Bloodstains & Sepia

Chapter 2: Go East

    -Go East, they said- out to the sea; to the end of the world where the dark abyss will find you.
-Inky Delaney

* * *

Inky woke up first the following day; smiling to herself at the memory of the previous night. She noticed her own pale leg protruding from the white sheets- a small scar visible along the side as well as several fingerprint-shaped bruises. She also observed in amusement the wall behind the bedframe was slightly dented- hopefully it wasn't noticeable by the hotel housekeeping staff. Well- I guess we had such a good time last night that we damaged hotel property, she thought, looking over at Thorn, who was still asleep. Their black clothes were scattered in a careless pile on the hotel floor, and two half-empty gin and tonic glasses sat beside the hotel keys on the bedside table.
Sunlight streamed in under the drawn shades, casting shadows across the room. Inky looked at the clock- it was 6:30 in the morning, still early enough that she didn't want to get out of bed quite yet. Thorn was still sleeping- despite Inky's restless adjusting of the sheets; lying beside her with one arm draped casually across her chest. Asleep, one could not see the dark expression he held in his eyes- the murderous intent she could read at times- when she knew to look. Thorn appeared calm, features neutral and blank; and Inky hoped that since locking away the Red Void, he was no longer nocturnally tormented by these evil visions of the subconscious.
Inky herself hadn't suffered any of her nightmares since their blood ritual; although sometimes she still felt a strange, uneasy sensation of looming dread. She stared at him, brushing his black hair away from his face. "Inky?" he opened his eyes, looking up at her. "Hey. How'd you sleep?" she asked, hand resting against the side of his face. "Like God during the Black Plague," he answered to her amusement. Inky laughed, extracting herself from the tangled sheets to make them coffee, wondering what they'd do for the several weeks they'd taken off of work. We're finally here...
After coffee, Thorn disappeared into town for a few hours; promising Inky he'd return soon. Bored, she flipped through channels on the TV before settling on re-runs of The X-Files. Several episodes later, and Thorn had still yet to return; Inky was getting rather restless- anxiety cutting at her nerves like a dull blade.
She decided to go outside to have a smoke while she waited for Thorn; slipping quietly outside and lighting the cigarette, trying to ignore her new-found anxiety. A strange man was standing outside near the hotel's smoking section, giving her a nod as she walked past. She quietly said hello, then went around the corner to enjoy her cigarette in solitude. Inky didn't think much of the brief encounter with the stranger; and once she'd finished smoking, she headed back to their hotel room.
Thorn had returned while she was away, and was re-stocking the refrigerator with supplies- orange juice, iced tea, and an assortment of fancy meats and cheeses; in addition to some suspicious-looking pickled vegetables. "Looks like we won't need to go into town for groceries anytime soon," she commented, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "Do you want to go out for a walk with me? I thought I would bring the camera and take a few photos," Thorn explained. Inky agreed, and they left the hotel together, making their way to one of the nearby nature trails to explore the forest.
On the way to the main trail, Inky paused momentarily to rifle through her bag. "I can't seem to find my cigarette lighter," she complained; thinking that it was weird because she'd just used it earlier. "You probably just left it in the hotel," Thorn answered, handing her a matchbook- ROADSIDE INN- inscribed on the cover in embossed silver lettering.
Inky stared up through the canopy of mossy trees, eyes wide in amazement. Thorn stood beside her, holding her hand; his camera in the other. "It's so green here, it's beautiful," she said reverently. "May I take your picture?" he asked, gesturing to indicate his camera. Inky nodded, setting down her briefcase and awkward leather bag with its multitude of shiny metal attachments. She stood by a large, moss-covered old-growth conifer, the sunlight softly illuminating her features; making her black hair shine like glossy ink. Thorn took several photos, his eyes staring at her intently from behind the camera lens.
Before, Inky would have felt self-conscious; especially wearing the midnight-blue velvet dress she'd chosen this morning- shorter than what she usually wore and with triangular cutout panels on the sides.
She looked down, noticing a shadowy, purplish bruise on her side between her ribcage and hipbone- in the shape of a handprint. Her face turned slightly red, and she remembered last night in the hotel room- they certainly hadn't been very quiet, and she absently wondered if the other hotel visitors had overheard them. Thorn noticed her looking at the handprint bruise -his handprint- and smiled darkly. "I didn't hurt you, did I?" he asked; seeming concerned yet at the same time, impressed- and slightly turned on. She shook her head, feeling her heart rate quicken at the very thought of what they'd done- the way he touched her.
Inky hid her awkward smile behind her hand, staring down at the leaf-covered forest floor. Thorn always knew how to get some kind of reaction out of her, and sometimes it seemed like he enjoyed making her uncomfortable. Smiling back at her, he took several more photos of Inky in the woods; the black and white film disguising the redness of her face in some of the more risqué pictures. Thorn almost felt bad about her embarrassment- she just needed to admit that she was- as much of a pervert as he was; although in a different way.
"Would you like to go get a drink with me?" asked Inky, reaching down to collect the Polaroid photos that had fallen to the shady ground below. Thorn awkwardly coughed and looked away, forcing himself not to stare at her like a weirdo. He'd already caught a sideways glance at the pale, exposed skin of her legs; as well as a flash of white and pink lace- contrasting with the dark blue shade of her dress and causing him to think less than appropriate things. He'd forgotten she'd even asked him a question for a couple of minutes; his response awkwardly delayed. "Sure. At the hotel or do you want to go into town?" I saw a few places along the way that you may like." Inky stood up, the stack of photos in her hand; considering her options before deciding- "we should definitely go into town. I've never been here before, after all."
They wandered around the lush green forest for a while, taking photos of the mossy landscape and dense canopy of trees before heading in the opposite way of the trail and back to Inky's car. Outside the hotel, she noticed a piece of paper folded up and crammed under a rusted windshield wiper. "Is that a parking ticket?" she wondered aloud, reaching out to grab the mysterious paper. "Don't- there might be something wrong with it," Thorn cautioned her, pulling her hand away from the paper. "Like- a chemical or poison or something?" He nodded- "exactly. You don't know these days, and I've been a bit paranoid recently." Inky looked back at him, then at the paper. "Just leave it there for now. I'll check it out in a minute."
Lighting a cigarette with the 'Roadside Inn' matchbook, Inky waited for Thorn out by her old Dodge; hoping the ominous note was of no real importance. She thought she saw someone watching her from behind one of the large, magenta rhododendron bushes lining the driveway- but it could possibly have been her imagination playing tricks on her. Either way, she was relieved when Thorn reappeared, carrying what seemed to be similar to a police crime-scene kit. "Do you really think that's necessary?" she inquired as she watched him extract the paper from the car using long-handled tweezers. He was also wearing disposable hospital gloves and a mask, which she couldn't help thinking might be overkill.
"Do you want me to die- if it IS poisoned?" Thorn shot back, seeming irritated she'd questioned his motives and precautions. Inky shook her head- "no- sorry- I didn't mean that..." she trailed off midsentence, watching as he carefully unfolded the paper. His expression changed as he read the contents of the paper; eyes narrowed in agitation and a serious look on his face. "What is it?" asked Inky, curious to know what it said as well.
"Just says hello with a weird yellow smiley face- but underneath- I'M WATCHING YOU," he read, then turned the paper around to show Inky. "Well then. That's not creepy at all," she replied, dropping the end of the cigarette into a clay flowerpot full of sand that stood nearby. "I don't like this one bit," Thorn answered darkly, folding the paper back up into a square and depositing it in a plastic bag. "What do you think it means?" she hesitantly asked, suddenly feeling apprehensive about their dinner plans. What if somebody breaks into my car- or our hotel room- while we're out and unable to catch them? Then- what will happen to whoever is 'following' me- is this a joke?
    "I don't know- but I know I don't like it," Thorn said, stashing the note in what appeared to be an evidence folder. Who the hell is following us- watching us? Is it that damn bastard brother of mine, or another unexpected adversary? Thorn felt his paranoia growing- almost more than he was able to control- he definitely didn't want to contend with another delay in his plans. He knew that if indeed, somebody was following them; following Inky... A strangely protective rage slowly filled his mind; so different from the cold apathy and indifference he was used to. Nobody better try to hurt her- I don't want to have to kill again, although- I cannot be held accountable if somebody threatens her.
   Thorn looked up at Inky, noticing she was staring at him, apparently concerned; a hint of fear evident in her eyes. "Nothing's going to hurt you, Inky. We're here on vacation- I don't want you to feel threatened in any way- not after what we already went through with sealing the Red Void." He reached out to adjust the windshield wiper to its original position, trying to hide the murderous thoughts inside his mind. "I'll be right back," he told her, going back to the hotel room to leave the evidence kit behind. Inky nodded, slowly getting into her car and closing the heavy steel door behind her. I can't help but wonder- what's going to happen to the person watching us if Thorn finds out who it is? Are they dangerous, or merely playing a sick game? Either way- I'm not sure I want to find out...
    "Do you still want to have that drink?" Thorn asked, opening the passenger door and startling Inky, who was lost in thought. "Yeah- uh, let's go I guess," she mumbled almost incoherently, turning the key in the ignition. "A little jumpy?" he commented apologetically, reaching over to brush her hair out of her face. She nodded sheepishly, backing out of the driveway and taking a left turn into the town. They were both silent on their way to the nondescript cocktail lounge Inky had pointed out; Thorn wondering if they were still being followed, and if so- who was this unwanted stalker?
   At their destination, they sat at a table in the back of the lounge, ordering the usual gin and tonics while they waited for the menus. Inky absently thought that the bartender looked familiar- however, she couldn't place where she'd seen him before. She did feel vaguely unsettled, and hid her face behind the menu to avoid making eye contact. "You're not vegetarian, are you?" asked Thorn; since he'd never really seen Inky eat much of anything- besides sugary foods or occasionally the avocado toast she made sometimes.
   Inky laughed, shaking her head. "No- I'm anemic- I need iron from meat, and supplements make me sick. Why do you think I bruise and pass out so easily?" She stared at him over the menu in mild amusement. "Good- because the- well, I guess you can't really call her my ex-girlfriend, seeing as we never really dated- she was. Isobel," he explained quickly, already wanting to change the subject. "I'd honestly rather not- I don't like blood," she said quietly. He smirked, finding the whole conversation vaguely amusing. "What happened to her?" Inky asked curiously, and Thorn definitely wanted to change the subject now.
I- ended up killing her- do you really want to hear about that? How she thought I was -disgusting- because I had to cut myself so the void would leave me at peace? No, Inky- I don't think you need to hear the details of that particular day... He looked down at the table, deciding what to tell her. I don't want to lie to you, Inky- however- some things about my past, I'd rather you not find out about.
   Inky set the menu down, reaching across the table to hold his hand. "Thorn- you don't have to tell me if you'd rather not talk about it," she told him, although he noticed the conflicted look in her expression. Before he could make up his mind on telling her the disturbing details of what happened to Isobel, the waitress reappeared at their table, asking for their order. Thank the gods, he thought; although he was not exactly sure if he even believed there was a god or not. What vile creator would allow such atrocities to occur or exist? He wasn't sure he really wanted the answer to that question. Perhaps some things were better left unknown.
Inky ordered some complicated dish consisting of wild rice and lamb- slightly pretentious, but look who you're having dinner with, Thorn mused, ordering a rare steak. Inky made a disgusted face at the prospect of blood, and he laughed, holding up the steak knife in mock threat. "Don't worry, it's already dead," he commented, explaining the job he'd had in high school at the local slaughterhouse. He also mentioned the photography project he'd been working on- minus the fact that he'd also showed Isobel- perhaps he would explain the entire thing at a later date. Murder was the last thing on his mind right now, and after all- they were supposed to be on vacation- even if he still had unfinished business regarding the Red Void.
After dinner, they ordered another round of drinks- which were brought out by the oddly familiar bartender. Closer up, Inky realized she DID recognize him- it was the stranger she'd seen outside their hotel who'd been loitering outside the smoking section. Feeling a mild sense of alarm, she averted her eyes, quickly taking a drink while Thorn paid for their dinner. I wonder if that's the person who left us that strange note, she wondered, a familiar paranoia setting in.
The drive back to the hotel was spent in a rather uncomfortable silence, and once they safely arrived at their room, Inky quickly locked the door behind them. "I have to go East tomorrow," Thorn explained, hanging up his black jacket on a hook behind the door. He proceeded to explain that he had unfinished research, omitting the part about his presumed-dead relative. "It's probably for the best that we leave for a day- I have the strangest feeling that I know who's been watching us," Inky replied. She didn't elaborate, merely saying she'd had a bad feeling from one of the other hotel guests. Hell- for all she knew- the stranger might have witnessed the two of them outside on the balcony, and found it amusing to mess with them. That thought was still unpleasant- yet it was better than the alternative.
The next morning, they drove out East, and Thorn explained it was literally out in the middle of nowhere, so they should probably stop for coffee sometime soon. Inky saw a sign for an organic bakery on the side of the highway, and took a sharp turn into the parking lot. "Let's go here," she remarked, parking her Dodge crookedly in front of the bakery. They got out of the car, ignoring the stares of passersby, who gave them suspicious glances- probably due to their all-black attire. "Of course all those assholes have to stare," Thorn muttered under his breath, holding Inky's hand. "I don't mind it when -you- stare," she commented playfully, glancing up at him from behind her large, dark sunglasses; a secretive smile on her face.
   They went into the cafe, taking their seats at a cherry-red leather booth towards the window in the back. After they'd ordered their coffees, Thorn excused himself to use the old payphone outside. I don't want anyone to trace the call, he thought; before hesitantly dialing the number. The phone rang several times before the recipient of Thorn's phone call answered- and when he did, he seemed in a very irritable mood. "Never thought I'd hear from you again," his brother said somewhat condescendingly, once he'd figured out who was calling him. Of course his brother knew he still existed- what with the very public art exhibits and shows he was constantly a part of. At least he wasn't known for- his other line of work, Thorn thought humorlessly.
   "I need you to tell me everything you know about the Red Void," Thorn told him hastily, peering around the payphone booth to check if anyone was watching him. He noticed Inky talking to an employee of the restaurant section, and decided he was just being paranoid. "Where do you want me to start? I've been doing my research for a long time," Colin answered. "Just anything you think is relevant," Thorn replied in frustration, staring back into the window at Inky, who seemed to have made a new friend. "Are you alone?"
    "At the moment, yes." Thorn forced himself to stop staring at Inky and focus on learning the information he'd traveled across the coast to find. They spoke for a few more minutes, Thorn scribbling hasty notes in the back of the old green notebook. Then, he hung up the phone, looked around to check for any unwelcome company, and headed back to the cafe. Inky was still talking to the employee of the cafe, and didn't seem to notice when Thorn walked up behind her.
   He didn't want to startle her and make her spill her coffee, so he stood there in awkward silence; waiting for her to acknowledge his presence. The woman talking to Inky noticed him first; looking somewhat startled and unnerved by his sudden appearance. "Oh. Hi- are you with Inky?" she inquired a bit nervously, eyes traveling between the two of them. "How did you guess," he replied flatly, picking up the cup of now-lukewarm black coffee. "Well- the matching black clothes kind of gave it away," she shot back sarcastically. "I'm Sam, by the way." She looked up at him, offering her hand for a handshake.
   Thorn briefly noticed blue paint stains on her clothes, and wondered if she was an artist as well. "I'm Thorn," he told her, completely forgetting his alias for their road trip- how unprofessional, he mused inwardly. They shook hands, and Sam asked if he needed another coffee, which he gratefully accepted. "I've got to get back to the bakery- if either of you need anything, don't hesitate to ask. It was nice meeting you both." She turned to leave, then rummaged in her pocket for a small red notebook; tearing out a page and writing down an address and phone number. "Just in case you need anything," she told Inky, handing her the paper.
   "We have to go East to meet someone," Thorn explained, writing something down on a folded brown cafe napkin. He checked his phone briefly, scowling at an unwanted text message. "I live out that way- maybe you'd like to come over for tea?" She looked away for a moment, staring out the window. "I really like tea," Inky replied, absently trying to figure out what Sam was staring at. A lone crow sat on the roof of the Charger, flapping its wings in a sense of unease. "I've got business to attend to- maybe the two of you could go for a walk- Inky's never been to the West Coast before," Thorn suggested. "We could always paint or something," Inky added, staring into the depths of her coffee mug. "I'm off work in a few hours- just give me a call," Sam replied, heading back to work.
   A few hours passed- they'd taken a walk on the nature trail nearby and took some highly inappropriate photos nearby a waterfall in the middle of the forest, Inky contemplatively examining the Polaroids afterwards. "There's something I need to do- regarding my past," Thorn told her vaguely, not wishing to elaborate on his secret mission. For all he knew- he could inadvertently put Inky in a dangerous situation by allowing her to accompany him on this particular trip. "If you don't want me to go with you- just say so," Inky replied quietly. "I know it's important and you're just trying to keep me safe- please be careful, Thorn. I have a feeling that- something bad is going to happen. I'm probably just being paranoid- I can't help worrying something is going to go terribly wrong." He stared back at her, taking her hand. "I'll be fine. I'll see you again tomorrow."