Welcome to our new story!
A while back, Jill sent a message between us saying... "stop me from telling you an idea." and naturally, I couldn't stop her. A feverish planning session took place, and a few hours later, Invisible was born.
We are so, so excited to share this new story with you all. It's much darker than our last story (Sycamore), though if you've read our individual fic, you likely won't be surprised where it's headed.
This story will start regular posting on May 15, 2022. Make sure you give this a follow now to get the update, and check out our FB group for some chilling teasers!
For those of you who have following us for a while, this is NOT Bless'ed Born, which is still in the works.
Thank you so much for joining us again, and to the fic lab for giving us a prompt to share this first tidbit into the world!
Much love, Jill and Ariel
The rain is endless as the single car makes it's way carefully down the narrow highway. The sky is dark, even beyond the dense cloud cover, and not a single soul is awake to witness the silver car slow to a crawl.
Beyond the slashing windshield wipers, two eyes scan the forest's edge.
It's always tricky to find the turn-off here. It requires such careful and precise timing.
He glances at the nearest mile marker, then looks at the odometer in the car.
One… two… three…
He gauges the tenths of a mile until the seven rolls around.
Here, it's here.
He pulls the ancient car off the road, easing it onto the shoulder before turning it down the narrow service road. The car slips through a muddy patch, and his knuckles turn white gripping the wheel. He holds his breath, fear lancing through him as the car skids once more. When it settles, his stomach unclenches and he rolls onwards.
The gravel path begins to give way to dirt, and the car rolls to a cautious stop. He considers his options before sighing and putting the vehicle into park.
Out here, the trees are so thick that they block out the heaviest of rain, but he's still soaked within minutes of getting out of the car.
He moves to the backseat, reaching for the large drop cloth that covers the bench. Shifting it aside, he stares down at the long brown hair spilling out across the fabric seat.
She was beautiful, he thinks. Soft and delicate, with a swan-like neck. He gazes at the gaping red slice across that perfect throat and smiles.
His mark will always be there now, forever paired with her elegance.
He reaches into the seat, hoisting her naked body into his arms. She's slight, but the dead weight of her is heavy, and he grunts as he works her free of the backseat.
Her body falls to the forest floor with a heavy thump, and he bends down, resituating her so that he can lift her. He doesn't have far to go, and he doesn't want to leave behind any clues.
His steps are careful as he trudges into the woods until he finds the perfect spot.
He puts her body down on the forest floor, under a large evergreen whose branches have thinned enough that the rain is soaking the ground around her. He's careful where he steps, making sure to leave no discernable footprint.
Her body is artwork, lily-white against the earth-dark browns and greens of the forest. He wants to stay and watch her, to remember her exactly like this, but there is work to be done, and he's already running behind.
He lets his eyes linger on the bright red of her throat, and his fingers flex remembering the bite of the piano wire as he sliced through her skin.
He will cherish that memory for the rest of his life.
In the back of his mind, he is aware of the time, and he moves, picking his steps purposefully as he makes his way back to his car. He glances back once, and her body glows like a star under that tree. He smiles, and it is the first, true smile he's had in a very long time.
He gets back to the car just as an email lights up his phone. He picks up the phone in his gloved hands, looking over the screen. It's only a work email, and it can be put off until morning.
He tosses his phone onto the passenger seat of the car before slowly pulling away. He wants to remember this moment, cherish the memory of the art he created here tonight.
He makes it back onto the highway, and starts down the road, picking up speed until he's driving the speed limit.
His mind replays every moment of his night, committing it all to memory.
When he is a safe enough distance away, he pulls out a small notebook he keeps in his pocket and flips to a fresh page. Studiously, he records everything, pouring his heart out in a way he's never been able to do with people.
When he's finished, he smiles as he gazes over the pages he's filled.
His thumb itches to flip a few more pages, and for a moment, he lets himself be sentimental. He flips through the other entries, the other works of art that he's made, and his heart sings at the memory of each one of them.
He cannot wait until he can do it all again.