The Ghost Face Murders in Fall River

Ch. 18

Autumn sat on the bathroom floor as the kitten explored. It merely scratched around in the litter box before stumbling out. She knew she needed to get back to their company, but she was finding it hard to do so despite the things that were said and talked about. Autumn loved Danny and her new friends, but she felt a bit out of place. Kim had spoken up on her behalf, but she loved the attention she got from the mention of her lewd content. That was okay, Autumn was happy for her that she was bold and comfortable enough with herself to do such things. At least her boyfriend didn't fantasize about her being murdered.

Autumn exhaled a long sigh. She was finding out a lot about Jed. She knew there had to be some sort of flaw, but how was that fair to him? Autumn was nothing but one big flaw. Jed was loving and caring in every way, did it really matter if he had such fantasies? Apparently not, Autumn was still crazy over him.

"Auty, baby, are you alright?" It was Danny, he had come to find her after she didn't come back to the living room.

"I-I-I'm f-fine," she replied watching the kitten bat at the shower curtain. She heard him sigh behind her.

"How come you rarely tell the truth about your feelings?" he questioned. "Are you afraid I'm going to get mad? I'm not. I only get aggravated when you refuse to communicate. Now, come up from there and talk to me, please."

Autumn got up from the floor and turned to her boyfriend. He brought his hands up and he took her by the face. His blue eyes searched her face, taking in all those little characteristics that screamed she was troubled.

Autumn took a breath. "Th-There's a f-few th-things..." she admitted.

"Mhm. I'm all ears."

"D-Do you... h-have a-a fetish a-a-about m-m-murder?" she asked.

Danny's lips twitched and he smiled. "I wouldn't say that. How about, I'm drawn to the dark and morbid. The horrors of reality," he told her as he petted the side of her face. "And I suppose I should've disclosed this before we got hot and heavy, but I'm quite the sadist. Do you know what that is, bunny?"

That made a lot of sense with all the biting he had done. "Y-Yes. Y-Y-You l-like to in-in-inflict p-pain."

"Mhm. Does that upset you? You can tell me the truth," he said. "I won't get mad."

Autumn thought it over before answering. "N-No – I s-suppose n-not."

"Good, 'cause I won't do anything to you that you don't want me to," Danny told her.

"D-Do you f-fantasize a-about h-h-hurting me?"

He bit his lip. "Yes, but lovingly, Auty, lovingly." Lovingly right in her warm tummy with his knife.

Autumn wasn't sure how that worked, but she was willing to just go with it.

"Now, tell me what else is bothering you," Danny said wrapping his arms around her.

She bowed her head. "D-D-Did you r-really spend that m-m-much money on the k-k-kitten?"

"Yes, he's CFA registered. I don't know what that means, but his dad's been the state champion three years in a row. Three years in a row, Auty," Danny said with a chuckle. "That's a big deal apparently."

"I j-j-just w-wish you h-hadn't sp-spent so much o-on me..."

Danny hooked his finger under her chin and lifted her head. "You love the kitten though, don't you?"

"Y-Yes," she answered.

"Then that's all that matters," he said softly. "Seriously, Autumn, stop worrying about the money I spend on you. It's not hurting me, not even in the slightest. Stop worrying about us in general. Please, I'm begging you, just let go." His voice was so calm and tender that it was almost a whisper. "I know you can, you did this morning, that's the most relaxed I've ever felt your body, even when you're asleep. Remember, I told you before we went to that press conference that I got you, I still do. You're not a burden and you deserve to be loved and pampered just like anyone else. Actually, you deserve it more than most."