Forever: Eternity of Insanity

Episode 4- Do You Fear Death?

"People fear death even more than pain. It's strange that they fear death. Life hurts a lot more than death. At the point of death, the pain is over." ~ Jim Morrison

Screams ripped through the silent air, hiding the menacing laughter as the man continued his torture. His victim writhed in their chains as electricity coursed through their body, smoke rising off their skin where the metal touched them. He paused long enough to allow his victim to go limp, their rattled breathing and half closed eyes showing just how much of a toll his work was doing. Preparing to start again, he watched as blood trailed down to the ground before looking at his victim's wrists to see a small broken link in the chain cut into their wrists, he'd have to replace it. They had stopped begging for mercy a few days ago after he gouged out a chunk of their skull. It was hard to believe the pathetic figure in front of him was still alive; he certainly would've died by then. Of course the victim seemed to have an unfortunately strong will to live.

"This is fun." He spoke up, bringing out a lighter as he did so. "Want to continue?"

They shuddered making their chains rattle before looking at him in their remaining eye. "Why?"

He smirked darkly and stepped closer. "For fun... what else?"

"I'll kill you." Their eye fluttered closed and they slumped limply in their chains, prepared for the next round of pain. "I swear on my life... I will."

"Your life isn't worth much if you're nearly dead." He spat before shoving the flame into their empty eye socket, listening to their fresh wave of screams as if it were music.

*****

Henry could smell the corpse as soon as he got out of the car. The murder had been called in a half hour ago and he'd just arrived with Evan to check out the scene, which was marked off with yellow police tape and completely deserted by the college students. He paled when he saw the victim lying on the grass, her throat slit until it had almost come completely off. The amount of blood and tortured form made it almost impossible for him to recognize her, when he give he suppressed a shout of shock and horror. It was Iona Payne.

"Henry." Evan nudged him with a worried expression. "You okay? You look like you just saw a ghost."

"Irene..." Henry tried to explain more but the words wouldn't come.

Jo walked over to them, already understanding why Henry seemed to have lost his tongue. She placed a hand on his shoulder briefly before speaking to him. "Maybe you shouldn't work this case, it's too personal."

Henry didn't want to agree with her but the sight of Iona's mutilated body did stir up memories of when he'd last been with her, which had been a few days after she'd gotten out of the hospital. After so many years he would've thought the sight of a corpse, even if the victim had been close to him, wouldn't affect him but it seemed he didn't get over it that easily. First he had to find out Abigail had taken her life because of Adam, a fact that still burned him, and now someone, probably Adam, had killed Iona. It was like the universe wanted him to suffer.

He realized Jo was still waiting for a response a few minutes later and gave a faint nod. "Just keep me updated... call me if you need anything."

"We will." Evan said with a serious expression, Henry knew he could trust his assistant despite his low skill at finding clues the first time. At least he'd gotten better at it with the past few cases.

Henry took a taxi back to Abe's Antiques and found Abe quietly reading as jazz music played in the background, it was his son's favorite. His son looked up as he entered before closing the book and setting it aside.