Love Kills

The Night Comes Down

"Let's do something."

Colin was pacing back and forth in the small hotel room, his teeth clenched together and his fingers drumming on his thighs. He was looking straight forward, his eyes unfocused and showing no emotions.

"Do what?"

George was sitting on the bed, legs crossed, reading the bible he had found on the nightstand. They had yet another day of driving behind them, and even though he felt more relaxed around Colin than anybody else, the journey was wearing him out.

"I'm going out. I need to breath." Colin suddenly said and before George could even look up Colin was already out the door and George had to run after him.

The streets were full of people dining in small restaurants and drinking in the pubs. The air was filled with chatting and laughing, some drunk, others just loud as Colin paced through the streets in a brisk speed. George felt uncomfortable and Colin's acting didn't help at all.

"Colin?"

"What?" Colin snapped.

"Let me help you Colin, like you always help me when I get stressed. Let me help you."

Colin abruptly stopped and turned to George.

"How?" He snapped.

"Well, what do you do when you feel stressed out?"

Colin looked at the boy's face with twisted feelings, contemplating whether to tell him the dark truth or if he should keep up his lies. George looked so innocent and pure, but then again, he had murdered people and if anyone was worth opening up to, it would be him.

"You wanna know what i do when I'm stressed?" Colin's eyes were dark as he looked at George with a grim expression.

"Yes, I want to help!"

"I kill people."

George's facial expression did not change. He waited for his brain to explain the misunderstanding. He always misinterpreted things, sure this was just his brains playing tricks on him again. When he could not find an explanation, he looked at Colin, waiting for him to explain the misunderstanding. Encouraged by George's calmness, Colin continued.

"I can't really help it anymore, I just sort of... need to kill. It has become an obsession, an addiction to me. I get stressed out when I don't do it and then I can't get it out of my head or think about anything else until I, I just... And now that we travel so much I haven't had the chance to... You must have felt it too, right?"

Colin looked at George with hopeful eyes, wishing for the boy to share this with him. They could become partners in crime, work together like some romantic cliché. George did not know what to say or which facial expression would be appropriate in a situation like this. He only knew that something was terribly, horrifyingly wrong. Colin was dangerous, he was a bad person. So George did the only thing that occurred to him; he ran away.

His feet clasped too loudly against the pavement and his lungs had too little oxygen, but he kept running, squeezing past strangers, panicking as they touched him. It was a lie, it was all a lie! Colin had been fooling him all along and he had believed him like the idiot he was. Did Colin follow him? Was he close? George allowed himself a glance back. Was that Colin he saw back there? Was he following h-

Darkness.

Pain shooting through his head.

George tried to open his eyes, but they were too heavy. He had to get up! Had to get to his sister and continue running. He had to get away!