Bruises and Bitemarks

Finalé - Part 1

"I'm home" my voice was barely hearable, since it was none of my intentions to let Vincent notice me, but unfortunately, my brilliant plan didn't work, because as soon as I tried to sneak to my room through the living room, I found Vincent in one of the armchairs with such a dead-pan look on his face that I froze. 

"Where the hell were you?! I called you about 30 times! Do you know what time it is?" I glanced at the floor, trying to show my best quilty teenager look that I could find. 

"I went out to party with Lucy, it just got... longer than I thought it would." I explained, still looking at the floor, but my eyes shot up when I heard his cynical laughter fill the room. 

"Liar, liar, pants on fire..." he mumbled to himself, as he stood from his chair, glaring at me "Eric's therapist called me. She said, that you seem overly defensive towards him and that you might know where he is, regardless of you not telling her. So, did you find him?" his voice remained calm, but his eyes were dark and I felt the need to step forward, to somehow knock him out of this state of mind.  

"Why did you tell me, that he hadn't called?" I asked out of the blue, and I saw his jaw lock. 

"Because he is bad for you. He is bad for anyone who gets near him" he stepped closer to me, and I didn't move. I trust Vincent, that's what I repeated in my head, over and over again, somehow only to disprove Eric. 

"There's hope for him, Vincent. I won't be angry, but please... please tell me. Did you know where he was?" I was on the edge of breaking into sobs, and I was not willing to do this in front of him so I swallowed my emotions hard, looking at him with begging eyes. 

"Please tell me you didn't send those men" I whispered, but his silence didn't offer me any comfort. He opened his mouth to answer, but then just closed it back. 

"Eric wronged you... he wronged me, he ruined my whole life" he mumbled, but I could still hear him clearly. I started shaking my head as if I could somehow turn his way of thinking. My fingers gently tugged on his shirt.

"Please don't say that. You've both been through hell. But he needs his brother." I insisted, and he gently caressed my face, with a broken smile on his lips. I got a little more relaxed, offering him a similar smile. 

"He needs you, just as I needed our mother... He needs you, just as I needed a normal life. He needs you, just like I need to get away from everything that he is..." he leaned down, taking my face into both of his hands. 

"And so... I'll take you away from him. I'm so sorry Amy." I froze as he said that and tried to push him away, but suddenly I felt a small sting on my neck, and everything became blurry and numb. I fell to my knees, trying to fight the drug, but there was no use. 

"Vincent..." I murmured. 

"It's okay, Amy... It'll be okay."

-----------------------------

I assume, by now, I should be used to the feeling of waking up in a basement, yet, somehow this one was even worse than Eric's. It smelled terrible, so much so that as soon as I regained my senses I was afraid of throwing up. As I proceeded to move, I noticed that I was hanging from the ceiling, my tiptoes barely touching the ground. I was hung by my arms, chained up, but there was enough light in the room for me to see it. I wish I hadn't though. The dirty floor had two separate red pools dried on it. They looked old, like a stain that had never come out of a white blouse. Somewhat on the bigger pool, there was a laying cabinet, with all the tools and other stuff that used to be on it, plastered all around the floor. 

My first guess would've been, that I was at a crime scene, but I couldn't figure out why, or which crime's scene. 

Finally, I looked down to check if Vincent had taken any of my clothes off and I suddenly broke into a scream when I realized what smelled so bad. I was wearing a dirty, old, and immensely bloody greyish dress. It smelled like death and dirt and knowing that it touches my skin made the hair stand on my back.

"Oh, you awake" I heard a voice, as Vincent stepped into the room, his eyes somehow not the same as they were before, he looked totally gone. He admired my sight for a second which I cringed at. 

"You are a little thinner than she was, but I figured the dress would fit still. I was right, luckily" he noted with a pleased smile. 

"Vincent, please don't do this. You aren't this person..." I whined quietly, but he just offered me a sickeningly sweet smile and shook his head. 

"No, no, don't say that. This is how it was meant to be. I like you Amy, I really do. You are the thing that I can have my vengeance with. I'm overly grateful, please don't look at me this way." he slowly caressed my cheeks, then when he heard something he grinned and turned away from me. 

"Oh, he is already here," he said almost excitedly, gesturing out of impatience I suppose, and that's when I noticed the knife in his hands. I swallowed hard, not really surprised by the fact, who was coming... I closed my eyes, recalling the first time I heard Eric's steps pacing towards my cell. I could relive my curiosity, as I waited who does this footstep belong to. 

"I suppose, you are Nana" how long has it been. How long, and how far I am from the person that I was. And yet, it felt like a full circle... how it started and how it ends. 

As I opened my eyes I saw Ramsey standing at the doorway, frozen by my sight, and somehow seemed more nervous than I had ever seen him. Vincent stood near me, giggling like a child.

"Oh, isn't it sweet? Doesn't it bring back old memories to be here, Eric? I could watch you tremble like this for hours!" his voice was overly joyful and I was disgusted by how much satisfaction he gained from seeing Ramsey terrified of the place he had to be at, yet he kept himself together pretty well. 

"Is this where you killed Mother?" he kept the chit-chat up, stepping to the bigger pool, where the cabinet lied. Eric remained silent, not even looking down at the murder scene. 

"I asked something" Vincent roared making his way back to me, and he pressed the knife to my neck. 

"Yes, it is." he finally said, and Vincent grinned in a pained manner, letting go of my neck. 

"Good... And you did that by...?" he kept on pushing his buttons, and Eric looked up at him as if silently asking him to stop this nonsense, but I knew Vincent wouldn't. He was too hurt and too far gone to turn back now. 

"Tic-tac" Vincent hissed, barely cutting into my skin, but not enough to make me bleed too much. I didn't even flinch at the pain. 

"I pushed the cabinet and it fell on her" 

Vincent's maniac laughter now filled the basement, and Eric searched for my eyes in this little second that he had. I somehow knew I was going to die right now, I had this overwhelming feeling of fate, that no matter how hard I ran, no matter in which direction, I ended up getting hurt, being tortured, in the hands of an insane person. Maybe that's what I was good for.

"Now, here is the thing, Eric... One of you, won't make it out alive from here..."

"Kill me" Eric interrupted easily, and my gaze shot up, just to glare at him for this stupid offer. I won't let him die by his own brother. There is no way... No, not for me. I'm even too selfish to love anyone. If only I would've believed Eric, none of us would be here now. Is it my fault? Or is it theirs? 

"Not so fast, you don't get to choose, white knight." Vincent shook his head disapprovingly "You can choose a pill and I'll give the other one to Amy. One will kill you, the other is harmless. You know the drill" 

I glanced at Vincent terrified, hoping he would change his mind. I didn't want to do this. I didn't want to be a part of this anymore. Why... why do I have to be here. Why can't we just... live. 

I felt tears burning my eyes, and I let my head hang from my neck as if I wasn't alive anymore. 

"I want to choose"