Pinky Promise { Short Story }

- Pinky Promise -

Blood. So much blood. Shades of crimson painted her olive hands. "Do you like my present?" Marie peered down at the grinning eight year old in utter shock, she was still holding it in her hands. "You broke your promise," Armin spat bitterly taking a step forward. Marie's stomach churned, her hands shook, her mouth opened and closed like a goldfish. The blood was still dripping, thin ropes of red slid from her trembling fingers down onto the gravel pavement. Her pulse was racing, her heart thudded painfully in her chest. She screamed.

When Marie had met Armin two years ago she'd been surprised. The rumours that circulated the town depicted the eight year old as emotionally unstable, insane and dangerous so when the seemingly innocent, little, blonde boy entered the dingy diner one late Friday afternoon and sat alone in one of the booths a pang of sympathy struck her, a sharp jab to the heart.

Marie hastily picked up a notepad and pen and made her way over to the boy with a bright smile spread across her cherry lips. "Why hello there dear, what can I get for you?" She asked her voice sweet like honey. The boy looked shocked and confused, it was foreign for him to be treated nicely. The expression of confusion on his face was another swift, stinging stab to the heart. "A-a chocolate shake please," he said after his sky blue eyes quickly scanned the menu. "I'll just go put your order in sweetie." Marie turned her back towards the blonde boy to leave. "No!" He shouted his eyes brimming with tears and his lips set into a pout. "Please don't leave, don't leave like them." His words struck her, a blunt force to the chest. "I won't." Marie put out her pinky finger and linked it with the boy's pinky. "I pinky promise I won't leave like your parents."

Time flew by quickly and Armin and Marie became close like mother and son. It became routine for Armin to watch and wait in one of the booths for Marie to clean up after the diner had closed and go hang out after she'd finished.

It was a late Saturday evening and the diner was quiet as Marie washed down the tables, Armin's eyes were trained on her, watching her. "Hey babe," a male voice said cutting the silence. "Hey Lenny," Marie giggled pecking the man on the cheek.

"I'm just going to wait for you in the car. After you finish cleaning up I'll take you out later," Lenny said over his shoulder as he made his way out of the diner completely ignoring Armin. Armin furrowed his brow, his eye twitched. "But we were supposed to watch a movie tonight!" He whined as he watched the waitress clean up in a hurry. "Sorry Armin, maybe tomorrow?" She apologised as she went out to the back to take the rubbish out leaving an infuriated Armin behind.

Armin slammed his fists onto the table. He rushed to the diner's kitchen with anger and jealousy pumping through his veins. Armin was seething, his eyes turned dark as he exited the diner and stomped over to Lenny's yellow Toyota with a knife in hand.

Marie sighed dreamily as she walked out of the diner, fantasising her date with boyfriend. She froze. There was Armin, drenched in red. He was covered in the colour yet the brilliant blue in his eyes shone menacingly in the flickering light of the broken street light. Armin slowly reached a bloodied hand out and grabbed Marie's olive one and with his other hand rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a still beating heart. He placed it in her hand with a proud smile.

"W-what?" Marie stuttered, her hazel eyes widening in shock, disbelief consuming her body. "Why?"

Armin started to shake, his body convulsed violently as waves of sadness and insanity hit him. "You pinky promised to never leave me Marie!" Armin yelled his voice breaking. "You promised me two years ago when you came up to me and became my only friend!" Tears started rolling down mixing with the specks of blood on his face. "And then he tried to take you away from me."

"I couldn't let that happen again, I couldn't let him take you away from me like daddy took mummy from me," his voice was low and his fists were clenched. Marie was shaking, the heart was still in her hand it's thumps steadily slowing down. "S-so this i-is Lenny?" Armin nodded a grin breaking out on his face. "Now he can't take you away from me and we can be friends forever!" He smiled stepping forward to embrace Marie. "Get away from me!" Marie stumbled backwards to distance herself from the blood drenched boy. "We are not friends, get away from me you freak!"

Armin's face dropped, he froze. Tears slid down Armin's cheeks like a leaky faucet yet a smile was on his lips.

"You sound like mummy," he whispered, his cerulean eyes reflecting a broken boy inside. "I hate you, die like your stupid mum and dad!" Marie yelled her voice hysterical as she held her boyfriend's heart to her own. Armin's eye started to twitch and his fingers itched, it itched for the knife. 'Die like your stupid mum' , the sentence was like salt on healing scars.

Armin pulled a knife out of the back pocket of his pants. The knife was stained in wine red blood, Lenny's blood. It was like déjà vu, history repeating itself. Marie wore the same horrified expression his parents did as he raised the knife above his head like he had done three times before. Armin whispered, his voice cold and monotone, "Say hello to mummy, daddy and Lenny for me."