(a ballade supreme, in *catalectic tertiary paeonic tetrameter)

Audio Recording: https://soundcloud.com/dusty-grein/hotel

The old lawyer closed his case, and said “That’s all there is, I guess.”

“Did my uncle really die there?” He looked up and gave a sigh,

“In the lobby’s where they found him. It was probably the stress,

of the many renovations he was planning when he died.”

That was how it came to pass that it was now my turn to try

and fix up the old stone building, like it was when it was new.

So I moved to New Orleans. This city's beautiful, that's true,

but quite soon I learned more truth, about the evil that befell

many guests who chose to stay there, and the tales told by the crew

of the ghosts and apparitions at

Hôtel Le Fontanelle.

When I moved into the place, I found that it was quite a mess.

It confused me and I couldn’t understand the reasons why;

till I woke up one dark midnight, to the gentlest caress

and the faintest quiet echo, sounding like a baby’s cry.

I sat up and found my blood was running cold, my mouth was dry,

while my fists were clenched quite firmly and my lips were turning blue.

Through the pounding of my heartbeat, all that I could think to do

was to calm my labored breathing, which I did… until a bell

began ringing somewhere near, and then I found that I was glued

to my bed, here in my room within

Hôtel Le Fontanelle.

After that I knew the time had come to find a priest to bless

every room and every hall, to help those earth-bound spirits fly

off to Heaven, or to Hell, I really couldn’t care much less.

It was my place now, and I was not afraid to dig and pry

into all the secret stories there, exposing every lie.

I discovered there’d been voodoo rituals, which blasted through

the thin veil between the realms. Into this hole, the spirits flew.

The old ju-ju woman in the swamp refused to cast a spell

which would mend the rip. Instead she laughed and said that I would rue

the day I stepped o’er the threshold of

Hôtel Le Fontanelle.

The true horror of the situation only bloomed and grew

after my attempt to free them, for I really had no clue,

that this failed attempt soon meant my body too, would start to smell,

from the bed where it lay rotting. See, the cost of sin comes due,

and it must be paid with interest, to

Hôtel Le Fontanelle.

-----------------------—

© 2023 - dustygrein

* This little used poetic meter means each line is is built of four 4-syllable feet, with the stress on syllable #3. It is catalectic (latin: no tail) because the final syllable is omitted from each line, giving it a syllable stress rhythm of:

tap, tap, THUMP, tap, tap, tap, THUMP, tap, tap, tap, THUMP, tap, tap, tap, THUMP.

It was quite late when I arrived back home. Well, if you could call a shabby shared apartment "home". Clicking the door open, I sighed with relief - none of my flatmates were awake, which meant I didn't have to deal with any human social games. I hung my coat on the hanger, took my shoes of and then I saw it.

Standing in a glass on a table of our common room, a bouquet of red flowers. A note read:

"We're very sorry for your loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with you."

And a second note nearby, in a different handwriting:

"Someone left those by our door. I put them in here so they don't die. - Viv."

I just stood there for a bit, eyes closed, concentrating on my breathing. Then, I took the flowers from a glass and threw them in the trash. Maybe it was somewhat harsh of me, but I couldn't care less at the moment.

I'm sick of flowers, I'm sick of all those "thoughts" and all those so-called "prayers" and I especially don't need them from two people who would've been still torturing me had I not escaped from their grasp.

I poured myself a glass of fresh water, drank it, gathered myself and headed for my room with one thought.

When I die and join her, I am begging you:

Please don't send us flowers.

Lieutenant Young stepped aboard the ship, looking back at her fiancee, Rei. He smiled, and nodded, as she took her final steps on the I.S.S Yamamoto. A single tear ran down her cheek, as the doors slowly sealed, along with her fate. They were on a voyage to the Andromeda galaxy, millions of light years away. Everyone knew what to do; step inside the cryo pods, and count to thirteen. That's about the amount of time it takes to fall asleep and go into metabolic stasis, and then they'd awake a hundred years from then, when they are close enough to their destination. Sumara did just that, and began to count.

"An, be, kho, śen, jo, sei...ka...te...nùr...lei...leán...lebé...lekkò." She said, getting sleepier and sleepier after each number. "Sláre, Rei. Goodbye..." Sumara said weakly, as she drifted off to sleep, hoping this would all be over soon.

When Sumara woke up, she opened her pod, expecting to see people bustling around, preparing for the landing on Idèle, their target destination. But what she saw terrified her more than anything; She saw nobody. Everyone else was still in their pods, unmoving, still in metabolic stasis. She got up from her pod, and frantically began to look around the large room, desperate to find someone, anyone who was awake. Perhaps it was an elaborate prank? She laughed. They must have been planning this since they left.

"Haha, very funny guys. You can come out now, jokes over. I said the jokes over, and as your Lieutenant, I'm ordering you to come out now." She said, now upset. The joke had gone too far. But when nobody but the silence drowning the room responded, she began to worry. What if...what if she was the only crew member awake?

'Wait,' She thought, 'There's a computer system aboard. I can just ask how much longer we have until we land. Hopefully they wake up soon.' Sumara thought.

"Atlas!" She said, speaking the computer's name. It responded.

"Yes, Lieutenant Young?" It asked. She nodded. At least the computer was active.

"How much longer until we land on Idèle?" Sumara asked.

"At our current velocity, the landing on Idèle is approximately...ninety-seven years from now." Atlas answered. Sumara couldn't believe it. They weren't even halfway to the planet. She fell to her knees, and sobbed. She sobbed because she realized that she would probably die on that ship. That she would never see Rei again. Never get married to him. She'd be stranded in space...forever. Through her sobs, she somehow found the strength to ask Atlas another question.

"Atlas, h-how long ha-has it been s-since t-takeoff?" She said, her voice catching.

"Two and a half years, Lieutenant." It replied. When he said that, she could feel herself slipping, and she fell to the ground, as everything around her began to fade to black.

Everyone set to dine,

You rose,

From the heart of the room.

Cloaked in candy apple red,

To match the scars.

You ring the crystal glass with your knife,

To engage all those seated in the majestic hall.

Bubbly demeanor gave way to dark features.

You were there of course, In order to celebrate the forever love

Of your best friend and your one time soulmate on their blessed union.

A mere two short years after they both left you for dead.

Shock and awe for the one who plays chess not checkers.

Afraid of clowns? No problem! I hear there are no clowns on mars, you should move up there, especially if you are also afraid of water.

Afraid of heights? Don't you worry 'bout that! If you are in a high place, get high on weed and you won't be able to tell the difference.

Afraid of spiders? EASY! All you have to do to stop being afraid of spiders is.....

SMASH--------------CLANG----------------BANG---------------

....

We have just been informed that the person writing these tips has just been killed by a spider, or spiders, or spiders with guns. Not entirely sure, but you should definitely be afraid of spiders.

Writers and Dear Readers,

Here's the link to our new YT video, if haven't yet subscribed. We cover a few of our writers, and a challenge, and just shoot the breeze... Hope you tune in!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRSfd2Rk4DI

As always, thank you for being here.

-The Prose. team.

The month of October is a special month not just for the human realm. Creatures from all over the world wait for that special night when they get to venture into our world, when the portal opens for them.

Yes, you guessed it, they're waiting for Halloween. What a time to trick, scare, petrify, and still get a treat out of it!

They don't kill (well, some of them do, but they aren't important right now); they just play around a little. Harmless fun, nothing more.

Everyone is excited and preparing for their own Halloween fiesta! It'll be crazy!

One creature, however, isn't exactly teeming with joy.

A kitsune (fox demon) by the name of Kiyoshi is NOT looking forward to Halloween.

Too many insufferable, brainless creatures will only bring him a major headache. Kiyoshi isn't a big fan of crowds and noise and can't be bothered to deal with them.

Sadly, he'll need to. He has to work. On Halloween. While others get to go out and party, or do whatever, Kiyoshi is forced to work.

The fox puts up with a lot of insolence.

Kiyoshi isn't getting paid enough for this. Not that he gets paid at all, but it's the principle of the matter!

His job? To find a suitable head, a pumpkin to be precise.

Yes, you read that right. He needs to find a suitable head for that damned Headless Horseman. Who in their right mind manages to lose their head in the first place?

Oh, right, sorry. No head, so technically, no brain there either.

Kiyoshi sighs.

Now do you understand why he doesn't deal with the forementioned insufferable, brainless creatures? It's because he always gets dragged into these kinds of situations.

To make things worse (because they usually do get worse),

Kiyoshi won't be working alone.

He'll have a "partner." It's to get the job done as quickly as possible.

The kitsune snorts at the sheer stupidity of it.

And it's not someone he can at least (attempt to) tolerate, of course not.

His "partner" is a wolf. And it's a common fact that wolves and foxes don't exactly see eye to eye.

In fact, they avoid each other as much as they can. It's been that way for centuries.

And now they need to work together. Lovely.

The wolf doesn't look ecstatic about it either. In fact, he looks like he might wolf someone down.

No pun intended. Maybe.

"Let me get this straight. You want me and the bloody fox to find the perfect pumpkin for the Headless Idiot™? Because one isn't enough to do something so simple. " The wolf said flatly.

Kiyoshi would have to agree with that begrudgingly.

"Also," the wolf added, "Doesn't he know that wolves and foxes don't mix? We'd probably kill each other before he got his new head. "

"Yes, the boss wrote it down exactly like that. He wants the both of you to go search for his, uh, head. And he is aware of the circumstances between your races. But the more, the merrier, don't you agree? "

The ghost that "worked" for The Headless Horseman asked cheerfully, not seeing anything wrong with the arrangement.

The kitsune and the wolf give him a blank look, making it more than clear exactly what they thought about it.

The ghost wasn't finished, though.

"He also stated that, should you succeed, he'd pay you generously, plus, you won't need to attend the upcoming Halloween party, Kiyoshi." Kiyoshi's ears perked up at that.

The ghost looked then at the wolf, "And as for you, Lupin, the horseman said that he'd overlook last year's little incident." The wolf, Lupin, rolled his eyes and sighed in resignation.

"That "incident" wasn't such a big deal, but whatever. When do we start?" Lupin asked. Kiyoshi was surprised at the wolf's easy acceptance.

"You start tomorrow evening. You have ten days to find him a head or else he'd send the hunters after you."

The ghost warned them, looking serious.

For the first time, Kiyoshi spoke up.

"Send the hunters after us, because he was incompetent to keep his own head attached to his shoulders. I'm amazed, as if we're something to sneeze at when it comes to strength. We'd crush them. " The kitsune growled, his eyes turning into slits.

The ghost squeaked nervously.

"Do-don't shoot the messenger, Kiyoshi! I'm just saying! "

"Seriously, fox, calm down. We'd do our job and be done with the headless dunce. " Lupin tried to reason with Kiyoshi, who turned his head to glare at the wolf instead.

"Don't tell me what to do, dog." Kiyoshi sneered at Lupin.

"How creative of you, but you seem to forget we're both canines."

Kiyoshi shrugged.

"Technicalities. Wolves are far less sophisticated than foxes."

"Says who?"

"Does it matter? The point still stands; there's no use in arguing. "

"Why you..."

The ghost decided it was best to leave because his job was already done. He left the two of them to their bickering.

This is why the ghost was grateful to be already dead. He can't exactly die twice.

***

Kiyoshi and Lupin managed to agree to meet up in the same spot where they'd met with the ghost, which was a miracle on its own. From there, they'd decide where to begin this pumpkin chase.

Kiyoshi could tell this was going to be exhausting. He didn't need to be a seer to be able to deduce that.

At least they could agree on how ridiculous this whole situation is.

"See you tomorrow evening, partner. Don't be late! " Lupin waved at the kitsune before turning to walk away.

"Baka inu..." Kiyoshi mumbled under his breath.

"Did you say something?"

"I said that the same goes for you. Don't squander any more of my time than it already was. " Kiyoshi said before walking away.

"I don't howl all the time! It shows how much you know about us, you fiend! " Lupin yelled after the kitsune, his temper flaring. Kiyoshi didn't react to it, continuing on his way.

This is certainly going to be interesting.

***

The next evening arrived way too soon for Kiyoshi and Lupin. Both of them dreaded the journey that awaited them.

They met at the place they agreed on last night, arriving on time, so Kiyoshi couldn't complain that his time was "wasted." The kitsune sulked, and the wolf rejoiced.

It's not even ten minutes since they met up and went on their merry way when our two protagonists start antagonizing each other.

First, it started with Lupin's proposal.

"We should post our progress on Monstagram!"

"Are you out of your mind? What would your pack say if they knew we were on a job together? "

Lupin scratched his head, laughing nervously, and said,

"Actually, they do know. It appears that the horseman notified them beforehand. "

Kiyoshi grinned like the fox he was.

"Oh, and? Were you kicked out of the pack?"

Lupin sighed. This fox menace is so condescending that he regrets even trying to be civil.

"I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but no, I wasn't kicked out. They told me to grin and bear it and stay out of trouble. "

"Some pack you've got there." Kiyoshi commented off-handedly.

Lupin grinned, his fangs gleaming in the moonlight following them.

"They really are! I was sceptical about how they'd react, but they surprised me in a good way! We stick together no matter what! What about your pack, huh, Kiyoshi? "

"Don't use my name so casually, baka inu, and I don't live in a pack. We tend to be solitary creatures, relying only on ourselves. " Kiyoshi answered, his ten tails swaying as he walked.

Lupin noticed the white tails and was impressed by their number. He was aware that the number of tails represented the kitune's level of power.

Or something like that, he wasn't sure. He doubted Kiyoshi would answer him even if he asked nicely.

"Doesn't it get lonely?" Lupin wondered, not aware he was saying it aloud.

"Not really, it's how things are done in our kind. As you probably noticed, I'm not exactly a fan of crowds or other creatures. " Kiyoshi said, enjoying the night breeze on his face.

The kitsune loved the night the most. Pity he can't spend it in his territory in peace and quiet.

"I've noticed you're not exactly friendly, but I've assumed you're like that because I'm a wolf." Lupin said bluntly.

Kiyoshi smiled wryly. He had to give it to the wolf because he was either brave or stupid to talk to him like that, though what he said wasn't a lie.

And Kiyoshi gave him an opening himself, so if anyone's to blame, it's him.

"Well, now you know that I'm like that with everyone. There are very few beings in our world that I can tolerate." Kiyoshi admitted it without difficulty, seeing no problem with it.

It was the truth, after all. If you asked anyone, they'd tell you something similar.

It wasn't from a lack of trying, because the kitsune did try, in his own way, to fit in with the rest. He later realized that he didn't have much in common with the other creatures.

Lupin was silent, mulling that information over. The kitsune was unusual, but he didn't seem like he was a ruthless and unkind bastard 24/7.

Lupin might be a dog, a hound, whatever name there is for his kind, but he's perceptive. His senses need to be keen, and so does his mind.

Wolves might not get on with foxes, but it wasn't like there was an outright war between them, unless they trespassed on each other's territory or killed one of their own.

Otherwise, they tend to stay out of each other's way.

It's a silent agreement of sorts. But now, they can't exactly do that, can't they?

A wolf and a fox need to cooperate. Their ancestors must be rolling in laughter or despair.

"You've gone unusually quiet, wolf. Have I shocked you into silence? Not that I mind, but it seems you're one of those who loves the sound of their own voice. "

Speaking of the devil...

Lupin's thoughts were broken by Kiyoshi's voice, bringing him back to earth.

"I'm fine. I was just thinking. " Lupin waved the kitsune off.

"I didn't ask if you were fine or not. I've just noticed the lack of your barking. And please, don't overuse that mass you call a brain; you might need it later on. "

Lupin glared at Kiyoshi, who smirked at him.

"Do you always have to be an overbearing bastard?" Lupin was done with Kiyoshi's nonsense.

"It's my default personality. Haven't we established that a few minutes ago? Seriously, leave the thinking to those who actually know how. "

"Teme." Lupin grumbled under his breath.

"What did you just say?"

"Why, the great Kitsune is hard of hearing? That's not good. Weren't you supposed to be a more "sophisticated" species than me? " Lupin replied smugly, catching the fox off guard.

If looks could kill, Lupin would've turned to ash right there and then. He was afraid of the stupid fox. He could hold his own in a fight. He just didn't see the point in fighting.

"And I've called you "teme." You call me "baka inu," so it's only fair I return the favor. "

Lupin replied cooly, putting his hands behind his head and walking ahead of the stunned fox.

Kiyoshi stared after the wolf, shocked that he had gotten one-upped by him.

***

They walked through the forest in silence, looking for the best place to spend the night and get away from the other creatures that lived there.

They finally found such a place, venturing further into the forest.

They will rest here for the night and continue on their way tomorrow.

The nights were colder, given that it's autumn, but both Lupin and Kiyoshi had fur to keep them warm.

They'd probably argue which one's thicker and warmer, but we don't want to jinx it. Let there be more peace.

Lupin wasn't tired, so he decided to lie down and just stare at the starry sky above.

Putting his arms (or paws) behind his head, he directed his gaze at the beautiful, glittering night sky, his mind blank and somewhere far away.

Lupin liked relaxing like this at night, after a hard day (yes, even wolves have those), though usually he'd go find a higher place for his regular stargazing ritual. The view was much better.

But Lupin wasn't by himself now, and he doubted his companion would appreciate him wandering off in the middle of the night.

The quiet fell upon the dark forest, only crickets filling the silence with their night melody.

Lupin was just about to completely empty his mind and focus on the stars when Kiyoshi broke his concentration again.

"You know Japanese."

It wasn't posed as a question. This foxy guy rarely asked them.

"My parents came from the Japanese wolf packs." Lupin gave a concise and short explanation.

"Hm, I see." Kiyoshi said, before they both grew silent. That was how they spent the rest of the night, before finally falling asleep.

***

They were on the move at dawn, not risking a potential ambush or anything that might endanger them. They tried to avoid fights with other creatures as much as they could.

That doesn't mean they would miss an opportunity to bicker with one another.

Lupin: "We should start with Midvar. They always have the most pumpkins! "

Kiyoshi: "Midvar is a small town, and the carvings on those pumpkins are atrocious. I don't think His Headless Higness would appreciate his mouth looking like an explosion. "

Lupin: "I didn't know you were such an expert on pumpkin carving fashion!"

Kiyoshi: "I'm not, but I have eyes and some taste, unlike you."

Lupin: "Great, here we go. What do you suggest then, Pumpkin and Carvingana? "

Kiyoshi: "What a stupid name. You should really work on that. I suggest we go straight to Ashgin. It's a bigger village, and they do know their way around a pumpkin. They look ferocious, just like the headless idiot wants to appear to those that are dumb enough to believe in it. "

Lupin: "While that might be true, I think those pumpkins look way too heavy to serve as a head. Speaking of which, that ghost never told us exactly how we'd know that we'd found a perfect pumpkin. "

Kiyoshi stopped what he was about to say, realizing that Lupin was right. How were they supposed to know that the pumpkin they found was the perfect one?

"Did that ghost give us some form of contact?" Kiyoshi wondered, trying to recall anything else that the ghost might've told them.

"No, he hasn't. I follow him on Monstagram, but there's no signal here. " Lupin waved his phone for emphasis.

"So basically, we're left to our own devices when it comes to choosing a damn pumpkin."

Kiyoshi's dry tone made Lupin want to laugh, but he held himself back.

The wolf didn't think the kitsune would take it too kindly.

Instead, Lupin settled with just, "It seems that way."

Kiyoshi let out a deep sigh.

Thank the gods for his immortality, otherwise he might've been worried about his blood pressure.

Lupin saw the kitsune's expression and added, "Uh, how about this? When we get to the first village, I'll try to contact the ghost. I follow him on Monster, so it won't be a problem. "

Kiyoshi massaged his temples before nodding in agreement.

That was the best option they had.

***

Walking through the forest, our protagonists come across a big snake.

It was Serpentia, the unofficial queen of the forest. She was napping and just chilling on a branch, like any snake.

When she sensed someone approaching, she opened her eyes, hissing when she saw Kiyoshi and Lupin.

"Greetingsss, fellow demonsss. What bringsss you to my territory?" Serpentia observed them calmly.

"We're just passing through. We're on our way to Ashgin. " Kiyoshi replied.

"I thought we were going to Midvar." Lupin said, glaring holes into the fox.

"That's what YOU thought. I don't recall having such stupid thoughts. " Kiyoshi said. Lupin gritted his teeth in agitation.

"Well, I'd definitely remember where we were going, and Ashgin wasn't it!"

"It wasn't Midvar either, and now it is Ashgin, because I said so. End of discussion. "

Lupin gaped at Kiyoshi in disbelief.

He must've done something pretty awful in his past life if he was forced to interact with an irritating and bossy demon like Kiyoshi.

"Who made you the boss?" Lupin asked Kiyoshi, who was leaning against the tree where Serpentia watched the spectacle.

"No one, I'm just better at...guiding, if you will. If you don't like it, you can always leave. I won't stop you. "

Kiyoshi picked at his claws in boredom.

"Like hell I'll leave! I'm entrusted with this job too, so I have every right to be here, you damn coyote with too many tails! " Lupin exploded, done with Kiyoshi's belittlement.

Serpentia watched in amusement as two demons went back and forth, hissing with laughter, which earned her a glare from the kitsune.

It was like watching children fight.

"You DARE compare me to those lower beings, you dog?! This is an insult! " Kiyoshi growled at the wolf and got a growl in return.

Serpentia decided it was best to meddle, lest they destroy her beautiful forest. There would be hell to pay if they did.

"Gentlemen, pleassse," the snake said, "How about a friendly competition to help you decide?"

Both demons turned to the snake before nodding at her to continue.

"It'sss sssimple, really. The winner will be the one who bringsss me the largessst meal they can catch. It wouldn't be hard for either of you. You both do hunt for food, after all. You have, let'sss sssay, two hoursss. " Serpentia explained the rules to Kiyoshi and Lupin.

"Are you mocking me, you slimy reptile? You want me to bring you food? How about I turn you into snake powder instead? Then you wouldn't have to worry about food! " Kiyoshi threatened the snake as he conjured a blue fireball in his palm.

Lupin slapped his palm across his face in frustration and decided to step in before things escalated.

Sneaking behind Kiyoshi, Lupin karate-chopped him, catching the kitsune before he fell to the ground.

Throwing Kiyoshi over his shoulder, Lupin turned to the angry snake.

"I'm sorry about this, Serpentia. He can be hot-headed sometimes. I'll do my best to keep him under control while we're here. " The wolf apologized, bowing his head in respect.

Serpentia calmed down a little, slithering down from the tree. She slithered closer to where Lupin was standing.

"At leassst sssomeone hasss mannersss around here. Very well, I'll accept your apology, though you did nothing wrong, wolf. Good luck with dealing with the fox. You have my sssympathy. " Serpentia truly felt sorry for the wolf demon.

No wonder the rest of the demon realm avoided the grumpy fox.

Lupin scratched his head, grinning at the snake.

"Thanks, we were kind of pushed into this, uh, temporary partnership, so..."

Lupin waved at Serpentia before walking off in the direction they were going before encountering Serpentia, carrying an unconscious kitsune over his shoulder.

"Good luck, wolf demon." The snake knew Lupin heard her because he laughed loudly at that.

Yeah, he'd need all the luck he could get. Or a divine intervention, whichever came first.

***

Kiyoshi woke up later in the evening, drowsy from sleep and disoriented. Looking around, he saw they were still in the forest.

"You know, for a demon whose name means quiet, purity, and other similar words, you're quite the opposite."

Kiyoshi turned to see Lupin lying on the ground, watching the stars.

"What happened?" Ignoring the jab, Kiyoshi asked.

Lupin, not turning his head from the sky, answered.

"You were about to set fire to the forest by threatening Serpentia, so in order to avoid that, I knocked you out. Simple as that. "

Kiyoshi was quiet.

"You knocked me out?"

"Yup." Lupin popped the "p."

The wolf didn't get a chance to continue to stargaze, because suddenly a big, white tail swung at him.

"Oi!" Lupin yelled at the kitsune, whose tails coiled behind him like tentacles.

"What? I thought I'd return the favor. I can't guarantee you'd wake up. Now be a good puppy and stay still. " Kiyoshi swung all ten tails at Lupin, who was fast enough to dodge them.

"You were going to burn the whole forest down! What was I supposed to do!?" Lupin asked, as he avoided a near hit.

"You were supposed to stay out of it, that's what! That snake had it coming! " Kiyoshi replied angrily, his tails moving in all directions.

"Your flames are the strongest ones in the whole demon realm. They would've spread across the whole forest; that's how strong they are! You know that better than I do! "

Lupin was faster than the kitsune anticipated, moving between his tails with agility. Kiyoshi had to give credit where it's due.

Not that he'd ever tell the stupid wolf that. He'd just gloat, waggling his tail in satisfaction.

"So you do admit to me being stronger than you? It's a shame I didn't record it. " That's what Kiyoshi said instead. He stopped trying to hit the wolf.

Lupin sat as far away as he could from Kiyoshi, not trusting the kitsune wouldn't try to hit him.

"I've never said that!"

"You implied it. There's no shame in it. I'm older than you and wiser. It can't be helped. Perhaps you'll get stronger in a few centuries. " Kiyoshi mocked the wolf, knowing he wasn't that much older, but used it to his advantage.

"You nearly turned us all into smithereens, and you call yourself wise? You're more petty than wise. Oh, and also, who ended up being knocked out by whom exactly? " Lupin grinned wolfishly at the glowering kitsune.

That night, Lupin needed to sleep on the other side of the forest, an angry kitsune chasing him off.

***

The following morning, they finally left the forest (much to the relief of other inhabitants, including a certain snake queen).

They were walking in silence, with Lupin keeping a safe distance from Kiyoshi. The kitsune may not appear as murderous as last night, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

Besides, those tails look heavy and like they could break a bone or two. Lupin didn't want to risk an injury.

And so the trip continues, leading the two demons to the roads leading to Midvar and Ashgin.

Kiyoshi expected another quarrel about which village they'd visit first, but he was shocked when Lupin himself turned right, taking a road leading to Ashgin without a single word.

Kiyoshi would've raised an eyebrow if he had them (he still looks like a regular fox) at this strange turn of events.

Wasn't the wolf complaining about this yesterday and the day before that? What made him change his mind?

Kiyoshi isn't going to complain.

He did insist (rather forcefully) that they go to Ashgin first, but he was curious.

Also, he noticed the silent treatment the wolf gave him.

Not that he was bothered by it.

He just got bored easily, and the wolf was a great source of entertainment when he wasn't a smartass.

Pot-kettle vibes, anyone?

Kiyoshi needed to get to the bottom of this. The wolf doesn't get to be the most mature of the two of them.

Really, Kiyoshi? Really?

Having caught up to Lupin, Kiyoshi walked a little closer to the wolf, giving him sideways glances from time to time.

It went on like that for five minutes.

Lupin sighed deeply, having had enough of the kitsune's not so subtle stares. It was unusual for Kiyoshi to not say anything outright. He always had something to say.

"If you want to say something, just get it over with." Lupin said, looking straight ahead of him.

"You didn't whine about not going to Midvar first. What made you change your mind?" Kiyoshi asked, not one to beat around a bush.

For someone so sly and cunning, Kiyoshi could be pretty straightforward.

"Not worth the risk of destroying parts of the realm, and we'd just be wasting time arguing about it. And you hate wasting your time, as you said before. " Lupin answered truthfully.

"Hm." That was all Kiyoshi said (hmmed) for now.

They had a few more miles until they reached Ashgin, so they spent the first three hours traveling in complete silence.

Surprisingly, in the third hour, it was Kiyoshi who broke the silence. He didn't know why, but the silence unnerved him.

"You know, you would've been fine. My flames wouldn't actually harm you or the serpent. "

"No, just leave me without fur, at best." Lupin said neutrally.

"I do know how to control them."

"Your temper is another story, though. For someone who looks so grumpy, you sure know how to be aggressive and just plain childish. "

Well, ouch, Lupin. You're being especially direct today.

"Thanks, captain obvious. Why do you think other demons avoid me?" Kiyoshi asked, actually impressed that the wolf spoke that way to him.

The wolf was usually making an effort to be somewhat civil.

Apparently, even he had a limit.

How shocking, right?

Kiyoshi can't deny that he can be extremely petty for no reason.

He never claimed to be perfect.

No, of course not. He's the epitome of modesty.

"Well, now I understand it much better. But, I'm not like other demons; you can't scare me. You might be stronger, but we never got to really test that theory. "

Lupin gave Kiyoshi a side glance before turning his head away.

"Are you challenging me, puppy?" Kiyoshi asked, his voice betraying no particular emotion.

"First I'm a dog, now I'm a puppy. You're giving me a cute nickname because you actually do tolerate me, right? " The wolf grinned smugly.

If anything irritated Kiyoshi, it was the implication that he respected someone other than himself.

"Just know that you're probably in third place on my list of things that annoy the hell out of me."

That was as close as Kiyoshi would get to admitting that Lupin wasn't the worst of them all.

"I imagine you have quite a long list."

"You have no idea. I can explain why your position isn't that bad. You should be thankful, puppy. "

"Aren't I lucky?" Lupin teased the kitsune.

"Shut up and listen."

***

"So, a witch wanted to chop you up for her potion?" Lupin was laughing uncontrollably; the look of discomfort on Kiyoshi's face was priceless.

Kiyoshi would deny he pouted a little.

He didn't appreciate the wolf's mockery of his (mis)adventures with other members of their community.

"You break my heart, wolf. I thought you said you sympathize with me. " Kiyoshi gave Lupin a fake-hurt look.

"You don't have a heart, kitsune. If you did, you'd accept that siren's invitation for some fun. God knows you need it. " Lupin teased Kiyoshi, watching the fox roll his eyes.

"She'd have eaten me alive later." Kiyoshi said.

"Yes, and you're a helpless kit, unable to defend yourself."

"Very funny, pup. Such a comedian of the demon realm you are. " Kiyoshi replied sarcastically.

"Thanks, I'm aware of that! Between the two of us, I might be the funniest. " Lupin puffed his chest in pride.

"You mean, more prone to doing stupid things that get you laughed at." Kiyoshi snorted.

Lupin shrugged.

"Maybe, but my point still stands."

Kiyoshi rolled his eyes but conceded to the wolf.

They fell silent after that. They were half an hour away from Ashgin, their first destination where they'd (hopefully) find the potential head for The Headless Horseman.

"I've got a question. It might be a bit stupid, loathe as I am to admit it. " Kiyoshi said, turning his head to Lupin.

"Ask away."

"Are you a werewolf or just a regular wolf demon?"

Lupin was surprised by the genuine question. He expected something more complex.

"No, I'm not a werewolf. They transform from human to wolf and back again, while we stay wolves. We can walk on two legs as humans, and that's where our similarities end, if they can be called that. "

Lupin gave a simple explanation, watching as Kiyoshi processed the information.

"Though we do "howl at the moon" sometimes, as you oh so poetically described us when we first met." Lupin teased the kitsune.

"I wasn't wrong about it, since you just said that you do, in fact, howl."

"Yeah, yeah, you're right." Lupin nodded along, enjoying the temporary truce.

It was something at least. They'd probably find something to bicker about soon enough.

***

As Lupin and Kiyoshi neared Ashgin, the wolf stopped walking for a moment, deep in thought.

Kiyoshi noticed the lack of the wolf's presence by his side, so he turned around to see Lupin in a thinking pose.

"Whatever you're thinking so intensely about, let me tell you that it's stupid and not worth our time."

"You don't even know what I'm thinking about!" Lupin complained.

"I don't need to."

"How are we going to enter the village?"

"By foot, obviously." Kiyoshi was confused by such a question.

"No, I didn't mean it like that! People can see me since I'm your everyday wolf, just the talkative one-"

"Way too talkative. Keep it to yourself if you don't want an angry mob after you."

Lupin gave the kitsune an annoyed look.

"As I was saying before, people can see me and they can't see you. They can't, can they? " Lupin asked, to which Kiyoshi nodded.

"Well, don't you think it'd look strange if a wolf walked around, going from one house to another in search of pumpkins? " Lupin said, not really wanting to scare anyone before Halloween.

"Yes, I understand your concerns. Luckily, I have a simple solution." Kiyoshi said, his voice full of pride.

"You do?"

"Of course. I'll transform into a random traveler just passing by, and you can be my dog. "

"Why do I get the feeling that you somehow anticipated this happening?"

"Well, it did cross my mind..." Kiyoshi trailed off, not fooling Lupin at all.

"And, correct me if I'm wrong, but I have a feeling you also couldn't wait to have an excuse to call me a dog, not that you had any problems before." Lupin gave Kiyoshi a deadpan look.

"You're not wrong."

Lupin resigned himself to his (temporary) fate of being Kiyoshi's "pet." He shudders at the mere thought of it.

"Okay, let's do it." Lupin agreed to it, much to the kitsune's surprise.

"Very well. I'm amazed—you didn't whine and complain even once. "

"That's because there's no other choice." Lupin said.

Kiyoshi nodded in agreement.

The kitsune closed his eyes, concentrating on his transformation. He formed an image of his "human self" and, suddenly, there was a puff of pink smoke.

There Kiyoshi stood, dressed as a random traveler.

Lupin whistled, impressed by it.

"Nice, you look more approachable than usual. You should stay in that form. You might get other demons to like you. " Lupin laughed heartily, no malice in his words.

A white tail swatted the wolf over his head, not too hard though.

"Silence, dog. Follow your master. "

"Woof." That was all Lupin said before they entered the village.

Ashgin was among the bigger villages in size only. The rest of it left much to be desired.

The villagers were earning what little money they could by selling produce on the local.

As Kiyoshi and Lupin started wandering around the village, the first thing they noticed was the lack of people on the street.

The second thing they noticed was the lack of carved pumpkins in front of the houses.

"What's going on here?" Lupin asked quietly.

"I've no idea. This has never happened before, at least not in this village. " Kiyoshi replied, just as baffled as Lupin.

"I'll tell you what happened. A sudden mouse plague occurred. The mice ate all of the pumpkins! " A new voice joined the conversation.

A black crow was watching them, perched on a branch comfortably.

"Of course you'd know first, Raven. When haven't you stuck your beak where you shouldn't have? " Kiyoshi wasn't surprised to see the crow at all.

"Fun as always, Kiyoshi! What are you doing here with a wolf demon of all demons? " Raven asked the kitsune.

"None of your business." The kitsune replied impatiently.

"Well, I don't really care, but whatever it is, you won't find it here." The crow said, stating the obvious.

Kiyoshi was about to give the gleeful crow a piece of his mind when Lupin decided to break up the potential fight.

"So, uhm, Raven, was it? Do you know if something similar happened in other villages? " Lupin asked, knowing they needed any information that they could get.

Raven moved its gaze from the agitated kitsune to the wolf.

"I don't think it has, but don't take my word for it. It'd be best to try with Sondar next. " The crow advised Lupin, ignoring a grumbling Kiyoshi.

"Sondar is two days away from here. Will we be able to make it? " Lupin wondered aloud.

"If we go now, we will. We won't make too many stops along the way, and we'll be in Sondar in a day and a half. " Kiyoshi answered.

"You're right, we should get going as soon as possible. We don't have time to contact the ghost either. We'll do it once we actually have something concrete. " Lupin agreed with Kiyoshi, ready to leave the village.

Lupin turned to the crow, and bowed slightly.

"Thanks for the info."

"A polite wolf demon, that's a rarity. But you're welcome all the same. You should learn from your friend here, Kiyoshi. Bye-bye! " The crow flew off just in time to avoid being roasted by a well-aimed fireball.

"Can you try being less violent for once?" Lupin asked, feeling tired already.

"You're too nice. And we could've used some meat. " Kiyoshi replied before moving towards the exit.

"Did you just give me a compliment?" Lupin was shocked.

"Of course not, you're imagining things."

***

Lupin and Kiyoshi were half way to Sondar when the weather turned stormy. Rain fell heavily, obscuring everything in sight.

Two demons didn't have any problems with it, since they were, well, demons. They could handle a downpour, right?

Wrong. The biggest issue wasn't the rain itself. It was the area around Sondar.

There was a reason why there were no paranormal activities around Sondar. There was a protective barrier in place, preventing demons or other creatures from getting near.

If they tried, they'd be...

"Godamnit! Pesky hunters! " Kiyoshi growled, as he was electrocuted by the barrier.

"Uh, what happened?" Lupin asked.

"I tried teleporting, since it would be a faster way to travel in this weather, but it turns out we can't enter Sondar because the hunters had someone place a barrier. So Sondar is a big no-no. "

"Oh. We have five or six days left, I think. We have time! " Lupin tried to be optimistic.

***

The rain fell persistently for another day and a half.

They would need to go on foot until they were out of the barrier's range.

But they couldn't go on foot yet.

Lupin found a cave while Kiyoshi was trying to teleport to Sondar. It was on a mountain overlooking Sondar, so they were safe from the rain.

Here's where Kiyoshi's flames come in handy. They could see well, but it was strange to just sit and wait in the dark.

"What a crappy turn of events."

Kiyoshi looked at Lupin, who was the one swearing this time.

If the wolf says something is crappy, then you best believe it's true.

"I couldn't agree more. If it weren't for the rain and the stupid barrier, we could've been done by now. " Kiyoshi sighed, frustrated by this whole situation.

"I hope it'll stop by tomorrow. We've lost, what, two days because of it? " Lupin asked while he watched the azure flames dance.

"Yes. If the rain stops tomorrow, we'll find a place free of the protective magic and teleport to Midvar. It's our best bet. "

Lupin wanted to comment on how they should've just gone to Midvar first instead, but they'd get into an argument and neither was in the mood for it.

"Look at it this way; if we don't find pumpkins in Midvar, we'll take our frustration out on those hunters the horseman would send after us."

The kitsune smirked maliciously.

"You know, that doesn't sound bad. I might even go for the headless bastard himself. "

***

By some miracle, the rain stopped the next morning, allowing Lupin and Kiyoshi to look for the closest barrier-free spot to teleport to Midvar.

Lupin was clueless about one thing.

"Why didn't we just teleport from the start?"

Because of the author, Lupin. Moving forward!

They found a demon-friendly place and teleported to Midvar right away.

The situation was completely different here. There were children laughing and running around, people mingling and, more importantly...

There were pumpkins, lots of them!

"We definitely should've come here first." Kiyoshi admitted his mistake.

Lupin tried not to be a brat about it, but he just couldn't help it this time.

"I told you so."

"Who's petty now?" Kiyoshi mocked the wolf in return, but there was no heat in his words.

"Hey, I have every-hold on a minute, I'll be right back!" The wolf ran off somewhere, leaving a confused kitune behind.

Five minutes later, Lupin returned, a blank look on his face.

"What was that about?" Kiyoshi asked.

"Okay, so remember when I said that I'd contact the ghost on Monstagram? I did just that, and you know what he said? "

"Enlighten me."

"He said we'd recognize the right pumpkin when we saw it! Can you believe that? It's so fricking stupid, like in those romance novels, with love at first sight and finding your "soulmate" right away! So annoying! "

Kiyoshi gave Lupin a strange look.

"You read romance novels?""You read romance novels?"

Lupin slapped his forehead.

"That's not the point here! The point is that he expects us to just magically know which pumpkin to choose! How are we supposed to do that? "

"I guess we'll need the power of intuition. Or the power of love, if you prefer. " Kiyoshi looked like he wanted to die of laughter.

"Wow, you just cracked a joke. Miracles do happen. "

"Shut up, puppy. We'll get the pumpkin tonight, to avoid curious humans. "

***

"Let's pick the ugliest one." Lupin told Kiyoshi quietly.

"Is there a difference?"

Kiyoshi and Lupin are picking out the pumpkin. The first few they saw weren't up to their standards (pumpkin police, everyone!).

"He'd probably prefer the ugliest one, you know, to look badass. So let's pick the biggest and the ugliest one we can find. " Lupin said this as he examined a random pumpkin.

"You think he'd like a big head?" Kiyoshi was starting to have some fun with this.

"Of course he'd like a big head. He has to compensate for something, doesn't he? "

"Oho, are you sure you're not secretly a fox? You sure are full of mischief under that "nice guy" guise. " Kiyoshi grinned.

"I've spent a week with you. I guess you gave me fox cooties." Lupin grinned. He leaned down to pick up a pumpkin that was just big enough and carved atrociously enough to be passed off as "perfect."

"What do you think?" Lupin showed the pumpkin to the kitsune.

"Oh what the hell, let's take it." Kiyoshi said.

"Now there's an idea!" Lupin gave the thumbs up to Kiyoshi.

"Well, well, well, what a peculiar sight. A dog and a fox picking pumpkins together? Who would've thought? "

A smooth voice was heard from behind them. They turned around to see a vampire watching them, a smirk on his aristocratic features.

"We had a job to finish. We'll be taking our leave. " Kiyoshi replied coolly.

"Oh, have you now? I'm curious, though. What could you possibly have to do that required the presence of a lowly mutt?"

The vampire's haughty tone was grating on the kitsune's nerves.

And on the wolf's, too, if low growls coming from Kiyoshi's right are any indication.

"We are making pumpkin pie together. Can we go now? " Kiyoshi snarked.

"Oh, you may leave, kitsune, but without the mutt. Last year, he injured one of my men. He needs to be punished. " The vampire's eyes glowed red in the dark.

"He deserved it! He was picking on a child! " Lupin's growls grew louder.

"So what? We feed on humans, big and small. Now, take your punishment! " The vampire lunged at Lupin.

Lupin was getting ready for a fight when there were flames engulfing the vampire.

"If anyone's going to get punished, it's you. The wolf did nothing wrong. Now scram! " Kiyoshi snarled at the vampire.

"Let's go," Kiyoshi said to Lupin.

They left Midvar without another incident.

"Thanks, you didn't have to interfere, but you did."

"Don't thank me, wolf. You owe me a spar, though. "

"I'm game!" Lupin said.

***

"Ah, great choice, you two- "

"Shut up and give us the money, horseman."

Author: Emilija Veljković

Dollhouse

By: Makila Scott-Saxby

Alice Winter was a rotten, spoiled, little brat and got everything she wanted. One day her and her mom went to the store and she saw a doll that was really pretty. “Mother, may I please have the doll.” Alice said, looking at her mother. Alice’s mother looked at the doll and said “No Sweetie, I’m really busy and your grandmother is waiting to see you.” “MOMMY!!! PLEASE!!!” Alice started to have a fit. Her mother finally gave in and got the doll for her.

Once they got to her grandmother’s house, she showed the doll to her grandmother. “Sweetie, that doll is dangerous.” Her grandmother warned. “Grandmom, it’s a doll, what can it do?” Alice laughed. What Alice didn’t know is that her grandmother owned the doll when she was little, but once she got older, she sold it to the store Alice got it from. “I’m going to name her Luna,” Alice squeezed her doll. Alice didn’t notice when Luna’s eyes turned pitch black.

When they got home, Alice sat Luna in her dollhouse with all her other dolls. While Alice went downstairs, Luna got up and walked to the closest doll next to her. Once she touched the doll, it came alive. “Hi, I’m Luna. What's your name?” Luna asked the doll. “I’m Gabby. What do you want with me.” The doll asked.

“I want you to help me with an important job for me.” Luna reileped. “Umm...what is it?” The doll asked. Then Gabby’s eyes turned red as blood. “What's happening to me?” The doll asked. “You are going to help me kill Alice.” Luna. said, rolling her black eyes at Gabby. “Why? She is the nicest person I have met.” Gabby hesitated as her eyes grew redder. “That rotten little girl deserves death.” Luna said with a smirk.

That night while Alice was sleeping, Luna started to creep up in Alice’s bed and said in her ear “Goodnight, I hope you sleep tight.” Alice woke up only to see her doll next to her. “Silly me, I must have forgotten to put her back in the dollhouse.” Alice said as she went to put Luna back in the dollhouse.

Then she heard a grunt that sounded like it was coming from her doll, Gabby, but she just shrugged and went back to bed. Gabby grunt again and said softly “Alice, this is your self-consciousness.” “Huh, what do you want?” Alice sighed. Luna got down from her spot and went over to Alice's bed and put a knife through her heart. Alice woke up from a dream and looked over at her dollhouse to see if Luna was still in the dollhouse. Alice swore she heard a sigh, but she went back to sleep.

The next morning Alice went down stairs and found her mom eating oatmeal. “Goodmorning, sweetie.” Her mom said, smiling at her. “Morning mom.” Alice said. “Had a goodnight?” Her mom said kinda creepy then her head popped and Alice screamed. “What is it, sweetie?” Her mom asked. Alice realized she just had a nightmare. “Nothing! Am I taking the bus to school or are you driving me there?” Alice asked, trying not to sound scared. “I guess I will.” her mom answered.

When she got to school, Alice walked to her class room, she felt as though a present was behind her, but h-how? W-why? She ignored it, as usual and got to her classroom. In her mind she was thinking, ‘What the heck is going on? Why was she feeling so weird?’ She soon realized that ever since she got that doll everything has been going weirdly.

Her teacher came up to her desk and smirked a bit at the little girl. “Alice, love, what do you have there?” Alice raised a confused eyebrow. She looked beside her and the doll that gave her creepy vibes.. She gasped and turned to her teacher. “I-it’s just a doll my mother brought me. I-I have n-no idea how s-she ended up here, Ms. Maggie I swear!” She was quite scared.. Ms. Maggie chuckled, “It’s alright, dear. May I see the doll?” The scared girl nodded and handed her teacher the beautiful, but scandalous doll.

As Ms. Maggie took a look at Luna, the eyes of the doll blinked and turned a bloody red. The teacher rubbed her eyes to make sure she saw it right, but when she looked back, Luna looked normal. ‘Okay, this was weird….’ The teacher thought to herself. “This is an interesting doll, she must have been a lot of money to buy, sweetie.” Alice nodded.

To be continued……

I didn't know how drunk I was until I got outside. Not to worry, I made it home, bouncing my way upstairs to the apartment. Not fit for any debate, I climbed into bed beside my wife and quickly started to snore, but not for long since nature called and I was obliged to get up.

First leaning against the wardrobe door, some words from my wife would help me refocus, heading towards the bathroom. Next followed this scratching and shouting and banging but also complaints about the plumber who'd recently serviced our toilet. Then came relief and all the noise ended. Slowly and quietly, walking backwards, I made my way into bed. My feet were wet.

She knew to get up, tracking wet footprints along the landing to where I'd pissed against the front door. And as for my bitching about the plumber, it seems I'd been trying to flush the door handle.

**WARNING: violence and gore. Reader discretion is advised.**

I heard the noise before I opened my eyes. The whirr of an engine raged on, but where was I going? Last I recalled, I was lying in bed listening to music when suddenly there was a loud crash downstairs. I rushed down to find my mother's lifeless body peeking out from behind the kitchen island. Just as I started to rush toward her, a dull pain coursed through my head. The world went black.

I finally gain the courage to open my eyes. I'm hidden under a scratchy blanket covered in burrs poking into my bare arms and legs. My hands are tied, so it's difficult to pull the blanket off my head. Once I finally manage to pull it free, I see that I'm in the trunk space of some SUV. I look around frantically, trying to find something sharp to cut the ties binding my hands. There's nothing.

A phone rings in the front and whoever is driving picks it up after the fourth ring. His voice is gruff and scary, but somehow familiar to me.

"What?" He says, answering the phone.

"I told you I'd take care of it! I'm on my way. Don't call me again or she might wake up," He says, hanging up the phone and tossing it into the passenger seat.

He doesn't know I'm awake. Good. That gives me time to think of some way to escape this nightmare. I start searching the trunk again, coming up short. There's nothing here that can be useful to me. I close my eyes, trying to steady my breathing and push down the anxiety threatening to cloud my mind. I run through my option, which are practically nothing, and decide the best way to break the rope is to bite through it. I set to work trying to chew through the rope but it's thick. I'm only able to pull a few strands free from the thread by the time the SUV comes to a stop.

The man gets out of the SUV and comes around to the back. He opens the trunk and sees me awake. He doesn't say anything, just grabs me by the arm and lifts me up. He's tall, has to be around 6 ft 5 at least. I stare at him, trying to memorize every detail of his face so that if, no, when I escape I can tell the sketch artist at a police precinct exactly who took me. He has scruff all over his cheeks as if he hasn't shaved in a few days. His hairline is receding but you wouldn't be able to tell from far away because he shaves his head nearly bald. He has dark eyes, angry like his voice. I can't shake the feeling that I've met this man before.

He throws me over his shoulder and starts walking toward some building. All I can see from this angle is the army green SUV parked on a dirt lot and some trees in the distance. We must've driven far because there aren't any trees like this in the city. We enter through a wooden door and the man drops me to the ground. I land hard on a pile of sand. The sand seems out of place in this shed. We're in the middle of the forest, why is there sand in here?

"Hello, Michelle. Thank you for joining us," a voice calls to me.

I look up to see Jamie. She's gives a curt wave and settles into a chair. Suddenly I remember where I've met Mr. Clean over there. He was Jamie's new "boyfriend" she introduced to me a few weeks ago. I told her I thought he didn't look like her type. She said I didn't know her well enough to judge. I laughed at that, but I guess she was right.

I met Jamie at a party about a year ago. I was bored, sitting on the couch not engaging with the drunk idiots and their weird mating rituals. I was dragged to this party by my then-boyfriend, who I dumped that night after finding him tangled up with another woman in the bathroom. Jamie sat down next to me, acting equally as bored. We spent the whole evening making fun of everyone around us and ended up becoming good friends. After that, she and I met almost weekly for a coffee. I thought I knew her, I thought we were friends.

"Jamie, what is this?" I ask, still trying to get my bearings.

"This? Let's call it an experiment," Jamie replied. "I have been planning this for a year, Michelle. Ever since the day I met you, I knew it'd end this way."

I watched as she stood and walked toward a table in the corner of the room. On the table was a knife, gun, lotion, and a flower crown made of periwinkle flowers. As I watched her move from item to item, gingerly picking each one up and examining it before placing it back down, I remembered something odd she had told me a few months earlier.

We were at a park drinking iced coffees and she was making a flower crown.

"Michelle, what's your favorite flower?" She had asked me.

"Sunflowers," I said, "What about you?"

"Periwinkle," She said.

We were both silent for a little bit. She, working away on her flower crown; I, looking out at the river before us.

"Did you know periwinkle's are often referred to as 'the flower of death'?" She said, "Back in the day people would twist their vines into crowns and put them on dead children or criminals being sentenced to death."

I stared at her, unsure where she was going with this little fun fact of hers.

"It's such a shame," she continued, "They're such beautiful flowers, but they have such a horrible name attached to them. I guess that's just the way things are sometimes. Even the most beautiful things in the world can be turned ugly just by being associated with something dark."

I didn't understand what she was rambling about, so I just forgot about it and moved on. Now, sitting here in this dark and dingy shed, I start to understand why she said that.

"What are you gonna do to me?" I ask, trying to sound tough but failing miserably.

"You? Michelle? I'm going to make you ugly, just like periwinkles. When people remember you, all they'll see is death and darkness. No more beautiful Michelle, prom queen, so quiet, yet so kind. So approachable even though she's the prettiest girl in the room." Her words sounded harsh. I don't understand why she's so angry at me. I never once gave off the impression that I thought I was the most beautiful. Heck, I didn't even acknowledge when other people said it. All I ever wanted was to fly under the radar. But I guess those days are over.

Jamie picked up the knife once more and started walking towards me. I tried to back away, but ran into the giant she claimed was her boyfriend. He picked me up and held me still while Jamie placed the blade against my face. I winced slightly, but kept eye contact with her the entire time. I refused to let her win. She thought she could hurt me by taking away my beauty, but she couldn't. I wouldn't let her.

She sliced the blade across my cheek. I felt warmth run down my face and neck, the open wound stinging. She took the blade to the other side and did the same thing. My adrenaline was kicking in, so I didn't feel it so much as see the blood dripping from her knife. She then took the knife to my chin and sliced off the end, causing pain to flare through my face. I whimpered, trying not to cry but starting to lose control. Once she was satisfied with my deformed face, she moved down to my chest. She dragged the knife through my skin, carving the letter "J" just below my collar bone. The pain became unbearable and I started to shake. Tears streamed from my eyes and a quiet sob left my lips. Jamie smiled, satisfied that she had finally broken me.

"You're hideous," she said.

She plunged the knife into my stomach. The sensation was unlike what I thought it would be. Maybe I was numb because she had already cut me so many times, but the stab didn't hurt nearly as bad as I thought it would. I let out a strained breath and her henchman released my arms. I stood there, staring at Jamie for what felt like an eternity. Then, the world started to blur and I collapsed to my knees. I watched, dazed, as Jamie walked to the table and picked up the periwinkle crown. She walked back towards me, placed the crown on my head, and sliced through my throat. The world went dark as my head hit the floor. I closed my eyes, like the closing of shades on a bright and sunny day. The life left my lungs, and I was no more.