The Hero Killings

8

Asher watched out the window, they had gotten far enough that by the time the police came to the diner they were out of the state. They dropped the truck off at a local gas-station and found another one. Asher looked towards Carter with a soft smile, he didn't know how all this running excited him, but it did, he turned away again a blush coming over himself. The idea of Carter and himself being notorious serial killers who the public found to be hero's got him excited, there was so many things they could do. However with Valery alerting the public to his existence it was harder now. He had to hide his face, and he had to keep out of the world which he found as bad as when he was a prisoner to the cannibal family. Now stepping outside was dangerous again.

He had been so excited to finally start his life again, but because of Valery he was once again a prisoner to silence and hiding. He could no longer step out and enjoy the world he had missed so much. He clenched his jaw and balled up his fists as tears began to pool up. Carter quickly took notice of Asher's sudden jaw lock. The stars were sparkling above them and Carter felt it was a good time to pull over to the side. As their car came to a stop and Carter parked it he turned to look at him taking his fist in his hand.

"What's wrong?"

Asher kept his face turned towards the window as tears began to fall. "I...I'm trapped again."

Carter squinted confused, he wasn't keeping him trapped. "Baby am I not doing everything I can for you?"

Asher quickly turned concern covering his face. "No no, oh god Carter no not you. It isn't because of you. I'm sorry that came off wrong. No..no..I..I just I can't enjoy life like we were because now we have all those people looking for me. I can't walk outside and enjoy the sun. You..you have given me so much and let me have a life when I thought you wouldn't. The day I gave in I had accepted my fate as a prisoner to you, but now..now I see that we can have a mostly normal life, but instead Valery took it all away. We were happy, we were traveling states, going to carnivals, dinners, zoos, and aquariums. We were being a normal couple, who kills on the side." Asher started to sob more. "But now I can't even go to a grocery store. I can't walk anywhere without hiding my face."

Carter studied his face, he wiped away the tears and kissed him carefully, as their lips parted Asher looked Carter over with knitted brows. Carter took his now shaking palms in his own. "I promise I will get you back to that point, for right now though, we need to keep you safe."

Asher nodded, he bit the inside of his cheek as he closed his eyes to think. Carter watched him as his eyes slowly opened his hazel orbs looking him over. "Thank you."

"Why are you thanking me?"

"For helping me..even though yes you..you have done some terrible things to me. Being with you has helped me see people can change. I really honestly thought you were going to take me back to your parents home after I got out of the hospital and keep me there forever, but instead you let me out, you let me explore the world. I still don't know why you didn't."

Carter grinned. "Because, I couldn't keep you trapped any more. Seeing you flourish into a man has been wonderful. Seeing you go from a scared and nervous wreck so someone who smiles and laughs and sees the wonder in the world I think you had lost when you came to us, brings me a lot of joy." Asher couldn't help but giggle as Carter gave him soft loving kisses. "Your happiness means a lot to me. I..I realize now love isn't something someone can force you into. I..I want you to be happy even if that means you leave me."

Asher sat back in surprise.

"What?"

"I would never be happy without you, but the things I have done to you..it warrants you to never speak to me again. I would understand if yo-"

"Shut up." Asher said.

Carter scoffed. "What did you just say?"

"Shut up. I said yes when you asked me to marry you didn't I? I had the option then to say no. I choose you. I choose to stay even after everything else. Don't think that I don't understand what I am doing. I..I know it seems so strange I would still want you after the torture and rape you put me through. I don't know why either..but I want you. I want you Carter."

Carter couldn't help but smile. "You have never really talked back to me before."

"Get used to it. If you really want to change, I won't always just give in. I..I need to start building up my own confidence..I..I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. I know you're right. You need to be able to have more authority, you can't always be stuck following everything I say. If you are okay with it I want to let you have more options. We just really have to be careful right now. After the news reports and everything."

Asher nodded undoing his hair from the man bun, it was long now, a little passed his shoulders. "Thank you Carter."

Carter smiled nodding. "You're all mine you know that."

"Yes."

Carter smiled as he kissed Asher a few more times. "Get some sleep." Asher nodded curling up in his seat the best he could. Carter continued to drive through the night. He got to the small town below the lake and saw some things that surprised him. There was a gift shop that was said to sell memorabilia of the cannibal house. He parked kissing Asher's sleeping frame and stepped out of the car heading into gift shop. He looked around and found it was mainly tacky cannibal drawings, but he noticed a shelf that had the mobile and rattle he had made for his daughter. They were behind glass and were labeled as not for sale. He continued to look and saw some of his knives, and the collar he used to make Asher wear. His eye twitched as he headed to the counter. "Are some of those really from the home of the cannibals?"

"Yeah, we took our share after the police were done with it. Many people have taken things from there you know. We cannot believe it was so close the whole time."

"Is it a tourist spot?"

"Not really, it is blocked off but you know people we can't just leave it alone."

"Okay I can understand that." He said seeing that people would hopefully not be around. He walked passed the glass case, he felt sick seeing his daughters things in it, as well as the collar. He headed back to the car to check on Asher, who was still sleeping. He smiled kissing his forehead once again and went to another few shops. He drove them up to the lake when they were done and slept until the morning.