Mr X.

[[Review review review. We\'re coming close to the finale now, folks. Written to \'Stellastarr-My Coco\' XD.]]

Smoke filled the air in layers, grey, purple to blue, a strangely colourful haze surrounding her as she watched. He was going through cigarettes like they where candy sticks without even choking, and she could see the slight tremor in his hand. She reached out to attempt to soothe with her touch, but he yanked his arm away sharply and merely continued to smoke. His eyes where dark, and bloodshot. He’d been crying and refusing to sleep.

‘Rich… Are you all right?’ Her voice was timid and strained. A soft sigh escaped him and the tense agitation of his body settled, displaying his actual weariness.

‘Yeah. Yeah, I’m sorry Mandy. I’m just so fuckin’ worried. Ya know?’ Amanda nodded sympathetically, and found herself wrapping her arms around him, holding him to her chest paternally, stng fng fingers through the jet black locks of his hair. ‘I can’t believe this happened. I should have realised sooner. I should have been there to do something.’ Amanda listened. She watched as he chewed at a thumbnail, a nervous habit that had always made him look particularly vulnerable and child-like, to her. She knew she loved Rich.

‘He’ll be fine,’ she murmured, though she knew he probably wasn’t. Darren wasn’t resourceful. Darren wasn’t strong. Darren cried when his pet dog Misty died. Darren couldn’t handle anything alone, and now that’s just what he was, alone. The police had told them of the news, of lack thereof. They had some leads, eyewitnesses who’d taboutbout a strange dark haired male seen around town who no one had recognised.

‘No he’s not Amanda. He’s not fine, I know he’s not. God. I’m so glad you insisted we went to check.’ Amanda offered a smile and nodded slightly in return.

‘Me too, Rich.’


Darren’s mind was numb. He lay utterly naked, the head of Mr X, now Carlos, resting upon his chest, the body against him, bare in complete trusting. At their own accord it seemed, his fingers caressed the back of the male curled against him, and for a moment he found himself smiling as the fingers which hung limp from the arm draped over his ribcage clenched around the curve of his side. The smile faded swiftly. He was at a loss of what to do. Sweet, enveloping exhaustion was elusive. He was agitated. He was untied now. He could leave. He could defeat the bizarre and confusing boy completely, and he would be free.

But somehow, he couldn’t find the callousness within him to destroy the once mighty, prowling and sadistic tiger that now curled to him as harmless as his very own pet cat, Missy.

‘Sleep, Darren.’ Such familiar words. For a moment Darren was reminded of the pain Carlos had brought to him prior, then, however, Darren found himself smiling, a curve of pink lips as he chuckled softly and Carlos felt the vibrations of his chest beneath his cheek.

‘I can’t,’ was Darren’s whispered response. Carlos simply nodded. He moved to sit up, but Darren held him still. ‘Stay.’ Carlos remained unmoving. ‘Carlos…’ the name rolled of his tongue easier than the tag of Mr X from prior, but he seemed to miss the anonymity, the strange sensuality of such an utterly threatening and dangerous name. ‘I can’t stay here forever Carlos.’ Now he did move, swiftly, ripping away from the older male to glare down at him, hurt rife over inherently angry features, the features of Mr X, breaking through the softness of prior.

‘So you think you’re going to leave me? You’ve had your way with me, you’ve torn me open, and you think I will just let you go?’ Darren shrank back slowly. He swallowed loudly, his throat painfully dry. ‘Yeah, you should be fucking afraid. Lie on your back!’ Mr X ordered, as he stood upright, gloriously naked highlighted now and then by the flicker of the street lamp outside that needed maintaining. When Darren did not follow his instructione the then snarled out the words again, louder, punctuating each syllable with his tone. Darren followed, and Mr X climbed atop him, glowering down at him. Disappointment flickered through his eyes as he crooned in a softer tone ‘I thought you liked me…’ His fingers caressed gently over the skin of the one beneath him, the fair, once pristine skin, now marred by his hands. He dug fingers in deep to the fine, delicate flesh and ignorhe she squirming, the whimpered pleas. ‘I see now this was all pointless. I see now where this leads. If I cannot have you, Darren, no one will.’

They remained still for a moment, and time became thick once more as Darren fought against that overwhelming urge to cry, as Darren watched the beautifully ghoulish and terrifying face flicker with the broken lamp. He seemed to pop. He sobbed aloud and uncontrollably, and Mr X’s laughter joined his sobbing and in what seemed like the barest of movements, the special knife was in his hands and pressed to that soft, smooth cheek, trailing down in wordless threat towards that sinewy and pale neck. A faint line of red followed, and Darren writhed away from the stinging sensation, but Mr X held him still, gripped him firmly in iron strong hands as he attempted to muster the courage to kill what he felt he could not survive without.