. The temperature seemed to drop drastically around him and he couldn't help the shiver that shook his body nor the sinking feeling in his stomach that made him want to retch. The sounds were now closer and closer. Soon Axel would round the corner and he'd be as good as dead.
Roxas screamed at his body to move, but he couldn't. His brain knew what he wanted but it seemed like his limbs were ignoring the messages telling them to FUCKING MOVE! He looked down at his legs as if trying to decipher the reason behind his immobility.
The sound of the footsteps stopped.
Roxas' gaze snapped upwards and his worst fears were confirmed. Axel stood not six feet from him, luminous acid green eyes unfocused and breathing rugged. His red locks covered half of his face, giving the illusion that that half was stained with blood. In his right hand, he held the blade with which he had ended Naminé's life, the blood on it was still fresh. A fat drop of the crimson liquid fell and splashed on the concrete, it seemed to be moving in slow motion to Roxas's perception.
"tsk tsk tsk." Axel tutted and broke their spell of silence first. "Cheating on me Roxas, I'm very hurt." He sounded almost sincere, what contradicted his tone was the sadistic smirk that suddenly appeared on his face and the mad expression that followed it.
"We… w-were not… in a
r-relationship to begin w-with!" Roxas could barely form a coherent reply through the haze of fear that clouded his mind.
It was true, he and Axel never dated. They were really good friends at high school and Roxas had enjoyed his company, until Axel stepped over the line. He started acting strangely around Roxas, not letting anyone touch him and pushing his friends away. He even tried to force himself on the blonde a couple of times, despite the fact that said blonde had told him on several occasions that he wasn't interested. Roxas had refused to talk or even look at him afterwards. However Axel didn't take the hint, he became even more violent, targeting Roxas' friends and even mere acquaintances of him. However after the police got involved in the aftermath of his cruelest act yet, attempted assault and battery of Roxas' younger twin Sora, he disappeared without a trace. A whole month had passed since the incident and Roxas' life had retained some semblance of normalcy. He had even started to cope with it and had been ready to move on with the help of Naminé.
He felt a stab of pain as he realized that she was dead because of him. He was going to confess his love for her after the party because even though they had not spent a long time together, Naminé had managed to charm him, with her easy beautiful smiles, gentle blue eyes and overall loving personality. He had truly loved her with every essence of the word… but now she was gone, all thanks to Axel.
At the realization, something ignited at the back of his mind and all his sorrow, misery and fear seemed to be swallowed by the blaze of the fire that had grown within him. He directed all his hatred at the murderer as he glared at him with newfound courage.
"…Since I'm such a forgiving guy, Roxas. I'm willing to give you another chance-" Axel was saying, totally unaware of the change in Roxas, that is until Roxas cut him off.
"SHUT THE FUCK UP AXEL!" Roxas bellowed. "I'M NEVER DATING YOU, NEVER! YOU HEAR ME?!"
Silence. But it didn't last long as it was broken by Axel's psychotic cackles. Roxas watched warily, thinking that Axel might have finally cracked. However, he never let his guard down.
When the fits of laughter finally died down, Axel straightened up, his expression was somber. "I see. So this is how it is." A pregnant pause followed, "Fine, but if I can't have you, then no one else can!"
Suddenly, he was sprinting towards Roxas, knife held threateningly with his eyes shining madly. Roxas cried out in alarm, but no one was around to hear it. That cry turned to an agonized scream as the knife penetrated the soft flesh of his abdomen. Yet Axel still grasped the hilt, he dug it in deeper and twisted it around. Roxas' voice cracked from the strain, the only sounds he could make where the pained gasps that escaped his lips.
After what seemed like centuries of agonizing torture, Axel let go. Roxas collapsed, the blade still implanted in his body. He was still conscious, fighting the mind-numbing waves of pain that threatened to drown him in darkness.
He looked up just in time to see Axel kneel next to him and faintly registered what he said, "It's a pity that you refused, we were going to have so much fun together. Good bye Roxas." Axel stood up and turned around as he was about to leave the alley.
No it can't end like this! I can't let him get away with this! He'll just keep on hurting other people… Roxas thought as he silently fought to stand up without passing out. Axel was standing with his back to him, it looked like he was occupied with his phone for now.
Once he was finally standing, Roxas turned his attention to the knife imbedded deeply within him. The wound was deeper than he thought and he found himself pondering the reason why he could even stand up, it looked like he should be dead just from the blood loss. Must be the adrenaline, he reasoned.
He clutched the hilt of the knife with a vice like grip and prepared himself physically and mentally to pull it out. He knew that once it was out, he'd have to be quick as he would start to lose blood at an even faster rate which would weaken him immensely. Roxas took in a very deep breath, then as he was exhaling he pulled the blade out with one quick, harsh tug. His insides were on fire and he unconsciously bit down on his lip to stop himself from crying out. Apparently he had bitten down too hard and the coppery taste of blood filled his mouth, but he ignored it as he focused on the task at hand, on revenge. He lurched forward, making little to no sound in the stillness of the night. Thankfully, Axel was too immersed into his phone to notice the blonde creeping up to him. Each step was pure agony, yet somehow he still managed to continue.
He stood behind the murderer, bloody blade in hand. He briefly considered that he was about to become a murderer himself, but he shoved those thoughts deep into his mind. They meant nothing to him anyway, he was dying and he could feel it.
This is for you Sora, Naminé.
Roxas plunged the blade into the back of Axel's neck, severing all the vital blood vessels and nerves in its way and making it cleanly through to the other side. Axel didn't even utter a sound, he just crumpled like a puppet with all the strings cut. At first Roxas felt a horror like no other at the deed he had just committed, but that slowly dissipated to resignation and relief. On the ground, something caught his attention and at a closer look he confirmed that it was Axel's mobile. The one he had been staring at with such intensity that it allowed Roxas to sneak up on him. The screen was facing upwards so he could see what was displayed, it was a photo of him and Axel, before Axel developed his crazy obsession, they were sitting at the steps leading to the main train station and having sea-salt ice cream, and both were grinning widely. Roxas' vision blurred with tears, as he lifted his foot and brought it crashing down on the phone. The device broke into pieces and the screen blackened, never to work again.
He turned around, going back into the alley to where Namié lay on the cold, hard ground. With every step he took, he could feel his strength ebb away. He was cold, hopeless and defeated. His face was stained with Axel's blood and his cerulean eyes were a few shades darker, duller. Yet he forced himself on, relying on his determination to see Naminé one last time.
He knelt beside her. Tears clouded his vision momentarily as he gazed at her motionless, dead form. Her face was even paler than before and it had nothing to do with makeup this time. Her lips were blue and her once lively blonde hair, was dyed in a dark red colour that appeared almost black in the dim lighting from the moon. What disturbed him the most were her eyes however, they were wide open, exactly like they were when her life was viciously ended, and were staring at the starless sky with a terror filled gaze.
Slowly Roxas reached out with both blood-stained hands and grabbed hold of Namine's unmoving ones. He held them gently and pressed them to his face, feeling the soft skin against his cheek.
"N-Naminé…I'm so… sorry." He had difficulty forming the words and even as he uttered them they sounded strained and laced with pain. "This… i-is all… m-my fault…"
He didn't have much time left and he knew it. There was no point in feeling sorry for himself or even in hoping that somehow he'd survive, he was beyond caring right now. Even the pain in his abdomen seemed far away, like a vague memory that he couldn't put his finger on. All he hoped for was that his family wouldn't be traumatized by his death, that Sora would get over it and not let it hold him back. He had suffered enough from Axel.
As he took his last breath, a small smile appeared on his face. He collapsed next to Naminé, their hands entwined with their fingers laced together as if they would never let go.
The last thing he uttered was, "I…love you…Naminé…"
The last thing he saw was, the grey moon, full and dull, watching over him from the heavens above.
The last sounds he heard were, the faint wails of the sirens of approaching police cars…
So... yes, I killed Naminé... and Axel...and probably Roxas as well. I guess I was in the mood when I wrote this. BD
So two things! Do you want a continuation of this where Roxas survives? Or a prequel about how things became this bad with Axel and Roxas? Tell me in a review along with your thoughts on this Fanfic and I'll hopefully do it. No promises though... XD
Thank you for reading this!
Love, RBR.