The Crimson Wood (AlastorXAngel)

Valentino

Angel paced in his room pulling at his hair as he cursed, shouting random slurs of frustration. Cherri sat on the bed watching over him calmly as she waited for him to settle down.

"That slimy cocroach, that fucking sick abusive rape lord. When I get my hands around his thin neck I'm going to snap it like a dry noodle!"

"Angie, we can't just waltz in and attack." Cherri sighed.

"Yeah no shit, the bastards crawling with fuck buddies waiting for his orders." The blond clenched his fist holding back from throwing it into the wall.

"Maybe, we could use your "death" to our advantage." Cherri brought up. "Maybe we can say you got nabbed in another state, throw them off the sent to go on a wild goosechase."

"Fuck, maybe?" Angel fell into the office chair by the desk in the room letting out a long exasperated sigh. He stared at the ceiling unable to collect his thoughts as his mind raced.

"Why couldn't I have just sucked up to pops and played the good son like Arakniss, I could've at least got back up." He sighed.

Cherri bit her lip and stood up. "I might have a crazy idea."

"Yeah?" Angel sat up. "I do love crazy. What we talking, explosives?"

"We sneak in and try to get Molly out of there. Once she's safe we'll find a way to tell your father that Valentino was the one who had you erased and now he's forcing Molly to work off your debt and if she doesn't do the job she'll suffer the same fate."

"Oooooh I get it! Bend the truth a lil." Angel smirked. "But yeah totally, pops will cover Molly's debt easy, I can stay dead and everything goes back to normal. Whatever the hell you call normal in our lines of work." He smirked.

"Then lets get the truck." Cherri closed her raised hand into a fist.

"Truck?"

Cherri lead Angel to the hotels lot where a lifted white 1986 Sierra 2500 with thick red flames covering the hood spreading over the doors to the tail. Angel's mouth dropped open like a cartoon character as a smirk rolled over his lips.

"Like my whip?" She opened the driver door with the first key leeping up onto the black leather bench seat reaching over to unlock angels door.

As the tall blond entered the truck he couldnt help but squeeze the fuzzy cherrys hanging off the rearview mirror. "Not exactly stealthy."

"Me. Unstealthy?" She looked to him offended as she stuck the second key into the ignition firing up the loud obnoxious vehicle setting them off.

Later they arrived at Valentino's mansion. Cherri had parked a block away from the building forcing the two to walk down the rugged sidewalk towards the home. They made their way to the back of the massive structure climbing the tall ivy covered brick wall. Angel scouted the yard eyes widening at the sight.

"Where the hell is everyone?" He moved his gaze to the woman.

"Its a ghost town." She agreed. "Must be inside?"

"Yeah, they've probably got her in the whore hall." He pointed to a window on the second floor.

"Classy." Cherri winked.

They scaled down the stone wall sneaking to the windows. Cherri took a peak inside and was shocked to see nothing. The place was empty.

"Dude is everyone on vacation?" She said genuinely concerned.

"Lets go inside." Angel said losing his playful tone.

The two snuck in through one of the windows careful not to cut themselves on the shattered glass. They looked around the building and sure enough it was silent. They began to head towards the stair case to enter the "whore hall". They began to ascend the stairs but just as they did they saw the remains of a man. His body was torn to pieces and barely recognizable. His blood was fresh still dripping down the stair case. Angel stared at the body in shock feeling something uncomfortable yet familiar rush over him. He looked up the stairs and before Cherri could say anything Angel cried out.

"Molly!" He said racing to the hallway.

Cherri called after him following behind the male up the stairs. The chase did not last long as Angel held out an arm to stop Cherri from going further. She looked into angels deep pink eyes watching them shake violently. She followed the glare and raised her hands over he mouth.

"Jesus fucking christ."

Before them lay a litter of bodies covered in blood and parts unknown. You couldn't tell where they began and ended, most were unrecognizable just like the one on the stairs.

"Its a slotter house." Cherri whispered.

Suddenly Angel's phone chimed, he reached into his pocket hesitating to see the text. He unlocked the screen and sighed when he saw Charlie's name. He opened the text then looked to Cherri.

"Charles texted me." He said a little numbly.

"And?"

"She said, Molly stopped by to say thanks for getting her outta trouble." He said confused by the words coming out of his mouth.

"Angel, you're good. But I do not think you pulled this off." She shook her head.

Angel bit his lip closing his eyes tightly. He didn't want to say anything in fear of scaring his friend but he had seen this all before. It was the crimson deer from the forest, he was sure about it. He was glad Molly was safe..... But this. This seemed dark and wrong, no human derserved to die this way. Not even these scum.

   He opened his eyes and as he did he began to hear the sound of music. It was strange and lingering like that of a tube radio. The music was cheery, perhaps from the 50s, yet chilling. The tall blond began to follow the music carefully. Cherri spoke but it was muffled by the tune playing through his head becoming louder and louder. He walked through the corpses, the song drowning out the sound of their bodies snapping and squishing under his boots. He stopped in front of a room where he saw an old brown radio that confirmed his suspicion of the staticy music. Beside it among the bodies sat a luxurious red sofa. A young unknown woman lay dead in the lap of tall man wearing a long bloodstained velvet coat cuffed with white fur. His eyes were covered by pink and gold heart shaped sunglasses that were cracked.

"Val?" Angel choked nearing the man.

   He reached out removing the sunglasses and the man stared at him frozen in fear. The boy pressed a hand against the man's neck, his heart was beating fast.

"What the hell happened to you?" Angel said backing away.

"Angel!" Cherri's voice finally broke through the music.

"They left him alive!" Angel turned to her.

"Dude we gotta get the fuck out of here." She said urgently.

   Angel looked back to Valentino, he held up his sunglasses gripping them tightly as he watched them shatter in his hands.

"Good bye dickless." He said dropping the fragments before leaving the scene.