Hey there guys and girls! It's been AGES I know. Sorry! Real life kinda took over for a bit. I promise to do my best to get the next chappie up sooner! :)
As always I'd like to thank each and every one of my spectacular readers. Thank you SO much for reading. You are truly amazing. Of course, a special word of thanks go out to all my INCREDIBLE reviewers. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've smiled because of your amazing reviews.
I'd also like to take this moment to thank the spectacular tinianiatt! Beta-reader extraordinaire!
This chapter is dedicated to Elegos-Sirinial-Shamtul in honor of his seventeenth birthday!(Which has already passed)
Enjoy the chappie folks! :)
The ghostly remnants of Herry's broken heart haunted every corner of the school. For Herry, although not as respected as Jay or as worshipped as Neil, was known as one of the nicest guys in school, and his pain was everyone's pain.
Perhaps it was due to the public nature of the event, but no one was particularly neutral about the subject. The majority of the student body had become vehement Medelia-haters and took every chance they got to hiss at her angrily while sympathetically patting Herry on the back. This majority also took note of Medelia's blackened eyes and, as is always the case with such things, quickly found out who was to blame- or in this case, thank. Sunehri and Rosalie had been lifted to official 'hero' status due to the beating of Medelia and, even though they kept insisting that it wasn't an honourable act, were met with an ongoing barrage of admiration.
Then there was the minority… the cheerleaders, plastics and pretty faces that firmly stood by their queen bee. Their venomous hate for Theresa, Sunehri and Rosalie was only eclipsed by their conviction that Jay was a fool to let Medelia slip through his fingers.
Thus, with the divide between the students firmly in place and the delicious flavour of the Herry-Medelia gossip wearing off, the school year raced ever closer to its end. In fact, most of the student body had started experiencing that first uncomfortable twist of nerves that came with the realization that the final exams weren't that far in the future anymore. Odie, of course, experienced this realization most powerfully and wasted no time in trying to cram even more knowledge into his already hyper-sized brain. The surest sign that the end of school was approaching, however, came from the girls in the school. For someone had dared to whisper the word 'Prom' and set in motion a dress-finding frenzy of apocalyptic proportions.
"So what colours are you going for?" was Theresa's not-so-surprising question to Atlanta when the dress-frenzy was reaching an all time high. "What about pink?"
Atlanta groaned. She had expected the 'dress-talk' sooner or later. She'd have preferred later…
"I'm not wearing a dress," she said firmly. "And definitely not pink. Don't you think it's a little too soon to start planning what you're going to wear that night?"
"No it's not," Theresa said in exasperation. "We should have started planning weeks ago. We can't waste any more time. And why don't you want to wear a dress?"
"Because I hate dresses. They're annoying and you can't do anything in them, except look like a stupid damsel in distress to every chauvinistic male within a ten mile radius."
"But they make you looks pretty and feminine. And there's nothing wrong with looking good for the guys."
Atlanta stared balefully at Theresa. "I can look great in pants too. Like I said all the other times you've tried to get me in a dress or skirt, a real guy will like me even if I'm wearing nothing more than a garbage bag. I'm not gonna turn into some girly-girl just to please someone else. Besides, Archie likes me just the way I am."
Theresa shrugged and resigned herself to walking back to the Brownstone with a fire of determination firmly set in her eyes. It was quite clear that she'd get Atlanta to wear a dress to the prom, even if it was the last thing she ever did in this mortal coil. Judging by the equally determined expression Atlanta had on her face, it very well might be.
They arrived home to find the spot where Herry's truck was usually parked empty. Jay's worried voice carried clearly down the hall when Theresa and Atlanta pushed through the open front door.
"-that you can't look after yourself, Herry. All I'm saying is that it's not safe for any of us to go out on our own. Not even Archie. At least let one of the Marines go along with you."
Theresa came to a halt in the front door. Jay was standing with his back turned to her. He had his PMR pressed firmly to his ear. He sighed and slowly rubbed his palm across the back of his neck.
"Herry, you should have at least told me before you left. You should have taken one of the Marines with you."
Jay gave a sudden jerk and pulled the PMR away from his ear. Theresa couldn't be sure, but she got the distinct impression that Herry was telling Jay exactly how he felt about their military babysitters. Jay's lips went into a pleasant upward curl that seemed to be quite involuntary indeed.
"Fine, just get home at a decent time, or else Athena's going to kill me. And don't get yourself killed," he added in what was obviously a failed attempt at humour.
The conversation was finished and Jay's PMR snapped shut in next to no time. He had a slight bemused expression on his face. He turned to Theresa and Atlanta, shaking his head in disbelief.
"What's up with Herry?" Atlanta asked interestedly.
"He actually managed to ditch his babysitter and sneak out of the city. He's gone to spend the day on Granny's farm."
"Well, that's not fair! Why does he get to run around when we have to stay locked up in the Brownstone? I wouldn't mind getting out too, you know," Atlanta said irritably.
Theresa and Jay's eye's met and for a moment of silence they were locked in furious communication. He nodded, causing a relieved smile to spread onto her face.
Atlanta stared at the silent exchange with increasing annoyance. Did they really have to do that whole 'we can speak without saying a word' thing so often? 'Cause it was really getting annoying. She sighed, stepped forward and swiftly waved her arms in the air to gain their attention.
"Mind letting me in on the secret?"
"It's nothing really," Theresa said. "It's just that this is a good sign. Herry's must want to be alone so he can clear out his thoughts. Who knows, maybe even get over Medelia once and for all."
This answer apparently wasn't what Atlanta expected, and the angry words she'd been preparing, about Herry going out being unfair, died away instantly.
"Oh. Okay. I guess it's all for the best then. Here's to Herry getting over that sow."
And without further ado Atlanta turned around and stomped up the stairs.
"You really think this trip will help?" Jay asked Theresa when Atlanta's stomping finally couldn't be heard anymore. "Little less than three weeks does seem a bit soon."
Theresa smiled knowingly. "You'd be surprised. Herry might just forget about Medelia sooner than you think. He knows better than to keep pining after her."
"Let's hope so. It's time we put this Medelia stuff behind us."
Theresa sighed in agreement. It was indeed time to get on with their lives. She could only hope that Herry would come to the same realization.
The twilight sky was ablaze with crimson and gold. The day's last feeble rays brought a sombre atmosphere to the interior of Herry's truck as it shone through the windshield. The young man took one last turn down the gravel road and crested a small hill. He took a moment to look down on the farm where he'd grown up. Everything was as he had left it. With the slight exception of a bare spot where a large apple tree once stood. The apple tree where his life had changed forever…
He forced his mind back to the present and drove the last bit of the way to his former home. Herry stepped out into the cool air only to be swallowed by the incredible silence that seemed to be mandatory for a farm in the countryside. There was something comfortingly familiar about the smell of the old barn and the animals it held.
The memories of countless days spent working in the fields led Herry over the wooden fence and across the dirt that surrounded a tall windmill.
The view from on high was even more incredible than Herry could remember. Maybe it was because this sunset was so incredibly spectacular or maybe he had just missed the farm more than he had wanted to admit to himself. Whatever the case, the sight of the last rays of sunlight caressing the valley below made his chest swell with pride. He could clearly see the fields in which he had eaten countless apples and raced around with Granny's horses. The dam in which he had splashed around as a child reflected the first appearing stars as if a large, circular mirror.
Herry took a deep breath of fresh air and spent another half an hour looking out over the ever darkening sky. Finally, it became too dark to clearly see anything and he made his way back to the barn. He slowly opened the large door and entered the warm light. It was like walking back in time. He could even see the old tire swing Granny had had installed for him. He smiled to himself, giving it a playful push. Herry revolved on the spot, finally coming to a halt when his eyes rested on a familiar four legged farm resident.
"Hey buddy," Herry said happily.
It had been ages since he had last seen Swift, Granny's prized race horse. The animal was truly majestic. His pitch black coat shimmered beautifully under the fluorescent light. Swift's tail swished playfully at seeing Herry and the horse trotted closer to the door of his stall. Herry placed his palm on the beast's head and gently rubbed it along the rich mane of hair that went down his neck. Swift's eyes momentarily closed contentedly. The horse moved forward and playfully nudged Herry's shoulder, making the young man erupt into a joyous fit of laughter.
"I missed you too," he said soothingly. "I can't take you out for a ride though. I have to go back home in a little while."
The horse snorted in what seemed a lot like indignation and once more Herry could not help but laugh. Swift hadn't lost one iota of his fiery personality. He gave Swift's head one last affectionate pet.
"I'll come and visit you soon, I promise," Herry said before leaving the barn.
He got into his truck and turned back onto the gravel road; feeling much happier than he had done when he arrived earlier that day. The peace of Granny's farm had done him good and allowed him to sort out all the troubles that had been floating around in his head.
The terrible ache that had ruled his life in the two and a half weeks since the Valentine's dance was finally gone. Sure, he still felt a little hurt about being used. And yeah, he didn't feel great about the way Medelia had dumped him either, but at least now he felt a little better. It was time to stop hoping she would take him back.
Herry stopped at the off ramp that led to the highway and waited for a freight truck to pass. He looked at the light that shone across the road and realized that he didn't need Medelia to feel happy or good about himself. He had the team, his family, to be there for him. And as long as they were there to stand with him he couldn't be happier.
Herry smiled as he turned onto the highway to begin his long journey back to New Olympia.
Jay sighed in relief when Herry finally entered the Brownstone later that evening. He had allowed the strong teen to go out to Granny's farm without realizing what a hellish fight would erupt as a result. The Commander of the Marine unit that was supposed to be guarding them had been yelling at him and Theresa for well over half an hour now. The rest of the team had heard his considerable voice carrying up the stairs and chose to remain hidden in their various rooms.
"Where the hell have you been?" the Commander roared the moment Herry closed the door. "What's the use of getting my team to protect you if you damned kids keep running off alone?"
"Sorry," Herry said lamely. "I just needed to get out of the city. I didn't mean to cause any trouble."
The Commander's, already considerably red face, darkened alarmingly to an almost purple hue.
"Well, you managed it anyway! Do you have any idea how easily you could have been killed? You kids are not safe! I have half a mind to cancel tomorrow's barbecue to teach you a lesson."
Jay could see Herry's eyes widen in disbelief. He knew how much the barbecue at Granny's house meant to, not only Herry but, everyone on the team. They all needed a break from the grinding monotony of being trapped in the Brownstone's four walls. Thus, as was always the case, Jay intervened.
"That's not really necessary, is it? I'm sure Herry's really sorry for all the trouble he's caused," Jay looked pointedly at Herry who nodded his head in vigorous agreement. "And I know he won't go out without warning again."
Jay noticed the way Herry's face fell at his last statement, but chose to ignore this. Whether Herry liked it or not, they would all have to live with their overbearing military-grade babysitters and their annoying restrictions.
The Commander pinned Jay down with one of his, now infamous, glares. After a moment's deliberation he sighed and relaxed his stiff stance.
"All right, all right, you can go. But on one condition; if any one of you step out of line again-"
"We'll be locked up in the Brownstone till we're thirty," Jay finished for the Commander.
He smiled mischievously at Jay and started to move in the direction of the front door. "I'll hold you to that," he said before disappearing into the night.
The silence lasted only long enough for the door to close. Theresa wasted no time in interrogating Herry.
"Well?" she asked awkwardly. "How were things on the farm?"
Herry blushed. He leaned back against the wall and became very interested in the patterns on the carpet.
"Everything's okay…now."
Theresa gave a hopeful smile and, choosing to take the bull by the horns asked, "So the trip helped to clear your head?"
Herry blushed even more, it was quite obvious that he wasn't entirely comfortable with such in-depth discussions of his feelings.
"I'll be okay," he mumbled and walked over to the kitchen door. "Did Athena save me some dinner? I'm starving."
Jay couldn't help but chuckle at Herry's obvious attempt to change the subject. Some things never changed.
The day of the barbecue at Granny's house couldn't have been more pleasant. The sky was a bright shade of blue and the smells of flowers, wet earth and freshly mown grass cast their sweet fragrances in the air. The temperature was nice and mild, adding to the comfort of the group of people reclining on Granny's porch.
As was usual for parties at Granny's house, Zeus could be counted on to be there; ready to dazzle her with little bits of seemingly random magic. Granny seemed to enjoy his boyish attentions a lot but, alas, things quickly got out of hand when Zeus became too enthusiastic in his attempts to speed up the growth of her rose garden. What started out as a small patch of flowers here and there quickly ended up looking like a secluded glade in the Amazon.
An amused giggle behind Atlanta alerted her to the presence of Gareth and Theresa who were watching Zeus' amorous display while keeping up a constant stream of whispered gossip. Atlanta couldn't hear everything they said, but phrases like, 'Hera will kill' and 'if Zeus doesn't watch out' gave her a pretty good idea. Atlanta had to agree; Zeus was seriously tempting Hera's wrath. If he wasn't going to be more careful they would end up having a serious Olympian smack down on their hands. And if there's one thing Atlanta knew, then it was that she didn't want to be anywhere near Hera when she lost her cool.
Things seemed to calm down slightly when Herry brought out the barbecue to start cooking the meat he had been salivating over all day. In a matter of moments the group had dispersed to their own unique activities. Archie and Atlanta were hyper-actively racing around with a Frisbee while Neil basked in the rays of the sun. And while Odie was furiously concentrating on a nest of birds in the tree nearby, binoculars and opened laptop in hand, Jay was talking to Herry over at the barbecue. This left Theresa, Gareth, Zeus and Granny to talk about what could only be described as some of the most trivial subjects ever conceived.
Questions like, 'Is your accent Polish or German, Granny?' and 'Isn't Hera also your sister?' were being flung about left, right and centre.
Atlanta almost fell over her own feet from laughter as she ran by. Zeus had the most hilariously scandalised expression on his face. This moment of distraction cost Atlanta dearly. For it allowed Archie to catch her off guard, diving into her with both arms stretched wide. The combination of his momentum and her moment of awkward balance led to them falling over spectacularly. They rolled over until they were completely hidden behind one of Granny's wildly growing rose bushes.
Atlanta marvelled at how quiet it had gotten all of a sudden. She also noticed a marked change in the atmosphere, for Archie's slightly nasal laughter had died away and was replaced by his heated gaze brushing over the contours of her face.
"You planned this, didn't you?" asked Atlanta in a voice that failed to be accusatory.
Archie shrugged nonchalantly, neither confirming nor denying his supposed trickery. He shot forward suddenly, bringing his face close to hers. Atlanta could do nothing more than stare into his intensely fiery eyes and try to calm her accelerating heartbeat.
Stupid man, she thought to herself, why do you always have to catch me off guard like that and make me act like a hormonal idiot.
Archie was obviously aware of the effect he was having and swiftly closed the gap between them to plant a kiss on Atlanta's lips. For a moment she stared angrily at the boy who had the audacity to kiss her so suddenly, but soon she found her eyelids falling shut while her lips moved pleasantly along with Archie's. She'd heard of poetry in motion before, but the things Archie was capable of doing by just moving his lips were absolutely ridiculous!
A moment became minutes, and the minutes racked up to fifteen. In truth, fifteen minutes was absolutely nothing compared to what they were capable of if they really got into the heat of the moment. Alas, they could not really get too carried away since the hard ground beneath them didn't do much for the romantic atmosphere. Archie pulled away regretfully, his eyes opening to capture Atlanta's.
"You wanna go find a place where we have less chance of being caught?" he asked in a husky voice.
Atlanta nodded the affirmative. In no time, both teens had straightened up and were walking in the direction of Granny's back door. The innocent faces they were displaying to the world didn't seem to be fooling anyone. Atlanta had a sneaking suspicion that her flushed cheeks and Archie's cheeky grin had something to do with it.
Nevertheless, they pushed forward till they were safely in Granny's kitchen. Unfortunately it was already occupied by Herry, who instantly froze at their arrival with a spoonful of ice cream halfway between his mouth and the freezer. He gave a panicked twitch and looked from the spoon in his hand to the back door.
"We won't tell Granny if you don't tell anyone where we are," Archie whispered conspiratorially.
Herry simply nodded and stepped aside so they could pass. Atlanta took a moment to look back as they passed and noticed the little spatters of ice cream on the inside of the freezer. Herry sure was a messy eater.
Herry's less than savoury eating habits, however, left her mind in an instant when finally they were alone again. Archie pulled her into the nearest closet and pushed the door shut with a near silent click. The darkness that hid them between the dusty coats and fedoras was pleasantly romantic. Atlanta knew that making out in a closet was old fashioned, but there was nothing quite like kissing someone in a dark, enclosed space.
"I think it's time we finished what we started, don't you?" said Archie in a voice that was way too sexy for Atlanta's liking.
She snorted and pushed his advancing face away playfully. "What makes you think I want to? I might not have liked what we started."
Archie ducked under her hand and, placing his hands firmly on her hips, pushed her onto the floor.
"Then maybe I'll just have to show you what I can really do," he said, his lips closing in, in an almost predatory fashion.
Atlanta was pleasantly surprised. Archie was really giving it his all this time. She drove her hands through his purple hair and pulled him closer, her lips beginning to match his in ferocity. Their kiss had evolved into a competition to see who could outdo the other, but Atlanta didn't mind the fact that it was rough. After all, that was the way she liked it.
Gareth leaned back lazily and tipped his empty glass over his open mouth. The lack of liquid came as an annoying surprise and he stared from the empty glass to the back door. Granny's hawk-like eyes didn't miss this and without waiting for even a second she yelled.
"Herry! One of your friends is thirsty. Bring him some lemonade." She looked at the back door expectantly, but no reply came. "Herry? I said your little friend is thirsty! Herry? I hope you're not eating the ice cream! That is for dessert."
Gareth chuckled at the thought of a seventeen year old sneaking ice cream out of the fridge behind his Granny's back. Granny opened her mouth to; once again, call her grandson, but Gareth quickly jumped out of his seat.
"Don't worry Granny. I'll go get the lemonade."
He rushed into the house before Granny could put up a fight about her guests working unnecessarily. Besides, he felt horrible about lazing about while Herry ran around to serve everyone. Gareth trotted into the kitchen and headed for the refrigerator. He was, however, frozen in his tracks by what he saw.
Something of a mix between a snort and a hysteric giggle galloped over his lips. For Herry was bent over in front of the fridge, his extended tongue stuck to the inside of the freezer and his arms flapping as if he was a deranged chicken. Gareth's face reddened rapidly while he tried and failed to stifle his laughter. Herry heard him and immediately stopped waving his arms. He tried to turn the side of his face to Gareth, something which was extremely difficult considering the fact that the strongest muscle in his body was currently being turned into a tongue-sickle.
"Gaweth? Id dat you?" he choked out, causing Gareth's alarmingly violent fit of laughter to intensify.
"Y-yes," he managed to say between loud guffaws. "What the heck happened here?"
"I 'pilled 'ome ice cweam and twied to wick it ub. My tongue id 'tuck. Hewb me!"
Gareth was quite unable to understand most of what Herry said. The only part that seemed to make sense to him was 'Hewb me.' Well, he'd give it a shot. Gareth, having had experience with four year old cousins and freezer doors, quickly ran to the sink and started to fill a jug with hot water. He could hear Herry's frantic movements in the background and found that his eyes were filling with tears of laughter. The immensely thankful expression on Herry's face, as if Gareth was saving him from a particularly torturous fate, did nothing to subdue his joyous hysteria.
"Lean your head back," Gareth ordered, already aiming the spout at a point above Herry's tongue.
The dark haired teen complied, stretching his tongue to an even odder length than before. This time Gareth seemed more like he was coughing up all his internal organs than laughing. He ended up spilling more water over Herry's head and back than he did anywhere remotely near his tongue.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Gareth spluttered and he promptly put down the jug and removed his PMR from his pocket. "But this is the ultimate Kodak-moment. It's too good to miss."
"Whadda you doin'?" Herry choked out.
"Taking a picture," Gareth said.
His tongue absentmindedly flicked to the corner of his mouth as he held the PMR in the air with his thumbs and middle fingers.
"Gotcha!" he said in delight at the same moment a loud clicking sound came from the PMR.
"Gaweth!" Herry exclaimed. There was a pronounced frown on his brow. "Ge' me offa dis thing!"
Gareth reached for the jug of water to help free Herry. His hands were halfway there when they suddenly froze; a curious expression having appeared on his face. He looked to a point behind Herry and back at the jug. For a moment he stood quite still, deliberating whether what he wanted to do was wise. Then, having come to his decision, he moved to the back of the kitchen. He could see Herry's head stretch sideways as he took aim with the PMR.
"Whadda you doin' back dere?" Herry asked.
"Documenting this moment for p-p-posterity," Gareth was barely able to choke out his last word, for he was laughing hysterically at a joke that only he seemed to get.
Gareth aimed at Herry's bent backside and with another clicking sound he had his second picture. He leaned back and admired the latest addition to his PMR photo album. He moved the screen to the side to compare and quickly came to the conclusion that the real-life version was oh-so much better than the picture. He just had to send this to Theresa!
A loud growl from Herry quickly wiped the smile from his face.
"Dat's it!" Herry said and clumsily reached for the jug. He threw the remainder of its watery contents over his head and managed to pry his tongue loose from the freezer door.
Gareth's eyes widened alarmingly when Herry started advancing on him. The expression in his eyes promised nothing pleasant… Gareth's fingers started to frantically dance over the keypad of the PMR; his finger freezing over the 'send' button when Herry suddenly leapt at him.
A muffled yelp jumped from his lips and without a moment's hesitation Gareth darted out of the kitchen with Herry hot on his heels. They raced down the hall, Herry's menacing chuckle adding more haste to Gareth's feet. He skidded through a door to the right and crawled under the dining room table, all the while keeping the PMR safely stretched out in front of him.
"I'm gonna getcha," Herry said as Gareth popped out on the other side of the table. He grinned wickedly.
Herry started to walk around the edge of the table and Gareth quickly moved around in the other direction. Herry froze and Gareth followed suit. He began moving in the opposite direction and, once again, Gareth moved to keep the table between them.
"Give me the PMR, Gareth," Herry said with a slight grin.
Gareth's eyes shifted nervously from Herry to the communication device. "Uh… I just… uh… want to do something first…"
Gareth's finger moved to press the 'send' button. This, however, was a hideous mistake on his part, for the moment's distraction allowed Herry to lunge across the table and grab hold of Gareth's shirt with both hands. The blonde boy's feet instantaneously parted with the ground as Herry brought his face close to his.
"Uh-uh," Herry said.
He held onto Gareth with one hand and reached for the PMR with the other. Gareth, however, wasn't ready to let go of his prize yet and stretched it as far away from Herry as he could. They kept stretching their arms into weirder and weirder poses till, finally, Herry lost patience and pulled Gareth over the table and pushed him to the floor. He moved to snatch the PMR but Gareth, in a move of desperation, threw the device across the room.
For a moment both froze to see the PMR land on the couch, its lid flipped open in what almost seemed like a taunt. Their eyes met for the most infinitesimal moments of time before both shot forward. Herry moved into the lead and would have reached the couch first, had it not been for the fact that Gareth dived forward and knocked him off of his feet. Gareth grabbed the PMR and leapt over the couch with a triumphant laugh.
He turned to find the room completely empty.
"Herry?" he called out. There came no reply. He paused with his finger ready to press the button and send his picture to Theresa. The air was deathly quiet. Gareth leaned closer to the couch; still he could not see any sign of Herry. "Herry?"
"Gotcha!" Herry yelled out as he jumped up in front of Gareth.
In one swift move Gareth was pulled over the couch and onto the living room floor. Both boys quickly dissolved into a mass of laughter and thrashing limbs. One moment Herry would have Gareth cornered only for him to scramble out of reach the very next. Every time Herry pulled Gareth to the floor by his ankles, arms or neck the smaller boy would twist his body and scramble out of reach.
Their tussle was fairly one sided till Gareth finally found a weakness of Herry's he could exploit. During one of his more impressive moves to evade Herry's powerful arms, Gareth accidentally prodded him in the ribs causing a panicked chuckle to roll over the brunet's lips.
Gareth paused, a wicked grin spreading over his lips. So Herry was ticklish, was he? He turned on the larger boy with his hands held out threateningly. Herry's eyes widened amusingly at realising what Gareth was about to do. He practically fell over his own feet to get away, but Gareth was too quick.
Bursts of hysteric laughter bounced off the walls as Gareth's fingers spider-crawled across Herry's upper body. Herry's belly seemed to be extra sensitive to his touch. He laughed till tears of joy obscured his sight and made every attempted retaliatory move he made off target and clumsy.
Gareth leaned ever forward in his frenzy to subdue Herry till, inevitably, he was leaning awkwardly over his adversary. Thus he was in the perfect position to be caught of guard by one of Herry's flailing limbs. He fell forward spectacularly into Herry's waiting arms. The stronger boy seized his chance with both hands and quickly spun their bodies around. Gareth had no time to process anything before he was pinned on the floor, his hands above his head with Herry kneeling over him.
The ridiculous grin on Herry's face froze. His eyes locked onto Gareth's. Gareth felt himself slowly slip into the depths of his eyes. His mind had suddenly locked onto the fact that Herry was above him and sent his heart and hormones into overdrive.
To his shock he found that Herry's ragged gasps for air mimicked his own. He was aware of the fact that something had changed; that something different and uniquely scary was happening. But even in his fear of the unknown he couldn't muster the strength to care, for the world was hazing over magnificently and the heat from Herry's body where it touched him burnt in an intoxicatingly pleasant manner.
The laws of gravity seemed to be working hand in hand with their emotions for slowly, irrevocably, Herry's body sank onto Gareth's. Herry's mouth came closer as if called by the ever quickening pace of Gareth's heart. He looked into Gareth's eyes and for a moment, as their lips nearly touched, the world was overcome by something more powerful then they were. Maybe it wasn't so bad to dream after all…
Gareth's head lifted for the merest fraction of an inch. Yet it was that fraction of an inch that broke the spell. Herry's pupils contracted and he quickly pulled his head back. It was like waking up from anaesthesia and seeing the world clearly again. A look of outright terror came onto his face.
"S-sorry," he stuttered.
"Don't be sorry," Gareth blurted out, trying desperately to rekindle the magic of the moment. He reached out to grab hold of Herry's hand. "It's okay."
Herry ripped his hand out of reach. Perhaps a little more violently than he had intended, but he didn't seem to be thinking rationally. He scrambled to his feet and moved to the door.
"I'm so sorry, Gareth. I didn't mean to-"
"Herry, really, it's okay. Its noth-" Gareth's words disappeared along with Herry, who ducked out of the room before he could even finish.
Gareth was left sitting on the living room floor, feeling lonelier than ever. The whole world had fallen apart without him even really knowing what he had done wrong. All he knew was that it had happened too soon. He had taken a chance before Herry was even properly over Medelia. And now he would pay the price. Herry would never want to be alone with him again; would never feel comfortable around him again. And he would be left hopelessly pining after Herry forevermore.
The moon took its seat in the night sky, sending the sun off to its nocturnal slumber. The city fell into its dark routines with great ease, completely unaware of what was happening above their heads. For high atop the tallest skyscraper a glass cage was being dragged into place.
Thoughts of torture and asphyxiation drifted through Lilith's mind as she watched her minions drag the box into place. She stepped closer and, leaning her body against its semi-reflective surface, caressed its glass walls. The few hours she had to wait to set her plan into motion were almost too much. She could already see the horror on Gareth's face, could already feel her climactic euphoria at ripping his life apart. This was going to be worth every moment of planning and stealthy execution…
Her pawns were now perfectly positioned and she, the back queen, was getting ready to move in for the kill. Now it was simply a matter of biding her time.
She moved from the cage and approached the edge of the building. Looking down, she could see the many twinkling lights of vehicles buzzing to their varied destinations. They were hideously pathetic in their ignorance; didn't even notice the instrument of torture being moved through the city. Didn't even care when she broke into its central communications hub to put it in place.
"Everything is as you requested mistress," a minion reported from behind her. "We await only your command."
"Take in your positions," Lilith ordered. "You shall attack when I give the command. Sister…"
"Yes Mistress?" the curvaceous red head inquired.
"Make sure you kill everyone. The more corpses we have the better."
"As you wish Mistress," she said, bowing her head.
Lilith resumed her earlier position at the edge of the rooftop and stared out at the gnats moving about below her. Her eyes zoned in on the area where she knew the Brownstone was situated.
"Only a few more hours Gareth," she sighed happily. "Then you'll finally be destroyed."
Wow! The end of yet another chapter! This is gonna really start to pick up soon! I hope you enjoyed it folks. Feel free to drop a line and let me know what you thought. Any and ALL input will be eternally appreciated. And no, I don't mind constructive criticism.
Have a wonderful day/night! :)
Much Love
AT