Chapter 37: Tears of Blood

Night had fallen all to fast. Jack sweated profusely under the weight of his stack of books. This was going to be the last load for tonight. He grunted as he straddle walked through his front door so the stack of books would clear the doorframe. Suddenly, the weight in his arms became lighter as Mary took part of the stack. He sighed in relief.

"Thank you Mary. That was heavy."

Mary resisted the urge to scratch at the stiches in her cheek, they itched like crazy. "Why are we doing this again?" She knew the answer already, but anything to take her mind off the itch.

Jack sat his stack of books with the many other stacks of books against the wall of his house, "Well, it's simple. Anna, during her struggle, declared that you were to be expelled from her property. Now, she may be in jail, but she still has certain control over what she owns. Most of the stuff in her house was hers, including such things as your bed. But the books you bought with money you earned with your own two hands doing various small odd jobs for people around town. Since they are your property, she can not forbid you from taking them. Or rather, me from confiscating them for you."

Mary straightened a slightly leaning stack, "But what am I going to do with all these books? We still only have about half of them, and they are taking up so much space in your house."

Jack smiled and put his arms around her waist, "Ah, no, you mean our house. Honey, I swear, if I am not able to buy you your library back, I will build a new library, just for you on that vacant lot in town. Just for you my love."

Mary laughed, "Dear, maybe we should get Gotz to build it. If you try and build a house it might just come crashing down on our heads, and we wouldn't want that."

"Yeah, you are probably right. Him and Saibara really did a wonder job with that wheelchair, didn't they?"

"I know, I can't believe that they built it so fast. And wasn't it so heart warming to see Carter cruising around in the wheelchair? He seemed so happy to be able to move."

"It was nice wasn't it? But what I can't believe is that they let him go back to the church for the night."

"Well, you know Elli and the doctor, they hate to make patients stay in the hospital needlessly. They got me and Carter out as fast as they could."

"But don't forget, they told you to get a good night's sleep. No staying up late now." Jack led Mary over to the bed and they sat down on the edge of it.

"Jack, where are you going to sleep? I can't take your bed." Mary hugged Jack tightly.

Jack laid Mary down and wrapped the bedsheets around her tightly, "Well, I'm just going to sleep outside. Sort of like a little camping trip. The nights are still mild, it will be a while before they become cold. I'll be right here close by you, so don't worry."

Mary smiled innocently, "Why don't you just sleep in the bed with me? Nothing wrong with sleeping in the same bed as long as we keep our hands off of each other."

Jack looked at Mary all bundled up in the bed. A strange, somewhat twisted, smile crossed his face as he looked at her. It would be so easy. There she was, helpless before him. His scythe was right there, on his back. It would take but an instant to pull it free and with a mighty swing he could pierce her. The blood would rush forth. The ecstasy of the moment. It would bubble forth, so beautifully. The red, it would look so lovely upon her. The warmth of the blood on his hands, the smell filling his nostrils. The ultimate intimacy of life being shared through her death...

His smile and his silence was scaring Mary. She cautiously laid a hand upon him, "Jack?"

Realization dawned upon Jack's face. He stared at Mary wide eyed, shocked, unable to comprehend what he had been thinking. He couldn't... He wouldn't... "No!" He screamed as he lept forth and stumbled away from the bed in panic, "Do you hear me? I won't do it!" He franticly fumbled with the doorknob, so terrified he temporarily forgot how to open the door. He finally managed to get it open, went through and slammed it closed. He fell back against the door and slowly slide down to the ground, breathing heavily...

Mary curled herself up in the blankets of her bed, "Jack, what's wrong? I wish... I wish I knew what it is that plagues your mind... I wish you would tell me what's wrong. Then we could take comfort in each other." She ran her hand across a random scar, "My scars are on the outside, but I think yours are on the inside. I want to make you feel better, but I can't if you won't tell me what's wrong. I love you so much, I just don't want you to hurt."

Outside, Jack pulled himself away from the wall and lay down nearby the front door. His scythe was poking him in the back so he pulled it off and threw it to the side. He curled up in a little ball. He didn't want to hurt Mary, he really didn't. Yet something inside was telling him too. He couldn't do it. He had to go to sleep. Everything would be better in the morning.