DollMaker

Bittersweet Present- Chapter 7

"Did you hear that?", Hero asked, frantically spinning around to see what was going on. The scream frightened her and she desperately wanted to know what was going on.

Max drummed his fingers on his leg oblivious to any noises. He didn't care what anyone did. He had already been through many traumatizing moments and didn't need more.

"Perhaps-"

"Don't you dare say anything Max!", Hero shushed him. Max stuck his tongue out at Hero before getting up from the table. He stuck to Hero's side willingly. Hero walked arm in arm toward the exit of the room. Max rested his chin on Hero's shoulder. Hero kept searching throughout the entire factory. Through the many years, Hero could not find where the scream had come from. Maybe Max was right, maybe she shouldn't care. Hero's shoulders settled and Max turn to Hero, "Hero, can we stroll outside?"

"I thought you said it was raining.", Hero retorted raising an eyebrow. Max shrugged, "I don't really care; I'd love to spend more time with you."

"Why?"

"Because you listen."

Hero's emotions mollified. The ostentatious Max was still a little boy. He was softer than he seemed. Hero smiled, "Aren't you going to be soaked when we come in?"

"Well,-"

"Never mind don't answer that question.", Hero frowned, he still had the most inappropriate of thoughts though.

Max smirked, his face no longer frightening or scary the slightest bit. Hero was definitely an interesting character, he thought. Max yawned sleepily, "As much as I enjoy talking to you Hero, I still love my dear old friend, sleep."

Hero chuckled; he dimmed the gloomy aura that surrounded her.

"Alright then, Max. You can get back to him and tell him how much you love him.", she said softly. Max grinned weakly and left, his shadow creating the false image of a man.

Hero watched him leave and she couldn't stop smiling. Hero's eyes averted to the door that led her into this factory. The door that prohibited her from leaving. She pushed it lightly but stopped.

It wasn't going to open.

The door croaked silently and Hero crept through the small opening. She could feel the rain caress her face. The rain was gentle, and consoling, cooling off her emotions. Hero stepped into the pouring rain closing her eyes in relaxation. She slipped off her shoes digging her toes into the tiny pool of water.

"Haven't done this in a while.", she whispered to herself. Hero slid her shoes back on. As she was about to head inside, Hero's eyes found a red trail. Curiously, Hero bent over to see it closely. She winced realizing it was a trail of blood.

Perhaps that was where the scream came from.

Hero straightened herself following the trail of blood. She wanted to solve the mystery of who scream and what was going on. As she continued on her journey, the leaves swirled around her. The wind stroked her hair tenderly. Hero's hands shook, voraciously awaiting an answer. She felt so excited as to see what lied forwards. Her face tensed up as she shook her head. Those thoughts weren't going to come back. If they came back she'd break down into a waterfall again.

"I wish you were here.", Hero said tears welling up in her eyes. She quickly wiped them away and started to walk a little faster to keep her mind off of it.

Hero stopped abruptly when she arrived at the cemetery. Stunned, Hero fell to her knees.

Joseph's corpse's arm was twisted backwards, the bone completely sticking out. His head was roughly sewed back on, but the veins in his neck slipped out. His eyes were shot open and blood red. Joseph's flesh was muddy, pale, and a heart wrenching blue. Joseph was half-naked, his chest smothered in an all too notable scarlet. The muscle and tissue near his heart was torn apart, the muscle flaps stretched out. Hero could see a heart that wasn't even attached to his veins.

Hero couldn't take it anymore and she threw up right there on the grave beside his body.

Owen appeared and his face lit up. "Hero, I see you've seen my surprise from me to you!"

Hero stood up, her eyes burning into Owen, but was cooled off by the river of tears that fell down her face. She tackled Owen to the ground, "DON'T TOUCH JOSEPH!"

Hero screamed, pounding Owen's chest. She crawled over to Joseph's corpse and held him close to her, sobbing into his neck. The mud covered them, and Hero's screams were muffled.

"Hero-"

"Blast you, you sick being!", she answered in between sobs. Her eyes were blurry and her throat hurt from screaming.

Owen's eyes softened, "I was trying to bring him back for you. I wanted you to be happy."

"It doesn't work that way Owen. Once somebody dies, they're dead. They won't ever come back!", she shouted back at him. Her hair was a mess, a mix of blood, tears, and dirt.

Owen fell to his knees next to Hero, whose eyes were crusty from her tears. He fell on his side next to her lightly stroking her back for comfort. "I don't want to hurt you."

Feelings crawled around Owen; he wanted Hero to care for him as much as he did for her. Owen tenderly picked Hero's body. She pounded him again.

"No! Stop! Joseph! Joseph!", she yelled. Owen held her tightly following the trail of blood home.

Once they got there, Hero's tears stained Owen's shirt. She was constantly being constricted by these feelings of sorrow. Tying around her neck and pulling on the strings with great enthusiasm. Her eyes blinked sleepily, and her grip on Owen loosened.

"Get some rest, Hero.", he breathed opening the door into her room.

Owen and Hero kept eye contact as he laid her down on the bed. Her eyes were tired while his were calm and soothing. He caressed her hair and kissed her forehead.

"Sleep well, my dear Hero.", he whispered. Hero watched him leave, frozen to the bone. She rolled onto her side and stared at the door all throughout the night.

And Hero was hurting.