Meg smiles as she packs all her things into boxes. Christine watches from a distance as Charles and Meg laugh as she shows off random items.
"I forgot about some of this stuff." Meg seals the box and moves to the next pile.
"Jewelry. Keep, sell, donate?"
"Sell, I'm poor." He adds the rings, necklaces into the box labeled "SELL"
"Anything in the bathroom?" Charles asks he stands to his feet. Meg shakes her head.
"Throw away."
He nods as he heads off with a trash bag.
"You're not keeping much, are you?" Christine finds her voice. She feels strange pangs, some of it is guilt, another is finality. A kind of closure that leaves her numb.
"I need a clean break. I should have done this years ago."
"Do you need help?" Christine feels useless, she wants to do something, say something, but the words turn to ashes and her mouth becomes dry.
"It's done. I just need to load this, and it is not much. Oh. I want you to have something, it should have been yours. It is yours." Meg removes a ring from her finger and hands it to Christine.
"Here." Christine holds the ring between her fingers.
"He gave this to you." Christine tries to offer it, but Meg shakes her head.
"I was the stand in it until the real girl showed up, and you have. It is the right size; I know it is. It was always awkward on me."
"He talks about you." Christine says.
"You don't have to do that, I'm fine. We were done the first day."
"Meg I," Charles comes back, and Meg picks up the boxes. He helps her with the rest, they bid Christine farewell and leave for the last time.
Meg doesn't live here anymore. Christine wipes the tear from her eyes and plays the ring with her fingers, she does not want it, but she slides on her finger despite herself. It is a perfect fit.
"It feels different."
Erik avoided Meg. He wasn't thrilled that Charles was with her, he would have preferred her alone.
"She's gone. Like she was never here." Christine hugs herself. He stands next to her.
"More room for you."
That was meant to comfort her, but she moans in pain instead.
"She still loves you." Christine never felt threatened by Meg, because she knew her influence over Erik, but something feels different this time.
"I know."
He holds up her hand, twists, turns it around. His fingers trace over the ring.
"I gave that to her."
"She said it was meant for me."
"Once."
"Not anymore?"
He lets go of her hand.
"She wants you to have it, then it's yours."
Love is supposed to fill you with joy. You are supposed to light up when they are around you.
"This is what you want right?"
"I have a few things to take care of." He walks away and leaves her alone.
Meg and Charles collapse on the sofa and laugh. Long day. She holds out some of the cash she received in exchange for some her items she sold.
"That was a good day. Did a lot of adulting. Quick, we need to watch cartoons."
"We order Chinese and watch movies instead." Charles suggests. He does not want to waste a single second of the day as long as she is around. She could leave at any moment; nothing is holding her here. She said it was a temporary lodging, she is looking for a new place.
"Sounds good."
"What movie?"
Meg sets up the TV and queues the film.
"It's called "Dead Silence", I think it's an 80s film like Killer Klowns. Campy stupid fun."
"Dead Silence sounds like a terrible grindhouse movie."
"No, more like a slasher film. Maybe it's like "Black Christmas," never seen it."
"Dead Silence, I'm going to call you and harass you with my . . . silence."
"It's starting, we shall see!"
Erik meets Sorelli at the bar, she's been there for awhile now, several shots in.
"Is there any alcohol left?" He asks as he sits down next to her. She scoffs.
"Maybe."
"Progress?"
"Boring." She pouts.
"I suppose arson can only take your pleasure so far."
"Do you want to start a fire with me? Jealous I did it with Charlie?"
"I'm in a good mood, so I'll let that slide." He drums his fingers onto of the bar's counter surface. He does not like being ignored, like he's some kind of human peasant, like those around him.
"When you promised not to murder for pleasure, you crossed your fingers right?" She finishes a shot and then another.
"The Nadir I made that promise to is no more. I don't owe him anything."
"You killed the cop? I would have liked to have been there."
He reaches out and slams her head against the bar. Some patrons gasp in shock and move away. Sorelli lifts her head up and laughs like a loon.
"I love our foreplay." She kicks his ankles hard. He grunts and she continues her manic laughter.
"Christine is in my web; I just don't know how I want to play my next move. I owe her so much." He is about to jump the bar and make his own drink.
"I thought you wanted to break her mind, like she broke yours."
"Eventually, but you don't go straight to the main course."
"So, where are we? The pre-dinner cocktails?"
"Oh, we're at the appetizer. Salad and soup are next, then the grand meal."
"So, you're making progress."
"Yours?"
"Charlie is distant. I do not like it. He is supposed to be my forever boy. You promised me. What am I supposed to do to get his attention? Fuck someone on his birthday cake?"
"You had his attention."
"Yeah."
"You squandered it, wasted your time. You only have so much of a window."
"This time I won't."
"You've said that before."
"I mean it."
Erik leans over, grabs the bartender, and pulls him close.
"I'd like to place an order."
Sorelli steals the bartender's wallet and slaps his butt, before pocketing her new prize.
"I require proof." He says to Sorelli and he lets the bartender go.
"Done."
Charles and Meg stare wide-eyed at the screen. They are white as sheets and want to unsee what they have just seen. Meg rubs her eyes, trying to remove the images. It does not help; it is fresh in her mind.
"I did not need another reason to be weary of ventriloquism!"
"Is it gone?!"
"Do not like!"
"Why is that a thing!?"
"I'm going to need at least a week before I can face Erik."
"Yeah, same here." Meg shudders.
"That was the worst experience of my long-lived life."
"Oh, god. I can still hear it. When she put her hand in the—" Meg covers her hands with her eyes and moans in pain.
"Shut up." He covers his ears.
"This is will be a new source of nightmares." Meg says miserably.
"Only if we sleep."
"No more sleep?"
"I don't think we need sleep. Erik doesn't."
"This is true."
They sit in silence.
"24 shots of expresso and black coffee?"
"Yes, that's what I want."