Knives

Chapter 16

Chapter 16:

I climbed out of the cellar, shutting the doors after me.

"So how are we going to choose this time?" Light asked.

"I'm sure we'll find someone to hate soon enough." Night replied. "It'd be more difficult not to." Light scowled. I breathed a sigh of the cool night air as I made my way toward the center of the city. I walked slowly, observing people as I passed by. As I neared the town center, a man bumped into me. He paused, glaring at me.

"I told you it wouldn't take long." Night reminded me. In a instant, I drew the scythe, striking the handle across his temple. His eyes rolled back as he fell, landing on my shoulder and dropping his bags. I hid the scythe in my trench-coat, dragging the man's limp body through a series of alleys. He began to stir about the time we arrived at the warehouse.

"Knives..." Light warned.

"I know." I thought, dragging him down the cellar stairs. His feet plopped down eerily behind me. I slung the body down and leaned it against a wall. I buckled his arms to the wall and his legs to the floor. After a moment of thought, I fastened a chain securing his torso to the wall. With everything set up, I unzipped my trench-coat, pulling out my scythe. He twitched slightly as he regained consciousness.

"Hello." I greeted him cheerfully. "How was your nap?" He stared past me as the weapons strewn about the room. Instinctively, he tried to stand up, only to find the chains holding him in place.

"Please." He begged. "I was just having a bad day. Please, please just don't kill me." I'd heard it all before.

"It's all right." I reassured him. "There won't be any more bad days."

"Wait," He gasped. "No, you don't have to do this!"

"Don't I?" I said thoughtfully. "I will and since I will, whose to say that it's even possible that I won't? No one would know, though it seems so simple. All the same, it doesn't matter. I'll kill you."

"But-but you can't do this!" He insisted desperately. "It's wrong!"

"Says who?" I grinned at him. "Right and wrong are as perceived. Categorizing things will only confuse one of their true meaning. It's best not to think about things... Thoughts, for those who have the capacity to understand them, are the most dangerous possible weapons. The invasion of the mind cannot be fought back. You can't consciously forget something. It's always there." I explained, growing more passionate as I continued. "Foreverrr! Thoughts! Shadows of memories! My wrist is sexy! How can you people awaken every day without wondering what sleep is?! How can you live every day without being taunted by death and all it's secrets?! Go vegan, for alpaca's sake!" I finished, my eyes wide and breathing heavily. He stared at me.

"He just doesn't understand, Knives." Light thought.

"None of them do." I thought, disappointed.

"Damn it." I said aloud. Clutching my head with one hand, the other spread on the table. "What's wrong with me?" I breathed.

"What's wrong with YOU?" I corrected, pointing a blade at my astonished victim. "Why don't you understand?!" I shrieked. He continued to stare, horrified.

"I'm sorry." He said, almost a question. "I'm sorry, I can't help you. But, I'm sure there is somewhere you can get help. You could go to church, change your life. Repent."

"No." I said, my face darkening. "It's too late. Besides, this "God" of yours... I've thought about him too. And it's all wrong. I could explain my thoughts to you but that would be more cruel than you can imagine. That is, if you could understand. I wonder, though... Could I corrupt you? Could I kill your soul too? It would be worse than any physical torture I could inflict..."

"Do it!" Night encouraged. "Why not? You can."

"No, you don't want to." Light thought. "That's why you won't do it." I searched for some emotion, compelling me to torture him. Admittedly, there was none.

"You're too soft." Night said. "Fine. Just kill him."

"Never mind." I told the man with a excited smile. "You're going to die now. Isn't that thrilling?" I squatted in front of him, leaning in to slice his throat.

"Please." He whimpered, trying to pull away. "Please don't do this."

"What majestic last words." I commented. I tore the blade across his throat, spilling blood over me. He coughed a bit, blood spewing out of his mouth as I hopped out of the way. I sat cross-legged next to him, enjoying the show. He twitched a few more times before going still.

"I'm alone again." I thought, gathering his corpse and heading to the hole.

"That's how it has to be." Night thought as I flung the body inside. "That's how it is." I walked back to the chains where my victim took his last breaths. The blood was still wet. I

reached out, dragging a line across the cement floor. I scooped a pool of blood in my hand and dumped it below the curved line, finishing what looked like a question mark.

"They never end." I whispered thoughtfully. "They never go away."