Hi guys! Wow thank you so much for your reviews, it makes me so happy knowing you like this story as much as me ^^. So, this chapter is very emotional and long, I can say that it got me watery-eyes when I wrote one part of it. AD will be revealed, are you ready for it?
To reply some reviews, I'm not writing anything about rap***, I hope nothing of my scenarios trigger bad memories for you but if it does, I apologize for it and know, I'm here for you if you need me, I'm good listening…
I hope you like this and, like always thank you if you have the time to leave a review! Have a great week-end!
Chapter 74 – Who are You?
*** AD's narrative - Music background: Who are you by SVRCINA ***
Do you feel safe, out in the night, in this town, where monsters hide? Do you feel safe knowing I'm there… in the shadows… always watching… always manipulating? Do any of you are safe? No, you're not…
You think you know me, but you don't. You don't know your true self... one minute you're you and then, you're not... you can't escape from it... you can't run... you can't deny what is in your DNA... in your blood and in my case, it's pure darkness...
So, who I'm? Well... that's a secret I'll never tell... but just know that from now on, there's no need to hide, no need to keep the masks… from now, we won't just face our worst fears, we will seek them out. We will find them and cut out their hearts one by one. We will play this game to the end and, just the best will prevail…
A constant noise wakes her up, she's not sure where she's, the last thing she remembers it's struggling with AD and then feeling a needle in her arm before everything went black. Blair slowly opens her eyes and turns her gaze to the source of the noise: Melissa… Melissa has a devious smile in her face as she taps her fingers against the transparent wall.
Melissa smirks. – "Hey you, sleeping beauty… nice to see you awake…"
Blair feels a horrible headache, she tries to move but trips, she's still very dizzy…
Melissa mocks. – "Oh, honey, you should see you…"
Blair looks around, her vision's still very blurry but she notices she's trapped between 4 walls that looked like glass. With all her strength, she stands up and she rushes against the walls, throwing her fists against the walls, she punches them, but nothing breaks besides her fists…
Blair sighs. – "Aaagrhh…."
Melissa smirks. – "It's not glass if you're wondering… you can't break these walls… you can't escape…"
Blair tries to stay up; her head is still spinning from all the drugs AD put in her system. The young doctor is fighting to stay awake, but he doped her with so much sedatives that it's very difficult to keep the eyes open. But then, there's it, a reason to fight… Spencer… the memory of Spencer brings in Blair all the force she needs and Blair sighs hard as she keeps punching the walls that keep her captive...
Melissa. - " Stop it... I'm telling you, you can't break them... it's not glass, it will not break so easy..."
Blair's fists are red with blood, she knows Melissa is right, that she can't escape so easy from that transparent box, but she needs to fight her way out of there, she needs to find her way back to Spencer, she needs to protect the girl she loves, even if it looks impossible...
Melissa smirks. - "You are really stubborn... just like Spencer..."
Blair. - "You've no right to talk about Spencer..."
Melissa. - " Oh really? And why not?"
Blair doesn't reply, she's too exhausted, too dizzy to talk... she stops punching the wall, and feeling hopeless, she leans against the wall and sits in the floor, she's very doped and she tries to focus on the bright light above her to stay awake. Melissa stares at the young doctor and says...
Melissa asks. - "How is she?"
Blair doesn't reply and Melissa snaps...
Melissa yells. - "I made a question! How...?"
Blair cuts her off. - "I'm not doing this... I'm not going to talk with you... especially about Spencer..."
Melissa laughs, she takes the same posture than the doctor, in an opposite position; Melissa sits in the floor and leans her back against the same wall, both girls just separated by a transparent tiny wall...
Melissa. - "You should reconsider your idea of not talking with me... after all, I might be your only company till you die…"
Blair. – "I'm not dying in here… I promised her that I'll not leave her alone… I can't leave her alone…"
Melissa. – "People leave… people break their promises… she'll get over it…"
Blair sighs hard, she runs a hand through her hair and closes her eyes as she tries to figure it out, what to do next…
Blair. – "I get why I'm trapped in this cell but why you're captive too? I thought you were one of them…"
Melissa chuckles with a bitter tone, she looks around her, and she gulps hard as she stares at the 4 walls that have been keeping her captive for the last weeks…
Melissa chuckles with a bitter voice. – "Yeah… how I ended like this? In here… I wonder… mmm… I guess karma is really a bitch…"
Both girls sigh hard and they just lean their heads against the same wall, looking up at the bright light above them… wondering: How do they end in there? Like that…
No matter how many plans we make or steps we follow, we never know how our day is going to end up. All of the sudden, you find yourself somewhere you would have never expected… you can't predict how the turn of events will play for you, that's why every morning when you wake up you should say a little prayer. After all, your most dangerous enemies are the ones you never knew you had and, you never know what your day may hold…. A peaceful end or a roller-coaster till the end? No one knows how this will end but if our pretty liars want peace, they better be prepared for war.
(In the Fields' house)
Pam was putting the boys on bed, tonight they were staying with them; the past weeks, she has been able to spend a lot of time with them; their time together was almost every day of the week… the 24hrs of the day and in any other circumstance, she would be thrilled to spend so much time with her little angels but, she can't feel happy, since she knows it's Alison's absence the reason that has bring them to spend so much time together.
Pam sighs hard with sadness as she looks at the sad faces of the 3 little boys. With Alison, bed's time was their favourite moment of the night but without Alison, it has become very hard to sleep with a happy smile…
Pam tries to cheer them up and says. – "Hey! Do you want me to read you a bedtime story?"
The boys shake their head with a sad pout and Pam feels tears in her eyes as she sees those little faces, looking so sad… It will ever get better? Pam wonders herself that question, but she can't find the answer… but thankfully, the answer will appear by itself…
*** Oliver's POV - Music back ground: Alive by Gabrielle Aplin ***
Granma insisted to read us something, but we said no, it's just not the same without mamma… ah… mamma… I lie down in the bed with my brothers and all I can think it's about her… mamma… I miss her… we miss her so much...
Grandma leaves and turns off the lights, there's no longer a night's lamp for us, since we're no longer scared of the dark, no, we're not longer afraid of the dark, but there's something scarier than the monster of the night… something else that keeps us awake every night… a constant fear that we can't let go…. A fear that's consuming our souls… the fear of forgetting her… the fear of forgetting mamma…
I'm awake looking at the ceiling and I frowns with a pout since I can't remember mamma's voice… I'm starting to forget her… I can't recall the sound of her laugh… the glow of her eyes… I can't remember her smile and it makes me sad… really sad…
Tears start to fall from my eyes, I'm sobbing, and I can't stop it. My noisy sob wakes up my brothers, they look at me and they know… they know the reason of my tears, the reason of my sorrow…
Enzo hugs me tight and says something to me…
Enzo sobs. – "I miss her too... I miss mamma too…"
I look at him in the eyes and his blue eyes make me remember mamma; my lips quivers with sadness and my tears just increase because I miss those blue eyes, I miss her blue eyes. I'm crying very loud but, I'm not the only one crying now, Enzo starts crying too, and we hug each other, trying to find any comfort but there's really any comfort to this kind of pain?
Wayne gets out of bed, he looks around and he finds, in our bag, my favorite blanket, he takes it and rushes towards us; he hugs us and covers us with the blanket. I loved this blanket, I loved it because it had mamma's smell… but it doesn't smell like mamma anymore… even the blanket lost her essence and now… now, I have nothing to remember her smell, I can't remember her smell… Did she smell like apple? Like banana? I can't remember and I've nothing to remember it… nothing… and, I feel empty… I feel sad… I feel…
My thoughts are interrupted when someone opens the door; we're, the 3, on the same bed, hugging each other, with tears falling from our eyes, gripping on the tiny blanket when a light appears between all the dark… and… there's it… there's she… my light in the dark… my bright sunshine… my mam…
Wayne smiles and yells. – "Mamma!"
Enzo sobs. – "Mam!"
My brothers keep saying her name, the name no one has dared to say for the past few weeks, the name that has been so painful to say out loud… the name of the person I love the most in this world… mamma… my mamma is here, she's here, right? I'm not dreaming, right? I can't believe it, I can't and I can't speak, my mouth shakes open and I can't find my voice, just tears keeps falling from my eyes and I feel like I can't breathe and she notices it, she rushes towards me and hugs me; she hugs me tight and I get it… the smell I was forgetting… the sweet smell of vanilla… mmm… vanilla… I takes deep breath of her beautiful fragrance and I can breathe again, I can smile again because she's here… she's here… with me…
I wrap my tiny arms around her neck and say with a shaking voice. – "Mam… mamma… mammy…"
I found my voice… I can say her name again… I can hug her again and I can hear her voice again too…
Alison. – "My Ollie… my beautiful boy... I love you… I love you so much…"
She keeps talking to me, I can't understand what she's saying since she's also crying but, it doesn't matter, the only that matters it's that she's back, she's alive and she's here… with me…
I looks at her and I maps her face with my little fingers, I don't want to ever forget her face, I want to memorize her face… her nose… her cheeks, her mouth… I want to always remember her…
She smiles at me as I roam my fingers over her face and that's it… I remember now… I start remembering everything about her, I remember her voice, I remember the sound of the piano when she plays it for me… I remember how much she loves to cook for us, I remember that red is her favorite color, I remember that she loves to read us bedtime stories, I remember the sound of her laugh, I remember how my world just light up when she smiles to me, just like now and, I smile… I can smile again because I remember her… I remember how much she loves me, how much I love her… and thankfully I'll never forget… we will never forget it…
*** End of Oliver's POV***
The blonde hugs her three little boys with a lot of love, they're all crying, sobbing…
Alison says with a heartbroken voice. – "I missed you so much…"
The boys hug her tight, they fill Alison's face with kisses and that's when Emily emerges inside the room. The brunette had a rocky night with all that happened with Ben but this, looking at her family reunited, it's all she needed to feel complete and happy again. Emily joins the family's hug and they keep hugging each other, with tears in their eyes, but with happy tears…
Spotted: A family reunion, and it feels good…. So damn good…
(At the Radley Hotel)
Hanna. – "Spence… calm down…"
Spencer yells. – "You can't ask me to calm down! I can't calm down! He took her, that bastard took her!"
Caleb mutters. – "I still can't believe you're into chicks now…"
Spencer stares at him with a killer look and Caleb gulps hard…
Hanna. – "Honey, you're not helping…"
Spencer runs a hand through her hair, she takes deeps breaths and closes her eyes as she starts feeling that the world is spinning around her…
Mona asks. – "Is she ok? She's very pale…"
Hanna. – "Spence… are you ok?"
Spencer opens her eyes and before she could answer, she fades; the girls rush towards her and catch her before she drops in the floor…
Mona. – "What do we do?!"
Hanna looks at her husband with fear and Caleb takes the lead…
Caleb takes Spencer into his arms and throws his car keys towards Hanna as he says. – "You're driving Hanna, let's get her to a hospital…"
Mona. – "I think, everybody will be safer if someone else besides Hanna, drives…"
Hanna squints her eyes towards her friend and Mona shrugs…
Caleb. – "You're right… where's Aria?!"
They look around, but they can't find the little brunette…
Hanna panics. – "Where is she?! Did she get kidnapped too?! Did…?!"
Mona hugs Hanna and says. – "Hanna… breathe… breathe… breathe…"
The blonde follows Mona's advice and she calms down.
Mona. – "You two, get Spencer to a hospital, I'll look for Aria…"
Hanna looks at her with fear and Mona puts her hands over Hanna's hands…
Mona. – "It will be ok… I'll find her… just trust me, ok?"
Hanna nods. – "I trust you… but I don't want any bad happening to you, too…"
Mona smiles, she feels a warm sensation in her heart when she realizes Hanna cares for her that much…
Mona hugs Hanna and says. – "I'll be ok… I'm me, after all…"
They were hugging each other with a lot of affection when Caleb says…
Caleb. – "Come on, Hann… let's go…"
Hanna grips on Mona one last time, before breaking the hug. They stare at each other into the eyes…
Hanna says with watery-eyes. – "Why this feels like a good-bye?"
Mona chuckles. – "Don't be dramatic Hann… everything will be ok… just drive safe… ok?"
Hanna chuckles. – "Yeah… I promise… and you… you be safe too, ok?"
Mona nods and the couple leave with an unconscious Spencer. Mona stays there, looking at them into the distance and she keeps her eyes on them, till they're out her sight. In the moment she got alone, the phone that Hanna gave her, it starts to ring… it was a private number and Mona smirks with a devious smile, she takes the call…
(Phone call)
AD. – "You weren't part of the game…"
Mona smirks. – "Well, what I can say… I do love to crash in a party…"
AD. – "This is my game… not yours… walk away…"
Mona smirks. – "I'm afraid I can't do that, honey… but just know, that I'll play to win…"
AD. – "You should walk away now that you can… this may be too much for you…"
Mona smirks. – "Oh, don't worry, too much is just the right amount for me…" (She grins as she can hear how AD groans with anger) "You know, it would be smart of you to turn yourself in and bring back the doctor, safe and alive… you really don't want me to put you in checkmate…"
AD smirks. – "Be careful with who you threaten, you're walking on tine ice and you may find hell instead of happily ever after…"
Mona smirks. – "I have never been a girl who believes in fairy tales, so don't worry, I'm not looking for a happily ever after for me… you're smarten than you look, I'll admit just that… but just remember… I initiated this game… I created it… and I'm finishing it… no matter the cost…"
AD gulps hard and hung up. Mona looks at the phone and she feels like she just won a little victory in the battle field.
But, careful Mona, don't celebrate victory yet; it's going to take more than a little talk to lead this monster to his downfall. And something tells me, you're walking towards a pond of sharks…
(In the DiLaurentis-Fields' house, in Emison's bedroom)
The blonde sighs, she's tired, she's exhausted, it has been a long, emotional night and she's rubbing her tired eyes when someone hugs her from behind…
Alison smiles. – "Hi…"
Emily wraps her arms around Alison and she presses hard her body against the blonde, she takes deeps breath of Alison's fragrance and the brunette smiles as she fills her lungs with that sweet smell of vanilla…
Alison asks. – "How are you feeling?"
Emily sighs deeply. – "I don't know…"
Alison turns around, their eyes meet, and the blonde says with concern…
Alison. – "He… Ben… he didn't hurt you, right? He didn't…."
Emily. – "You arrived just in time… you saved me… you're always saving me… my hero…"
The couple chuckle and their hands start playing with each other.
Emily. – "What will Noel do with Ben?"
Alison. – "Nothing bad if that's you're worry about… he will make him talk… he will not kill him Em… even if one part of me wish he would do it…"
*** Music background: Hurricane by Fleurie ***
With the hands entwined, they lean their front-head together and they just take deep breaths as they're still overwhelmed by all that happened in that night…
Alison looks around and mumbles. – "I feel like I was just here yesterday… like we slept in this bed last night… for you, it must seem like a lifetime ago…"
Emily caresses Alison's face and says. – "I just never thought I'd see you again…."
Emily sobs as she can recall the feeling of her grieving; Alison brushes her lips against Emily's face and she clears the tears with her lips…
Alison. – "How did you not lose hope?"
Emily. – "I did lose hope, I felt like dying… I couldn't breathe, I couldn't eat, I couldn't move… the feeling of losing you… the idea of you dying… it almost destroyed me…"
Alison's heart quivers, just imaging how much pain her absence brought to her family…
Emily. – "I wanted to die too, I wanted to close my eyes and don't wake up in a world where you weren't in it but… but I couldn't throw the towel, I couldn't bail on our boys…"
Alison kisses Emily's nose and says. – "And I thank you for that…"
Emily blushes and chuckles with the tender kiss and says as she stares at the beautiful blue eyes she loves…
Emily. – "I… I developed rituals in order to hang on living..."
Alison. – "Like what?"
Emily chuckles. – "It's stupid. It really doesn't matter…"
Alison. – "I'd like to know…"
They stare at each other and Emily takes a deep breath before talking…
Emily. – "I would stare at your photo of my wallet every time and, I… I started thinking that if I would look at it long enough every day that, that would keep you alive and you would come back to me…"
Alison chuckles. – "I guess it worked…"
Emily continues. – "And then, I had this thing about your lasagna…"
Alison. – "My lasagna?"
Emily nods. – "Yeah… ahmmm… you may have forgotten but, the last time you cook, you put in the fridge the leftover of the lasagna you cooked and I… I wouldn't let anyone touch it…"
Alison blushes, she can't believe in the tiny things that Emily clung to survive…
Emily pouts. – "And then, one night, Hanna came by, she ate your lasagna, and I freaked out! I almost kill her…"
Alison chuckles, just imaging Emily, snapping against Hanna. The blonde kisses Emily's face, Emily's cheeks, Emily's lips and both girls, they just feel alive again when their mouth melt together. The brunette's heart beats so fast, feeling Alison's tongue, tasting Alison's sweet mouth was something that she has been craving for so long. The kiss was becoming heated and Alison pushes away…
Emily. – "Something wrong?"
Alison. – "I just… mmm… I just think I shouldn't get carry away… I mean… after all that you lived tonight with Ben…"
Emily sighs. – "I'm fine Ali… I…"
Alison. – "Emily don't! Don't act like nothing happened…"
Emily. – "But nothing happened! It almost happened but you stopped it…"
Alison hugs Emily and says with concern. – "And I'm grateful that I could arrive in time to stop that fucking bastard but I'm here for you Em… whatever you need, I'm here for you…"
Emily leans her chin in Alison's shoulder and she wraps her arms around the blonde, they keep hugging each other when Emily's phone starts ringing…
Alison. – "Are you not answering it?"
Emily shakes her head. – "No…"
Alison asks. – "Why not? It may be important…"
Emily says as she snuggles on Alison. – "I don't care if it's important, the only that I want to do tonight it's to be here…. With you… all I need is you…"
Alison smiles, she hugs Emily tighter and kisses her, she tries to kiss her neck, but Emily pulls away…
Alison asks with concern. – "Did I do something wrong?"
Emily rubs her neck with her hand and says with a shy voice. – "No… It's just that…. uhmmm…. My neck is dirty since Ben kissed it with his disgusting lips…"
The brunette feels dirty, she tries to look down, but Alison stops her, the blonde puts a finger in Emily's chin and forces her to look at her into the eyes…
Alison says with a warm smile. – "Then, let me erase his lips from your skin… where did he kiss you?"
Emily points out some zones in her neck and Alison leans to kiss those spots. Before putting her lips against Emily's neck, Alison stares at the brunette asking permission to proceed and Emily gives her permission with a nod. The brunette felt dirty, disgusting but those bad memories start to vanish when she feels the soft lips of her wife, kissing each cm of her neck…
Alison says between kisses. – "This neck is mine… just mine…"
Emily mutters. – "Just yours… yours…"
The brunette feels so taken by the blonde and their love, she pushes Alison against the bed and both girls lie down in bed, Emily on top of Alison…
Alison says as she brushes Emily's hair behind her ear. – "We don't need to do anything tonight, Em, I just want you to feel safe…"
Emily was on top of her wife, she smiles with Alison's words and she slowly leans in her chest. The brunette buries her face in the big boobs of the blonde and, says as she rubs her face against them…
Emily. – "I always feel safe when I'm with you… I need you Ali… I need you now…"
Alison smiles and says as she kisses Emily's head. – "And, I'm here for you, Em… I'm here…"
They take their time to take off their clothes, Alison always loved to be the one dominant in bed but, tonight, she let Emily take the lead. The blonde knew that tonight, Emily needed to be the one in control.
The blonde gasps with pleasure when the brunette gets inside her; Emily closes her eyes, she just wants to focus on her wife but, her mind play tricks to her and she recalls her struggle with Ben and her pumping becomes rough… fast… hard…
Alison cups Emily's face with her hands, she calls Emily's name with tenderness and Emily opens her eyes and now, in her mind, there is just one thing… just one person… Alison…
Alison smiles. – "Hey, easy… I'm here… I'm here with you…"
Emily smiles, she's entranced with those beautiful blue eyes and she feels transported to a beautiful ocean. The brunette leans towards Alison and the blonde hugs Emily by the neck when their lips connect. Emily's tempo changes, she slides her fingers, slowly without rush and, Alison just moans with pleasure. Emily feels relaxed, hearing Alison's moans was a beautiful melody for her ears…
Emily moans. – "Ali… Ali… Ali…"
Alison. – "Em… mermaid… oh GOD EMILY!"
Her internal walls shrank, she holds her breath for one second and then, she releases a long moan when she releases her juices. Emily smiles, feeling her fingers floating in a pond of Alison's juices. The brunette keeps moving her fingers, more slowly and she kisses Alison's jaw as she do it. The blonde just smiles and caresses Emily's head.
Alison says as she caresses Emily's head. – "I love you…"
Emily looks at her and replies with a smile. – "I love you too…"
They're staring at each other with a lot of love, Alison caresses Emily's face and she can imagine how difficult everything has been for Emily…
Alison. - "I am so sorry, for everything I put you through…"
Emily. – "It's not your fault, you know… You went through stuff, too…"
Alison sighs. – "So, well, it's not the same…"
Emily asks. – "How was it? For you… I mean… you were in a coma for a long time…"
Alison replies as she tangles her fingers on Emily's hair. – "I can't remember… everything is just very blurry… one moment I was falling from that cliff and then… I remember cold water and drowning… I don't remember how I got out of the water but at that point… everything was just dark… I remember being in a dark place and not finding the way out, till…"
Emily. – "Till…?"
Alison. – "Till, between all the darkness… between all the emptiness… I heard laughs…"
Emily. – "Laughs…?"
Alison nods and smiles. – "Yeah… the laughs of our boys… your laugh… I started hearing your voices too and I just… I just followed those voices and, I found my way back to you…"
The brunette smiles, tears fall from her brown eyes, the brunette recalls the tragic event, when she saw the love of her life, falling from that cliff and says with a heartbroken voice…
Emily. – "I'm sorry, I should have saved you back there… I should have arrived in time and stopped him, I should…"
Alison clears Emily's tears with her thumbs and says. – "Sssshhh… It's not your fault Em, you did nothing wrong… don't blame yourself for what happened…"
They are staring at each other with lovely eyes…
Emily. – "I can't lose you…"
Alison caresses Emily's cheek and says. – "You'll never lose me…"
Emily grips on Alison's hand and says with fear. – "This nightmare is not over…"
Alison. – "But it will… very soon…"
Emily pleads. – "Let's run away…"
Alison. – "Em, no…"
Emily begs. – "Ali! I can't lose you! Our boys can't lose you again! We were barely breathing without you! I can't risk losing you again, ever again… so let, take the kids and drive away as far as we can from here…"
Alison sighs hard, she understands Emily's fear but, she knows better than anyone that running away it's never the solution…
Alison. – "We can't run away Em… what about our friends? We can't leave them alone, dealing with this nightmare!" (She kisses her in the lips and says) "Em, my beautiful mermaid, don't be afraid, I promise you that nothing bad will happen to our family, I will protect you, you and our boys… I promise…"
Emily says with a shaking voice. – "I don't want you to die…"
Alison kisses Emily and says. – "I'll not die… I promise you, I'll not die…"
Emily pouts. – "You can't promise me that…"
Alison chuckles, she finds adorable every time that Emily pouts, she hugs Emily and leans her chin on Emily's head as the brunette curls against her chest…
Alison. – "You are the most beautiful gift I have ever had in my life… so I can't die… I can't die and leave you behind… I'll fight against Death over and over… I'll always find my way back to you, I promise…"
Emily smiles and she says as she wraps her arms around Alison. – "Promise it again…"
Alison chuckles. – "I promise…"
Emily giggles. – "Say it again…"
The blonde chuckles, she kisses Emily's head as she keeps saying 'I promise' over and over till they fall asleep and for the 1st time in a long, long time, Emily can sleep with a happy smile in her face.
The best gifts are the one you never see them coming, the one you give for granted. Every day, we get the gift of life… it can be painful, it can be terrifying, but in the end, it's worth it every time. You just need to grips in the good, in the love…
You better get your beauty rest now girls. Because it looks like things could get ugly in the morning…
*** AD's narrative – Music back ground: Deep end by Ruelle***
What do you do when you get infected with anger, with darkness? When it takes over? Do you do what you're supposed to and take your medicine? Do you ask for help? Or, do you learn to live with it and hope, someday, it goes away? Or do you just give up entirely and let it take control?
Are you able to see what's inside of you? Are you able to embrace your own darkness? Are you ready to let me take control of YOU?
Erza slowly opens his eyes, he can't recall where he's neither how he got in there, in that dark place, very dark and cold. He was trying to stand up when someone appears between the shadows…
Marco. – "Finally, you're awake…"
Erza raises an eye brow. – "What?! Where… how… I….?!" (He looks disoriented)
The detective walks away, and he turns on the lights, Erza closes his eyes and tries to adapt his eyes to the bright light. Marco points out towards a table where there's a bunch of papers and a typing machine…
Marco. – "I need you to retype the finally…"
Erza shakes his head. – "What the hell are you talking about?!"
Marco smirks. – "Oh… you don't remember… huh? Let me refresh your memory…"
*** Flashback ***
In a fraternity's party, Ian sees Alison talking with a guy, she's laughing and even if he knows Alison has no feeling for him, he feels jealous… who's that guy? Ian asks himself that question and, when the blonde leaves with Cece, he decides to find it out...
Ian stretches his hand with a beer and says. – "Hi… I'm Ian Thomas… are you enjoying our party? My brothers and I, we really did our best on organizing this event…"
Erza takes the beer and replies. – "Thanks… yeah… it's nice… I'm Erza Firtz by the way…"
Ian sits beside him in the sofa and they start talking, Ian finds him very boring, he can't understand why Alison looked so happy, talking with him, but then, something catches his attention…
Erza. – "So, like I said, I came here, trying to cheer me up after the fiasco of my 1st manuscript… I put so much effort on it, but my professor said that's too dark… that I should just throw it to the garbage…" (He takes a bunch of papers from his bag and says) "Maybe he's right, I should just throw this to the garbage…"
Ian looks at the 1st page and reads it out loud. – "AD…" (He frowns) "Too dark, huh? The book tittle doesn't look scary to me…"
Erza. – "You can't judge a book for the tittle, it's what is inside, what really makes the book worthy to read it or not…"
Ian. – "I'm not a reading guy… but I'm interest now in knowing what is about… why don't you tell me about your book, and I will tell you if it's too dark… believe me, I know about darkness… I can judge about it…"
Erza smiles, finding someone interesting in his work, it was always a reason for joy.
Erza. – "So, the story is about a psychopath: AD, he suffers from a disorder of multiple personalities, in broad daylight, he's a normal good guy, a great detective, actually, but in the night… his dark side takes control and AD appears, he plays sick games to his victims and he has this board game where…"
Erza is very detailed and for the 1st time in his life, Ian is interested to read a book…
*** Ends of the Flashback***
Erza shakes his head in disbelief. – "No… no… this… this can't be happening… I… I…"
Marco smirks. – "You created AD, my friend… you're the master mind behind all this…"
Erza shakes his head. – "No… NO! I… I gave that manuscript to Ian… he's dead… he's…" (He stares at Marco and gulps) "Who are you? Who are you?! WHO ARE YOU IN REALITY?!"
Marco smirks. – "You really can't figure it out by yourself, huh?!"
Erza doesn't know what he's talking about, he stares at him and gulps. Marco walks around the room and stands up in front of a big mirror. He looks at his face as he roams his fingers around his face…
Marco. – "Plastic surgery is really magic, don't you think? No scars… no trace of Ian Thomas…"
Erza says with a shaking voice. – "You… it can't be… Ian is dead… you… you're dead…"
Marco smirks. – "Ian Thomas died and then, reborn like Marco Furey… the principal character of your manuscript, the person with two personalities: the great detective, the 'hero' and then, his other side, his other personality, AD… the 'villain'… at least that's how you wrote it in your book… right?"
Erza shakes his head, he's in denial…
Ian. – "I faked my death for freedom, I didn't want to go to jail, I planned a new beginning but, then, I couldn't take it… the rage… the hate towards those bitches… I couldn't let it go… and it was consuming me, all that rage… that's when I found your manuscript… and it hit me… I realized what I needed to do… who I needed to be…"
Erza. – "What?!"
Ian smirks. – "You should feel proud of yourself, it's brilliant, your book of AD is amazing… you made me read an entire book for the 1st time in my life…"
Erza. – "This can't be happening…"
Ian smirks. – "Oh, it's happening! And we need to rewrite a new ending since those bitches just messed out with our master piece…"
Erza shakes his head. – "No… I'm not helping you… I…"
Ian smirks with a devious smile. – "I thought you would say that, so I took the initiative to bring you an incentive"
He pushes a button from the wall and from the other side of the mirror, another room is showed and Erza rushes and punches against the mirror as he stares at the person captive in that room…
Erza screams. – "Nicole!"
The girl is scared, she's tied in a chair, she can't see Erza but Erza can see her…
Ian whispers in Erza's ear. – "Let me tell you something, the only thing thicker than blood is the ink of your book… and you may think I'm done but I'm not… you will prepare a great ending for me and you've one hour to write it or she dies… tick tack… it's playtime…"
*** Erza's narrative***
There's a weak link in every chain. And it's just a matter of time before it snaps. Everyone has a demon inside of them. Darkness and light are within you, in truth, you're always fighting with yourself… with your pain, with your anger, with your remorse… you try to resist, you try to stay strong but eventually, you give in… you let the darkness spreads… and, it consumes you, it devour your soul and that's it, that's when, one minute you're you… and then you're not, that's when evil emerges and when you lose yourself in a sick game…
Next: Chapter 75 – Playtime
