He could see the blood trickle down the side of his face like scarlet teardrops. “Christ, Matt. What did you do? We were just supposed to scare the guy. Is he, Jesus, is he dead?” William looked at Matt and then shifted his gaze back to the lifeless body of the Animal. His name was, or had been Greg. But that name humanized him, and the piece of shit lying next to the swing set at the old Dover park was no human.

Will had been weary of this moment since he concocted this half-assed plan when he was drunk on James Ready with Matt. It had only happened a few times, but when he passed a certain threshold of anger, he blacked out. All the colors of the world faded into the ether, and when he returned, it was too late. The damage had been done.

But this time, for no sensible reason, he felt somewhat confident that it wouldn’t happen. That he could keep his animal at bay. Yes, he was wielding a baseball bat that was meant for the ribcage, or possibly, the knees of the Animal, but his plan had been to hit him a couple of times as a warning. Then he would give him the “stay the hell away from my sister,” speech, and that would be the end of it. He would keep his anger in check and walk off into the sunset like Clint Eastwood in a Sergio Leone western.

Of course, that wasn’t meant to be. The Animal had to go and mouth off. He had to laugh at Will and Matt like they were infants playing grown-up. Amateurs trying to play in the pros. The Animal had to say that Jenny liked it when he bit her, and that she had loved it when he had torn a nickel sized piece of flesh from the right side of her face. He called it “bedroom fun.”

“The good girl act is just that, boys, an act.” He had said. “When the lights go out she’s,” The Animal took a deep inhale, waving both hands just under his nose, smelling the park air “she’s dirty. She’s rotten.”

Will had bitten down hard on his tongue in a last-second attempt to keep the cloak of darkness from blinding his eyes. His teeth sunk deep into the organ, cutting it, and tasting the liquid copper as it descended into his throat. The plan was supposed to be simple. Goddamnit.

—-----------------------------------------------------------------

The plan had been to lure Greg to Dover Park to conduct a transaction. A bag of white powder for some cash. Greg was a junkie, and despite Will’s best efforts to prevent it, Jenny was on the fast-track to becoming his junkie bride. She had smoked pot since Will could remember, the skunky-smell always emanating from her room, but lately he had noticed track marks on her arms, and seen her lifeless eyes gaze into nothing.

Matt Langley, Will’s best friend, was happy to help with this so-called plan. “You gotta get him away from his goon squad. We need him to meet us alone, alright?” Will asked, and Matt said, “No problem, buddy. No problem at all.” Not only was he Will’s best friend, but he had also been in love with Jenny since they were kids.

One Wednesday afternoon, Matt caught up with the Animal by the dugout outside of the school, where he and Jenny went to smoke.

“Yo, Greg. You interested in trying something new?” He asked, while taking a drag from his cigarette. The Animal was curious, but Jenny’s face lit up like fourth of July fireworks, and it made Matt feel horrible.

“My cousin from out of town brought this shit. Man, it’s insane. It’s like an attack on the senses. The smell, the taste, the feel of it. It’ll knock you out of this world, man.” The Animal had taken out his wallet to buy what Matt was selling then and there, no questions asked. “Meet me at Dover park at 8?. I don’t have any on me.” Matt said.

That evening, Will sat on the swing, his father’s old wooden baseball bat in hand. He was gripping it tightly, splinters sticking into his palms like porcupine quills. For someone who could be counted on to remain calm, cool, and collected, Matt was a nervous wreck. Sweat was trickling down his brow as slow as a slime trail left by a traveling slug. He kept going over the pros and cons of this meeting, and couldn’t come up with any for the former.

At 8:00, Will went and hid behind the sycamore tree adjacent to the swing set. At 8:05, the Animal came walking through the park. Shoulders going up and down like a teeter-totter, a smoke hanging from his mouth, and eyes black as a midnight sun. “Christ. We’re fucked.” Matt said to the sycamore tree. “Just relax. It’ll be over soon.”

“I ain’t got all night. Where’s the stuff that’s supposed to make me see and feel things that I’ve never felt before? It better be what you say, or I’ll keep the drugs, and come back for the money and you.”

The Animal raised his fist, and Matt hadn’t realized before just how scrawny he was. This man could eat him for breakfast if he wanted to. Demolish him with just a touch. He was only a year older, but he looked like a hardened man who’d lived long enough to hate the world, and the people in it.

“Well, where is it then?”

“It’s right here.” Will said, coming out from behind the tree, holding the bat like an MLB designated hitter.

The Animal turned around, and within seconds burst into laughter. Matt looked at Will and could see the darkness approaching.

“What in the hell is this?” The Animal asked. “Matt, was this a setup? So, this dipshit could get me alone?” He turned to face Will. “Is this about your sister? I knew she couldn’t keep her mouth shut.” The Animal continued laughing. Tears of anger dropped onto Will’s lips and he could taste the stinging salt.

So, Instead of a couple warning shots to the ribs, he went for his head. One clean hit to the skull, and Matt heard it crack. The Animal dropped like a sack of potatoes. He fell like the boneless man from a horror movie Will had seen when he was too young to be watching such things.

“Christ, Matt. What did you do? We were just supposed to scare the guy. Is he, Jesus, is he dead?

Then they heard a loud bang ring out through the nearly deserted park.

Will turned around and saw Jenny. Tears streaming down her face, arms shaking viciously as she gripped the colt that was pointed right at her brother. Will looked down at his midsection. He watched as a pool of blood formed. He grabbed his stomach, dropped to his knees, and looked at Jenny, and the cheek sized bandaid on her right cheek. Then all the colors of the world went black.

Sparkling dots against a black canvas, my best girl by my side. As I lean in for that perfect kiss a huge boom jolts me out of my cot. It takes a moment for my brain to clear and register what I’m hearing as my brothers rush to dress. Following in suit, we grab our firearms and rush out into the darkest of nights. No moon, no stars, just pure blackness surrounds us.

Then small flashes dot the hill below us, “Incoming” someone screams. We all take cover as a barrage of gunfire begins. Aiming in the direction of the sounds, we all begin firing back. It has begun, what we were trained for, what we were warned about, what we were told by Major Stinson “Don’t allow them to take the hill. We must save the hill.”

From the moment of that first boom, the fighting began and it didn’t stop. For four straight days, day and night, night and day, day after day, we fought our hardest. We maintained our positions and continued our assault.

By the fourth day, exhaustion began taking a toll on some of the younger, less seasoned soldiers. The noise made sleep virtually impossible. Being on the front lines wasn’t as glamorous as recruiters made it sound. It was downright, scary. From minute to minute not knowing if that next shell, or the next bullet would strike you. All of our lives hung before with every pull of the trigger, with every bullet that whizzed by you and every blast that landed within a stone throw of where you were.

Day five came with God awful, nauseating smells. Smells we all struggled to deal with. The smells of death mixed with gunpowder intertwined with the stench of sweat, vomit, piss, and shit. Odors that hung over the camp as well as the battlefield, permeated into our clothing and our bodies. Not even the occasion shower would relieve the senses of the horrendous smells. Cadavers began to swell to as much as twice their normal size forcing stomachs to burst releasing foul smelling gases to add to the overload.

Besides the odors and continuous firefights, many began to show signs they were unable to deal with the mental tolls the constant battle was taking on all of us. On the seventh day, I saw two from another platoon take their own lives. The risks of friendly fire became.

When nighttime fell the only light was the flicker of embers dotted around camp from cigarettes. Beer and whiskey were used to wash whatever tastes you could from your mouths. The metallic taste of blood, sometimes your own, sometimes another’s. Rest did not come easily, no matter how hard you tried or how drunk you got. In the distance there was always sounds of the battlefield getting closer and closer.

Today bombers arrived, blasting away large areas we would never reach. Screams from our faceless enemy could be heard throughout the night, as the aerial assault continued.

Day ten arrived, I could no longer look at or think about the men we’d lost. It became pure and simple survival. I had to get home to my family, and to my girl. As the assaults continued, the killing fields we began to refer to the hill, the 7 miles down with the many ravines were our enemy was so good at hiding. I continued to hear the Major’s voice in my head “Don’t give up the hill. we must save the hill.” All I could think of was “No, I must save myself.”

I had been witness to our chef, the nicest man you’d ever meet, being blown apart. My friend, my buddy hunkered down next to me was shot in the face, blood spewed over me. It was getting closer. The faceless slowly became faces I saw on the hillside, so close they could have cut me down if my instincts were just a little slower. Looking into their eyes, I saw the same fear I was feeling.

It became harder and harder to know which planes belonged to us and which belonged to the other side. Tanks rolled over everything in its path, crushing trees, matting the grass and bushes with such ease. From above you could see dots moving, running, screaming. If you didn’t know better, it was like watching a movie with surround sound.

Early on Day twenty, the gunfire began to cease, the shelling stopped. We were hopeful that it was over, at least for now. Word came down hours later, the enemy had retreated, they were regrouping moving their efforts to the next hill. Whoops and hollers came from all around.

Day twenty-one brought the hardest day of my young life. We were tasked with search and retrieval of bodies and US property. I stood and looked down the hill, the bloody hill littered with thousands upon thousands of dead bodies. Reality sat in as I trooped through the mud and blood, the tangled, mangled, dismembered bodies. Then I saw the faces of the dead, nightmarish empty faces, some disintegrating in the very place they dropped. Few distinguishing features on many, how would they ever be identified.

As a man of faith, I began to see the truth about war, not just this war, but every way. The reality of the past six days had come to light. Looking down at these bodies we called the enemy, tears welled in my eyes. These boys, these men were just like me, just like those of us on the other side, their enemy. They were fighting for what they believed, just like me. They were husbands, fathers, sons, and brothers. They were no different than me, just born in a different place. They loved and they were loved. “Oh, Dear God, what have I done?” I mumbled to myself.

Right then and there I fell to my knees, sinking into the mud and blood, I cried and begged “Lord, please forgive me for what I’ve done. Please forgive me for my part in this killing, for going against Your word, Your commandments. Oh, Lord, please forgive me, cleanse me of the terrible things I’ve done. Help me to deal with the travesties that have taken place here. Oh, my Lord, please, please forgive me, lead me back to the person I know I am.”

This had to be the start to the most God-awful, smutty story ever.

Iridescent's lips touched mine in a sweet and heavy, tender kiss. Just brushing the skin.

The radiantly optimistic hero on top of me and wouldn't you know, held my wrists tight enough to bruise.

Before jerking up as much as their smooth, dully leering grey confines would allow.

Where he hit his head with a CLUNK. A groan dragged from his lips.

I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Not funny," he muttered and sullen! Hah! The supposed Sun-Child of the Country pouting like a five year old shown up.

Both of us tried to reposition, the press of each of our bodies bringing surges of warmth on humid, burning skin.

There was plenty of sniping and griping on both our ends or I liked to think.

Then again who could I kid? Certainly not him and certainly not my nosy new "associates" about what I did with my free time.

More than anything he was terrified of not touching there or that, ever stricken that he may have impeached his ethical code.

Hair ran wild on his head, I was sure mine was no better.

Breaths rattling fast and loud within our predicament.

"Seems like we have some time on our hands," Eerie ascertained, the smile on his face while strained, a heart thump-thumping so wild I could almost swear it pushed at his maiden modeled tunic, he had of course found some angle where this could be considered beneficial.

Not that he liked to use that word.

Too manipulative.

And too late had I realized my lips moving.

"What was that?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," I said flippant, eyes roving above myself.

"That is why I asked," Eerie confirmed and-- now my heart began to pick up pace.

His expression had turned stony; eyes usually crystal and clear, were now glinting edged steel. Malachite.

The thought came unabated and once it did...

It didn't stop.

The brush of air as his face lunged for my own throat.

Until the tone of his laughter filled mine up instead. My whole body now immersed in the sound which bounced and danced about.

All flowing from that soft-hearted, open-hearted grin. His bunny fronters peeking just out of his lip.

Not for the first time I considered taking him. Taking his body, taking my time with each contour of a jarringly girlish figure.

Where men superheroes hulked and towered in bands of impossible muscle Iridescent was small. Vibrant where they were glaring, beautiful and serene.

The kind of face one would want to see.

When in this exact kind of spot.

Sound had begun doing something odd.

Yes, there'd been the vague presence of air, of dust and of debris. I knew that within this side-turned elevator we'd been tossed aside and flung to the heavens, the support pillars of a pizza place had collapsed.

And that was when, when Iridescent had shielded me.

That was when I had screamed to high heaven.

Screamed like a girl...

And so I took him.

Bullied him into my arms, to the breasts he so abhorred to touch. Only they were pressed into a binder. Just as always.

Seeing them had been a dumb, idiotic, ridiculously unlucky accident.

I wanted to feel him. Feel that he still thought and still bled, still gave me warmth and the silken fur riding hood off his back from when he turned to duty right from the country club stables.

His head cradled to mine turned to an echo chamber where I could again hear my heart. I could hear the pocket of air rush at his ears.

The stick of sweat and coarser, scratching texture of his once majestic hair.

That cracked me inside. And laughter tumbled out.

Hideous and unnerving. Glee tinged in hysteria.

I think I'm hyperventilating.

"He-- hehehe. Hehe? Ahh haha! Vie why are we laughing?" he asked. "Vie, Vie please. Vietnam? Vietnam?"

What could be called happiness cut.

Because, I knew the scariest thing.

I'd stared it, I'd smelled it, I'd choked on it in iron red.

Tears ran down my face, snot dribbled off my nose and into my mouth, stretching across like icky puss.

Once I'd been dumb enough to think the 'Malachite' in old media archives was frightening.

Grisly and disturbed. So unnatural in its form as a hulking, domineering beast.

How it bellowed in agony. How it raged.

How it had snapped so completely.

Eyes set yet unsure whether to kill... or to devour. To consume and savor your bones.

Yet here, in this moment, choking again as my lungs demanded air that was quickly turning stale, I knew the scariest thing.

The scariest thing was glassy eyes the way shiny auburn hair hangs down.

When the glass image of gentle beauty contorts and becomes too natural. Too human.

And too pained.

Salt.

Iridescent tasted of salt.

The hand he'd put over my mouth, hissing so urgently I'd quieted right away. He'd just whipped my bare flesh.

My cheek, he squeezed, digging the nails into my jaw, the shape collapsing, turning inward.

I felt my breath bounce from his skin.

Pick up that God-awful salting musk.

He shouldn't--

"Fuck, fuck, sorry. I'm sorry I just, I shoulda listened in Field Trauma. I know, that was so not the right thing to do."

"Do it again."

"I don't want to," and his voice shook, "if-- if this has to be it..."

I didn't want to think like that.

Trying to speak, only made the darkness, the Malachite eat deeper at my mind.

Turned the darkness thicker and with shape.

"Can it please be, hearing your voice. Let's talk, like, really talk."

It was a tight fit.

Air was slowly dwindling.

Though it was not so sour nor intolerable to my lungs now.

The taste of ash had alleviated from my mouth.

Dryness still pervaded as I had obliged.

To Iridescent who had laid onto my chest. My arm looped around his waist.

And his with the gas bracelets buried in my hair.

As I talked about the farts at work and those who'd clearly lost their last brain cells to side with me, I latched onto that smell.

The smell of orange chicken and burnt wood.

Under the blood red of the moon, I am faced with my prey. I can vaguely remember her screams. The hissed glory of pain when she clawed my skin, desperate for freedom as I held her so close her very lungs collapsed from all the pressure. You did say you like some aggression to your lover, didn't you?

It's dark, out. There's no one around for miles. I dragged you here to end you. I did. From my car. Didn't I? It's all so hazy. There's a ringing in my ears as I straddle your still hips, frozen, waiting for a response. Waiting for my brain to tell me what to do next.

But I already know what's coming. It won't be pretty.

I vaguely remember the feeling of a period as I begin to claw my way - in turn - into you. I can remember the way it takes over my body, consumes me in irritation and discomfort. The way it feels incorrect. I suppose your presence on this Earth felt as wrong to me as this same thing. Perhaps the moon is the colour of my hands, tonight, because it was fated so. A guiding light from a friend I cannot see.

My hands tremble as I dig past your skin. You were always so thin, so pretty despite how harsh and cold you were (you're the most frigid you've ever been now). So this isn't as hard as it should be. My hands are screaming from the exertion but I won't stop digging. Past skin and muscle and bone. It feels akin to ripping apart a nice, big chunk of celebratory roast chicken. It feels just as satisfying when I finally make it to your heart.

I'm covered in blood, now. It's yours. I almost feel like I must be drowning in it. It makes me think of you, triggering utter disgust, until I realise it is only a kind reminder that you are gone now. Defeated. Usurped. Literally beneath me and soon to be even deeper under if I have anything to say about it.

I gaze silently upon my masterpiece as I finally find the organ I've been looking for beneath broken pieces of your bone, muscle fibers set aside. You look like you've been feasted upon by a wild animal. And this gives me an idea - albeit a strange one. Still. Giving into my desires has led me here and I won't deny myself my piece of madness now that it has finally begun.

Carefully, I reach into the cavity beyond all your ruined layers. Your heart sits quiet and wet in my open palms. If I concentrate, I can almost feel the dead, empty thing throbbing within you. I can imagine what would have happened if I let myself do this sooner. If I had just let it all go.

The stars wink down at me. I take in a deep breath. The field is humid from rain. It mingles with the earth's pastoral scent, mingles with the tangy iron of your blood, sends delighted shivers down my spine. Oh, you... If only you could see this. If only you could know what your cruelty would help me... Become.

My gaze returns to your heart. Without another moment of hesitation, I bite down on it. It tastes as raw meat should. Yet, I am met with a sweetness because of what I have done to earn it. The texture dances around my tongue and I find myself wanting to throw up the spongy substance. I don't. I swallow. I slip it into a zip lock bag, too. Perhaps it'll serve me better cooked. Giving into primal urges was certainly exciting but I still retain some of my civility, I assure you.

You stare at me, your eyes widened with the fear of a dead woman. I wonder if you saw the fear in mine when you did what you did. I wonder if it would have mattered to you at all, either way. If knowing how terrified I was would have changed anything. I guess we'll never know.

Well? Am I as dirty as you remembered? As disgusting? Did you loathe me as much while I stole away your every last breath as you did when you and I were in that room, together? I suppose it doesn't matter, now. You're a corpse, ruined beyond recognition. I'll grind your pretty face into a paste too, just for the laughs of it. You will be buried alongside whatever stone I choose.

And you will be forgotten.

Don't worry too much about your heart. I'll take very precious care of it. You never had one, anyway.

After an exciting night out Addison and her best friend Cassy went back to Cassy's house for the night. No sooner than they walked in the door Cassy was out cold but Addison wasn't ready to call it a night. "Hey! You think there is some wildlife in there?" Addison asked Derek, Cassy's older brother, pointing at the woods behind their house. She had noticed he was outside when they pulled in the driveway. Derek looked over to the woods and nodded his head saying "probably? You want to go find out?" Derek had a crush on Addison every since she started hanging out with his sister. So off to the woods they went.

The sun was coming up and they could feel the crispness in the cool air, deep into and still no wildlife in sight. "Maybe, there just isn't any wildlife around here. You think maybe we should head back?"Addison asked. "Nah, everything is just now waking up out here, let's give it a few more minutes." Derek answered. As they walked deeper into the woods Addison could smell the sweet aroma of fresh clean water right before stumbling upon a beautiful creek that went through the woods. They decided to take a break there then head on back to the house.

After taking a few pictures and as Addison bent down to taste the fresh running water she heard a twig snap behind her. Startled, she grabbed Derek by the arm and they both quickly turned to see what it was. There it stood, a huge white tail buck looking right at them. Calmly as she could Addison pulled out her phone and started snapping pictures. "Oh, my goodness Derek!" Addison cried amazed by the sight of this beautiful beast this close up. Derek got a little brave a took a step towards the deer to see if it would run. It did just that all they saw was it's white tail running in the distance. Addison punched Derek in the arm and called him a few names before they headed back to the house.

Not one word was said all the way back to Derek's house. "Thank you, Derek that was amazing" Addison said when they reached the edge of the woods. Derek just smiled and kept walking to the house. "Wait, Derek!" Addison yelled at she ran to catch up with him. She caught up with him, bout the time he got turned around to see what she was yelling about. She reached up wrapped both her hands around his neck to pull him close enough to kiss him on the cheek, then whispered in his ear "let's go to your room" and kissed him on the lips. Sitting on his bed Derek admitted that he has waited for this moment since the first time he saw her which made her want him even more. She asked why he had never tried before but he just drugged his shoulders. That morning led in to be the start of the rest of their life together in love. They went on to get married, move away and have 2 amazing children. An unexpected love found in the woods that morning.