Friday, April 6th 2001
James had no idea what had happened the night before and wondered why his eyes were so sore, and why he was asleep in the guest room, with Jessie. He tried to remember what had led him there, but failed with every attempt. He ran his fingers through his hair and found it was sticky, and from squinting at his hands against the morning light he saw it was drying sweat and nothing more. He moved slightly and reached for his glasses, careful not to stir his sleeping partner, not wishing to discuss sleeping with her when she held the advantage of knowing everything. He did something he rarely did, and moved the covers to look at her body, usually seeing it as a risk of waking her up, as well as partially disrespectful, regardless of the fact he was presently married to her. Perplexed was more fitting to describe how he felt rather than turned on or anything; she was still wearing her underwear, and she'd never gotten dressed after sex in all the times he'd slept with her. He, however, was in a total state of undress, making him wonder why she felt she needed to hide from him, had he hurt her? He saw the cuts and bruising coating her back but he knew he was not guilty for those; they were too old and he'd seen some of them already. He felt something sparking inside him that was not unlike pity, yet it was stronger than something one feels towards a friend or someone similar.
Elora lay in her bed, tears streaming down her face, far more than any she thought she was capable of shedding over a man, feeling it was something she should be well accustomed to by this stage in her life. But it wasn't rejection that caused her to weep; it was her guilt at her setting him up like that, praying against all hope that he'd taken so much drugs he wouldn't remember it, knowing in her true soul if he didn't remember it, he'd remember it sooner or later. No conscience in the world could ever forget a scene like that, nor would anyone wish to remember it. Images kept flashing up in her mind, driving her to the brink of insanity at her own double-crossing and beyond, making her wish she'd never taken over Jessie's former assignment at the expense of a few nights with James. She didn't need to do it; it was he that initiated their liaisons, and she heard what went on in the room next to hers last night as further punishment. The walls to her room were deliberately almost soundproof, but it had been such a humid couple of days both sets of windows had been left open by the cleaner, allowing her to intrude on all exchanged in that room. She turned over and imagined his shape beside her, but when she stretched out to touch it, her heart splintered again when the covers fell underneath her hand.
Butch awoke holding Cassidy in his arms, content at life working out perfectly for him for once, illegal activities a bare minimum to how he used to live. He inadvertently squeezed her against him, loving the touch of her warm body against his, but then he jolted back when he saw a bright flash and her shape change momentarily when he did it. He knew he'd just woken up but there was no way he'd imagined that, and as he examined her closer he saw no signs of scarring from her surgery or scratches Meowth had supposedly struck her with over the last couple of days. He leapt out of bed, grateful she didn't wake up, spooked by this unnatural display. He pulled on his clothes, unable to find a couple of items immediately as they'd been scattered carelessly the night before, none of this making sense to him. He staggered out of the bedroom noiselessly, watching her closely as he departed, wanting to find answers to the thousands of questions ringing in his head, producing a searing pain as another one entered.
He scanned the room for Meowth, going to tell him all about his dilemma and saw him furled up in the corner under the small coffee table, and as he approached the feline opened his eyes and hissed as he entered a defensive position, not trusting him as it could have been something his 'girlfriend' could have suggested for him to do. Butch backed off momentarily, afraid he was a marionette being toyed with by both his comrades, but when the pokémon opposite him saw his terror, he sheathed his claws, knowing the boy was not that convincing an actor to convey such emotion. He took a couple of tentative steps forwards in case it all was just a well-carried-out act, not wishing to get hurt by being too trusting right away. The youth's voice was hushed and he quickly described everything he'd seen Cassidy do in the last few minutes. Meowth nodded, sympathising as he knew the dream life Butch had just created for himself was about to spiral into the realms of horror when he learnt the full truth. He took a deep breath and in an equally low voice he relayed the truth as best he could, adding in Giovanni had told him that it really was Cassidy and he knew nothing about it until he saw how she'd twisted his words, thinking it would be suicide to say something as absurd-sounding when he knew he wouldn't understand. Butch nodded appreciatively, falling victim to a few more untruths, not noticing them as he concentrated on how he'd failed to impress a woman in years, then when he did it turned out to be a malicious pokémon, making him a vile person guilty of bestiality. It really was disgusting when he thought of a few examples that immediately sprang to mind. Before they had a chance to come up with a decent strategy, they were interrupted by the impostor standing in the doorway to the bedroom, asking them why they were consulting without her. The disgust on the man's face made it clear her secret was out, and a cruel smile twisted across her lips as she transformed into her natural figure. This was going to be fun and memorable, she thought to herself…
James' inability to remember what happened began to make him more frustrated than usual, so he lit a cigarette, hoping the smoke would wake her up. At one stage he was afraid he'd killed her, but her slow breathing had just fluctuated and he felt a wave of relief when he realised her side was still moving. Something else that irritated him was a severe sting in his left elbow, with a deep enough scratch running for three quarters of an inch along his skin. He'd discovered that when he bent his arm back as he reached for the cigarettes. He'd discovered another pain which was infinitely worse when he'd stretched, feeling horrified when he knew what it could signify—why couldn't he remember it? As he took a sharp pull off the cigarette, memories suddenly overwhelmed him from the night before all at once, too frenzied to allow him to focus on one and the immediate panic not allowing him to recognise anything properly. He broke out in a cold sweat as the flood lessened, knowing he'd seen his hands applying white powder to a rolled cigarette, wishing he hadn't remembered it. Unconsciously he shook, fear returning in greater magnitude than ever before, knowing he could hold his drink incredibly well, making it more than likely he'd been at the most half sober when he'd chosen to resume the habit that ruined his life.
"You'll burn your hand if you don't flick that soon"
He jumped as he heard Jessie talk; unaware she'd awoken as his revelations haunted him. She half-smiled at him in jest when she saw he'd covered his torso in the ash she'd warned him about, a sign of friendship he nearly missed as he ensured the stub was put out properly in the ashtray in his hand. He replaced it on the bedside table before turning on his side and placed his hand on her lower back, noticing that she was under the impression things were fine between them, and he had more pressing matters to worry about than trying to abolish any attempt at saving his marriage. She could tell by his face that something wasn't quite right, but she decided bringing up what had happened when he first walked through her door wasn't a wise move, as she hadn't been quite alone. She took the pressure off one of the elbows on which she rested and placed her left hand on his hip, wanting to return his gesture without him accusing her of throwing herself at him.
Although she looked far from her best, there was something about her that made him forget their bad history and kiss her, unsure where the desire had originated. She received this message as they just looked at each other, noticing how he'd focus on her lips for most of it, so she acted on impulse and used her hand's location to her advantage, pulling him against her. She lost her balance after a couple of seconds, her elbow unable to cope anymore with the pressure but she pulled him with her accidentally. She broke off the kiss and apologised, claiming that it was a genuine accident and she wasn't trying to initiate anything. He didn't reply verbally; just carried on where they'd left off and tried to hold as much body weight as he could off her, knowing her body would still be tender, unaware he hadn't held that same degree of consideration the night before when he'd bedded her. He toyed with the inside of her underwear, knowing it to be a trick always successful in enticing her further, and when she moved his hands' location lower, he knew it had worked again. Her smile was unable to find an equal as she felt she'd achieved a distinct point with him, and this time he was sober so there was nothing to make her think alcohol fuelled his libido.
James turned and looked at the door, clearly puzzled as he'd assumed Elora had locked it from the inside when they'd first entered, and part of him felt scared and adventurous simultaneously that he'd done all of that with her with the risk of someone walking in on them at any moment. Elora stood behind him and looked over his shoulder as she held his hips to derive comfort from her actions, or so he believed. His heart stopped still when he came face to face with his ex-drug dealer, noting the decree of sadism visible on the older man's face. As the dark-skinned man took a step closer, James moved his arms to push Elora gently away from him, not wanting her to get caught up in the crossfire. She betrayed him and pushed him towards the other man, knowing about the planned set-up for a couple of days, feeling hollow at her risking his life to save her own. The predator caught his prey easily, the younger man's reflexes failing as his bad leg had gone dead in shock, making him an easy victim which was what he was destined to become, both a victim and easy.
Brock awoke in the hotel suite in which they stayed, making a pleasant change from the woods for once. He had avoided women as if they carried a kind of plague, still not liking how he'd seen more of Jessie than usual the day before, and he wasn't sure if he'd ever not feel spooked by it. It was a cruel ironic twist of fate that had seen a global beauty pageant occurring in the city, where a good few of the stunning models had found him attractive and asked him out. His cold feet made him turn down every single offer, his discomfort increasing tenfold each time it happened, on top of him being aware that he'd never have a golden touch with women like that again. Not that he was sure if he ever would, but if it came to him facing death as a virgin, he may reconsider his decision. He got up and got dressed carefully, hearing Ash snoring and talking ludicrously in his sleep, waiting for Misty to start groaning to herself as she tried to go back to slumber's grasping arms in a futile manner. It never started, and with a glance over to where she'd slept, he noticed all of her stuff gone along with her, a solitary note on her unwrinkled covers addressed to him. As he read it, he realised the extent of the pain she must have gone through when he'd only seen the tip of her depression, and that was dark enough as it was. She wrote as on a finishing note that seeing James the day before had offered her thirsty soul a much-needed drink of inspiration and a sense of salvation, which she'd felt she'd discovered. She wished him a chance of finding the same and prayed his life was trouble-free for always. One of Brock's natural abilities was not needing to close his eyes as he wept, hearing the salty droplet splashing off her note, glad that she'd turned to life instead of the knife he'd often see her play with along her skin. Maybe now she'd find her inner peace she'd sought after for so long.
Sixteen days after running away from home, a bedraggled teenage boy finally found shelter in ViridianCity, in the form of a disused alley in a quiet section of the bustling place. It was located behind a run-down and long vacated lingerie warehouse, the derelict building perfect for his situation as there would be nobody around to report him back to his family, dragging him back into the hell he'd only just escaped. At only thirteen years of age, he felt he was living as an adult even though he wasn't even able to shave yet. His voice was finally almost finished settling on an octave, but still betrayed him by forcing squeaks when he was trying to hold serious discussions with people. Well, it was hard for him to hold such conferences when his mother had little time for him, his father belittled every protest he made about the forthcoming marriage, and as for his fiancée…there was no talking to her about anything. The only person he could talk to was Jessie, which rarely happened as he couldn't ring her regularly in case it showed up as distinctly odd to his parents. Her house didn't contain a phone, so he rang a payphone outside her house whenever he wanted to talk to her, under the pretence his didn't have a video attachment so he wouldn't have to worry about his lavish surroundings being observed by her pretty eyes. She also kept up the pretence, not keen to let on just how truly poor the area in which her abode was. He missed her like crazy, having only rung her once since he'd left, not wanting to influence her to join him on his renegade way of life, especially when she'd cheered up considerably upon passing her entrance exam to a nursing school. It was just the pick-me-up she needed after their disgraceful expulsion from the most elite school in the country, a source of humiliation he still needed to shake off.
A few days in when he became accustomed to his surroundings, he called his aunt after talking to Jessie, grateful he hadn't cut himself off entirely from his family, his trust in her ever-running as she'd proved her honesty on many an occasion. It was strange when he'd hung up as she'd warned him to move that day, as she had a bad feeling about it. It spooked him, knowing she'd suffered from what could be described as premonitions from an early age, and usually only mentioned them if she thought they'd be of relative importance. To take his mind off the worry, he rang Jessie again and found out it was her last day there, as the school had taken a cancellation and offered it to her. His mind screamed out to tell her exactly how he felt about her, but his conscience told him not to spoil her future when he had nothing at the moment worth offering, nothing compared to a career in something she longed to pursue. As he hung up after wishing her luck, his heart rang out in pain over throwing away everything he was certain of, the security of a home even though he'd never felt welcome, an intrusion to an extent, and now he couldn't talk to his best friend anymore. Gods, he thought, I feel so alone.
He wandered around that day, staying out of the public eye as best he could since he was unaware his mother had forbade servants from carrying out the search, glad he was gone from her life for the moment. His mind was swamped with thoughts of regret and despair, making it harder for him to keep a track on things, forgetting to heed by his aunt's advice though he thought about her often enough. He decided to move back home the following day, thinking a hellish life would be better than a life on the streets with eventually no money, clothes, food or if it was particularly hard, without his sanity. It was that night when he slept by the lingerie warehouse that he witnessed a murder he should not have been party to. He'd slept heavily since moving home, weary from the travelling with a bag of clothes on his back, but his macabre alarm clock was the gurgling cries of the dying person, bubbling blood in their throats hindering his final words. He gasped in shock at the sight, attracting the attention of the three other men present. One of them said something and with a brief nod, one of the other two men went over to the intruder, a dirk in his hand, still warm from him using it on its last victim.
The terrified youth blurted out an array of promises not to say anything and that he didn't know anyone in the city to tell, not that he wanted to, intermittent squeaks letting him down as he didn't want to seem a child easily picked off. The person holding him back as two observed him had a scarred face, with a delicately tattooed 'x' under his ear, and was to become the doctor James met when he was getting blood tests done to see whether or not he'd contracted anything which could be fatal or dangerous. Their obvious leader there was a tall black man, easily passing six and a half feet in height with a disturbing attitude to match. Vehemence and malevolence resonated from his being, and James knew right then that no matter what went on this man was incapable of gaining anyone's trust and he didn't wish to give him a reason not to like him. He began work that night, wishing he'd started the journey already like his aunt had cautioned him to do, disliking the way some of the brotherhood viewed him, like a piece of meat for their homosexual needs.
Butch and Meowth were running out of ideas; nothing they attempted seemed to ward the ditto off, and some of their endeavours seemed to actually make it stronger than weaken it. Any time it got injured, it just transferred into a pokémon that had the ability to heal itself. In a crazy attempt, Butch leapt upon the creature and flattened his weight against it as he hoped to cut short its air supply, but the creature transformed into a solid iron cage around him that contracted a certain measure by each passing second. He screamed for Meowth to help him, caught in a dead panic as his breathing became faster and heavy. Then Meowth saw his opportunity, and seized it in the hope it wasn't too late for his comrade.
He launched an attack at the part of the cage above Butch's right temple, recognising a change in the meshed pattern and took his chance. He was successful, but not completely; the ditto thrashed around, losing its grip on Butch as it arched backwards in agony, clutching its head in literally blinding pain. Meowth's attack had punctured and sliced its left eye, but this victory came at great cost. When the creature had arched backwards, it had been too much for the victim in the cage, going against the man's shape too drastically and damaged his backbone. He was writhing on the ground moaning loudly, and Meowth ushered him out carefully, saying he needed to get away from there while they had the chance. Green-blue blood poured from the pokémon's face, giving the boy the comfort required to stand and stagger towards the door. As they got into the car, they failed to notice the pokémon turning into an Ekans and sliding along the tarmac, healed by turning into another pokémon with healing ability the second they'd disappeared. Now it slithered into the exhaust pipe, determined to destroy them from the engine out, half-understanding human technology. It fainted from carbon monoxide poisoning, its immune system far stronger than mankind so it wasn't dead yet, forcing the deadly gasses into the car itself. Butch only heard the car groaning dangerously seconds before the engine exploded, the acid destroying the insides of the machinery…
James emerged from the bathroom, filled with sorrow as more memories became increasingly ineffaceable and he discovered to what extent he'd betrayed his morals. He didn't immediately look into his wife's eyes as he re-entered, feeling guilty for his actions, or in this case, the lack of them. He sat beside her as she eased Elora's t-shirt over her chest, in bursting pain as it was not only too tight on her, but it hurt her as it pressed on her lacerations. He touched her shoulder gently, apologising, and he felt guilty from the way she way she looked at him; she was neither angry nor frustrated, simply disappointed. He hated feeling the cause for her upset, putting their past behind them for the present as was considered best for them both. Tears welled up in her eyes and he held her against him, not knowing why she was this emotional, but as he thought about the last week, he saw more than one source which would provide ample cause. He kissed her forehead and apologised, taken-aback momentarily when she asked him what the cause of his words was.
"I'm sorry, for not being able to treat you properly and for not sleeping with you now. Trust me, I want to; it's just…I keep thinking about seeing you lose our baby and feeling so helpless. I can't seem to act right at the moment, I've just been irresponsible"
"You're not the one who went out of their way to betray the other person"
"Thinking it over, there's little you could have done I guess, at least this way you're still in one piece, even if your heart's in many"
"I didn't mean to sleep with him, trust me I didn't, I just…needed refuge until you came here, and when you hung up on me I thought I'd never see you again. I hated myself more after that. But that's not why I'm crying, it's because of Alyssandra, how she brought us together and ripped us up like this"
"It's not her fault; we both know who's to blame. It's hard to deal with, but maybe it's best at the moment. We'd prepared ourselves but we still would have found it difficult. We would've dealt with it of course, but it was going to be a lot harder than anything we'd prepared ourselves for"
"I want her so much James"
"It's okay Jess, I want her too but there's nothing we can do without the ability to time-travel. You're not alone in this; never forget that, I'm hurting too"
"I don't know why you can't sleep with me, I'm burning so much inside, and I need to take that pain away"
"I can't do it, I'm sorry. I keep mentally seeing the blood pouring out of you and I just can't bring myself to do it. I'm sorry"
"You can shag Elora without problem though"
"That was different, I didn't witness her lose my child and--"
"You found no problem doing it when you came uninvited into my room at all hours this morning"
"I'm not meaning to sound harsh or anything, but I don't remember that, I swear I tell the truth"
"You didn't seem especially drunk, judging by your performance"
"I--, don't hate me Jess but I was high. Incredibly high at that, I can't remember much of anything"
Silence met his ears for a couple of minutes and he felt her tense against him, her sobs ceased. The shock of his honesty hit her hard, making her wonder why he'd gone down a path well-traversed when from what he'd always said made him a hollow person. Had it been his idea to do it? Was he still the desperate child he'd once been?
"Why?"
"I honestly don't know. There was cocaine there and…and it seemed like a good idea at the time though I really wish I hadn't"
"Why?"
"I don't need drugs anymore; you're all I need to last out my life, nothing else"
"You make me feel so special when you say that, from what you said and from what you thought—you only want to fuck me for fun when you've something else to give you the bottle to do it"
"That's not true or fair—you know how I feel about you"
"No I don't. I know how you used to feel, but people change, as I fear you have"
"How can I prove you wrong? If I didn't care I wouldn't have travelled all this way to get to you. I wouldn't be doing this"
He kissed her lovingly, hating not telling her the full truth about the night before, hating her for making him think about the drug abuse again. She didn't know why she felt cold by this; it was as if it had been her words that made him feel like he should have to show her affection, not his own true feelings. She wondered if he imagined another woman underneath him as he caressed her gently, and if he'd snorted anything when he'd just been in the bathroom unaccompanied after failure to become truly physical with her. She was glad he didn't remember a lot of it, as when he'd first entered she'd been drunk with Matt aiding her in undressing. He vanished from the room via the door James had neglected to shut when he'd come to join her, and she prayed he wouldn't say anything the next time their paths crossed. She still couldn't place why he'd seemed strangely familiar to her, perhaps she never would, with her rather relieved he hadn't removed any of his uniform the night before in case a few straggling garments lay to be observed by her husband. As she moved up in the bed for more room, she loathed herself for being such an easy target when she'd initiated it, him hating himself for walking into her room when high—would he have accepted no as an answer? A few minutes later though, he loved her in every term of the word, making her feel half-human again.
Elora stared intently at the picture in Matt's hand, stunned that James had settled for his wife when this woman was clearly better looking. It was badly mutilated with creases from Jessie squeezing it out of the wallet, as well as from clenching it in her anger-ridden fist. The pair sat beside each other on the couch as they awaited a delivery of kegs and as usual, the company was far from vigilant in their need for punctuality. Kiera, the hopeless barmaid sat in an armchair opposite them, enthusiastically browsing through a magazine aimed at someone nearly half her age, which she thought was very intellectually stimulating, if not a little too advanced for her as some of the content seemed very complicated to her. Before the trainee had entered, the higher members of staff were discussing what had happened the previous night, both disappointed with the way things had turned out between the married couple, as it interfered with their personal ambitions. Matt knew about the set-up in advance, him being the person who'd introduced her to du Paor in the first place. A heavy sigh passed Elora's lips as she knew their friendship could be no more, her life more important than his, especially when he'd gone running to his wife at the first ample opportunity. Bitterness was nothing new to her; she'd suffered from it since she was a bare teenager, loathing all families whose father-figures were not lecherous fiends as hers had been, making a woman of her when she was just a girl. the arrival of the couple in question did little to sweeten her bleak mood.
James' eyes became dangerous slits as he focused instantly on the barman, his tighter grip on Jessie's hand sending alarm bells sounding out in her head loudly. She withdrew it as his grasp became unbearably painful, hearing her bone creak as she flexed her fingers. The barman knew why he was the subject of the other male's attention as he recalled the last time their paths had crossed, and Elora started to tell them to get out if they were going to start it again. Neither heard her; Matt was unafraid of him, yet something was very disquieting about the situation, and he usually possessed mettle of iron. The very bitter feud between the two was about to commence and all were aware of it, bar Kiera who was trying to work out a joke she didn't understand. Jessie didn't understand why he was acting like this, as he'd never explained to her about what Tyra had told him connecting this man with Jessie Belle's rape, she just knew he wasn't someone to mess with as she finally recognised him as one of du Paor's workers.
Matt's instinct commanded him to leap up as James took a menacing step towards the leather couch, pushing Elora down forcefully as she attempted to intervene. Jessie had the sense to avoid standing too close to her husband whenever he entered a mood as foul as this. She jumped at the unforeseen quick snap of her partner's wrist, clutching his neck with enough force to scare him but not induce asphyxiation. He rested his thumb forcefully on the base of his opponent's neck, the scars where the electric contraption had burnt his fingers almost incandescent in this light, the silvered skin acting as a source of inspiration to his opponent by providing him with a tactic he wouldn't have considered alone. He struck his fist outwards, mimicking his attack as it collided with James' throat. A quick gasp for air and a violent cough was sufficient in elaborating the venom in the moment, his hatred off the scales now. The situation was not aided as Kiera squealed in delight at finally understanding the joke she'd pored over for minutes. He turned on her and unleashed a vicious torrent of abuse, which startled her as she'd been ignorant of what was going on and she left the room in a burst of tears.
"Great at making women cry are we, ickle pansy?"
"You're such a fucking hypocrite; at least I didn't hurt her"
"Emotionally you did, she could be scarred for life after that"
"Thanks to you someone I know died from your physical abuse, you know that? You probably do, and you probably gave her the knife or poison or whatever, coaxing her into thinking suicide was a good idea"
"I can't help it if some bitch can't handle it if I'm too much man for her"
"You're scum, absolute scum and you were too much, you and your fucking idiotic friends. She a virgin until your little games and she died HIV positive. You killed her, and I hope the virus eats away at you until you're less than nothing, as that's what you are now"
Matt looked stunned momentarily, and Jessie looked horrified as the pieces finally fell into place for her. Then the shock wore off the male and his composure was once more perfect, almost as if learning of the virus hadn't fazed him at all. Then the bitterness resumed, fury constricting the atmosphere and the women were afraid to breathe loudly in case something insignificant triggered an attack in their direction. Jessie shook slightly as she realised if the comments hurled about the room were as deadly serious as implied, then she'd been prepared to sleep with the man who'd inadvertently killed off part of her competition to win James' love—thank gods he'd walked in when he had, she thought, though part of her wondered to what extent his anger would have reached had he been in her bed when he'd wandered in high as a kite.
"If it happens, so be it, not that it's likely. Are you aware you're infected? From what I've heard you've been naughty as of late, without rubber as well, and last night you got more than you bargained for"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"When Elora here said she hadn't had unprotected sex, she meant she hadn't with you. Do you really expect her not to have done so with her track rec--?"
"Leave me out of this, now"
"Or what, you'll get bossy-boy to come fuck me up the ass? Did you get off on watching it Lor?"
"James, what's he saying?"
Something sparked off in James' head, coming to a horrific conclusion within his thoughts. He spun Matt around and twisted his arms behind his back, barely missing the breaking point of some of his bones. The barman was helpless. He turned him around savagely so he could face Elora over the pained man's shoulders.
"You set the whole thing up"
"James, it's not what it looks like"
"Really? Would you care to elaborate that theory a little further for me please, and tell me exactly what went on last night, though I can imagine. You depraved whore"
"I didn't want to do it; it was a choice between--"
"Me or you. Crystal clear now, and do you want the pleasure of telling my wife what you subjected me to? How you duped me into believing falsehoods just for your pleasure? What my nightmare consisted of?"
"How I fucked your wife senseless when you were getting high?"
A sickening crunch reverberated around the room as bone snapped, though where in his anatomy only Matt could tell, the pressure increasing with each second as James' patience wore even thinner. Jessie screamed out it wasn't true and her husband nodded, believing her over this scum, especially since there was no look of guilt or betrayal across her face as she made her claim, something she was terrible at hiding when it came to him. Elora was chalk-white but stood her ground, at the moment willing to brave anything he threw at her, knowing she deserved it for her irrational and uncharacteristic behaviour.
"I…I brought a bag of white lady with me, and suggested he tried some. It was only later that I learnt he'd suffered from a struggling habit after…afterwards"
"After what? Go on, don't half tell Jessie something and then act like everything's all right"
"du Paor was there…he knew you so I assume you know him, if what I've heard is anything to go by, though it all could just be lies…he told me it was my life or his, and since my father's just died, let the bastard burn in hell, I couldn't hurt my family more. It was selfish and stupid, but I agreed. I heard about your previous arrangement Jessie, I took over your responsibility. James wasn't able to put up much of a fight, especially when he got cut on the arm, and he was…"
"Easy pickings"
James' statement brought silence to the room with the exception of Matt's groans of agony, which quietened whenever more pressure was added as the bone continued to creak dangerously. He threw Matt forward into Elora as he caught sight of something on the ground; the picture of his aunt which Matt had dropped when he'd first stood up. He picked it up and put it in his pocket, questioning him how it came to be in his possession. With no reply, he delivered a quick kick to his ribs where the writhing, moaning figure pointed at Jessie who gave James a look that denoted it was true, so he picked up his wallet and left the room without another word. She followed his steps quickly, not wishing to lose sight of him for a moment in case she never saw him again. Once outside, James hastily walked to a bench in the edge of Viridian Forest, holding his head in his hands, wishing to erase huge chunks of his life, most of it when he'd first gone out with Jessie—very few of his problems would exist if the first period had run smoothly. Jessie asked if he'd prefer if she left; his answer beckoned her to sit by him and he held her in his arms, inhaling her scent to cool his boiling anger. Once that had occurred, he kissed her fervently and as the heat grew between them, he loved her in the grass as they were utterly alone, unaware it was the last time they'd ever hold each other like that again, unaware the world they were trying to rebuild together would be ripped asunder in a few short hours.
The explosion left Meowth and Butch badly shaken, cuts adorning both bodies and the man's back causing him unendurable agony from what the ditto had inflicted upon him in its cage-form. He felt cold. Everything he'd hoped about his girlfriend being alive had all been a lie, fed by the pokémon in front of him, yet he felt no resentment towards him. He shared his pain at finding his friends were still alive, but at the same time they were dead to him; at least this way his friend was dead, not acting to be so because she hated him like Jessie and James were. He regretted missing Cassidy's funeral, so his final goodbye would always be when she died in his arms, which in its own way was good. He knew what had happened and doctors hadn't told him any stories about the way she departed the world like so many grieving people in the world were. He hated the cat for killing her, knowing it had been because of all the drugs pumped through his system and recognising her as the one responsible for him being like that. They were sitting in a beer garden to avoid complaints about a pokémon inside even though the weather was dismal, eating something to remove their nausea and trying to ignore their rapidly growing apprehensiveness; something was amiss yet neither could place it or feel right by blaming their horrific morning. Three girls chattered noisily in a language neither understood, and Butch saw they were attractive, yet he didn't feel anything like lust towards any of them, feeling he was beyond that, at least for the present. Which is just as well, otherwise he'd be committing bestiality again, as they were the three pieces of the Ekans that had split in the explosion. Instead of being dead, they turned back into three different entities, planning their downfall with equal poison in each of their minds.
Meowth apologised and said he needed to do some hunting, this pathetic excuse for food doing little to ease his appetite being his reason, in truth he just required time away from the human as he came to grips with what the future would hold. In his absence, Butch's mind wandered to darker things in life, no longer feeling obliged to pretend otherwise now he sat alone, thinking about the woman he loved and how she'd never known it. He was disturbed when the women sat at his table, snaking their arms around him, ignoring his request for them to leave him be. They were all striking in their own way, and he reluctantly followed them as one hoisted him up by his arms and the other pushed him forward. The third woman made their intentions known, and he wasn't sure whether his embarrassment or shock at their plan made him feel such discomfort—they were lesbians who wished to make a movie but wanted them all in it, making them in need of a person to hold the camera. He traipsed alongside them, wondering why something like this had to happen when he wasn't in the mood or willing for it to occur when he felt so depressed. They walked into a plush hotel suite, then handcuffed the male to the bed, saying they needed to get in the mood and liked keeping him like that as they'd had cameramen before who assumed he could join in. He sighed as he watched them in half-interest, not really wanting to be there but knowing at a future point he'd regret it—these women were incredibly good looking. Suddenly they approached the bed, partially clothed, and the blonde sat to his left, the raven-haired one to his right and the one with shimmering red hair sat on top of him, tearing off his t-shirt without hurting him, inciting his arousal. She leant forwards and gingerly pressed her lips to his, making him forget about his horrific fortnight to take note of the moment he was in. With an interesting accent, she said:
"Sorry for not introducing ourselves, let us tell you at once who we are, Butch"
"How'd you know what my name w--?"
"Ditto!"
"Ditto!"
"Ditto!"
He screamed himself hoarser than usual, witnessing them transform and lean in closer over his body, the air almost suffocating with the thick fog of fear. He tried to remove the one on him by bucking his hips violently, but even if he'd been successful, which he wasn't, there was nothing he could do to stop the other two which were rapidly encroaching his air supply. Before they'd properly started attacking him, his sanity was truly lost with no hope of it ever returning.
Jessie and James stood against the wall of a large department store, waiting for the rain to ease off that had arrived without warning, spilling torrents of water from the skies above. She nestled against his body for warmth as well as support, feeling weak from walking around as each step jolted her sensitive stomach. He felt tired as well, but neither wished to return to the tavern just yet, not wishing for it to resume when they were working on their relationship, trying to make it go somewhere for longer than their last attempts. She slid her hands under his clothes and in spite of shuddering and feeling uncomfortable by their chill he didn't ask her to withdraw them. Without any warning, she suddenly blurted out a demand for him to tell her why he'd kept a picture of his aunt on top of one of her. He sighed and pushed her away, retrieving the offensive article from his pocket. He put it in front of her eyes, not looking at it himself, and then quartered it by tearing it.
"That was the only picture I had of her, and I didn't leave it on top of yours, it was near the back with another on top of it, are you happy?"
"No, you shouldn't have done that if it meant that much to you"
He ignored her bitterness and discarded the pieces into the bin a few feet away from them, and when he returned he tilted her head upwards he looked sincerely into her eyes as he began speaking.
"You mean more to me than she did, and trust me if I'd possessed another that wouldn't be the one I'd have kept. She's an ex, a wrong ex, but at the same time she was the only one who knew what I was going through when I left home. She's the only one who had first-hand knowledge of that from everyone I knew, as you know yourself I didn't tell you. At least now you needn't feel hurt at her slight presence on my person, though it's been quite some time since I'd even thought about that, never mind looked at it. I'll do anything to keep you, we've got to make this work this time, and I can't face losing you again"
"What touching words darlin' son, you should have told her that sooner"
He spun around angrily, fear no longer an emotion he felt in association with the witch who stood before him, anger replacing that weakness at her interrupting him. This is exactly what he didn't need when he was struggling to overcome his past horrors.
"What do you want?"
"Why, I heard you were carrying out things rather unlawfully and it's only my duty as your mother for me to set you straight"
"What, to make me act like a proper person, act and live as you desire? You've manipulated enough people in your life; I refuse to participate in your game any further, so please disappear. Your presence is uncalled for and unwelcome, don't linger like the foul stench of deceit you bring with you"
"If you're talking about your father, then I hate to be the bearer of bad news but he'd met his creator"
He was stunned at first but his shock was not evident to any, not even to himself to a certain extent. His impassive stance made him a worthwhile opponent in his mother's eyes, altering her opinion of him being a weak creature marginally.
"Nothing new there, someone upsets you, they mysteriously vanish. Am I to be next, is that why you're here?"
"I've already explained why I'm here before you James. I do hate others' incompetence being the cause for me to repeat myself"
"I couldn't care less what you see as unlawful; I've taken the biscuit as far as you're concerned. I've stolen, done drugs, been in a gang, slept with your sister-in-law…want me to continue? There's quite a long list for me to get through, do you have a lot of time of your blood-stained hands?"
Pique flashed dangerously across her eyes momentarily, horror rushing through his wife as she heard him openly admitting to her not being his first after all, his state of being showing nothing to reveal anything of a dishonest nature; he'd lied to her. Suddenly her feelings of love from attempting to rekindle their relationship vanished and she wanted nothing more than to be as far away from those two as possible, unaware it was set to worsen. Discomfort swamped her uncontrollably, much to her disapproval as there was nothing in her power for her to utilise in removing it.
"Astoundingly, your overly-zealous attitude failed to mention the factual basis for my visit, though you do oblige my psyche to deliberate what you exchanged. Do you bear aspiration for another endeavour?"
"Just say it; the only trait I inherited was a lack of deriving gratification from such games. They dissipate time and get people nowhere"
"It concerns your tasteless, and might I mention illegal, marriage"
"What's she on about James?"
"I have no idea; it was all above board as far as I'm aware"
"Well then you may no longer pride yourself as possessor of an observant mind, you overlooked something essential before you proceeded. Does this inveigle any retained reminiscences forth?"
She passed him her cherished piece of paper, knowing it would throw him off his impressive guard for the moment. She was right, and as his deportment altered within seconds of seeing it. He also knew there was little point in destroying it as he held it; this was merely a copy of the original. It was the marriage certificate he'd signed years ago to avoid feigning a celebratory occasion concerning his unification with Jessie Belle, making him a bigamist. As Jessie peered at what lay in his hands she asked him whether or not it was it legal, and he dubiously nodded, trying to think of a way it wasn't true. Then it hit him, the solution to his problems, or so he thought.
"She died before I married Jessica, therefore it's a marriage automatically exonerated. How can I be loyal to a dead person for the rest of my life? We're living in the second millennium here, not the second century"
Jessie released the breath she'd unconsciously been holding. The tense feeling faded slightly, but nothing removed the uneasy feeling she felt deep within, as if the truth did little to assist her increasing panic.
"I am competently aware of what time-frame we live in James, please refrain from divulging similar useless information in future. And it's strange how you claim she died before your marriage when I was talking to her last night, and you're married for nearly a week, correct?"
"You--you can't have. I learnt of her death on the twenty-eighth of last month"
"Let's run through this again, never mind, running in circles is another thing I despise partaking in; let's ring her. Talk to your wife yourself"
He was unaware he shook with nerves as she dialled the number in her personal phone, Jessie wishing she'd made the getaway she'd yearned for several minutes ago, wanting to sever herself from this malevolent atmosphere. She watched as James checked the number before holding it against his ear, and then he dropped it to the pavement, breaking it in pieces like his world was presently doing when he heard a voice answering it. HER voice.
AN
We're into the final 24 hours of this story and there will not be another to make it a trilogy, and up to this point alone there wouldn't be enough characters to continue it even if I wanted to! Chapter 19 will consist of the remainder of this day, at time of writing this I am unsure how long it's likely to be, and because I wanted a fair-sized finale, I had to cut this one short at thirteen pages (the chapter preceding this was eighteen). Chances are I've messed up your favourite character by now, which isn't hard as I've messed up people like the twerps who don't even appear all that often in this! Thanks to all my reviewers and my loyal beta reader who have given me the inspiration to continue, and hopefully you'll stick out the remaining segments. See you all soon, or at least I aspire to write the next bit quickly lol!
Maddie xxx