Bastille Imagines

All This Bad Blood Pt. V

"You've been a bad girl."

In all your life, you would've never have thought that this is how it ends: at the hands of a mass murderer, filled with abhorrence for anything and everything. You dreamed of growing older, maturing, finding love, creating a family, being a good samaritan and whatnot. Until then you would peacefully fade away in the midst of a ripe old age of 90. Or so you thought. Ironically, you were never one to live up to society's expectations. You wanted to diverge onto your own path and have full control of your life, be unique with all your different views, opinions and deflect society's typical ideology of a perfect human being. But here you are, awaiting fate dictated by Dan and not you.

"I...I don't know what y-you're talking about." You breathlessly mutter, panic manipulating your words.

"You don't?" He sniggers sarcastically. In one swift movement, he whips your body around so that you're in front of him with your hands securely held captive in his behind your back, arm twisted to the point of breaking. You can feel his breath narrowingly brush off your ears causing a haunting wave of chills mixed with pain to escalate through your body, anxiety overpowering you evermore.

"Boys! Bring him in." He shouts harshly. The volume leaves you wincing at the brutality of his voice. On demand two large, very built men drag in a limp and almost lifeless Charlie who's been beaten to the pulp. He falls to his knees with his lacklustre head lulling from side to side. You scan his unsettling deformed face painted black and blue with the bruises that are obviously swollen which his eyes hide behind. His hands are tightly tethered behind him, similar to how you are now. You bite back a sob as it aches to make its way out your mouth, knowing that you're the cause of this, and you didn't even know. Fuck, fuck, fuck!

"Does this help you remember?" He murmurs maliciously in your ear. Ignoring Dan's remark, you can't help but return the pleading glare that Charlie throws you, too shocked to look away from the disturbing cuts and bruises caused by the probable torture. Dan has certainly lived up to the rumours that you've heard about him.

"Did you know that Charlie here was rudely eavesdropping on our little conversation?"

"Don't answer him." You eyes whip to Charlie who's pleadingly looking you dead in the eyes.

"Shut up! If you say another word you'll regret it." Dan threatens. "Now," you hear the spine-chilling sound of metal obnoxiously ringing through your ears when he brings out a knife and presses the blade against your fragile skin.

"DON'T HURT HER!" Charlie desperately screams. Despite the threat that Dan holds against him, you mentally applaud his bravery. Anyone who's anyone would know that that's a death wish. But at the same time you just hope that his bravery isn't a substitute for his stupidity.

"Oh?" Dan smirks, bringing the very sharp blade away from your throat, finally letting go of the breath you've been holding for the past minute. At this rate, and as long as Dan still lives, someone is bound to get seriously hurt, if not, killed. And it's a 50/50 chance it'll be you, that chance being shared with Charlie.

"And why not? Hm?"

"Because..." Charlie's voice quietens as his eyes diverts from you, shamefully looking to the floor. Why is Charlie doing this? Even after betraying him, surely he would've been more than pleased to see you so vulnerable with your life literally dangling on very thin strings.

"You like her don't you?" Dan's smug grin compliments his mocked surprise as he yearns the power he yields from embarrassing both you and Charlie. Blinded by haze you can only presume that by Charlie's unwillingness to averse his comment, that there is some truth in Dan's assumption. All of a sudden you can feel your lungs compressing in on themselves upon revelation. Charlie? The unmerciful ringleader who refuses to show any sign of emotion? Likes you?

He should've kept quiet. He should've kept his feelings to himself like he's always done. He's only just provoking him! Why now is that he has to announce his newly-found feelings for you, even then you're uncertain if there even are 'feelings'. But now that Dan knows it gives him the upperhand in the situation; toy with it, use it as leverage, utterly crush Charlie and his reputation. He's unbeatable.

But yet, his motives are only to anger Charlie. Rile him up and helplessly watch as he uses that useful piece of information against him. You peer down to see Dan's arm snake around your waist, fingers digging into your side in a tantalizing manner as he presses his body against yours. His nose is buried into the side of your neck as he inhales, his smirk hidden beneath your skin. What a sick fuck.

"I can see why." He chuckles. In your peripheral you see Charlie twitching with fury, jealousy running ragged. "Do you know Charlie, I may have underestimated you. You're not as weak as I thought you were. I mean, first of all you even let your own brother take the consequences for something that you did."

What? But...

"And when I found out that you had lied about it to your friend here...I was amazed. But sadly for you, pal, I'm not satisfied just yet. I still want my revenge." 

Your eyes widen and inevitably bore into Charlie's; weary and bloodshot. You can feel your face morph into something that clearly displays your disgust for him. Instantly your blood boils just even at the sight of his guilt-ridden face. It wasn't Charlie's brother that had slept with Dan's girlfriend, it was him.

Charlie lied to you. And you want to spit in his despicable face for it. An overwhelming urge motivates you to pounce at Charlie, give him what he deserves for killing his own brother and for lying to you about it. Every single muscle in your body twitches with the adrenaline and anger flowing through your veins. You trusted him. How could you have trusted him? But it doesn't matter now, that bond is long gone. Your feeble attempts to lash out of Dan's arm fail miserably as Dan's clutches enclose in on you even tighter followed by a subdued 'easy, tiger' in your ear.

All of your contempt and spitefulness has spiralled into an accumulation of betrayal and revulsion aimed directly at Charlie. Your no-longer-pitiful stone cold glare victimises him hoping that it sends that message of 'how could you?' loud and clear, you just have to wait until Charlie finds the guts to even glimpse at you for him to receive the message.

"But back to business. Now, darlin'," he loosens the grip on you and instantly your muscles ease. "Your first errand: kill Charlie for me."

From his back pocket he presents to you a gun: locked and loaded. The unfamiliarity of the cold aluminium sits in the curve of your hand waiting to be used. You've never used of these before, and you've never wanted to. Dan has fully released you from his tightening grip but you can still feel the burns on your skin from where his hands once were. You can't do this. There's something that just doesn't fit. You hate Charlie of course but you don't have the guts to actually kill him.

All eyes are on you. Dan has literally put Charlie's life in your hands. But you could shoot Dan, your conscience tells you, but he is right behind you and his reflexes are far too quick, another voice argues back. The pressure builds and time keeps on ticking. You still haven't made your decision and Dan's growing impatient.

"Do it," he grumbles. Tears morph your sight of Charlie into one big blur of disfigured shapes, mentally pleading to you to spare his life. But you can't. You're trapped in Dan's authority and there doesn't seem to be any other way around it. This is your situation now, this is the consequence of your own delusional state of mind ever thinking that pairing up with Dan would be in any way beneficial.

"I can't."

"Yes, you can. Just pull the trigger. Do it now!"

"I-I can't!"

"Argh! Fuck this, give me the gun!"

"NO!"

Bang. Thump. Silence.