Something filthy about Mr.Haynes

Sulfur

Underworld. King's castle.

"You are allowed to speak, Marathael!"-the king ordered as soon as his guard's presence settled the air.

"The council is waiting, your majesty!"-Marathael announced, as he approached his king standing on the little bridge connecting sulfur fields with the castle. "It's time."

"Ah!"-the king sighed,-"all work and no play makes your king all bored." He threw his tired, red glittering eyes towards his kingdom, so powerful and so strong that nothing, it seemed, could defeat it.

However, a threat was close.

Disturbed souls crouch nearer the cold and lifeless ground avoiding the blaming look from their leader. Rotten, skinny limbs were reaching for the sulfur, the only source of life for evil souls that was still left.

"Look at them, Marathael! They've lost their path already. They do not follow my lead any longer. They do not feed from negativity for it's too difficult to get back home after being on the surface. Many of them didn't come back home. Tell me!"-the king turned to face his guard, his tone desperate and demanding in the same time,-"should I use the last opportunity to save us? To save all of this, so our kingdom can flourish?"

"If I get to say, your majesty,"-Marathael bent his head in respectful manner, his horns reflecting the flames in the sulfur river,-"humans were created to serve us, to please us. These are his words, my king. I'd say we do what we have to do. He would understand."

The king took a look around, devouring the view of his kingdom, well hidden under the surface. His eyebrows narrowed unnoticeably, for the most difficult, most meaningful decision was waiting to be made.

"Look at us, hidden beyond the eyes of ordinary, pathetic and weak humans, miles and miles deep under the ground, yet, there's always someone trying to ruin our peaceful home! Mr.Haynes would never understand this. He's driven by his desires. He's selfish and irresponsible. More than that- he's evil and impulsive. We know not what would he do if on the verge."

"My king will defeat everyone, that's off the rails, just like always,"-the most loyal guard and the right hand of the Duke said, watching sulfur river slowly curl around the huge isle, dragging acidic smell along with it's rising mist.

Duke turned on his heel and walked towards the entrance of his castle, white granite door lined with shimmering roubins opened up widely and guards piled out, dramatically rising their worm eaten arms with the torches in their grips, lighting up dark tar lined passage, as the king passed by.

Back to warehouse.
Chad's POV

"Where is she?"-i yell, fury blinding me and blocking and rational thought to settle my mind,-"tell me! What did you do!"

I keep hitting Jake and he doesn't fight back, accepting every hit I force upon him with dignity, though his features are frightened and angry at the same time.

I keep smashing his face with my fist. "I want you focused here, little Jake. Focus! Look at me!"-i tilt his blood soaking chin only to keep him conscious for a little bit longer. "Look at me!"

"Just get over with it!"-Jake groans spitting blood on the ground. "Come on, you know you want this."

"No. I'm postponing your death, friend. But I swear, if I don't find her, I will come back for you. So stay put and think about everything you did, focus on my features, man, because my face will be the one you see before the death."

"I hope you never find her! I'd rather die than watch her suffer any longer."

"You seem to be ready to die. How come?"

"What's the point? You expect to finish the experiment, you can't even notice you don't feed her. If it wasn't for me, she would be dead long ago. Tell me! How many times did you feed her?"

And then something inside me snaps. I count those times in my mind, count days, weeks and months and the only number that comes into my head is small and pathetic.

4.

4 times was it.

"Four times, man. She told me. You gave her food four times in those 3 months and you never even considered the fact why she is alive."

I hit him again. "You have three seconds to give me her whereabouts."

"And then what?"

"Oh I don't know!"-i hit again. "Maybe I won't kill you after all?"

"You do what you have to do. I ain't telling you nothing."

I wipe my bloody knuckles with a paper towel and give Jake one last kick, seeing him squirm in agony, as he curls into a ball on the ground because of sudden impact with his spleen.

"You're so brave, little Jake!"-i laugh landing on my knee to reach his level and see those betrayer eyes again,-"it's funny. I remember how silent, how pathetic you were in the beginning. You couldn't even stand the presence of blood and now? You take it as a man. I respect that."

However in a second I am taken aback because of his cold bitterness laced voice. "You love her, don't you?"

"Indeed. But no one would ever believe you. So from now on, you keep your mouth shut and Serene is off limits to you, hear me?"

"I guess she is for both of us now."

"You're being useless, I can see it already. And I get that. No matter how hard you try to save her, you just sentenced her death." I stand up and turn towards the door, leaving him coughing on the floor. "I'm letting you live Jake. But you would never leave these basements and you would never see her again."

Jake is about to say something else, but seems that blood in his mouth isn't easing the situation not a bit. I fix my jacket and tuck up my bloody sleeves. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a girl to find."