John awoke to the sound of violin playing and for a moment he thought it was Sherlock, and then as he listened further he realized it wasn't. Sherlock's playing was beautiful, but whoever was playing this was a virtuoso capable of performing professionally. John opened his eyes and realized that it was Moriarty playing Bach's Chaconne. He attacked each chord with such purity and ferocity that John momentarily forgot around the burning of his wounded wrists. Closing his eyes John let the magic of the music pour over him. When Moriarty stopped playing John spoke weakly, "Moriarty, please play that piece again." His voice was hushed for fear that he would break the spell. As if reading his mind Moriarty didn't say a word he just played the piece for John again. He ended up playing the piece several times until John fell back to sleep.

When John awoke again he was back in Moriarty's bed. Moriarty was hastily packing up several duffle bags, throwing out things he didn't want in an enraged frenzy. When Moriarty noticed John watching him he stopped packing.

"John, I'm sorry if I disturbed you, but we need to be on a plane to Jerusalem in a few hours," Moriarty said as he wiped his brow with his sleeve.

John coughed. "Jerusalem, you mean the one in Israel?" John asked. For a moment Moriarty gave him a look that reminded John so much like an expression of Sherlock's that John just sighed and leaned back on the pillows.

"Yes, there is a manuscript that I must see and the owner won't take it out of the country, so off to Israel we go. Don't worry I will give you a sedative for the journey," Moriarty said as he resumed packing.

John leaned back and pretended to be asleep as Moriarty quietly put items into several duffle bags once more; however this time his movements were methodical and rational. John squinted. He paid particular attention when Moriarty held up an old battered note book and gently laid it on a nearby table. "The book must be important," John thought as he made a mental note to see what it contained when Moriarty next left the area.

A few minutes later and John got his chance when Moriarty was in the little kitchenette. Quickly John tipped toed across the room, grabbed the note book and stuffed it under his pillow. It seemed that fate was finally with John for a few moments later Moriarty left the compound. John's stomach churned with sorrow when he heard all the locks sliding into place. Putting his feelings of entrapment aside John took out the note book and began to read:

1st Entry

My name is Jim Moriarty the school counselor says that as part of my therapy I should write in a journal. The reason the school therapist is up in my face, is because I set Carl Power's jacket on fire. He thinks he is so great. He makes me sick. Carl Powers and I are both 11 years old; we are in advanced placement classes together. Carl is one of the most popular kids in school; he is the best athlete in our district. Every day he makes my life a living hell. Yesterday, in chemistry he humiliated me in front of the entire class. Nobody wanted to be my lab partner, so the teacher had to work with me. I accidently spilled water on my crotch and Karl powers said that I had wet my pants. All the kids laughed at me all day. It was a tough afternoon, then at lunch Carl threw an apple at me and it hit me so hard that it left a red mark on the side of my face, and as if that wasn't bad enough, I started to cry in front of the whole lunch crowd. It was after lunch that I saw Carl's jacket and I set it on fire with some matches that I found behind the gym. I wish he would have been in it. As much as school sucks, home is even worse. My dad drinks all the time. He is a mean drunk. When he found out about the jacket, he beat me within an inch of my life. My mom just sits in the corner, smokes nonstop and reads romance novels. When my dad isn't beating me, he is beating her. As much as I hate my dad, I hate my mom even more because she is such a coward and just sits there and takes it. Why she doesn't stick a butcher knife in his back I'll never know. I sometimes fantasize about stabbing him myself. God, it would feel so good to see the look of surprise on his face as I stuck a knife up to the hilt in his bloated belly.

2nd Entry

Christmas is just around the corner, and I am feeling better. I actually have a friend at school. Her name is Ann, and she is so beautiful and sweet. She is tall has brown hair, blue eyes and she always smells like strawberries. We met at lunch. She was the new kid and didn't know that she wasn't supposed to sit next to me. Ann is one of those kids that make a person feel at ease. When she started talking to me I wouldn't answer, then she laughed and asked me my name. I remember telling her that my name was Jim and that's it. I talked nonstop as if making up for all the years of silence. Today was the day before winter break and she gave me a Christmas present. Can you believe it? It was just a small box of chocolates, but it meant the world to me. I have not gotten a Christmas present since my grandma died. She invited me to her house for Christmas Dinner, and I can hardly wait. Christmas may just be great this year.

3rd Entry

On Christmas day I stole the neighbor kid's bike to ride to Ann's house. How can I describe Ann's house? It was everything that my house could never be. My house is dark and dreary like the house in "The House of the Seven Gables", and Ann's house was full of light and laughter. I always thought those kinds of houses were just a fantasy on a Christmas T.V. show. Every square inch of Ann's house was decorated with Angels. I had never seen so many beautiful things in one place. Food at my house is always pretty scarce and I usually just have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for dinner. Ann's Christmas dinner consisted of Ham, potatoes, green beans, hot biscuits and some kind of wonderful sweet relish. Dessert was some kind of fruit pie. If I would have known how things would turn out the way they have I would have never made friends with Ann. I went home in a daze. I felt as if nothing could douse my joy. For the first time I knew what the Christmas spirit was. I didn't realize that I had left my jacket at Ann's until after I got home. I put my key in the lock and was relieved when I say my dad passed out on the couch. My mom was nowhere to be seen, so she must have gone to bed. About a half hour later, there was a knock at the door. No one came to our house, unless it was a complaining neighbor, or someone wanting money. I peered through the peep hole in the door and saw Ann on the porch. Oh, God, I couldn't let her in. I waited and didn't answer the door, hoping that she would leave. The third time she knocked I heard my dad stir on the couch. I had to get her out of there before my dad woke up. I opened the door quietly and squeezed out onto the porch. Ann's shinning smile was in such contrast to the monovalent atmosphere of our house that I almost cried. I thanked her for bringing me my coat and told her I couldn't let her in because my dad was sick. Ann waved goodbye and that was it, she was gone and my chest actually hurt when she rode off on her bike. I jumped when I turned around and saw my dad standing behind me. He asked who Ann was and I told him she was just a school friend. My dad smiled and his eyes were hard and mean. It was too late to escape. He pulled me by the ear into the house and beat me worse than I had ever been beaten before. I went to my room and cried myself dry. It was then that I planned to kill him.

4th Entry

I was still pretty sore a week later from the beating I got from my dad on Christmas. However, school was due to start in two days, so I was happy. One day when I came downstairs a man I had never seen before was talking softly with my dad. He gestured towards me and asked the man what he thought. I didn't like the look on the man's face, it was a look I had never seen before and it made me shiver. My dad grabbed me by the arm. Jim you need to go with this man, it's time to earn your keep. Take him up to your room and do what he says. I tried to run, but the man was too fast. The man took me up to my room and locked the door. He grabbed me and gagged me. I just can't write about what he did to me. I tried to think of Ann or anything else that was good, however, that was the day that darkness began to take me. My dad unlocked the door a few times and laughed at what was being done to me. The next time my Dad opened the door he told the man the half hour was up. The man begged for another half hour but my dad just laughed. Just give me my money and get out.

5th Entry

When Ann tried to talk to me at school, I avoided her worried gaze and told her I wouldn't be able to go to lunch with her anymore. So, at lunch I snuck back into the chemistry lab to experiment with concocting poisons. Botulinum was my poison of choice, but I had to get the formula just right.

6th Entry

Several weeks have gone by and Ann has started hanging out with Carl Powers. Every time she approaches me I tell her that things are tough at home. I figure that pretty soon I would have the formula figured out, but I would need to test it out on a human. A few months later, I got my idea. The school was going to London for a swimming field trip. That's the day I will test out my poison. I will kill Carl Powers. Carl had eczema, so I would sneak the poison in his tube of medicine.

7th Entry

The worst thing happened today. Oh God I don't know if I can write about it or not. I will try. Ann came by the house this afternoon. She got there just as one of the men had been in my room. I was sitting at the bottom of the steps with my head in my hands. She took one look at the glance the man gave me and well she just knew. Oh God, Jim, I'm going to get help she screamed and ran. The man began to chase her and before I knew it a car struck her down. I ran to her and as the ambulance was coming she died in my arms. Today it was if an angel of darkness took my soul. The feelings of hurt and loneliness that once overwhelmed me are gone and I feel invincible.

8th Entry

Today was the field trip to the pool. It was so easy to slip the poison into Carl's medicine. The teacher tried so hard to revive him that I really had to exercise all the self-control I could muster not to laugh as they took his body away. I am truly the master criminal.

9th Entry

Several months later, I put my concoction in my dad's gin bottle. I don't even think my mom noticed he was gone. I know I'm not going to miss him a bit. So, let this be a lesson to all my future enemies I will burn the heart out of anyone who gets in my way. My heart is already burned out. I ceased to have a soul the day Ann died.

John couldn't help the tears that slid down his cheeks as he put the journal down. "My God, no wonder Moriarty was the way he was," John thought sadly. John didn't even notice when the locks slid open until Moriarty stood at the edge of the bed.

"John, I killed the last person that read my journal without my permission," Moriarty said softly as he took the journal from John's outstretched hand. He then smiled sadly into John's eyes, "I really suppose it doesn't matter now for that journal was written a lifetime ago." To make his point Moriarty took the journal from John and threw it across the room. "John," Moriarty said as he opened a drawer next to the bed and drew out a syringe. "I'm going to give you a mild sedative. The next time you wake, you will be in Israel with me." The last thing John remembered before he lost consciousness was Moriarty's sad, child-like eyes staring down at him.

"Sunshine, warmth, safety", John thought as he opened his eyes. He was outside lying on a pallet in the semi-shade of an olive tree. Everything came back to him in a rush as John slowly sat up to take in his surroundings. He was in a garden of olive trees, across the garden Moriarty sat engrossed in reading something on his laptop. Moriarty was wearing a white linen shirt and pants, the sleeves of the shirt billowed slightly in the wind. John watched the movement of the sleeves in fascination. Sensing his gaze Moriarty looked up from his laptop and smiled at John. "Feeling better?" He asked softly.

John was about to say something, but instead he rolled over and promptly threw up in the grass. Moriarty was by his side in a second. "John, I am so sorry, you seem to have had a reaction to the sedative, but don't worry it will pass."

John groaned, threw up one more time and then passed out.

John tossed and turned as another nightmare tormented him. John tried in vain to protect Sherlock and Moriarty as an unseen assailant attacked them both. John cried out as their dead child-like bodies lay at his feet. "No, God, no," John cried aloud sobbing. Someone's arms encircled him as a voice comforted him.

"SSh, John," I'm here Moriarty whispered as he rocked John back and forth. After John cried himself out Moriarty led him into the main room of the apartment and led him to a couch. A few moments later Moriarty came back with a bowl of pineapple yogurt and banana slices. "Here, John, you need to eat," Moriarty said as he sat the food in front of John.

John looked around him, it was beautiful room filled with ancient Middle Eastern pottery, urns, and other artifacts. A floor length oil painting of Jerusalem dominated the room and flower filled vases were scattered around at intervals here and there.

"Wow," John said. "This place is fantastic. Whose is it?"

Moriarty smiled smugly, "It's mine. I have a flat in every major city around the world, John." Moriarty said as he gestured around the room.

John nodded and went and stood before the painting. It was so life like that John marveled at the ability of the artist to make a picture seem like a photograph instead of an oil painting. "This is lovely," John said as he momentarily forgot his situation.

Moriarty came and stood so close to John that he could feel the heat radiating from his body. John took a few steps back. "Is there anything that you and Sherlock can't do?" John snapped.

Moriarty smiled as his eyes moved from John's head to his feet. Licking his lips slowly Moriarty said, "Apparently, not."

John flushed and looked away. Moriarty just laughed and once more stood close to John. "Go eat, John. I have something to show you on my computer." Moriarty turned to leave and then at the last moment walked over and encircled John's waist. It took every effort Moriarty possessed not to put his hand down John's pants. His hands shook as Moriarty let John go. As his fingers moved from around John's waist, Moriarty let them lightly graze the front of John's crotch. He then sucked in a deep breath and angrily told John to hurry up and eat.