Smile
Ch. 5: Johnny Snaps; Pepito's House
A/N: I've been writing this story like crazy, as well as e-mailing my good friend...JHONEN VASQUEZ! That's right, I got his e-mail! He's my friend...gave me a picture of Johnny, shirtless, and in leather pants too. I LOVE YOU!!! MARRY ME JHONEN!!! I'm beside myself in squishy happiness...it's making me nauseous.
7 AM...
BZZZZZZZZZZZT!!!!!!!!
Johnny and Jezebel jumped at the sound of the alarm clock on the psychiatrist's bedside table. Jezebel threw the alarm clock against the wall and buried her head in her pillow. Johnny sat up, pulling on his boxers. He yawned and stretched. His entire body was sore.
"Good morning, Jezey," he said.
Jezebel's voice was muffled.
"It's Saturday. I have five more hours of sleep left," she said.
Johnny smiled. He got up and walked into the living room. Squee was awake, eating a banana. Nny rubbed his eyes.
"Squee, have you been up long?" he asked.
Squee shrugged.
"It took me a while to get to sleep last night," he said.
"I could hear you and Dr. Wingweaver going at each other,"
Johnny choked on a mouthful of water.
"You-you heard us?" he asked.
Squee nodded.
"It's hard NOT to hear you two screaming at each other, no matter if it's ecstasy or anger," said the boy, getting up and throwing the banana peel away.
"And don't bother apologizing, I'm used to it. I'm so used to all those sounds I used to hear from your old house, that this didn't strike me as anything different...minus the fact that you had Jezebel screaming in pleasure instead of pain,"
Johnny chuckled.
"Yeah, I guess it's not that different, is it?" he asked. Jezebel emerged from the bedroom, in a black silk bathrobe. Johnny gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"You said that you wouldn't be up for another five hours," he said.
Jezebel rolled her eyes; her hair was spiked up from both bed-head and from Johnny running his fingers through it during the night.
"Hey, it's morning! I'm not a morning person, Johnny," she snapped, turning on the coffee pot.
Johnny lowered his voice; Squee could still hear what he was saying.
"Squee heard us last night, Jezey," Johnny said quietly.
Jezebel sighed.
"Oh boy, we probably traumatized him even more then he already is," she said.
Nny shook his head.
"No, he says that he's fine, I believe him, but, you can tell when someone's lying can't you?" he asked.
Jezebel hit him playfully on the shoulder.
"Who do I look like, Hannibal Lecter?" she said.
Johnny chuckled.
"No, but you WERE chewing on my tongue pretty hard last-" he stopped as Jezebel covered his mouth with her hand.
"VIRGIN EARS, JOHNNY!" said Jezebel, jerking her head at Squee.
Johnny jerked his head out the kitchen door.
"You didn't hear anything, Squee, okay?" he said.
Squee grinned.
"Buy me a soda and I'll shut up," he said.
Johnny grimaced, as though Squee's words had hurt him.
"Wuh? Jezebel, did you hear that? He's blackmailing me!" he said.
Jezebel stepped out of the kitchen; she set a bowl of cereal in front of Squee. She whispered in the boy's ear.
"Leave the blackmailing to me, Todd," she whispered. Squee smirked.
"Hey, hey, hey! What are you telling him, Jezebel?" Johnny asked, grabbing Jezebel around the waist.
Jezebel winked at Squee.
"You heard me, Squee, don't blackmail your brother,"
Squee gave a mock sigh. He tried not to smile.
"Yes, Mommy," said Squee sarcastically. His smile fell at the last word. Both Johnny and Jezebel looked at Squee in shock. The boy's eyes brimmed with tears.
"I'm sorry!" he said.
"Please don't be mad at me!"
The two adults sat on either side of Squee. Jezebel looked into Squee's frightened brown eyes.
"I'm not mad, Squee. I'm just-surprised, that's all. But, you have been seeing me for the past three years. Am I really a maternal influence?" Jezebel asked.
"I never knew my real mother," said Squee, tears falling down his cheeks.
"And the only mother I've known ignored me. You're both a mother figure, and the big sister I never had."
Jezebel nodded.
"I understand. If it will make you feel any better, I never knew my real dad growing up. Well, I'd go down to visit, but we knew so little about each other, that we didn't talk much. I had TWO stepfathers, Squee. The first is still being hunted down by child services for slamming me into a door when I was six. And the second is the nicest guy I ever met," she said.
Johnny looked up from his coffee cup.
"Hey!" he said.
"And Johnny," Jezebel continued.
"Is...something-sensual-I-can't-say-in-front-of-his-little-brother," she said.
Johnny nodded, taking another sip of coffee.
"Thank you." He put down his coffee cup and talked to Squee.
"What do you think of Jezebel and I? Besides from what you heard from us saying to each other last night, don't repeat any of that," said Johnny.
Squee dried his eyes on his on his pajama shirt.
"If you both make each other happy, then I'm happy. I mean, you both sounded happy last night..."
"Todd Casail!" said Jezebel loudly. Squee flinched slightly.
"Sorry," said Squee.
"You both seem so happy when ever you look at each other. Maybe we can be a family,"
Johnny and Squee jumped at the sound of breaking ceramic. Jezebel had dropped her coffee cup. It had shattered all over the kitchen floor.
"Squee, why don't you go play in your bedroom, I need to talk to Jezebel," said Johnny.
Squee walked into his bedroom. Johnny bent down, helping Jezebel as she scrambled to pick up the pieces of the broken coffee cup.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
Jezebel smiled nervously.
"I'm fine, Johnny, I'm just a little shaky in the morning," she said, her eyes downcast.
Johnny could tell that she was afraid to meet his gaze.
"You're lying, I can tell. What's wrong?"
The doctor rose, throwing the broken cup pieces in the trash.
"I'm fine, Johnny, I-I'm just not feeling well this morning, that's all," said Jezebel.
Johnny looked at her, wondering whether to believe her or not.
"It's about last night, isn't it? Was I too rough? Was I going too fast, what?"
Jezebel shook her head.
"No, Lord, you were great last night...It's just Squee..."
Johnny put his arms around Jezebel's waist.
"He said that he's fine, even though he heard us last night..."
Jezebel sighed.
"It's not about that! Johnny, Squee has been coming into my office for the past three years. I told you that, but..."
Johnny looked her in the eyes.
"What? Is he all right?"
Jezebel put her head on Johnny's shoulder. He could feel hot tears splashing onto his bare skin.
"Squee suffers from psychosis, like we do. I've been considering whether or not to place him in a mental hospital, just for a short time, for observation. It would be the best thing for him, until I can find a medication that will work without harming him. I've been afraid to mention it to you," she said.
Johnny was stunned; he let go of Jezebel. The expression on his face was one Jezebel knew well: betrayal.
"Don't you dare lock him up!" he roared.
"I won't allow you! If you do, then I will pack my things and leave! I will leave and never come back!"
Jezebel grabbed his arm.
"This is why I was afraid to tell you! I knew you'd be angry," she said.
Johnny pulled away from her. He spoke softly and coldly.
"I won't let you lock him up! I'll see to it that you won't betray me further and lock ME up when my back is turned!" he shouted. He whipped out a butcher knife out of the knife holder. Nny pointed it at Jezebel, who backed away.
"You slut," Johnny breathed.
"I've murdered women just like you, I began to have feelings for them, but cut them down before I could be hurt,"
Jezebel shook her head; this wasn't Johnny. She screamed as Johnny stabbed her in the shoulder. She held onto her bleeding shoulder. The blood flowed in a stream down her arm. Johnny advanced towards her. Jezebel knew that Johnny's voices had come back to haunt him. She put her arms around his neck.
"Come back, Johnny," she whispered. Johnny looked confused. Jezebel pressed her lips against his. The knife fell from Johnny's hand and hit the floor. The doctor backed up against the wall, Johnny looked up, brushing the hair from his eyes. He put a hand to his mouth to stifle his cry.
"Jezebel...I'm sorry, one of the voices took me over...Oh Christ, I hurt you. You're bleeding..."
Jezebel held her shoulder; her bathrobe was cut. Her bare shoulder was stained red. Johnny fell to his knees. He was talking to himself.
"Damn you! You made me hurt her! I can't hurt the woman I love! I won't listen to you! FUCK OFF!"
Jezebel knelt down beside him. She gave him a hug. Johnny gently laid his head down on her cut shoulder. He realized that he had sliced through muscle; he could see a white glint through all the blood. The doctor flinched as Johnny's tears dripped into the cut. She didn't complain, even though she was getting weak.
"It's all right, you lost control. Don't blame yourself for hurting me, it wasn't you," she said. Johnny looked up at her.
"Yes it was. He was aiming for your throat. I had him bring down on your shoulder instead. I may have not been in my right mind, but I completed the act anyway. It was my hand that did it. He guided my hand..."
Jezebel nodded.
" You didn't complete it Johnny. I'm still alive, aren't I? Was it..." she paused; she couldn't remember the name.
"It was Psycho-Doughboy, his voice was in my head," said Johnny quietly.
Squee peeked his head out from his bedroom.
"Are you guys okay?" he asked.
Jezebel looked frantic. She got an idea.
"Squee, do you know a little boy named Pepito?" she asked.
Squee nodded. He was afraid to look at Jezebel's shoulder.
"He's a friend of mine from school," said Squee.
Jezebel nodded, flinching as she tried to move her arm.
"He-agh...lives in the apartment across the hall. Why don't you see if you can play?" she mumbled. Her face was pale; the wound opened and closed sickeningly each time she breathed.
Squee nodded and walked out the front door. Johnny picked up Jezebel and laid her on the bed.
"There's a...first aid kit in the...medicine cabinet in the bathroom," the psychiatrist muttered. Johnny nodded. He'd kill himself if something like this happened again. Johnny pulled out the first aid kit; he rummaged around, searching for something.
"Where do you keep the bactine, Jez?" he asked.
Jezebel moaned in pain.
"Oh shit, I'm out of it! Go grab a bottle of whisky from the liquor cabinet, that'll work just as good,"
Johnny ran out of the bedroom, he returned with a whisky bottle. He spread the wound apart with his index and middle finger, blood pooled into the now open wound, but it could not flow over the edge. Jezebel closed her eyes, bracing herself. Johnny gently poured the whiskey into the wound. Jezebel howled. She dug her nails into the mattress.
"OH SWEET JESUS!!" she cried. Tears of pain fell down her face. Johnny shushed her.
"It's okay, the worst is over now," he said. He found a spool of wire thread in the first aid kit. Jezebel tried to sit up, but Nny forced her down again.
"Lay back down, I'm not done yet," he said. Jezebel smiled as she gasped for breath.
"Very forceful, Johnny," she said. Nny realized that the loss of blood was making Jezebel act funny.
"I don't know if I told you last night, but...you have wonderful eyes," she muttered, grinning to herself.
Johnny tried not to look worried, he put on a forced smile as he began to stitch up the stab wound. Jezebel flinched as she felt the needle penetrate muscle and skin.
"Can you forgive me for stabbing you?" Nny asked, cutting the thread when he had finished. Jezebel let out a weak chuckle.
"I already have,"
***
At Pepito's House...
"Hey Dad!" said Pepito, leading Squee inside.
"Squee's here!"
Senor Diablo smiled.
"Ah, so we meet again, Todd Casail," he said, not looking away from a small orb that was hovering about a foot from the ground. It radiated a blue light.
"What's that?" Todd asked Pepito, pointing to the hovering orb.
Pepito looked surprised.
"Didn't I show you that last time you were here?" he asked.
Squee shook his head.
"That's the Occularis Inferno, better known as the Eye of Hell," said the Antichrist.
Squee's eyes widened. He could see Jezebel and Johnny in the little orb. Their skin was not white, but blue. Johnny was bandaging the stab wound on Jezebel's shoulder.
Pepito led Squee away. Squee noticed that Senor Diablo was playing with a small piece of black thread. He also saw that there was a flint dagger in his left hand. The boy stared in horror as the orb zoomed in on Jezebel's face.
"No more borrowed time, little Wingweaver," Diablo said quietly. He put the dagger up to the piece of string. Squee screamed.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!"
He swiped the dagger out of Diablo's hand and threw it to the floor. He realized that the string was Jezebel's life.
"I won't let you kill her!" the boy said.
"She and Johnny are happy together! I won't let you end it! KILL ME IF YOU WANT!"
Both Senor Diablo and Pepito looked at Squee, stunned.
"You're willing to sacrifice your barely-lived life for the life of your brother's lover?" Diablo whispered.
Squee nodded.
"Yeah, I am. I swear to God that you will not hurt her! She's like...like..."
"A mother to you," finished the devil in a deadly whisper.
"Am I right?"
Squee nodded.
"Yes, a LOVING mother! I've had a shitty family most of my life, but not anymore! I'M FINALLY HAPPY! AND YOU, SIR, CANNOT CHANGE THAT!!"
Satan rose, he looked frightening and dangerous, he picked up Squee by the neck.
"Well, then!" spat the Prince of Darkness.
"How about I show you what'll happen in, oh...two years' time?! THEN we'll see if you still want to spare the good doctor!"
The devil passed his hand over the Eye. The present image of Jezebel's pale face rippled like water before disappearing. Squee looked into the Eye. He saw himself, two years older, looking nervous, yet well nourished. A bloody knife was in his hand, the present version of himself stared in horror while the older Squee stood over the bodies of his brother and Jezebel, who had apparently survived Johnny's knife attack. A baby was crying, sitting next to Johnny, in a pool of the man's blood.
The horrifying image faded. Back in the present, Squee shrieked.
"NO!! You're lying!! I'd never hurt them! NEVER!!!!!!"
Satan laughed.
"Don't you understand?! You're as sick as both of them! Would you like to see what becomes of your nephew?" he said, cackling coldly.
Squee shook his head.
"YOU'VE DONE THIS TO US! YOU HAD DEMONS POSSESS US! YOU'RE USING US FOR YOUR OWN SICK AMUSMENT!!" Squee shouted. He panted for breath. The boy looked into the devil's eyes. He didn't fear him anymore. In fact, he didn't fear anything. Satan shook his head.
"No, Todd, I didn't send demons into the minds of your brother, Jezebel, or yourself. No, there is a fine line between demonic possession and mental illness. Let me warn you, the Eye never lies. Now, back to the subject of sacrificing yourself for the life of the good doctor... Are you willing to do it?"
Squee drew a shaking breath.
"If I do, you must swear that Johnny and Jezebel will not be touched," he said.
"And, you must leave all of my future nieces and nephews alone,"
Satan nodded.
"Very well, but her life is fading fast, the string is partially cut," he said.
"Will you die for Jezebel Wingweaver?!"
A/n: This starting to turn out like a mix of Harry Potter and a Stephen King novel....
Ch. 5: Johnny Snaps; Pepito's House
A/N: I've been writing this story like crazy, as well as e-mailing my good friend...JHONEN VASQUEZ! That's right, I got his e-mail! He's my friend...gave me a picture of Johnny, shirtless, and in leather pants too. I LOVE YOU!!! MARRY ME JHONEN!!! I'm beside myself in squishy happiness...it's making me nauseous.
7 AM...
BZZZZZZZZZZZT!!!!!!!!
Johnny and Jezebel jumped at the sound of the alarm clock on the psychiatrist's bedside table. Jezebel threw the alarm clock against the wall and buried her head in her pillow. Johnny sat up, pulling on his boxers. He yawned and stretched. His entire body was sore.
"Good morning, Jezey," he said.
Jezebel's voice was muffled.
"It's Saturday. I have five more hours of sleep left," she said.
Johnny smiled. He got up and walked into the living room. Squee was awake, eating a banana. Nny rubbed his eyes.
"Squee, have you been up long?" he asked.
Squee shrugged.
"It took me a while to get to sleep last night," he said.
"I could hear you and Dr. Wingweaver going at each other,"
Johnny choked on a mouthful of water.
"You-you heard us?" he asked.
Squee nodded.
"It's hard NOT to hear you two screaming at each other, no matter if it's ecstasy or anger," said the boy, getting up and throwing the banana peel away.
"And don't bother apologizing, I'm used to it. I'm so used to all those sounds I used to hear from your old house, that this didn't strike me as anything different...minus the fact that you had Jezebel screaming in pleasure instead of pain,"
Johnny chuckled.
"Yeah, I guess it's not that different, is it?" he asked. Jezebel emerged from the bedroom, in a black silk bathrobe. Johnny gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"You said that you wouldn't be up for another five hours," he said.
Jezebel rolled her eyes; her hair was spiked up from both bed-head and from Johnny running his fingers through it during the night.
"Hey, it's morning! I'm not a morning person, Johnny," she snapped, turning on the coffee pot.
Johnny lowered his voice; Squee could still hear what he was saying.
"Squee heard us last night, Jezey," Johnny said quietly.
Jezebel sighed.
"Oh boy, we probably traumatized him even more then he already is," she said.
Nny shook his head.
"No, he says that he's fine, I believe him, but, you can tell when someone's lying can't you?" he asked.
Jezebel hit him playfully on the shoulder.
"Who do I look like, Hannibal Lecter?" she said.
Johnny chuckled.
"No, but you WERE chewing on my tongue pretty hard last-" he stopped as Jezebel covered his mouth with her hand.
"VIRGIN EARS, JOHNNY!" said Jezebel, jerking her head at Squee.
Johnny jerked his head out the kitchen door.
"You didn't hear anything, Squee, okay?" he said.
Squee grinned.
"Buy me a soda and I'll shut up," he said.
Johnny grimaced, as though Squee's words had hurt him.
"Wuh? Jezebel, did you hear that? He's blackmailing me!" he said.
Jezebel stepped out of the kitchen; she set a bowl of cereal in front of Squee. She whispered in the boy's ear.
"Leave the blackmailing to me, Todd," she whispered. Squee smirked.
"Hey, hey, hey! What are you telling him, Jezebel?" Johnny asked, grabbing Jezebel around the waist.
Jezebel winked at Squee.
"You heard me, Squee, don't blackmail your brother,"
Squee gave a mock sigh. He tried not to smile.
"Yes, Mommy," said Squee sarcastically. His smile fell at the last word. Both Johnny and Jezebel looked at Squee in shock. The boy's eyes brimmed with tears.
"I'm sorry!" he said.
"Please don't be mad at me!"
The two adults sat on either side of Squee. Jezebel looked into Squee's frightened brown eyes.
"I'm not mad, Squee. I'm just-surprised, that's all. But, you have been seeing me for the past three years. Am I really a maternal influence?" Jezebel asked.
"I never knew my real mother," said Squee, tears falling down his cheeks.
"And the only mother I've known ignored me. You're both a mother figure, and the big sister I never had."
Jezebel nodded.
"I understand. If it will make you feel any better, I never knew my real dad growing up. Well, I'd go down to visit, but we knew so little about each other, that we didn't talk much. I had TWO stepfathers, Squee. The first is still being hunted down by child services for slamming me into a door when I was six. And the second is the nicest guy I ever met," she said.
Johnny looked up from his coffee cup.
"Hey!" he said.
"And Johnny," Jezebel continued.
"Is...something-sensual-I-can't-say-in-front-of-his-little-brother," she said.
Johnny nodded, taking another sip of coffee.
"Thank you." He put down his coffee cup and talked to Squee.
"What do you think of Jezebel and I? Besides from what you heard from us saying to each other last night, don't repeat any of that," said Johnny.
Squee dried his eyes on his on his pajama shirt.
"If you both make each other happy, then I'm happy. I mean, you both sounded happy last night..."
"Todd Casail!" said Jezebel loudly. Squee flinched slightly.
"Sorry," said Squee.
"You both seem so happy when ever you look at each other. Maybe we can be a family,"
Johnny and Squee jumped at the sound of breaking ceramic. Jezebel had dropped her coffee cup. It had shattered all over the kitchen floor.
"Squee, why don't you go play in your bedroom, I need to talk to Jezebel," said Johnny.
Squee walked into his bedroom. Johnny bent down, helping Jezebel as she scrambled to pick up the pieces of the broken coffee cup.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
Jezebel smiled nervously.
"I'm fine, Johnny, I'm just a little shaky in the morning," she said, her eyes downcast.
Johnny could tell that she was afraid to meet his gaze.
"You're lying, I can tell. What's wrong?"
The doctor rose, throwing the broken cup pieces in the trash.
"I'm fine, Johnny, I-I'm just not feeling well this morning, that's all," said Jezebel.
Johnny looked at her, wondering whether to believe her or not.
"It's about last night, isn't it? Was I too rough? Was I going too fast, what?"
Jezebel shook her head.
"No, Lord, you were great last night...It's just Squee..."
Johnny put his arms around Jezebel's waist.
"He said that he's fine, even though he heard us last night..."
Jezebel sighed.
"It's not about that! Johnny, Squee has been coming into my office for the past three years. I told you that, but..."
Johnny looked her in the eyes.
"What? Is he all right?"
Jezebel put her head on Johnny's shoulder. He could feel hot tears splashing onto his bare skin.
"Squee suffers from psychosis, like we do. I've been considering whether or not to place him in a mental hospital, just for a short time, for observation. It would be the best thing for him, until I can find a medication that will work without harming him. I've been afraid to mention it to you," she said.
Johnny was stunned; he let go of Jezebel. The expression on his face was one Jezebel knew well: betrayal.
"Don't you dare lock him up!" he roared.
"I won't allow you! If you do, then I will pack my things and leave! I will leave and never come back!"
Jezebel grabbed his arm.
"This is why I was afraid to tell you! I knew you'd be angry," she said.
Johnny pulled away from her. He spoke softly and coldly.
"I won't let you lock him up! I'll see to it that you won't betray me further and lock ME up when my back is turned!" he shouted. He whipped out a butcher knife out of the knife holder. Nny pointed it at Jezebel, who backed away.
"You slut," Johnny breathed.
"I've murdered women just like you, I began to have feelings for them, but cut them down before I could be hurt,"
Jezebel shook her head; this wasn't Johnny. She screamed as Johnny stabbed her in the shoulder. She held onto her bleeding shoulder. The blood flowed in a stream down her arm. Johnny advanced towards her. Jezebel knew that Johnny's voices had come back to haunt him. She put her arms around his neck.
"Come back, Johnny," she whispered. Johnny looked confused. Jezebel pressed her lips against his. The knife fell from Johnny's hand and hit the floor. The doctor backed up against the wall, Johnny looked up, brushing the hair from his eyes. He put a hand to his mouth to stifle his cry.
"Jezebel...I'm sorry, one of the voices took me over...Oh Christ, I hurt you. You're bleeding..."
Jezebel held her shoulder; her bathrobe was cut. Her bare shoulder was stained red. Johnny fell to his knees. He was talking to himself.
"Damn you! You made me hurt her! I can't hurt the woman I love! I won't listen to you! FUCK OFF!"
Jezebel knelt down beside him. She gave him a hug. Johnny gently laid his head down on her cut shoulder. He realized that he had sliced through muscle; he could see a white glint through all the blood. The doctor flinched as Johnny's tears dripped into the cut. She didn't complain, even though she was getting weak.
"It's all right, you lost control. Don't blame yourself for hurting me, it wasn't you," she said. Johnny looked up at her.
"Yes it was. He was aiming for your throat. I had him bring down on your shoulder instead. I may have not been in my right mind, but I completed the act anyway. It was my hand that did it. He guided my hand..."
Jezebel nodded.
" You didn't complete it Johnny. I'm still alive, aren't I? Was it..." she paused; she couldn't remember the name.
"It was Psycho-Doughboy, his voice was in my head," said Johnny quietly.
Squee peeked his head out from his bedroom.
"Are you guys okay?" he asked.
Jezebel looked frantic. She got an idea.
"Squee, do you know a little boy named Pepito?" she asked.
Squee nodded. He was afraid to look at Jezebel's shoulder.
"He's a friend of mine from school," said Squee.
Jezebel nodded, flinching as she tried to move her arm.
"He-agh...lives in the apartment across the hall. Why don't you see if you can play?" she mumbled. Her face was pale; the wound opened and closed sickeningly each time she breathed.
Squee nodded and walked out the front door. Johnny picked up Jezebel and laid her on the bed.
"There's a...first aid kit in the...medicine cabinet in the bathroom," the psychiatrist muttered. Johnny nodded. He'd kill himself if something like this happened again. Johnny pulled out the first aid kit; he rummaged around, searching for something.
"Where do you keep the bactine, Jez?" he asked.
Jezebel moaned in pain.
"Oh shit, I'm out of it! Go grab a bottle of whisky from the liquor cabinet, that'll work just as good,"
Johnny ran out of the bedroom, he returned with a whisky bottle. He spread the wound apart with his index and middle finger, blood pooled into the now open wound, but it could not flow over the edge. Jezebel closed her eyes, bracing herself. Johnny gently poured the whiskey into the wound. Jezebel howled. She dug her nails into the mattress.
"OH SWEET JESUS!!" she cried. Tears of pain fell down her face. Johnny shushed her.
"It's okay, the worst is over now," he said. He found a spool of wire thread in the first aid kit. Jezebel tried to sit up, but Nny forced her down again.
"Lay back down, I'm not done yet," he said. Jezebel smiled as she gasped for breath.
"Very forceful, Johnny," she said. Nny realized that the loss of blood was making Jezebel act funny.
"I don't know if I told you last night, but...you have wonderful eyes," she muttered, grinning to herself.
Johnny tried not to look worried, he put on a forced smile as he began to stitch up the stab wound. Jezebel flinched as she felt the needle penetrate muscle and skin.
"Can you forgive me for stabbing you?" Nny asked, cutting the thread when he had finished. Jezebel let out a weak chuckle.
"I already have,"
***
At Pepito's House...
"Hey Dad!" said Pepito, leading Squee inside.
"Squee's here!"
Senor Diablo smiled.
"Ah, so we meet again, Todd Casail," he said, not looking away from a small orb that was hovering about a foot from the ground. It radiated a blue light.
"What's that?" Todd asked Pepito, pointing to the hovering orb.
Pepito looked surprised.
"Didn't I show you that last time you were here?" he asked.
Squee shook his head.
"That's the Occularis Inferno, better known as the Eye of Hell," said the Antichrist.
Squee's eyes widened. He could see Jezebel and Johnny in the little orb. Their skin was not white, but blue. Johnny was bandaging the stab wound on Jezebel's shoulder.
Pepito led Squee away. Squee noticed that Senor Diablo was playing with a small piece of black thread. He also saw that there was a flint dagger in his left hand. The boy stared in horror as the orb zoomed in on Jezebel's face.
"No more borrowed time, little Wingweaver," Diablo said quietly. He put the dagger up to the piece of string. Squee screamed.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!"
He swiped the dagger out of Diablo's hand and threw it to the floor. He realized that the string was Jezebel's life.
"I won't let you kill her!" the boy said.
"She and Johnny are happy together! I won't let you end it! KILL ME IF YOU WANT!"
Both Senor Diablo and Pepito looked at Squee, stunned.
"You're willing to sacrifice your barely-lived life for the life of your brother's lover?" Diablo whispered.
Squee nodded.
"Yeah, I am. I swear to God that you will not hurt her! She's like...like..."
"A mother to you," finished the devil in a deadly whisper.
"Am I right?"
Squee nodded.
"Yes, a LOVING mother! I've had a shitty family most of my life, but not anymore! I'M FINALLY HAPPY! AND YOU, SIR, CANNOT CHANGE THAT!!"
Satan rose, he looked frightening and dangerous, he picked up Squee by the neck.
"Well, then!" spat the Prince of Darkness.
"How about I show you what'll happen in, oh...two years' time?! THEN we'll see if you still want to spare the good doctor!"
The devil passed his hand over the Eye. The present image of Jezebel's pale face rippled like water before disappearing. Squee looked into the Eye. He saw himself, two years older, looking nervous, yet well nourished. A bloody knife was in his hand, the present version of himself stared in horror while the older Squee stood over the bodies of his brother and Jezebel, who had apparently survived Johnny's knife attack. A baby was crying, sitting next to Johnny, in a pool of the man's blood.
The horrifying image faded. Back in the present, Squee shrieked.
"NO!! You're lying!! I'd never hurt them! NEVER!!!!!!"
Satan laughed.
"Don't you understand?! You're as sick as both of them! Would you like to see what becomes of your nephew?" he said, cackling coldly.
Squee shook his head.
"YOU'VE DONE THIS TO US! YOU HAD DEMONS POSSESS US! YOU'RE USING US FOR YOUR OWN SICK AMUSMENT!!" Squee shouted. He panted for breath. The boy looked into the devil's eyes. He didn't fear him anymore. In fact, he didn't fear anything. Satan shook his head.
"No, Todd, I didn't send demons into the minds of your brother, Jezebel, or yourself. No, there is a fine line between demonic possession and mental illness. Let me warn you, the Eye never lies. Now, back to the subject of sacrificing yourself for the life of the good doctor... Are you willing to do it?"
Squee drew a shaking breath.
"If I do, you must swear that Johnny and Jezebel will not be touched," he said.
"And, you must leave all of my future nieces and nephews alone,"
Satan nodded.
"Very well, but her life is fading fast, the string is partially cut," he said.
"Will you die for Jezebel Wingweaver?!"
A/n: This starting to turn out like a mix of Harry Potter and a Stephen King novel....
