Sweet Venom [✓]

17

If she could have turned back time, she would have, because she never wanted to have blood on her hands. It wasn't worth it and what was worse was the fact that the others were almost enjoying it, and she could only blame herself for the fruits they'd come to bear.

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The Froncesca Gallery used to boast expensive and exquisite art, raking in visitors from big cities and towns in North America. A point of attraction in the midst of Manhattan, it was an infamous tourist spot; the type of place where wealthy people would come to, to admire pieces by notable names, where they liked to bid for canvases, at outrageous amounts, the type of archaic, strange art they fancied hanging on the walls of their hallways.

This, Elijah didn't understand, and he didn't think he would ever want to.

All he knew was that this gallery only ever came to life in the night, within the basement or as the people who came down here called it, the lower-ground floor. It was after all, where the cage fighting and late night entertainment unravelled.

But this evening, the entire building was trembling from its core, with life, buzzing with laughter and tears. He wondered if there was a party going on as he circled the floor training cage, his hands and fingers grazing the steel panels, as his mused hair fell over his eyes and his jaw sat tight while he listened carefully.

"What are you doing?"

Elijah snapped out of his trance and rolled his eyes at Spider who was sitting on a plastic chair, knees up, biting into a green apple.

"I'm listening," Elijah shot out as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "What are you doing?"

"Jus' eatin' my apple." Spider grinned, waggling his brows.

"Where's Shadow?" Elijah questioned, crouching on the floor to unzip his gym bag.

"He's gone to take the trash out." Spider announced, swivelling the apple in his hands, staring at it with utmost curiosity

'Apples are fruits, right?' He thought to himself.

"Do you know what's going on up there?" Elijah asked Spider, as he pulled out a bottle of water and sipped from it thirstily. "It's rare that it's ever hired out for events, the fees are a bit much. Greece makes sure his partner slave sets them at an unreasonable amount, only really opens the door if it's someone he feels inclined to impress."

"Yeah man," Spider said, "Well, there's a wake for a funeral happening right now."

Elijah spluttered, coughing up water and thumping his chest with his fist, "What?" He said incredulously, gulping as he sat up.