The Number of the Moose

Disclaimer: I own nothing, and if you don't know this by now...you are truly a moron.

I just want to say I love everyone who was nice enough to read and review my work so far. You people rock. And right now if it wasn't for you I wouldn't be writing this write now. I'd probably still be in my room rocking back and forth trying to forget everything. But because you people review this I'm guessing you like it so you want more, right? So since you want more I write more because not only am I a slave to creativity, but a slave to the reviewers. And this is giving me something to do. Something to do is always a good thing. Especially during times like these.

Note: Parts of this chapter were really hard (yet terrifyingly easy) for me to write on account of finding my best friend dead on the 6th. So I would like to dedicate this story, and everything else I do, to him. Rest in peace Josh...

8. So Near Yet So Far Away

"You....you broke him?" Johnny's voice cracked. "What do you mean you...." He stared into Elizabeth's eyes for a moment, and then looked down at Todd. "...Squee...?" He shook Todd slightly trying to wake him. "Squee, wake up. We're going home." Johnny unchained Todd and ever so carefully flipped him onto his back, hissing at the pain that he must be in. "Squeegee..." He shook him slightly once more. "Come on Squee...please....wake up."

"No...." Eff muttered under his breath. Sarah held onto the doorframe and tried her hardest not to cry. She knew that Todd was gone. She could tell by Elizabeth's actions. And by the blood that stained the bed around him. There was too much blood for him to be okay.

"Johnny he-"

"SHUT UP!!!!" Johnny yelled, angry tears filling his eyes. "Just shut up..." He drew in a shaky breath and threw his dagger at Elizabeth with all the force he could muster.

As expected, she avoided the blade and tried to hold back a giggle as it thunked into the wall behind her. "Have we forgotten Johnny, that I can't die again? You've already killed me."

"And I'll do it again." He said blankly still staring at Todd. He stood up and clutched the other dagger tightly. "I'm going to kill you again Elizabeth. This time though, I know exactly why. I'm not under any delusions. Nothing is wrong anymore. But you see, you've killed Squee, my only friend. The only person not too fucking ignorant or terrified to even speak to me. You've managed to ruin me. How does it feel to know that you've ruined the only beautiful thing in my life?" Johnny said almost emotionlessly glaring at Elizabeth with fire in his eyes.

"Really good actually..." Elizabeth said thoughtfully.

Johnny screamed in rage as he lunged at Elizabeth. Her insane laughter filled the room, knowing that she couldn't be touched. "It's useless Jo- eeecccccccchhh kkkkrncch." The laughter ceased.

Johnny stared at Elizabeth with wide eyes. The blade went into her. How was that possible? She was a ghost!! But the blade was lodged in her throat. Blood pooled on the floor at her feet from her mouth and the wound where the knife was.

"That's....that's what you get." Johnny growled as he pulled his dagger from Elizabeth. He watched in shock as the girl he killed all those years ago died again at his hands.

He turned to where Todd laid and fell to his knees. The tears trickled down his cheeks. "I'm so sorry... I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I promised myself I would.... And I didn't.... Squee...... oh I'm so sorry." He choked on almost every word he said. "I wish it'd been me instead of you... I'm..... I hate myself so much right now...." Johnny stood up, shaking horribly, and lifted Todd from the bed. He sniffled as he turned around and carried the body to his car, ignoring Sarah and Eff completely.

Eff walked Sarah back to Johnny's car and helped her into the back seat. She stared at Todd in the front seat where Johnny had placed him. "Why?" She asked quietly.

"Because Elizabeth hates me. She hates me for what I did to her. So she came back to pay me back." Johnny said angrily. He climbed into the car and started it. "Get in the car Eff or I'm leaving without you."

"What did you do to her?" Sarah asked.

Eff drew in a sharp breath waiting for Johnny's angry yelling to begin. He was surprised when it didn't.

"It's a long story." He began to drive. "We used to be close friends...more than that...she was my world after my father killed my mother and himself....then one day I fucked everything up." He breathed heavily. "I think I may have loved her, though I don't know if I even know what love is." Johnny twitched each time he said 'love'. "Everything started to warp one day while I was painting..."

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Johnny sung loudly along with the music that was blasting from his stereo on the table next to him. A painting of an angel stood on the easel before him. She was beautiful save for the dark tentacle-like shadows wrapped around her, enveloping her in their darkness. Her face, framed by long deep red hair, was twisted into a desperate expression of fear and confusion. And her feathered wings were torn and in some places caught on fire. [3]

"Finally..." Johnny said grinning broadly as he ran the back of his hand over his forehead to wipe the sweat away. It only served to leave a long dark smudge of paint on him though.

*Hmm....It is quite lovely Johnny.*

"Huh? Whose there?!" Johnny exclaimed whipping around to face the door.

*I'm here Johnny. Here. But not here exactly. Go upstairs. Just to the next floor.*

Johnny bit his lip nervously. 'I'm going crazy... that's all this is. I've just fucking lost my mind.' In spite of being terrified from hearing the voice, Johnny obeyed, not knowing why, and went up to the next floor.

It looked the same as all the rest; old with sharp weapons here and there. The wall on the one side of the room though was different. It was warped and the paint was cracked, as if something were pushing on it from the inside. Then the pushing began. Something WAS trying to push its way out.

"Holy shit..." Johnny whispered as he walked closer to the wall. He stared at it as he walked to it with his hand outstretched before him. 'What is this? What the FUCK is going-' Johnny's thoughts were interrupted by him tripping something. He fell hard and on impact he bit his tongue horribly.

"FFFFUCK!!!!" Johnny pushed himself up off the dirty floor and rubbed his chin. "Damnit..." He growled when he saw the blood. He spat the vile fluid from his mouth splashing the wall, trying to rid himself of the coppery flavored substance.

Immediately the pushing on the wall ceased. "WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!?!" Johnny yelled for an answer he knew he wouldn't receive.

*The blood made it stop. It likes the blood.*

Johnny sighed. "It's official. I'm crazy. Or maybe its lack of sleep. Yes...I think I'll blame it on that..."

*You see Johnny, you aren't crazy-*

*Yes he is. Don't lie to the boy.*

*Shut up! Anyways...We need your help Johnny. We need you to feed it.*

"F...Feed what?" Johnny asked.

*THE WALL YOU MORON!!!!!!*

*Why can't you ever be nice? But yes... the wall. It needs blood. And you can give it blood. You can give it all the blood it needs.*

"I don't see how? And my phone is ringing! Must go get it!" Johnny bolted upstairs and by the time he made it to the top he was panting. He snatched the phone off the table and answered. "Hello?"

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"That of course was a wrong number. No one ever calls me. Though back then it could have possibly been Elizabeth...." Johnny trailed off. "That's when I first heard you and D-Boy. He was always an asshole...even before I knew you two, wasn't he?"

"Yes." Eff stated.

"That's how I ended up feeding that damn wall. That's not what made me snap....I still don't know what did it, what made me crazy, but that's why I fed it blood. That's one of the reasons I killed people." Johnny explained.

"Mr. Johnny-"

"Just call me Nny."

"Um...okay. Nny...why did you kill Elizabeth?" Sarah asked meekly.

"I didn't say I..." Johnny looked over the seat at Sarah. He shuddered when their eyes met. "You know things you shouldn't know kid." He turned his head back to the road. "Well it was at least a few days after me finding out about the wall. She invited me over for dinner..."

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*The phone is ringing Nny.*

Johnny glared at the styrofoam doughboy. "You act as if I don't hear it Mr. Fuck." He stated calmly.

*You should answer it then. Maybe it's that girl you like so much.*

"Elizabeth..." Johnny slowly sat up and answered the phone. "Hello?.......oh hey................. Nothing, why?..............Sure..................Six? Okay. See you later." Johnny hung up the phone with a sigh.

*So it was her then?*

"Yeah. I'm going to her house for dinner at six."

*Well then you better get going. It's already five and it's a long walk isn't it?*

"Uh-huh. Mr. Fuck..."

*Yes Nny?*

"How long have you known D-boy? Did you know each other before I came here?" Johnny asked squatting in front of his dresser where the demonic doughboys sat.

*Yes. We've known each other for a long time.* D-boy answered.

*I believe he was talking to ME. And Johnny, while you're out, you should bring back some blood for the wall.*

Johnny groaned inwardly. "I don't WANT to bring it anymore blood. I'm SICK of blood. I don't like it." He stood up and snatched his coat from the chair it was sitting on. "I'll be back later." He mumbled as he stalked out of the house.

It was a long walk to Elizabeth's house, but Johnny managed to make it there within an hour.

He walked up the stairs to the front door and rung the doorbell. "Hi!" Elizabeth grinned as she opened the door. "Come on in."

Johnny smiled as he walked into the house. "Thanks for giving me an excuse to leave my house. The only time I've really left in the past week or so is to get a Brain Freezy."

"Really? Wow... Anyways, I figured you would want to come over for dinner it being your birthday and all."

"Birthday....? Oh! Wow... it is isn't it?" Johnny said thoughtfully.

Elizabeth looked at Johnny funny. Then began to giggle. "You're defiantly weird. But that's okay! So how's that painting coming along?"

"The angel?"

"Yeah."

"It's finished. It looks really good. Want to come see it later?" Johnny asked hopefully.

"Maybe. First I wanna give you your present!" Elizabeth ran up the stairs to her room. "Come on Nny!"

Johnny followed Elizabeth up the squeaky stairs that led to her room. Pictures lined the stairs. Most of them were of Elizabeth and an older woman. They were probably seven or eight years old at the least.

"Hey, you never talk about your family...how come?"

"Because."

"Okay..." Johnny took one last look at the pictures before he walked into Elizabeth's room.

"My mother is the woman in most of the pictures. A couple have my father in them... and the rest are my grandma. My mother and grandmother are dead... They were in an accident with a bus."

"Oh...I'm sorry... I didn't know they were..." Johnny paused. "What about your father?"

"He's still in England. I left because he was all that was left of my family. We don't get along well. Not at all. So here I am." Elizabeth sat down on the end of her bed and fell backwards onto it.

Johnny sat next to Elizabeth on her bed. "Sorry."

"Don't be. I never really got along with my mum either. And anyways, you have your own shit to deal with. You shouldn't have to listen to me whine about my family. Anyways, your present is on my dresser." Elizabeth pointed to a plain blue bag that was sitting on her dresser.

Johnny reached over and grabbed the bag. He pulled the matching blue tissue paper out of the bag and peered in.

"I know its stupid, but I thought you might like it since you like weird things." Elizabeth propped herself up on her elbows to watch Johnny's reaction.

"Oh my god! It's NEAT!" Johnny exclaimed. "I love it. Hmm..... You need a name." He took the little toy that was holding a giant burger out and set it on the bed. "I dub thee Reverend Meat, because of that burger." He poked the burger.

"Just a wild stab in the dark, but I'm guessing you like it?" Elizabeth snickered.

"Yeah. Thanks a lot." Johnny grinned.

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"We talked for a little bit after that. Then we did things. That is a memory I don't care to revisit, so I'm not going to. Sarah, that's your name right?"

Sarah nodded.

"Right... If you don't get what I mean, which you probably do... ask Eff later. I'm sure he'll explain to you."

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Johnny laid in bed next to Elizabeth, staring down at her. She was beautiful and so peaceful when she slept.

*Kill her.*

"God...not again. Go away!!!" Johnny hissed.

*Kill her. Don't let this get away Johnny. Don't let this moment of perfection slip away. It's not going to get better than this. Immortalize the moment!!!!*

"No...I can't. I can't kill her. I..."

*You love her. Exactly! KILL HER WHILE SHE STILL LOVES YOU!!!!!! What if next week, or even tomorrow she decides that she doesn't love you anymore? If you immortalize this moment, that will never happen. You'll have this memory of happiness FOREVER. It will never get old, never rot away, never go bad. It's going to stay happy forever if you kill her now.*

Johnny's eyes filled with tears as he turned over and pulled a knife from his pant pocket. "Happiness..."

Elizabeth stirred as Johnny turned back to face her. Her bright green eyes fluttered open. "Nny? What are you doing?"

"Immortalizing the moment love. Immortalizing the moment." Johnny whispered before he lodged the knife into her heart.

Johnny began to smile as the life slipped from Elizabeth. He sat up and pulled his clothes and boots on. "I must be getting back home now." After he finished dressing he pulled the knife from Elizabeth's chest and put it back in his pocket. "I think I'll be taking you with me." He grinned insanely as he picked her up and carried the body to his house.

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"Hey. I think I just figured something out." Johnny stated.

"What's that?" Eff asked.

"Killing her made me snap. When I killed Elizabeth I lost that last bit of sanity I had..."

~*~

[3] I felt the need to include my friend somehow in this, so the painting I described is a painting that he made about two years ago (I think). It's really beautiful and I think it really fit in the story...

That was really serious, don't you think? I'm working on chapter nine already. Well it's been started for a while... and if things go as planned it will be less serious, but still serious at the same time. I have no fucking clue what I'm saying anymore...Well I don't have much more to say... Review, as always, because I like to know how I'm doing. And people...if something I write sucks, tell me. I wanna know if I suck or not. Um....my friend wants you to go read his story. I think its good. It's called Eraser. And um....it's neat. It's got Pepito and Squee in it. Go read it while you wait for my next chapter.

Ooh. One more thing. Anyone want to give me $22 so I can go see the Tea Party on May 2nd?