“Son of a BITCH”, you scream inwardly. It just isn’t fair, he hides away and leaves you to carry the entire load and though everyone knows and sees, they are too chicken-shit to say or do anything about it.
This time, though, you aren’t in the mood to put up with it. Dirty laundry piled everywhere and the rooms haven’t been cleaned. Equipment neglected and logs not completed. “Do I have to do EVERYthing” you mutter to yourself.
“The pool, the shit-head must be hiding out in the poolroom” and then you look around in embarrassment realizing you had said that out loud. You storm back that direction, in the mood to rip off his head. Late in the day, the building is pretty much deserted and there is not a soul in the pool. You figure he is hiding in the back and walk around the pool to go towards the maintenance room.
Thats odd, you think to yourself. There are two bloody looking trails leading down the hall. A small red puddle of crimson is splashed on the floor and there are two distinct drag marks exiting them and making a trail. “What the hell”? You ask yourself the question, but feel fear of the answer building inside of you. “Hello”? You call down the hall. There is no answer.
Fear makes a noxious bile that boils from your stomach and makes an acidic burn in your throat. You tiptoe further towards the back room, uneasy and worried, not sure exactly what the hell is going on. An accident? That is the obvious first thought, but why the trails away from the puddle of blood? It just doesn’t make any sense.
Then you hear sounds issuing forth form the shadowy room where the pumps and network of pipes for the pool are located. Stopping in your tracks, you strain to hear and try not to breath to loud at the same time. Silence for a moment and then you hear it again. A gurgling sound first and then a coughing, sort of choking sound.
You hear a single word “pleeeasssse” echoing softly from the dark room. The voice is thick and slurry, pain making it nearly unintelligible. Not just pain, but it sounds like the person is speaking while gargling. “Plllllllllllleaaaaaaaase” comes the voice again and now you recognize the reason the voice is incoherent. It is Jimmy.
Very quietly and cautiously, you step closer to peer into the darkness. A million thoughts cross your mind, first and foremost is that you wish Bodie were with you. You know he would protect you from whatever evil lurks within the dark room before you.
Your eyes adjust and you can see Jimmy’s legs lying sprawled out on the concrete. A pool of blood grows around him. Your heart is racing and fear is paralyzing you. You stand and look, not uttering a sound. A shadow moves and you can see that there is a man kneeling beside Jimmy.
A low laugh comes from the kneeling figure and the sound of it causes a shiver to run up your spine. The hair stands rigid on the back of your neck. A knot in your throat makes it difficult to swallow. You recognize that voice. Realization makes the terror in your mind explode.
You take another step that brings you into full view of the murderous sight before you. The dark and ominous figure kneeling beside Jimmy stirs and you realize he is turning towards you. You stifle a scream. The face lifts and time freezes. Everything comes to an abrupt stop. The world seems to slip away and everything you thought you knew about your world changes in the flash of a single second.
“Bodie”? Your mouth utters what your mind fears to. I look up at you and you see two trickles of blood flowing from the corner of each side of my mouth. When your eyes lock onto mine you feel an odd tingling sensation and it dawns on you that your entire body feels like it is asleep. Not like in slumber, but like when your foot goes to sleep if sitting to long.
“Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh” I whisper to you and my smile brings you comfort and eases your mind. “Surely my love, you knew my stories weren’t ALL fiction”? “Didn’t you ever wonder where my imagination, fertile though it may be, would come up with the exotic details with which I cast my spell”? You try to step towards me, but the paralysis is complete and you can not move a single step.
“Don’t move baby, don’t do anything”. I command in a tone that strikes two emotions in you. The first, obviously is fear. The second, well it is an even more basic instinct, it is pure and unadulterated lust. You feel turned on and horrified, both emotions clashing for a place in your whirling mind.
“Pllllleeeeeeaaaaaaase” comes the gurgling whisper again and you see me turn back to my activities. I slide my hands under him and lift him halfway from the floor. You see my head dip towards him and then hear a tearing sensation and soft slurping sounds. You know I am drinking is blood, taking his life and you don’t know if you are gratified or horrified.
I lean back from him and you realize he is still alive. I stand and slowly drag him to his feet. You see me push him back against the wall and then hear a soft thud as my fist buries deeply inside of his torso. A great whooosh of wind comes from him and you realize my hand is now invisible, actually buried deep within him and forcing air from his tortured lungs. Blood gurgles and dribbles from his mouth, making a small waterfall of crimson that cascades from his chin and down his chest.
His eyes bulge and his mouth twists into a contorted grimace of horrific pain. He locks his eyes onto you, a pleading look in them and you drop your gaze from his to me. A very subtle and slight nod of approval is all you can manage. You search your soul and look in every nook and cranny of your heart, but can find no pity for the pathetic piece of meat your husband is devouring and toying with.
‘Apologize to her, you worthless fuck”. Jimmy’s half turns to you and his mouth opens, but only blood pours out. His skin is a dull gray and his eyes glaze, but the sardonic smile is gone from his face. He sags to the floor and my hand slips across his throat. A ragged and gory gash appears below his weak chin and he flops face forward to the ground. His face makes a wet splat as it meets the concrete and his feet twitch and dance a short jig.
Then all is silence. This gift, my love, I give you. It is my trust in you and the faith in our love that allows me to give this gift to you. Now you know me, now you know whom it is, that I really am. Yet, I trust in you and in our love, that you can accept this gift I offer you and forgive me my indulgences.