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'Catherine, I need more pens. We have run out.' I sighed, leaning back in my chair and letting my dead eyes wander over to my hopeless companion. 'We have pencils.' She replied, looking up from her reading of my translations to eye me. 'I've told you, I write in cursive and pencils smudge. I need pens with ink that dries quickly.' She smiled at me and I hated it. I hated that she thought I was being playful. I hadn't smiled at her once and yet she seemed to perceive me as some "angry on the outside but sweet on the inside" kind of person. She had so much Disney bullshit shoved up her arse that she thought she had the world figured out. 'Are you ever going to drop the act?' She snickered, lifting herself up from her seat and gently placing the papers down where she was stationed previously. She began slowly creeping towards me, a noticeable sway in her hips. I brushed the stay black locks that always managed to fall in front of my eyes behind my ear and crossed my arms, leaning back in my chair. 'What act?' 'The whole "I'm a broody immortal" thing. It's been a few months since you got here and you haven't dropped it.' 'You think I'm acting?' I was asking questions I already knew the answer to, only because I wanted to understand the full extent of her stupidity. 'I don't think, I know. Just drop it, alright? I want to get to know the real you.' "The real me has slaughtered thousands of innocent people, just to consume and fuck their corpses." I thought. Of course, I couldn't say that, but I sure wanted to. 'I didn't take this job to be friendly, I took it to make a new life. The "real me" isn't a person, it's the place I left behind.' 'What place?' She sat herself down on my desk, peeving me slightly. 'Beside the girl I love.' The moment I said that, she shifted forward and plopped herself down on my lap, back arched enough for me to be at eye level with her chest. 'I don't see that girl with you now...' She grinned, leaning down and brushing her nose against mine. 'Where is she then? Why isn't she the one sitting on your lap?' I could feel her sweet breath against my skin, her lips grazed mine ever-so-slightly. This had to end. She was getting too close to me. Instead of shoving her, however, I spoke very gently. 'Because she's dead.' I watched as she leaned back slightly, shock resonating in her eyes. I put on my most broken and empty expression before elaborating. 'It was my fault...I came here to start again. I wanted to-' 'M-My goodness, Chris, I'm so sorry! I-I got the wrong signals, I-I thought she had cheated on you or something like that!' She began to apologise profusely, slipping off of my lap and bowing apologetically like they did in Japan. 'P-Please forgive me! I'm so sorry!' 'I'll forgive you if you just go and get me those pens I need.' 'Y-Yes! Of course! I'll be right back!' She bolted out of the office, giving me a moment of silence before I suddenly sensed it. 'Oh, I'm sorry, we're not open at the mom-' 'Where is Chris?' I recognised Devin's voice immediately, but there was still one other person with him. Luckily, Catherine knew I didn't want to be found and knew to tell everyone who asked for me that wasn't a customer that I didn't exist. 'Oh, um...I-I don't know who you're-' 'Lady, if you want to live, you'd better tell her where he is.' Devin spoke again, but this time, mentioning "her". I didn't want to believe he was talking about (Y/n), but I wasn't stupid. She was here. 'I-I'm sorry, I-' Catherine began to whimper loudly, but something was keeping her from fully screaming. I debated whether to help or hide, but my soul begged and plead for me to see her face, so, without thinking, I got to my feet and shuffled out the door. It took me a moment process the sight, but once I did, it was printed in my mind forever. (Y/n), my (Y/n), the sweet, innocent girl who rarely did anything even remotely violent, had lifted Catherine by her neck, cutting off air circulation but not breaking anything. 'C-Ch...ris...' Catherine chocked out, gazing behind her shoulder at me before suddenly being thrown onto the floor. (Y/n) was facing me, her face covered by her hair. 'I-I'm sorry, Chris, I had to. She had frozen her whole bedroom, she hadn't eaten in months, she isn't talking, I couldn't just-' Devin was cut off when he suddenly dropped to his knees, blocking his ears and screaming like something was attacking him. All I could hear was white noise which very faintly stung the back of my eyes, but it was nothing painful like he was experiencing. (Y/n) looked dead. Her skin looked like ice, her toes pointed inwards and her arms hung limp beside her. She was like a murderer, one that slowly drove their victims insane before letting them take their own lives. 'You left me...for her?' (Y/n) finally spoke. Her voice made my chest ache and though I tried my best not to let if affect me, I melted once more. 'No, my doll, I didn't leave you for her...she doesn't compare to you...I left because I couldn't bare to-' 'You better think real fucking hard about what you're going to say.' She grumbled, amplifying the strange stinging noise until Catherine was screaming at the top of her lungs, blood drizzling from between her teeth. Whatever (Y/n) was doing, it was causing Catherine to bleed internally. '...I couldn't bare to hurt you again. I love you, I love you more than I hate the human race, (Y/n)...' '...you willingly left me...?' 'No...my soul forced me to spare you from the horror that is existing beside me. I only bring destruction...' Just like that, it all stopped. The noise and stinging faded to nothing, and everything became quiet. Devin was panting behind (Y/n), along with Catherine who was to the right of her. (Y/n) finally looked up, her eyes full of tears that seemingly turned to ice and stuck to her skin. 'P-Please...don't leave me again...' Her porcelain skin looked like it was right on the edge of shattering if it wasn't for the icy tears holding her together. I silently stepped towards her, watching as she inadvertently trembled due to how emotional she was. Her voice was so croaky that I'm surprised she could talk at all. Both Devin and Catherine watched as I cupped (Y/n)'s jaw, lifting her head and gazing into her hollow crimson eyes before leaning down and planting my lips on hers. I grinned against her eager lips as she wrapped her arms around my neck, holding me so she knew I wouldn't leave again. And I wouldn't. Never again.
'Your house is incredible...' I let my jaw practically hit the ground at the sight of Chris's new home. It was very elegant, wax-coated, dark wooden furniture and tea-light candles littering every table in sight. It was something ripped straight out of the Victorian Era and I was suddenly reminded of how we got here. I went from a circus freak to a lonely waitress, but I was finally out of both positions. I didn't want to be a member of society anymore. Devin was downstairs, tending to Catherine which gave me and Chris a minute to ourselves. He was silent, only letting his hand sneak around my waist as I took in how beautiful his home was. 'Did you pay for all of this?' 'Some of it. Catherine and I made a deal that I live here and take 50% of our earnings if I translate for her and help out. The place came with the bare minimum amount of furniture, so I bought things that suited me, as you do.' 'Do you plan to-' 'You're dating Ricky?' He cut me off, eyes wandering down and locking with mine. "Oh, that was right." I thought. 'I...I forgot about that...How'd you know?' 'Your memories...I looked through them just now to see what I missed. It is fine, however. I would like you to keep dating him.' I was taken slightly aback by his request, confused as to why he wasn't melting or something strange like that. Before asking why, I crept away from him and began looking around the lounge room. 'But why? Don't you-' 'I do love you, but it's not about us. It's about him. I want to destroy him- inside and out. Nothing would kill him more than witnessing your love for me while you're bonded with him.' 'You overreact...' 'Only for you.' I loved when we had small fights like that. Even though they were barely arguments, I liked seeing him jealous or happy- angry or upset- anything resembling emotion. 'I'm not doing it. Ricky has been good to me, and patient with you.' 'He's a storage bag. I can replace him.' 'You'd traumatise a tortured soul, take him to a murderous circus where he grows up confused and afraid to the point where his personalities split and then, just when he thinks he's finally found love, you'll rip it away from him and take me for yourself?' I crossed my arms over my chest, tapping my fingers against my forearm impatiently as Chris thought for a moment. 'Not to mention, storing your emotions, undesirable personality traits and horrific desires within his already broken mind.' 'Would you rather stay with him, and leave me?' 'You know I can't do that.' 'Exactly. It's him, or me. I already know you're going to pick me so let's just skip the argument and- (Y/n). What're you thinking? (Y/n), stop it. Stop thinking about that.' I smirked when I began to think about Ricky and I doing inappropriate things together. I love the way Chris reacted, immediately ordering me to stop like I was his mother, about to do something embarrassing in public. '(Y/n), stop it.' 'Why should I? It's my life, isn't it. Maybe I'll just stay with him, just to watch you whither and fray.' I began to then think about having kids with him, even getting married. I didn't want that, but I loved seeing how uncomfortable Chris got with the thoughts. 'You wouldn't.' 'Wanna try me?'
