The Painter's Fate (Book 3 of The Painter Trilogy)

Unexpected

Hera looked at me and then towards Jasmine. I smiled at them and I gave them a nod. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Hera opening the door that leads to the second floor using her keys which means that we should start, then Jasmine started grabbing a few boxes from the corner and went straight to Riley.

"Well, let's just make use of your presence, shall we? I guess we'll be needing your help to transfer these boxes above." Jasmine directly handed the boxes unto Riley's arms giving her no time to decide whether she will help or not.

Hera went first without bringing anything. I glared at her. She motioned for Riley to follow, then Jasmine followed Riley and I on the other hand went to the opening of the gallery and locked it to make sure that no one will disturb us. After a while I followed them upstairs towards a certain room.

"You can put them there." Jasmine calmly instructed Riley where to put the boxes. When Riley turned her back as she put the boxes down, I calmly started rummaging on the corner of the room to find the baseball bat, hammer, knife and other things we use for our so-called ritual. 

My hand felt the cold handle of the baseball bat. Hera started laughing like mad along with Jasmine as they both held their stomachs.

"I can't believe how innocent you are Riley." Hera sat in an empty chair beside me while her eyes never left Riley.

"You're making it so easy for us!!" and with that, Jasmine started laughing like mad again joined by Hera. Their laughter echoed through the closed room and rang in my ears making me feel a bit dizzy. What is wrong with me?

As I was about to have a grip of the baseball bat, but stopped when I heard the girl's laughter.  Instead of getting nervous, Riley laughed crazily from across the room making Jasmine and Hera stopped laughing. 

The three of us looked at each other with confusion etched on our faces.

"I'm sorry, I-I just find it so funny. Am I really making it easy for you? Think again!" Riley sarcastically said and with that, she laughed again showing her teeth at us, as if to mock us. I examined her from head to toe trying to remember any instance that we met but nothing came to my mind. What could this girl possibly know?

"Heather." Riley uttered between her laughs.

"What? What are you blabbering?" Jasmine asked starting to get irritated. 

Somehow, I kind of remember that name. I feel familiar with the name but I can't put my finger on it. All I could focus on right now is the rapid beating of my heart and the shaking of my flesh due to excitement. There's a sudden urge to crack someone's skull right at this moment. 

"Do you know Heather? Does her name ever ring a bell?" my eyes widened at her question but before the name registered on my mind, Riley's phone rang. She answered the call then gave me the phone. I stared at it confused, before deciding to put the speaker on my ear.

"Don't do anything stupid, or Brennon's bones will turn to dust." said the person over the phone. The voice is very familiar.

Then suddenly I remember!

This is definitely her.

Heather, Brennon's sister.

My blood started to boil at what she said. My grip on the phone started to get tighter until my knuckles turned white.

"Don't you dare!!" I shouted at the person over the phone as I clenched my fist.

"Leave Riley unscathed." Heather said over the phone.

"Stay out of my plans! Don't you dare ruin everything I've worked hard for!" My whole body is starting to shake out of anger. I gritted my teeth as I shouted at Heather on the phone. How dare her threaten me?!!! How dare her come between me and Brennon's marriage?!! I've sacrificed a lot for this and then suddenly out of nowhere, she appears and threaten me?!!

I was about to talk when I heard the beeping sound of the phone which means that she ended the call already. I pulled my hair out of frustration, then I paced back and forth in the room contemplating whether to kill this girl in front of me or to just let her go.

"Dahlia! what's wrong?!" Jasmine asked me as she grabbed my shoulder.

I gritted my teeth out of anger, my breath is now ragged. 

"Do not harm the girl." I said as I struggled to maintain my breathing.

I was fuming out of anger and I could not decide what to do. If Heather will burn Brennon's bones, then I won't be able to bring him back. Hundreds of thoughts started to flood in my head then suddenly, . . .

 Suddenly the faces of everyone we killed started appearing in my mind, their voices seems to come from the wall telling me to kill someone right now. I shook my head back and forth trying to make them go away. 

I held my head to focus on the situation at hand. My vision started to become hazy. 

"Are you crazy Dahlia?! this is going to be the last! We'll be able to bring our love ones back to life again!" Jasmine shouted angrily at me. I just looked at her. 

I too, is confused.
I started pacing back and forth in the room then suddenly, from the corner of my eyes, I saw Hera about to attack Riley with a knife.  Before I can arrange my disarrayed thought, I swung the baseball bat directly at Hera's head with all my might to stop her.

That's when I lost it.

"How dare you disobey me!!!?" I shouted as the sound of the baseball bat's impact with Hera's head echoed through the room. I saw Hera's eyes rolled upwards then she collapsed to the ground and the next thing I knew, dark blood is flooding on the tiled floor. 

I saw Hera's blood seeped through the cracks on the floor and unto my white shoes staining it on the process. As if I was not satisfied with that, I swung the baseball bat again and hit Hera's head multiple times until she looked like a crushed tomato under me. Her blood splattered all over me and unto the wall.

"What have you done?!" Jasmine looked at me with disbelief on her face. She shook my shoulders with full strength to stop me. I felt a bone got dislocated in a certain part of my shoulder. Then Jasmine released me and crouched beside Hera's limped body on the floor. Her shoulders were shaking as she cried like mad caressing Hera's disfigured head.

My visions started changing, dark thoughts are invading my mind taking full control over my whole body and I did what came to my mind.

I picked the knife on the floor, grabbed Jasmine's hair from the back yanking her head backwards while she's busy crying over Hera and without any second thoughts, I cut her throat open, not just once but many times until I can see the veins popping out from the cut. A series of gurgled sounds escaped Jasmine's lips. Her eyes were wide open producing fresh tears as she directly looked at me. Blood oozes from the cut and from her mouth as well. It looked so thick, dark and rich in my eyes making me feel more than excited with the sight of it. 

 Her hands tried to cover the surge of blood from the cut of her throat as she collapsed beside Hera's body.

Such weaklings!

My eyes scanned the room. The sight of Hera's crushed and bloody head along with Jasmine's open throat somehow made me happy. The sight in front of me makes me want to laugh.

 And so, I did. All thoughts suddenly flew out the window. I had forgot everything. I forgot the reason why I am in this place. I forgot why I got connected with these girls. I forgot what I am doing here. All I know is that I have to kill and the only living person in this room left for me to kill is this girl in front of me. 

 I laughed like mad, then I turned to the girl standing still from across the room.

"You're next!!" I then lounged at her as I held the knife firmly in my hands not thinking anything except to kill.