Misanthropy - [ryden]

11. A Fate Worse Than Death

**WARNING FOR THIS CHAPTER: ASPHYXIATION. SONG HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CHAPTER. WAIT TO START.**

"You're sure you've got a ride home, Ryan?" Sarah's voice was full of concern as she hoisted her purse on her shoulder. It was nearing three in the morning and the bar was closing at the earliest it had in years; effect of the new curfew the city police had enforced earlier in the week. The detectives have started to notice that the killer's regular pattern of targeting sex workers had vanished. The most recent victims, Joshua Dun and Ian Crawford, had concreted the force's suspicions that the killer was beginning to target whoever he could find, seeing as they were not in the business of selling sex.

Ryan nodded softly, sending Sarah a reassuring smile as he continued to wipe down the tables and collect the glasses. "Yes, Ms. Sarah," he said politely as he wrung his hands with the hand towel. "Ashley said she'll be here as soon as I call her and tell her I'm finished."

Sarah hesitated slightly, biting her lip in thought as she kept her body halfway inside the door. "Are you sure," she repeated once more, her eyes giving away her fear as she eyed the young man. "I really don't mind staying around to help you and taking you home."

Ryan smiled appreciatively at Sarah before giving her a faux serious look. "You've got a tired babysitter and a baby boy who misses you waiting for you to come home," he reasoned to her. "You need to get home. I promise I will be okay."

Sarah relaxed her shoulders slightly, nodding along with Ryan's words. "Alright," she said quietly. "But if you need me to come back here and get you --"

"I'll call you," the brown-eyed boy finished for her. "Go home and get some sleep, Ms. Sarah."

Sarah nodded once again, bidding a goodnight to the younger male and leaving the bar, locking the doors behind her as she exited. Ryan laughed gently, shaking his head as he pulled his wallet from his back pocket and pulling a quarter from the change slip. He then walked over to the jukebox and dropped in his quarter, selecting a song and walking slowly back to his table.

Start the song. It's MONEY by PINK FLOYD.

Ryan began swaying slightly as the music started, his fingertips brushing the wooden tabletops slowly as if he were in some cheesy old fashioned movie or music video. He felt any tension or apprehension he felt about being alone slowly fade as the words of the song began to filter through the speakers and he began to sing along with them.

He'd always been a fan of classic rock, having grown up listening to it because of his mother. The music gave him a sense of nostalgia to before his life was so fucked up, and - especially nowadays - gave him a sense of comfort being away from his mother. He needed to remember to call her in the morning.

The song continued to play flawlessly through the empty bar, the echoes bouncing off of the walls in perfect sync as he wiped off the rest of the tables and carried the dirty glasses to the back kitchen. As he rinsed the glasses, the anxious feeling that had escaped him earlier came back to him. He passed it off, though, reminding himself that he hadn't been in this city for too long and he probably hadn't even crossed paths with this killer yet. Although, his fear did get the best of him as he dried off his hands and pulled out his cellphone to call Ashley. He walked back into the main area of the establishment, walking to the register to remove the till just as his call went to Ashley's voicemail.