Cobra Cultro

Agony

This could not be happening. She stared at the red roses and huffed out a displeased sigh, "Dorothy, could you please throw these out? I wanted white roses not red." Hearing no response from her servant, Dorothy, Lady Julia Ross bunched her skirt and steered toward her bedroom door. She opened the door to hundreds of roses. She knew they were from him; he had found her.

Lady Julia Ross knew what those red roses exemplified. Imminent death. A glare caught in her peripheral vision. A card. Found you -Cultro. Wasting no time, Lady Julia walked over to her closet and pulled out her battle dress. She took off the dress that she was presently clothed in and studied the scar located at the top of her chest. An inch away from her heart. He missed only because of his hesitation. She knew that if he wanted to, he could have made that kill shot.

She slipped into her battle dress. A red dress that was designed to expose the chest area, to make her scar discernible. This day was foreseen five years ago and here she stood, ready for her life to end. She knew there was nothing she could do to prevent this from occurring.

Lady Julia slipped into her Ford and enunciated a location to the driver. The man gave her an eccentric look but held any objections. She knew he would follow her there. The car pulled to a stop as the driver spoke, "Are you sure Lady Ross?" She nodded and ordered him to leave and not come back. The driver reluctantly agreed.

When the car was out of sight, Lady Julia pulled her skirts up and strolled down the side of the road. Surrounding her were radiant trees and weeds reaching her mid thighs. She waved farewell to the trees, the birds, the setting sun, and the ladybugs that climbed her skirts. Ahead of her stood a building, once devastatingly divine but now it sat, rotting in the sun. It was poetic really, a dead building surrounded by life.

Knowing this was her last day on this planet, she took in a deep breath. Took in the way the sun lights up the building. The way her hair waved through the air. She was supposed to be sorrowful but all she felt was full. Her story coming to an end.

She reached the abandoned ballroom. It was a shame that it was relinquished. Tall glass windows made most of the room. The view was stunning with the sun setting, staining the sky in various colors, ranging from red to blue. Lady Julia pulled a chair to the center of the ballroom and sat. Waiting for Death to show up.

"Took you long enough," Lady Julia spoke. She turned around and stared at Death, unflinching. William Crawford stood there, devastating in his beauty.
"Julia," He breathed in agony, his British accent clear. William has not seen her for five years, since the last murder attempt. Lady Julia extend a hand in invitation, no words needed to be said. William took her hand and pulled her closer to him as they swept around the ballroom. His eyes strayed from her cold eyes to her chest, where the scar was. The memory of when she got it is still fresh in his mind.

William Crawford cleared the table from the food covering it. Julia Ross dropped all the papers they had on The Anguish Society on top of the table. She went through them again at William's behest. They have looked through these documents over three times and still found nothing incriminating.

Julia sighed as she scanned her eyes over the information, "Will, I do not know how many times I have to tell you but there is nothing here. It's still the same useless information." Hearing no reply, she turned her head in William's direction to catch sight of the knife in his hand. She cursed under heat breath, scolding herself for being so reckless.

"Cobra?" William asked looking wounded. His eyes were glossy as they processed the name he spoke. The knife lowered at his side, his hands shook violently. He looked far away, as if wishing to be anywhere else but here.

"Will, honey, put the knife down." That word seemed to snap him out of his trance. Honey.
"Do not call me that," He snapped, cold anger replacing his confusion, "After all that we have been through! You- we were gonna avenge my son! I thought... I thought you were on my side."

His eyes momentarily flicked to the photo of his son who was slaughtered. "How are you on their side! He was twelve! How can you not see the fault in that!" At that point, a loud sob broke out from William's mouth. The only person he had left in this world has become his foe. He pointed his knife at Julia, he was not gonna let the past two years be for nothing. He will avenge his son even if it meant he had to kill her. His lover.

He shoved his feelings aside and let his inner demon take control, "I am going t—"
"You are going to what? Kill me? Just try to make a move on me. One wrong breath and you are done. This house is surrounded."

Anger overlooks practicality as William smirked at her, angling his knife at her chest, "I can try."
With that, he skillfully thrust the knife at her chest. The knife landed beside her heart, not making the kill shot. His heart had betrayed him. He still loved her even though she deceived him.

The second the knife landed in Julia's chest, the doors to his houses banged open and in rushed The Anguish Society. He recognized Python and Viper from the documents that he read substantially.

William was forcefully slammed onto the ground. Next thing he knew, he found himself in prison, making a promise to continue what he started.

"Why?" Without elaborating Julia knew what William was asking.
"I had no choice," She replied wistfully, "If it eases things, I did love you William." Julia whispered the last part, like she was afraid someone would hear her.
"I did too. Julia."

A guttural sound filled the barren ballroom, bouncing off the glasses into William's ears. He pulled the knife from her heart. Willian kissed her forehead, "Goodbye my love." He lowers her into the floor and holds her hand. Her grip slacked as her eyes froze on the sunset, whispering her last words, "Goodbye." To the trees, the birds, the sunset, and to Willaim, the love of her life. However short it was.

William broke down and hugged her body close to his. He didn't regret it, it had to be done. He was finally at peace. "Ad litus, et revertetur," He whispered against Julia's unmoving body. To the shore, we return.

1153 words.

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