Ark (#Wattys2016)

The Boogeyman

"Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you."

-Friedrich Nietzsche 

Perch looked like he was about to explode. His glare was lethal and his grip on the gun was firm. His entire body was tense but something about him looked unstable. A sense of deja vu washed over me. This was the second time in the same night that Perch had held someone I cared about hostage. My fingers curled, involuntarily, into fists."Let her go, Perch. Its over. You've lost."

"Did I ever tell you that I'm a sore loser, Paxton?" he asked, manic. He chuckled lightly, as if to himself. "Its childish, I know. I tend to act irrationally when I don't get what I want. I guess you could say I'm a bit immature in that way."

Dylan still fought against his grip, her teeth gnashing at his hand and her nails digging into his arm but nothing could break his hold on her. I kept my eyes locked on the gun that was pressed against the side of her head, praying that it didn't go off before I had the chance to talk him down, if that was even a possibility. Right now, Perch was like a wild animal that had been trapped in a corner and that made him even more dangerous than before. My stomach twisted at the thought.

I was surprised by how much the idea of Dylan dying destroyed me. I had only known her for a few weeks and she was always a pleasant person to be around. She was cynical and blunt, always saying exactly what was on her mind without any kind of filter. Maybe that's what I liked about her. She didn't sugar coat things and told it how it was. While on the outside she was tough as nails, she was secretly very soft and naive, and not in a bad way. She reminded me of a child; everything seemed new and wonderful to her. She was fascinated by the most simple things, her bright eyes always lighting up in wonder.

"Just put down the gun, Perch. You're a reasonable man. We both know that there's no need for anymore violence tonight. It would be senseless and you're not the kind of man to kill someone for no reason." I tried to reason, raising my hands in the air, hoping that it would make me look like less of a threat. I just needed whatever I could do to make him to let go of Dylan. I needed Dylan to be safe. I did not know what I would do if that gun was fired and I lost her.

"You see, normally I would agree with you, Paxton. However, I'm feeling a tad bit frustrated with you at the moment and I feel like that might be clouding my judgment." he forced, emphasizing his point by jabbing the gun further into the tender flesh of Dylan's temple,making her grimace in pain. I clenched my jaw to keep from yelling profanities at the man. I had to keep a cool head, for Dylan.

"Okay!Lets talk. You're frustrated? Lets talk about that." I pleaded. I was grasping at straws, just saying whatever I thought might make him stand down. "Just let her go and you and I can go somewhere more private and talk over a couple of beers. How does that sound?"

"Nice try. You know, any other time, I might be tempted to take you up on that offer. God knows I could really use a drink right now." he chuckled darkly. Cocking his head to the side, he asked, "What are you? I keep trying to find out but all I see is a white light. Its like you're too bright. Like I'm staring at the sun."

"How about we make a deal? If you let Dylan go, I'll tell you what I am."I offered, hoping that it would tempt him enough to put the gun down.Instead, it only seemed to further agitate him. I cursed myself silently when his features turned dark.

"Do you really think that I'm that gullible, Paxton? I'm insulted." he sneered. I bit at the inside of my cheek, knowing that I had push edit. "Look at you. Just a stupid kid. You're a child and you've single handedly destroyed what I spent years building! You stolen it from me!"