FALLEN

The Day Had Long Since Passed By The Time I Came To Once More.

Lord Leonard De Dulac, as He Had Dubbed Himself, Had Disappeared and I Had Enjoyed a Proper Cleansing Before Deciding To Face The Dusk. Soon as I Had Closed The Room Door Behind Me Brooks Had Emerged. "Noble Day Miss Hale?" He Had Managed in a Much Too Timid Tone. "Fair Enough Brooks. Has He Ordered You To Play The Enforcer Once More or am I Free To Roam as The Unruly Rebel?"

This Made Him Smile in Response as He Remained The Dependable Flank by My Side. "I Should Confess You are Only as Rounded as He is Miss Hale", He Confirmed My Suspicions. I Sighed. "Brooks You Raided My Room, Helped Rescue Me in My Hour of Madness, and You Oblige Our Lord Dulac's Desires To No Plausible End. I Think You Can Call Me Rose." "I See He Has Briefed You Thoroughly Your Magnificence." I Shook my Head in Censure. "There's No Need For The Unnecessary Sycophancies Brooks. I am Only Rose . . . and Far From Your Magnificence. This I Can Personally Reaffirm." He Offered Me a Hand as I Fell Back On To The L Shaped Suede Couch and He Remained, Looming Only Close Enough, in His Place. "Rose Then", He Obliged. "Lord Dulac Needed To Make His Impression on The Counsel This Day. He Prides Himself in an Orderly Office and a Properly Branded Business." "Yes. I Can Imagine", I Managed. "Brooks", I Said Looking To Him , "Before He Comes Back . . . Could You Oblige Me Once More?" "Of Course Your Magni – Rose – Your Desire is My Sole Command." I Nodded Carefully Thinking Things Through.

"I Could Use a Drink . . . Then a Ride."

Upon My Ordering He Prepared For Me a Full Flask of The Blessed Moonshine and I Had Taken in The Dose of Liquid Courage Easily, Sparing Only a Minimal Sum, For The Road To Come. He Led Us To an Escalade Parked on The Curbside Deep Under The Soaring Palace, and a Finely Dressed Clergy Held The Door For Me, as Brooks Slipped In Cranking The Engine in The Same. "This is a Bad Idea Miss Rose." "Probably", I Decided Before Uncapping The Flask. "You Hardly Need Concern Yourself Brooks. I Should Take The Fall For Any and All Mishaps Should Such Hardships Take Place. In The Mean Time, You Keep Leonard Off Our Backs, and I Should Keep Close Enough So You Can Keep Me Safe and Sound Yes?"

The Crumbling Cabin Had Endured Long Since Though I Had Disused The Place as Quickly as I Found Myself Capable Of Doing as Much. Judas Had Dragged Me Up Here on More Than One Occasion and Used Me Up Like a Rag Doll Each Ungodly Chance He Could Manage My Submission.

You Hardly Needed a Key, and The Mold, Fresh in The Air, Triggered The Troubling Series of Memories. Logs in The Brick Fireplace, Burned Nearly To a Crisp. The Old Fridge Far From This Era of Time, and The Small Cooking Space, Reminded Me of Those Foggy Despairing Days. The Sofa Made For Only a Single Pair of Bodies, and The Sandy Floorboards, Creaking Under Me, as I Made My Careful Passage, Kicking The Old Beer Cans aside as I Meandered On.

"This Place Yours Miss Rose?" Brooks Broke The Silence as I Crouched Beside The Sofa, Nearly Choking as I Forced The Flask Up To My Lips, Taking in The Final Sorry Sip of My Liquid Demise. "Supposed To Be", I Managed . . . "Remember Rose Brooks?" "Yes Mam", he agreed, "Beg Your Pardon. Lord Dulac Has Embedded His High Morale Much Too Deep In Me I Suppose." I Smiled, This Much Only Helping as a Cold Numb Signal. "My Problem is I Hardly Hold Enough Morals To My Name . . . Perhaps I Could Teach You This Much." I Could Hear His Hardy Laugh in Response. "Though I Mean You No Offense Miss Rose, This Place is Hardly Proper For Ladies." I Managed an Echo Of a Laugh Then. "Soon as I Chance Upon a Lady I Should as Surely Inform Her on Your Behalf Brooks."

Then I Braced Myself Before Slipping a Hand Under The Sofa and Feeling For The Precise Space. No Sooner, I Could Feel The Hard Malleable Bundle, I Pulled The Pile, Draped in The Rough Fabric, Up From Under The Pared in Space. Then I Undid The Package and Dropped The VCR Tapes on The Sofa, in The Same Chucking The Fabric To The Fire Place, Before I Headed For The Cupboard Merged In a Far Corner of The Cooking Space. On The High Shelf I Quickly Found The Jug of Fuel and Their Equal Close Beside Them.

Brooks Remained On Edge, Keeping a Close Eye on Me, This Much I Could Decipher in The Dim Mesosphere, as I Scooped Up The Old Tapes and Tossed Them in The Fire Place, Before I Began To Douse Them in Fuel. The Smell Filled The Surrounding Space and Brooks Finally Edged a Couple Of Paces Closer as I Flicked Open The Cardboard Case, and Picked One of The Thin Frail Torches, Conjuring a Flame, Before Tossing The Finished Merchandise In To The Heap, and as The Flames Rose I Could Feel My Insides Boiling.

"Far From Precious Memories I Take?" Brooks Broke The Deafening Silence. I Looked To Him. "Those are My Memories Brooks . . . and This Should Be Only Our Memory To Keep, Less Leonard Come To Find This For Himself." He Nodded, Only a Single Rigid Nod, in Response. "Ours To Keep Then."

I Forced Myself Back, and Plopped Myself on The Sofa, Releasing a Sigh of Relief as The Flames Danced Before My Eyes. Brooks Took a Place By My Side. "I Confess You Forced My Hand Miss Rose. I Feared Denying You and, as I Speak, I Too Fear Our Dark Lord's Reproach." Here I Rolled My Eyes. "He is a Demanding Seemingly Merciless Lord . . . None The Less You Hardly Need Fear a Thing Brooks", I Reassured in a Hushed Echo. "This Belonged To Your Judas?" he Inquired in a Fragile Tone. "Judas and I", I Confirmed. In The Same I Could Feel a Sudden Chill Course Through My Insides, as The Fire Suddenly Roared in Turn, and The Thing Inside Began To Cackle.

You Mean To Scorn Me Baby Doll?

You Remember Our Old Spells?

Those Precious Peddles Of Yours.

Rich as Sunshine . . .

"Miss Rose?" Brooks Sounded in One Ear. I Could Nearly Chuck Up My Insides as I Tried To Blink Through The Pain, Tried as Hard as I Could To Subdue Judas, and The Unholy Essence of Him. Oh . . . If Only He Could Burn. "Brooks", I Managed , "You Need To Take Us Back." I Could Only Sparingly Feel Myself as Each Muscle Locked in Place, and The Pounding Commenced, The Blood Pumping, Each Throb Pulsing More So Furiously, Pushing Me On, and On, and On, as The Thing Cackled in Time.

You Can Blink Rose . . . You Can Scream . . .

You Can Cry . . .

"The Darkness is Coming", I Could Hear The Unfamiliar Echo . . . "So Peaceful." Brooks Held Me. "No, No, No, No, No", He Urged. Though I Could Feel Myself Losing Touch None The Less, and The Time Seemed To Be Slipping, Seconds Turning To Blurred Occurrences, Before I Had a Chance.

I Came To Only in Time To See The Training Pulling In, and a Herd of People Rushing For Their Safe Passage. I Rose From The Bench and Turned Numbly in Place. The Sign Read Fairbanks Crossroad and I Cursed Myself in The Same. I Had Managed a Journey Back Home and, as I Scanned The Underground Tunnel, I Could Discern The Darkness Had Lead Me Here, and I Found Myself Cold and Shaken To My Core, as I Began To Drag Myself Up The Lane. The Thing Inside Seemed To Be Pulling My Leg, Clearly Pleased, and Relishing in My Unceremonious Demise.

The Sound of The Mob Surrounding Me Made The Mind Numbing Throbs So Much More Inferior as I Pushed My Mind, Pressing For So Much as Shredded Memories, Climbing Up The Ladders, Till I Found Myself Facing a Traffic Jam, and The Familiar Busy Borough of Shops. The Buildings Loomed High, Only Making Room For The Black Clouds, and The Sprinkles of Hail Falling. I Could Hear The Sirens Calling as I Began To Head For The Old Medicinal Shop. The Bell Rang as I Pushed The Door Open. "Miss Hale . . . Been a Long Time Since I Seen The Dead", The Old Man Hailed Me and This Triggered My Mechanical Smile. "Mr. Langdon", I Managed, "Figured You Had Cashed in Your Chips."

He Smiled, His Usual Placid Signal of Compassion, Offering Up The Cordless Phone. I Sighed. "Too Many Times, Too Many Years, You and I Play in This Same Circle Rosie." "Can You Spare a Room?" I Inquired, Ignoring His Offering. "Happily", he Complied.

Mr. Mad Dog Langdon Had Prepared a Room, and Handed Me The Pair of Keys Before I Could Think. He Led Me Up a Hidden Hall, To The Small Efficiency, and Unlocked The Door For Me. "The Usual?" he Inquired. I Nodded Feeling Numb and Mindless in The Same. "Possibly Longer This Time", I Managed Choking Back Tears. He Slipped Me The Small Clear Lined Bag In The Same Inconspicuous Manner, and Placed a Fragile Hand on My Shoulder . . . "You Should Pardon Yourself For a Change Young Miss", He Consoled. I Forced Myself To Smile Once More . . . "Maybe Some Day Old Man."

The Room Had Been Cleaned and Prepped. In The Far Corner, There Remained The Small Round Table, and The Single Chair, Lining Up Diagonally From The Medium Bed Draped in Old Linens. In The Middle of The Room The Fire Place Had Been Made and The Crack, Crack, Crackle of Flames Seemed To Mask The Engulfing Silence. I Carefully Placed The Cordless Phone on The Bedside Dresser, and Then Faced The Table, Taking My Usual Place in The Chair, Before Burying My Face in My Hands.

Like a Mad House Baby Doll.

Did You Think You Could Run?

Did You Think You Could Hide?

Judas Mocked Me, Singing Like a Mad Man, Inside My Boggled Brain. Brooks Should Be in Deep Thanks To Me, and I Could Scarcely Bring Myself To Think of Leonard, and all of This Endless Mess, as I Opened Up The Small Sack, and Spilled a Line Of Cocaine On To The Bare Surface.

I Made Up a Couple Of Lines and Judas Laughed as I Began The Miserable Spiral. The Time Passed in Blurs, as I Took In More and More and, I Remember Mr. Langdon Bringing Me Up Some Humble Offerings During The Boundless Period. Copious Lines Chased By Hard Liquid Fire, and Soon I Found Myself Laid Back In The Bed, Only Thinking of The Sunrise, and The Hours To Proceed, as I Refilled a Paper Cup.

I Could Hardly Tell You The Precise Time I Fell Under, Unconscious as The Dead. Only The Sound of The Angel's Echo Seemed To Rouse Me in The Beginning, and as My Eyes Came Open, There Loomed My Leonard. The Hard Angelic Mask Focused in On Me, and I Suddenly Sprung Up From The Bed, and in The Same He Held Me Firm in His Cold Embrace. "Did You Think You Could Disappear On Me Darling?" The Cool Rasp Seemed To Be Condemning Me, and I Could Scarcely Think of Speech. "My Rose", The Name Came Like a Prayer Once More as He Closed His Eyes Only For The Brief Lapse. "You are Under The Influence", He Confirmed as He Released Me, and I Remained Locked in Place as His Regard Held Mine. "Mr. Langdon?" I Managed. "Did You Bring Harm To Him?"

He Scoffed. "The Old Man is Safe as He is Sound . . . Brooks Paid Him a Nice Share and Then The Old Fool and I Had Our Meaningful Talk", He Reassured, His Demeanor Only as Cool and Calm, and Much Too Composed For My Liking. Then He Suddenly Took Possession of Me Once More, Pulling Me Close To Him. "Do I Need To Persuade You Once More or Could You be Capable of Coming Soundlessly?" I Could Feel Myself Tender and Limp as a Dead Man in His Solid Hold. "You Can Blame Me . . . Brooks Only Headed My Demands Leonard. I Could Hardly Bring Myself To Recall The Trip Here . . . I Did None The Less Make This One Decision as Much For Your Sake as I Did For Mine."

The Hard Mask Had Disappeared as He Released Me and Took My Hand in His. "The Same as You Can Make a Decision Rose . . . I Too Can Come To Make Mine", He Challenged. "Leonard" – "The Pair of Us Should Be One Rose", He Ended My Plea, "I Can Hardly Blame You Darling. This Mind of Yours is Such a Curious Place. None The Less, Regardless of This Unforeseen Mishap You . . . My Dear Delusional Damsel . . . are Mine." In a Single Fluid Flash Cool Lips Crushed Mine, and I Had Unconsciously Responded in Turn, Pressing Myself To Him as He Hiked Me Up, and My Legs Mechanically Coiled Round His Hips. "Mine", He Spoke in a Pained Rasp.

"My Rose", He Proclaimed, and I Could Feel The Hardened Member Pressing For Freedom Under His Jeans, "There Should Be No More of This . . . No More", He Seemed To Be Begging as He Sucked My Lips in Hungrily. "I Should See To This . . . I Should See To You." In The Same He Pulled Back and Carefully Dropped Me On To The Floor, as If I Had Become Some Fragile Piece, So Tender I Could Crumble. Then He Held Me Firm To His Side, and Began To Lead Us From The Room.

Brooks Looked Unlike Himself, as He Held The Door of The Tahoe Open, and I Looked Shamefully To Him, Searching For So Much as a Sign, or Perhaps a Simple Signal of His Umbrage, Though I Could Only Find a Blank Mask. Then Leonard Slipped in Beside Me and My Head Fell Back as He Pulled Me In To Him, Carefully Rearranging Me in His Tender Engulfing Embrace, Before I Could Feel Cool Lips Brushing The Flesh of My Neck, and The Fangs Pierced Me, Cleansing The Sleepless Soul, and Silencing The Malicious Thing Inside. I Managed To See a Slip Coming Up To Shield Us From Brooks, and The Slip Displayed The Pair of Us Mirrored Like a Dream.

I Could See Leonard Beginning His Tireless Labor as One of His Hands Began To Roam, and I Looked Up To The Ceiling Then, as He Undid My Jeans, and The Fluid Dance Had Recommenced, as The Old Spell Came To Consume Me. Cool Fingers Made My Legs Close, Brushing My Folds, Before a Single One Sunk Deep Some Place Inside, and He Forced Me To Loosen Up, Pulling My Legs Open Once More. I Had To Press Myself Impossibly Closer To Him as He Pulled Himself Back So His Burning Regard Fell On Me, The Blood Dripping From His Lips. "I Need You Rose . . . and You Need Me", The Cool Rasp Sounded So Far Off. I Could Manage a Nod in Response and in Turn He Pulled His Finger, Before He Undid His Slacks, and His Member Looked Rigid and Equipped For The More.

Then He Held My Hips Firm, as He Laid Back in His Place, Pulling Me On To Him, and Before I Could Think, He Plunged Himself Inside of Me and Began To Pump, Deeper and Deeper, as I Sighed, The Relief So Pure and Pleasurable. The Manic Snarls Sounded Furious and Undeniable, as The Pair of Us Fell In Sync, and I Had To Brace Myself, as The Blood Rushed To My Head, Clouding My Conscious Mind. My Arms Hooked Round His Neck and He Pressed a Cool Palm To The Small of My Back.

"Oh Yes", he Coached in an Echo, His Tone Trembling, His Member Pulsing In Response, "This Innocence is Mine", He Declared, Sounding Half Conscious, as Hard Hungry Lips Crushed Mine. I Pressed Myself Deeper and He Inclined Himself, Holding Me Firm, as He Thrashed, Harder and Harder, Like a Famished Fiend. My Legs Began To Tremble in Time and I Could Feel The Familiar Rush. "Is Your Soul Mine To Keep Miss Hale?" The Ensuing Line Breached The Bouncing Bubble of Bliss.

I Moaned in Response and He Held Himself Back, His Cool Throbbing Member Pressing My Folds . . . "Tell Me", He Demanded . . . "Tell Me Once More and I Should Be Yours My Rose." I Had To Search For Simple Syllables, as He Pressed Himself Firm To My Opening, The Cool Lips Brushing Up The Nape of My Neck . . . "Yours To Keep", I Managed, and Before I Could Think To Dream of Such Relief, He Plunged Himself Deep in Response, and My Insides Seemed To Lock in Place, as His Cool Release Came, Filling Me Up To The Brim, as I Shook and He Mumbled in Turn. "Oh", His Broken Rasp Filled The Deafening Silence, "More For Me", He Seemed To Plead.

"So Much More To Offer", He Spoke in The Clouded Rasp, and In The Same He Pulled Himself From Me, and a Cascade of His Essence Came in Seemingly Endless Sprays, as He Shuddered. "My Rose", He Declared, and Then His Regard Suddenly Locked on Mine and, in a Single Fluid Flash, He Held Me in Place on My Backside. "This Should Hardly Be My Final Offering", he Said Before I Could Feel His Member Suddenly as Firm as if The Pair of Us Had Only Begun, Pressing On My Opening, Before He Slipped Himself Inside of Me, and a Hand Locked Round My Neck.

I Choked as He Pumped Furiously, The Dark Mask Come To Conquer The Charming Cherub. "You are Mine Rose", he Proclaimed and The Pale Pools Seemed Capable of Draining All of The Life From Me, "Dare You So Much as Think To Run From Me Once More . . . You and This Mad Friend of Yours Should Find Yourself Compelled To Remain", He Concluded Before He Disappeared and The Fangs Pierced The Flesh of My Neck as He Began To Pull From Me. During This Merciless Feeding, He Pumped On, and On, and On, Till I Found Myself Losing Touch as My Insides Clenched.

I Roused in Our Bed, Nude Under The Bedspread, Surrounded by Candles, and Their Burning Flames. "Suffer No More Darling", The Angel's Echo Ended The Rush of Panic Before The Burden Had a Chance To Begin. Cool Fingers Brushed Up My Backside as He Pulled Me in Closer and Kissed My Sore Lips. "I Should Cherish The Traces of Your Flesh . . . The Essence of Your Soul If You So Desire", He Spoke in The Familiar Solemn Rasp and I Could Feel The air Coming as He Held Me Locked in Place.

I Relished in The Boundless Lapse of Time . . . "You Keep Bringing Me Back", I Managed. "Perhaps You Bring Yourself Back", He Reaffirmed and I Had To Laugh, The Sound Hard, and Paining My Insides. "The Day I Came To You", I Forced Myself, "This is The Day The Thing Inside Spoke Once More . . . and So Much Time Had Passed . . . I Had To Respond You See. Judas Had Been Free Through all of This Time and Then Upon The Thing Rising – The Thing So Ready To Recommence – To Share The Same Mind Once More – To Fill The Same Soundless Soul . . . You are The Only One This Thing Could See. The Only One The Thing Desired – So I Decided To Keep You From This – To Keep Myself From This . . . For Your Sake – For Mine . . . or I Tried None The Less", I Managed To Finish. "I Tell You This Because This is One of The Rare Chances . . . One Final Chance Because There's No Telling The Time or Place The Thing Should Decide On . . . and This Leonard – This is a Promise."

I Could Nearly Choke on The Tears I Held, and He Raised a Hand Up, Cupping The Side of My Face. "This Thing You Speak Of Fails Miserably To Coerce Me. Each Time You Lose Yourself To This Trespasser . . . This Foolish Raider . . . I Feel Only a Deep Desire To Come Closer." I Sighed. "Then You Should Suffer Endless Losses."

Then He Pulled Me To Him, Forcing My Head Back on His Shoulder, as He Held Me Pressed To Him. "I Beg You Sleep For a Spell My Precious Rose", The Echo Came Like The Siren's Song Once More, Compelling, and Consuming. "There is Much For Us To Discuss Once Your Mind Has Reached a Sounder Place." Only Half Conscious I Could Surmise He Had Disregarded My Counsel Once More and I Came Close To Rising From The Impending Spell. "Leonard You Need To" –

"Sleep Rose", He Commanded Before I Could Challenge This Ruling, and He Pressed His Lips To My Forehead, Brushing My Hair Off To One Side, and Sighing in Turn. "I Mean To Curb This Fire of Yours and I Need You Full of Human Energy Once More If I am To Turn You In Due Time." I Desired So To Rise Once More – If Only For Long Enough To Inquire of The Meaning Behind This Final Promise. None The Less, I Found Myself Sluggishly Slipping Under His Spell, and My Mind More So Compelled.

"Leonard", I Managed a Final Plea Before His Lips Took Mine.

I Dreamed I Had Been Running From Scene To Scene. Running For Freedom – Running For Life – Running Because Some Thing Inside Had Been Pushing Me To Keep On Running Less I Find The Terrifying End of Things.

None The Less – In Each Place – There Loomed Close Behind Me The Pure and Profound Promise of Chaos.