Hell is for Children

Crimson and Clover

Diana sat wrapped in a towel on her bed, taking Billy in. 

He stood by her windowsill, where he had climbed up her rose trellis like usual, climbing through the window. 

She was shocked by his appearance. His hair dripped with sweat, his tank top was covered in some type of dust, he had gashes and bruises all up his arms and across his neck. 

"Oh my God!! What the hell happened to you?" Diana demanded. 

Billy smiled thoughtfully, as if he wasnt standing in her bedroom all beat up. 

"I lost a fight with a brick wall" he chuckled. 

"I see this!" Diana exclaimed, not knowing he was telling the truth. 

She walked over to him and sat him on her mattress. She walked into her washroom and grabbed some bandages and a wet cloth. As she dabbed the dried blood off his wounds he looked up at her thoughtfully. 

"This song...what does it mean to you?" He asked. 

Diana raised an eyebrow at him as Tommy James and the Shondelle's 'Crimson and Clover' spun on her turntable. 

" I have no idea" she shrugged. 

"Wanna know what I think? I think it talks about that feeling when you love someone so deeply, like soul level, and you just cant stand it and you dont know why" he mused, tucking a wet strand of her red hair behind her ear. 

"Is that so?" She chuckled. He didnt respond, just kept looking at her. Her smile began to fade as she looked into his eyes. The bright blue eyes of the Billy she knew flashed for a moment, then they returned to the dull blue that she was starting to get used to. 

"Billy, theres something I need to tell you" she began. Before she could continue, he stripped the towel that wrapped around her and let it slip to the floor. She stood in front of him, naked and vulnerable, as he traced a single finger across her chest and down her stomach as he sat on her mattress. Her breath caught in her throat as those dead eyes drank her in. She felt herself shiver as he stood up, taking her silently into his arms. 

He began to kiss her neck, causing tiny jolts to run through her stomach, sending sickening butterflies up to her heart. She removed his dirty tank top as he lifted his well muscled arms above his head. She traced a finger across a large darkening bruise on his ribcage. 

He laid her down on the bed, never kissing her as he unbuttoned his tight jeans. He hovered above her, face to face as he slipped inside her. She fingered his damp hair that curled at the nape of his neck. She felt goosebumps pepper her flesh as he pumped inside of her. He felt more dangerous than he ever had, and she didnt know if she wanted it to stop, or if she wanted to surrender herself over completely. 

In the background, Tommy sang hypnotically. "Crimson and Clover, Over and Over. "

When she felt him release inside of her, a twinge of panic hit, then she realized it didnt matter. He had already gotten her pregnant. She grimaced at her own stupidity. She put a hand on his glistening chest as he began to climb off of her. 

"Billy. Im pregnant" she blurted out. 

He looked down at her, zipping up his jeans. 

"I dont think it happens that fast" he chuckled. Like the old Billy. 

"No. Ive been pregnant. Ive been trying to find a way to tell you" she quickly covered herself up with the discarded towel. 

A flash, then the dull blue eyes glared back. "Ok" was all he said. 

"Ok??" She stood there astonished. "Thats it? Thats all youre going to say?" 

He turned and picked up his discarded tank top from her floor. 

"Diana. This child will play its role, just like you will play yours. As I have been playing mine. Everything happens for a reason. This happened because its clearly supposed to." He smiled that sinister smile at her again. 

"Billy. This happened because I took antibiotics while I was on the pill and didnt take extra precautions" she explained, confused by his statement. 

"No, no, no my sweet, silly fool. This happened because you were the perfect vessel. Im so sorry but you see...it had to be you. I needed him, and he so desperately needed you. So in a way, it was meant to be. Just not in the way youre thinking." Billy explained as he got closer to her. 

She backed away "What are you talking about? A vessel? And who needed me? God Billy, you really are on drugs arent you!" 

He smiled "Oh baby, yes a vessel. You will bring forth the end. I am the Host and you are the Vessel. That child will be the End." 

As she backed into the corner of her room, Black tendrils began to consume Billy's eyes. 

Diana's eyes widened in horror as she realized what she had been so afraid of. 

"Youre not Billy" she whispered. 

"Well...sort of" was all he said as he put a large hand over her mouth to cover her screams as it all went black.