Jao: Mmyep. Back for another chapter? Ok, but just be warned this chapter is rated R at least. Sorry I picked another A Perfect Circle song, but hey, if the shoe fits… "Thinking of You" seemed to fit exactly what I wanted to say in this chapter.
Paragon
Chapter Three--"Thinking of You"
"Come on in." The door opened slowly and Kim could hardly believe her eyes. More than that it was the smell that knocked her off her feet. Josh's medium sized house smelled of nothing but air freshener and bleach. The house was spotless…and white. This is where she was going to move?
Some say Love blinds a person while it's new. To find the truth look behind the doors.
Kim placed her book bag down only for Josh to pick it back up.
"The closet is over here. Look, I'll show you." This was a little strange. She hadn't imagined Josh to be so serious about being tidy. He opened the closet, which of course was exactly in order, not a single thing out of its place. He placed the bag on a hook and smiled back at Kim. It wasn't until now she noticed how his clean and well-groomed appearance matched his lifestyle. Not like Ron who was so messy. At times Ron could be such a slob, what with the way he dressed sometimes and the way he ate--oh and who could forget that room of his? Her thoughts were interrupted by Josh who added: "I'll have you show you where everything goes."
They moved on towards the living room, which were also a few shades of white. Egg shell, mother of pearl and snow. Off white, white and cream. And despite how…well…shiny the place was, it was slightly unnerving. Hopefully Josh would let her redecorate. They sat on the couch, which seemed to be made-or covered with-vinyl.
"So…your mom keeps this place really clean huh?" Josh burst out with laughter.
"My mom? All my mom does is…" He paused and a happy face caught a deep shadow, as if the word made him think of something horrible. "All she does is sleep, Kim. This is all my doing. Don't you like it Kim?"
"Oh! I-I like it. It's just its…" She searched for the right words cuz right now Josh already looked hurt. "It's just so...white." Josh sighed and leaned closer to Kim.
"White is the color of all things pure." He leaned forward and left a soft kiss. "All things pure, like you, Kim Possible. You want to see the rest of the house now?" He stood and offered her his hand, which she took and smiled. Josh was so sweet…and perfect like his perfect white house. Not a thing out of place, not a single thing wrong.
Every room was, you guessed it, white…except the bathrooms. Surprisingly enough they were red. A deep blood-like red, which Josh had explained was his parent's idea. From towels to wash clothes to even the toilet paper, strangely enough. The smell was the same throughout the house as well, tho the bleach was much stronger downstairs and in the two bathrooms the house provided. The air freshener smell seemed to originate from the room at the end of the hall on the second floor.
"What's in there?" Josh spun to look back at the door Kim was pointing towards.
"That's my parent's room. Don't ever touch it. Mother will get mad." Kim looked at him funny but Josh was quick to change the subject as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her to another door. "This is going to be your room." It was beautiful. Huge bay windows opened to the backyard, which faced a hill that you could see the better part of Middleton from. The view was gorgeous. Josh wrapped his arms around Kim from behind as both peered out at the sunset. "The perfect view for the perfect woman. Now you can keep an eye on the whole world from your bedroom." He traced kisses up her neck till he reached her ear. "Do you like it?" Kim turned around in the loop of his arms to embrace him.
"It's perfect."
"I'm sorry Ron; Kimmie's not home." Mrs. Possible hated it when this happened. It was obvious that Ron liked Kim and it broke her heart every time she had to tell him Kim was on a date with someone. As soon as she'd mention Josh Mrs. Possible knew Ron would give her an uneasy 'Thanks anyway' and turn back for home. She took a deep breath, ready to comfort the teen. "She's over Josh's."
"And you let her go?!" That certainly wasn't what she had expected. Was that anger in Ron's eyes? It was enough for the woman to take a step back.
"Is there something wrong, Ron?"
"Oh nothing, Mrs. P. Just Kim's dating some psycho path! Arrgh, now I gotta run all the way over there-."
"Is she in some kind of danger?" Ron never turned back to answer her.
When Ron had arrived he could hardly believe his eyes. He had seen Josh's house before, but never like this. White siding splashed with blood, the windows held bloody handprints. Despite the turn in his stomach he had to get in there, he had to save Kim! He ran to the door only to realize the handle itself was soaked in the crimson liquid. He grabbed it anyway and opened it without a second thought.
Bad idea. White interior was soaked red. From the ceiling, and even the walls seemed to bleed upon the soaking floor. Ron covered his mouth holding back both a scream and an urge to vomit. Hopefully Kim was still alive, he had to find her, had to get her out of this place and fast. He took off into the hellish living room where runes and unknown words were scrawled across the walls in blood only to feel a hand clasp down on his shoulder.
"Where do you think you're going?" Slowly he turned his head to see a young woman. Her features were perfect framed by long flowing white hair. Her gray-blue eyes glaring death at Ron.
"I-I-I-I-." He swallowed and tried to get a hold of himself. "I'm here to get Kim."
"Kim's not going anywhere." She shoved him onto a slippery wet vinyl couch. "She's going to stay here forever. She's just the Paragon we were looking for." The woman loomed over Ron who had slipped rather far into the huge couch. The sun had set in the blood-smeared windows and the living room became much darker. In the dark the woman glowed, her piercing eyes now a shade of red. But it wasn't her eyes that inflicted terror into Ron…it was the huge gaping slash across the woman's throat. If Rufus were there, he'd have surly fainted. Her cold fingers slid down his cheek.
"But you," she said without moving her lips. "You we can use as well." That was all Ron needed he bolted up--and through—the woman. He didn't turn around as he made his way to the stairs, fighting to get up them. The top was so close just a little farther--
"Ron?" The stair slipped out from under him when he heard his name and he saw Kim only for an instant as he careened backwards and down the steps.
The smell of dirt filled his nose and it was so cold…so still and Ron wondered if he was dead.
"I think he's coming to. Ron, are you ok?" The blurry colors of red green and peach soon came together to form Kim. She was safe, thank goodness. But pain followed, along with the memories of what happened. The blood, the woman and falling down the stairs.
"He looks like he'll be fine." That voice. Ron groaned, not from the throbbing in his head but remembering why he was there in the first place—Josh Mankey. Ron sat up ignoring a ache in his back as well.
"Wh-why am I outside…?" Ron's speech was still a little slurred and he could taste a bit of blood in his mouth, blood he was hoping had come from him, and not some he picked up on the way through the hellish home.
"Mother's orders," was Mankey's simple reply. "She doesn't take well to trespassers. It's going to take forever to get the blood out of the carpet."
"You hit your head on the railing on the way down," Kim explained farther, checking the bandage she had on Ron. He could feel the ache coming from the back of his head to above his right temple.
"Blood on the carpet? What about the blood on the walls and everywhere else?" They both looked at him with confusion. "Don't tell me you didn't notice! It was dripping from the ceiling!" Ron cringed after that, realizing yelling wasn't the best idea right now. "A-and what abut that woman?" Josh smirked.
"You mean mother?"
"Th-that was your mother?!" Ron's mind put together the two and he had to admit, besides the huge gap in her neck the two had a resemblance. He stumbled to his feet and Kim was quick to steady her friend.
"Ron, you need to rest. You must have been seeing thing-." He shoved her off and faltered a bit before regaining balance.
"No! I'm not going to sit here and let you tell me I was seeing things! Kim, you've got to believe me-you were in there! Everything was covered in blood-and his mother is dead! She had a huge gap in her neck, Kim they're going to use you for something! Josh is going to kill you." Kim shook her head in amazement, her eyes reflecting the hurt inside.
"Why would you say something like that, Ron?"
"I know why." Josh walked up and wrapped an arm around Kim's waist. "He's in love with you."
"Don't you dare!" Ron shouted. Kim could only stare in disbelief.
"I-Is it true?" Ron looked between the two before throwing out his arms.
"That's not the point!"
"It all makes sense now," Kim began. "The way you've been acting-the things you've said." Ron stumbled towards Kim and took her hand, which she jerked away.
"Kim, you've got to believe me when I say my feelings for you has nothing to do with this!"
"It has everything to do with this. Ron, I love Josh and nothing you say can change that."
"Don't you think I KNOW that, Kim? God, everyday all you talk about is him. Even when we were little you'd never see me. I could change everything about me but to hell if it'd matter! I know you don't love me; you've shoved it in my face everyday. But this isn't about that! This is about saving your life!" There was silence after that, a few fall leaves dancing past. Ron could feel his head spin and his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath.
"I'm sorry." Kim rubbed her eyes. "All this time I've thought of you as a partner-a brother…a friend that I could count on, but now. Now you scare me. So please…please just go away." Ron didn't bother to wipe away the tear that fell.
"You've changed Kim. Before you were caring…before you were perfect and now…now you're so shallow it hurts." A crack filled the night air. Ron felt his cheek in disbelief as he turned his face back to Kim. Kim lowered her hand.
"You're wrong, Ron. It's you who's changed. You're the one who's shallow. I think it's time for you to grow up and move on." She turned towards the house and Josh followed, turned and offered Ron one last smirk before disappearing behind a blood soaked door.
Jao: Wow. Kim smacked Ron. That sure was fun to write. 3 So anyways, next chapter coming soon. Hope things aren't too confusing.