Red: Part 4
The sun dawned upon the world, smiling on it's creatures, despite the evil that often lurks there. Evil that often invades the lives of innocent people.
~*~*~*~*
Mariah woke, fingering the sliver blade she kept hidden beneath her pillow. She'd kept it there for a while now- ever since Rei broke up with her. She'd rarely used it- but today was different. Today was the day the knife would earn it's keep. She glanced at the clock beside her bed. It read 7:15. It was too early just yet- a life would continue for another few hours at least.
~*~*~*~*~*
Kevin woke to the sound of the shower running and smiled as he glanced at the clock. Only Rei would be showering this early- he had to in order to wash ALL his hair and still make it to work on time. Kevin sighed and snuggled back down under the covers. He really should have gone and helped Rei- the other boy had too much hair to manage by himself. But something compelled him to remain between the safety of the sheets as long as he could. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply the scent of everything and anything that was Rei.
~*~*~*~*
It was long after ten o'clock when the doorbell rang. Kevin growled through his teeth, turning off the T.V. He stalked over to the door. As he pulled back the door, Mariah was revealed, a bouquet of red roses in hand. "Hi Kevin."
She offered him the flowers. "For your anniversary," she said, smiling sweetly.
Kevin, startled and suspicious of Mariah, took the flowers hesitantly. "Um, thanks....I guess."
"Is Rei home?"
Kevin nearly winced. Rei was a forbidden topic between them. It was common knowledge that Mariah was horribly jealous of Kevin for having what she wanted so badly. Kevin eyed her warily. She was acting so....strange. He found himself answering her, slowly, suspicion evident in his voice. "No. No, he's not. But he'll be home for lunch in....a little while," he murmured, throwing a backwards glance at the clock. "Do you want to come in and wait?"
Mariah nodded and stepped inside the apartment. It was white- just like everything else in Rei's life. But that was about to change.
~*~*~*~*
Kevin walked back into the living room, carrying the tea tray, only to find Mariah studying the paint on the wall. "Mariah? Are you alright?"
"It's so white."
She turned to face him- and she scared him. He stumbled backwards, tripping over the edge of the carpet. She was beside him instantly, silver knife pressed to his chest. She cut into him and he felt the blood start immediately. "I'm sorry, Kevin."
"I thought I was your friend."
Her eyes opened in frantic desperation. "You are! you are, Kevin! you are my friend!"
She grabbed his wrist. "I'm sorry Kevin. So sorry."
She pressed the knife to his wound, covering it with blood. She stood up and threw herself at the walls, spattering them with blood, screaming, "I hate you! I hate you! I HATE you! I HATE YOU!"
She paused, her back to him, her shoulders shaking. He wondered if she was crying. She moved again to his side. "I'm gonna surprise Rei. I'm gonna paint the room red. Do you want to help? Don't you think it'll look SO much better red?"
"NO!"
"Too bad."
She pressed the knife to his throat. "I'm sorry, Kevin. Only one of us can have Rei. You've been deluding yourself. He's already mine."
She turned her attention back to the walls, but only for a second as she soon ran out of "paint."
The knife bit into his throat. "Die you little whore, die."
~*~*~*~*~*
It was have past twelve when Rei opened the door to his apartment. He'd brought Kevin roses- it was their anniversary after all. His eyes widened as he opened the door and his nerveless fingers dropped the flowers at the sight he saw. It made his stomach churn. His apartment was covered in blood and in the midst of it all sat Mariah, with Kevin's body at her feet. Memories of the beatings he'd received as a child flooded back to him and angered flared at the injustice. "Mariah! What did you do?!"
She looked up, genuinely happy to see him. "Rei-chan! I painted your apartment."
He stared at her, dumfounded. Her face fell. "Don't you like it?""
He suddenly found his voice. "LIKE IT?! LIKE IT?! ARE YOU INSANE?! YOU KILLED HIM!"
She stood there, staring at him like she hadn't the slightest clue what he was talking about. Anger flooded him again and he struck her. Caught off guard, she stumbled backwards over the glass table, which shattered. She cut herself on the sharp glass as she fell, her blood spilling out onto the carpet. He regretted it now and moved to her side, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her forehead. "Mariah."
"Rei," she whispered.
"Why?"
She didn't reply. "Mariah?"
She met his eyes and a smile formed on her face. "Because it looks better red."
The sun dawned upon the world, smiling on it's creatures, despite the evil that often lurks there. Evil that often invades the lives of innocent people.
~*~*~*~*
Mariah woke, fingering the sliver blade she kept hidden beneath her pillow. She'd kept it there for a while now- ever since Rei broke up with her. She'd rarely used it- but today was different. Today was the day the knife would earn it's keep. She glanced at the clock beside her bed. It read 7:15. It was too early just yet- a life would continue for another few hours at least.
~*~*~*~*~*
Kevin woke to the sound of the shower running and smiled as he glanced at the clock. Only Rei would be showering this early- he had to in order to wash ALL his hair and still make it to work on time. Kevin sighed and snuggled back down under the covers. He really should have gone and helped Rei- the other boy had too much hair to manage by himself. But something compelled him to remain between the safety of the sheets as long as he could. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply the scent of everything and anything that was Rei.
~*~*~*~*
It was long after ten o'clock when the doorbell rang. Kevin growled through his teeth, turning off the T.V. He stalked over to the door. As he pulled back the door, Mariah was revealed, a bouquet of red roses in hand. "Hi Kevin."
She offered him the flowers. "For your anniversary," she said, smiling sweetly.
Kevin, startled and suspicious of Mariah, took the flowers hesitantly. "Um, thanks....I guess."
"Is Rei home?"
Kevin nearly winced. Rei was a forbidden topic between them. It was common knowledge that Mariah was horribly jealous of Kevin for having what she wanted so badly. Kevin eyed her warily. She was acting so....strange. He found himself answering her, slowly, suspicion evident in his voice. "No. No, he's not. But he'll be home for lunch in....a little while," he murmured, throwing a backwards glance at the clock. "Do you want to come in and wait?"
Mariah nodded and stepped inside the apartment. It was white- just like everything else in Rei's life. But that was about to change.
~*~*~*~*
Kevin walked back into the living room, carrying the tea tray, only to find Mariah studying the paint on the wall. "Mariah? Are you alright?"
"It's so white."
She turned to face him- and she scared him. He stumbled backwards, tripping over the edge of the carpet. She was beside him instantly, silver knife pressed to his chest. She cut into him and he felt the blood start immediately. "I'm sorry, Kevin."
"I thought I was your friend."
Her eyes opened in frantic desperation. "You are! you are, Kevin! you are my friend!"
She grabbed his wrist. "I'm sorry Kevin. So sorry."
She pressed the knife to his wound, covering it with blood. She stood up and threw herself at the walls, spattering them with blood, screaming, "I hate you! I hate you! I HATE you! I HATE YOU!"
She paused, her back to him, her shoulders shaking. He wondered if she was crying. She moved again to his side. "I'm gonna surprise Rei. I'm gonna paint the room red. Do you want to help? Don't you think it'll look SO much better red?"
"NO!"
"Too bad."
She pressed the knife to his throat. "I'm sorry, Kevin. Only one of us can have Rei. You've been deluding yourself. He's already mine."
She turned her attention back to the walls, but only for a second as she soon ran out of "paint."
The knife bit into his throat. "Die you little whore, die."
~*~*~*~*~*
It was have past twelve when Rei opened the door to his apartment. He'd brought Kevin roses- it was their anniversary after all. His eyes widened as he opened the door and his nerveless fingers dropped the flowers at the sight he saw. It made his stomach churn. His apartment was covered in blood and in the midst of it all sat Mariah, with Kevin's body at her feet. Memories of the beatings he'd received as a child flooded back to him and angered flared at the injustice. "Mariah! What did you do?!"
She looked up, genuinely happy to see him. "Rei-chan! I painted your apartment."
He stared at her, dumfounded. Her face fell. "Don't you like it?""
He suddenly found his voice. "LIKE IT?! LIKE IT?! ARE YOU INSANE?! YOU KILLED HIM!"
She stood there, staring at him like she hadn't the slightest clue what he was talking about. Anger flooded him again and he struck her. Caught off guard, she stumbled backwards over the glass table, which shattered. She cut herself on the sharp glass as she fell, her blood spilling out onto the carpet. He regretted it now and moved to her side, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her forehead. "Mariah."
"Rei," she whispered.
"Why?"
She didn't reply. "Mariah?"
She met his eyes and a smile formed on her face. "Because it looks better red."