I didn't realize until after I posted the last chapter that in writing what I did, I bit off more than I could chew. Now, I'm not saying that this story is done, no, not at all. But because of it, I'm unsure of how I'm going to end the story. I had planned a happy ending a few chapters ago, but now it's morphed into something out of my control. So, I'm nearly just as much in the dark about what's going to happen as you are.

And now, for review replies…

RealityBreakGirl: I used the info on the 'up and down' cutting thing in the chapter…although, not in a good way…You'll see. Yes, it is really bad, and I'm sorry to say that it doesn't get any better in this next chapter.

Trecebo: I was actually going to have him stop in that last chapter, but after reading your review I realized that you were right, and that it would be wrong to just make things better after a few cuts. I'm glad that trust me with handling such a delicate subject.

Goddess of Twilight: Um…hehe…--'….you'll see, but I don't think you'll like it.

HouseMD.HuGh LaUrIe: I promise I'll do my best to make this a realistic and un-sugar coated as possible. I know that it's not going to be easy, but I'll try.

Chapter 20- Trickling Flood

"Richie! Hey Richie, wait up!" Daisy called as she jogged up to her un-attentive friend. Despite her yells, he had continued walking on as if nobody was there. "Hey Richie, you ok?" No response. This was starting to become a habit, and honestly, she was tired of it. Stepping in front of him so that he couldn't keep going, she glared at her recently air-headed friend. "Richie, what's wrong with you? What's going on? Your grades are slipping, you barely eat anything at lunch. This has been going on for a two weeks!" Richie remained unmoving, seemingly unfazed as one of his best friends tried to get through to him.

Sighing, Daisy lowered her head before looking up, pleading eyes trying to find blank ones. She searched those eyes, trying to find…something…Anything. But there was nothing, not even pain. They were just two empty orbs, simply there to make it appear as though their owner knew of his surroundings. "Richie, I went to visit Virgil yesterday." There was a slight twitch, and it was so tiny Daisy could have sworn she imagined it. "He said you haven't come to visit since…since you disappeared two weeks ago." Those eyes remained empty, looking at Daisy while looking through her. She hated how familiar that look was becoming.

Before she could say anything else, the bell rang signaling the beginning of school. As Richie walked carelessly past her, Daisy forced herself to hold back unshed tears and grin at a few friends who were moving toward her.

"His parents are scared Virgil." Sighed Robert as he sat next to his son's bed.

"I am too." Virgil replied, looking down at his covers and shifting uncomfortably.

"Has he been by to see you at all?" Asked Robert hopefully, but seeing Virgil shake his head no, his hopes took yet another nose-dive. "Mr. Foley said that he's barely eating, that they practically have to force-feed him. Said that his teachers were calling, asking what was wrong, and why Richie hasn't been participating in class as much."

"He's guilty dad." Virgil muttered, looking up from fiddling with the bed sheets and into his father's eyes. "He still blames himself, and I just wish I knew why."

"Nobody except Richie himself truly knows." Robert said, a small part of him starting to accept defeat.

"No, he's not the only one." Startled, both Virgil and Robert turned to see Mr. Foley in the doorway. "The day after the robbery, he came to see me. To tell me what happened." He started as he made his way into the room and into a chair. Looking at Virgil, Mr. Foley knew he had to tell him what had happened.

"Virgil, he blames himself for taking too long." At receiving a confused look from the teen, the concerned father knew that his son hadn't told his friend about what had happened while he was lying unconscious in the bank. "After they shot you, they forced him to crack the bank's password. Problem was, it was a new system. Right off the assembly line. It took him a few hours, hours he knew could cost you your life."

"But I'm ok. I'm going to be ok, so there's nothing for him to be guilty about now, right?" Virgil asked, concerned eyes dashing from his father's to Mr. Foley's. When his only answer were the looks of worry on the father's faces, Virgil's face fell further. "What's he doing to himself?" He was scared to know the answer.

Letting his head drop, Mr. Foley shook his head. "I don't know, but I pray to God I did."

The drop of crimson liquid ran smoothly down the pale forearm before gently sliding down to the elbow and hanging off the joint for a few precious seconds until it took its final plunge into the awaiting sink below. In no time, a second droplet followed the previously made course and it too took a swan dive into the white porcelain. Pretty soon, tears of anguish and hatred mixed with blood, both on the weakening teen's arm as well as in the reddening sink.

Richie had moved fast, and within six days, simply cutting horizontally wasn't enough. He had started to become creative after experimenting with cutting vertically, avoiding any major blood vessels. He knew the risks, and somewhere at the back of his mind, logic at least still held some control. In the first week, he had simply been doing it to make sure that things were truly even with Virgil, but as the days wore on, his fascination had grown. The life supporting liquid holding him mesmerized as it trickled away from his slowly dying body.

He had started experimenting, cutting different parts of the inside of his forearm to see what would cause him to bleed more without actually bleeding to death. He would cut strange patterns, some even becoming more than simple lines; there were curves and criss-crosses. He started timing himself to see how long he could stay bleeding until the need to pass out surfaced.

He hadn't made the conscious decision to do any of that, but his scientific mind had quickly grabbed hold of the opportunity to study the human body, even if it was his own.

Oh God, I know you're all going to hate me for this chapter. It's short, and well…jeez I'm treading on thin ice here. I understand that cutting is really serious, and although it might seem a little odd that Richie's 'experimenting', he IS a genius, and like any scientific mind would, he took the chance to study. Please don't kill me for this.