Chapter 7: Dusty Old House of Wax

"Wow, it's so empty." Carly said absentmindedly.

"Uh, well, you know these small towns. Everyone sleeps and mind their own business. Not much activity after the-" Adriana scanned the walls of the empty buildings for some plausible excuse, "Beauty pageant. Miss Ambrose pageant."

Adriana pointed at the posters and raised an eyebrow. She saw the two of them slow down and Wade whispered, a little too loudly, in Carly's ear.

"Wonder how many teeth you have to have to win that one." He said.

Adriana smiled inwardly.

"Shhhush," Carly said with a stifled giggle.

"Anyways, gas station is right at the end of the street. I have to bolt, you guys can manage?" Adriana asked cheerfully.

"Yeah, thanks for coming with us." Carly said and Wade raised a hand to wave.

"Babe, there's a pet store!" Adriana slowly walked along the street and that was the last thing she heard coming from the bubbly blonde.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Adriana walked along the empty street towards the Sinclair house. She was walking slower than usual as she thought deeply of the two people she had just left behind. The invisible threads that bound them together - the strangers and the Sinclairs - was the design of fate. A fate working against the well-being of humanity. How many more times more would Adriana and Vincent be accomplice to the late Trudy Sinclair's dreams? How many more souls to be snuffed to fill an empty run down House of Wax?

No matter how good a family felt for an orphan like Adriana, she knew the difference between right and wrong. Killing was wrong. It was wrong. True she had a morbid fascination with Vincent's life-like wax models, it held the same creep factor as a body in a coffin or discovering a rotten corpse in a lake. Why did she help? Because she was messed beyond saving. Adriana had the same urges that Bo had to win the approval of their dead mother. Like Lester had said, how do you get away from the only thing certain in life?

Adriana opened the unlocked door and entered.

"Bo!" She called getting no answer, "Vincent! Damn men!"

Adriana flung the door of the elder Sinclair's surgery and entered. She saw the light coming from the trapdoor in the floor. Adriana knelt on the floor and opened the smooth door. She jumped down and sprinted through the corridors she knew all too well. Adriana found him standing with his back towards her. His umkempt black hair swayed as he moved swiftly back and forth with a candle in his hand. She was quiet as usual as she crept and wrapped her hands around his waist. The classical music hummed softly in the air.

"I swear you have more fun with her than me." Adriana snorted, "She's got a nice chest. Smaller than mine but still nice."

Vincent put the candle and spatula down and turned around to face her completely. She was looking at him with a tender face which made him a little uncomfortable. He hated intense scrutiny when it came to his face. Her hand was on his chest inching downwards slowly then around his waist to the back. Vincent felt her fingers fumbling with the knot in his apron eventually prying it open.

Adriana had always been quick. She knocked off his waxen face and pulled him in for a feverish kiss. He never predicted when she would do this but she got him every time. Not that this bothered him much anymore. Adriana was the only one he allowed to ever touch him like that. Intense scrutiny leading to the hot and heavy was always welcome.

"One of these days, we'll have to marry, my dearest. A baby should not come out of wedlock. Where's Bo?" She asked while scratching his back lightly from under his shirt.

Vincent shook his head while pressing himself closer to her. She was at the edge of the table now with a feral look in her eyes. That look was the one she wore when moving in for the kill. He lusted over that look alone.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Bo knelt in front of his mother's coffin as the pre-recorded sermon droned on and on. It was a Sunday and so he liked to continue this tradition he conjured up on his own. He had waited for the others to come join him as they grudgingly do but concluded their newest art forms were higher priority than a little sermon. They would come eventually. Bo heard them finally. The beautiful blonde and her dimwit boyfriend came closer to the church. Nice.

"Let us all bow our heads and say a prayer for our beloved deceased friend." Bo listened mouthing the words with his hands folded.

"Why don't we ask someone in the church?" Carly said. Music to ears, Bo thought.

They barged in, decrepit on manners as they were, and then were profusely mouthing sorry. He sighed closing his eyes and finished the small prayer. Seeing that they were gone, he pushed the stop button on the recorder. He stepped out of the church into the dim sun.

"Hey, man, sorry about walking in. We didn't know..."

"You shouldn't have walked in," Bo said curtly. He pulled out a cigarette box out of his pocket and pulled one out.

"Yeah, I know. It's just that we have car trouble. We're not from this town," Wade began explaining.

"We were looking for Bo. He works at the gas station." Carly said stepping close to him and smiling subtly.

"You found him," Bo said taking his first puff.

"Really? Well, we need a fan belt. We were camping up the road and-" Wade said. Ungrateful wench, Bo thought gleefully.

"A fan belt?" Bo chuckled darkly, "You walk in on a funeral for a fucking fan belt?! Well, let me just go dump the casket in the ground. I'll be right there."

"Look, we're sorry." Carly said pouting her heart shaped lips.

"Yeah." Bo walked away from them back into the church. Let them wait, he thought standing on the other side of the church door. Bo glanced momentarily at his mother and a dark feeling washed over him. He returned back outside, "Hey, I'm sorry. You know, someone very special to me passed. And I didn't mean to take it out on you."

"No, no, no. It's totally understandable." Carly replied arching her eyebrow.

Bo smiled at her. What would it be like to have someone cling on him the way she clinged to her boyfriend?

"I reckon things will wrap up soon. Why don't I meet you guys back at the station in about a half?" Bo asked. This would give him ample time to ready things at the house for the kill. But Bo strongly did not want to kill the girl.

"That'd be great, if that's okay." Carly said quickly, a subtle blush staining her cheeks.

"Yeah." Bo returned inside the church.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Vincent's hands were flying all over Adriana's taut body. He wanted her clothes to disappear but she just smiled wickedly at him. Adriana was now lying on top of his work table with him over her. Dust floated from the ceiling and Adriana gently pushed him back. Vincent savoured the feeling of her hot skin against his.

"Look," she whispered.

"Hello?" Wade called from above, "Anyone in here? See? We're fine."

Adriana sat up pulling down her tank top. Vincent's arm was still around her waist. It was the idiot Wade. He was prying inside the killer's den. What was wrong with him? Did he need to rent a brain?

"How cool is this? Everything in here is wax. The floor, the walls. Look at this. This is wax." Wade exclaimed excitedly.

"Yeah. Cool. Awesome." Carly replied monotonously.

Something about him made Adriana doubly sad. Often, she detached herself from potential figures but this guy was bumbling about a House of Wax pointing out figures to his deadbeat girlfriend. Adriana hopped off the table and listened. Although Vincent gave her undivided attention and devotion, Adriana could not help but wonder what a normal relationship would be like. What would Wade be like, or the ruffian, the dark one or the curly top one?

"Aren't there supposed to be famous people in a wax museum? I don't recognize this guy." Wade said. Vincent turned off the classical radio.

"'Trudy opens House of Wax,' 'Trudy's wax carvings are a hit at the state fair,' 'Trudy and husband are expecting first child.' Since when is a wax sculptor a celebrity?" Carly asked and pacing the floor above them.

"Oh, no. There's a fire. Help me, Carly! I'm melting. My skirt's gonna catch fire. My legs are burned." Wade joked.

Adriana raised an eyebrow. She may have been curious about other men but Vincent and his artwork were her genuine loves.

"Is he burning something up there?" Adriana asked quickly, "If he is, I suggest we slit them now."

Vincent shook his head.

"Fine, later." Adriana leaned against the table and Vincent continued moulding the lady.

"That's not cool," Carly said.

"Vincent? Another Vincent." Carly continued as they scoped through the House of Wax. Adriana was pleased they were acknowledging Vincent for the talent he was, "This Vincent guy's quite the artist."

"Yeah, I think this Vincent guy needs therapy." Wade said. A ripple of anger went through Adriana. She watched Vincent absorbed in his work.

Vincent heard them exhange sarcastic jokes amongst themselves. Were all humans like this? Judge people before they saw them or understood their histories? It made him angry and furious. He saw the hurt in Adriana's eyes. More than the fury, he felt the curiosity to see these two people trespassing in his House of Wax and clearly not appreciating what they saw.

"Hey! Where are you going, Vincent?!" Adriana called after him but he was gone, "Come back!"

Adriana sighed heavily as she heard his heavy footsteps leave the dark corridors. A few minutes later, she heard Carly gasping upstairs.

"What? What is it?!" Wade inquired.

"I just saw someone!"

"It was probably just a wax thing." Wade concluded after pacing the floor.

"It wasn't a wax thing. It was moving and it was freaky-looking."

Adriana felt her heart bleed when she heard Carly say that. Cruel was the epitome of people who were ignorant. Adriana heard them leave.

Vincent returned and Adriana looked at him blankly.

"You were not supposed to do that." She said gently, "You will scare them away. They do not understand and we will have no figures to work with."

He nodded and continued to work on the figure.

"I wonder what it's like to live out there. You know, Florida or wherever they came from. They look like they have a lot of fun. I mean harmless, non-predatory fun." Adriana laughed and then continued solemnly, "I don't know if this is right anymore. Making these figures."

Vincent stopped momentarily and considered her words. He thought too about this. But it was the dream of his mother and brother. How could he go against them? How could he bury the only talent he had. He loved Adriana and could not fathom life without her. What if she left him for a stupid place like Florida? No, he would never let it come to that. Vincent would rather imprison her in his wax castle than let her go. He loved her too much.

Adriana watched him work efficiently on the woman's back making a perfect contour and ridges of her ribs. He was a brilliant artist. Yet, when he looked up she saw the possessiveness and jealousy that resided in his eyes. A flicker of intense emotion flashed in his eyes. Everytime she hung around Bo or potential male figures. It was as if Vincent could size up his inadequacies when she was with intact men. It was especially different now that Adriana was going to be a mother. She did not tell Vincent, she couldn't bring herself to do it.

Adriana could not understand this since she remained faithful to him for the last twenty years - since she was fourteen years old. A sudden chill went down her spine. For the first time, she was scared of being here alone with him and in the House of Wax too.


Dendara: How's that for foreshadowing?! HEHEHEHE