V I L I F I E D ,

‘   i  don’t.  this is a  job,  not a weekend retreat.  i’m just here to make sure my  SISTER  doesn’t do anything she’ll regret  —  namely,  you.   ’

‘   i don’t know what you’re talking about  —  and i don’t particularly  WANT  to.  whatever game you’re playing,  it’s not gonna work.   ’

irritation  prickles  at  bruised  skin,       jaw   clenching    as  the  sudden  desire  to   prove    to  the  other  that  he’s  not  to  be    provoked     overcomes  him.        ❛         my       ‘       dark       &        nasty         ‘         ?          —-       where  am  i   supposed    to  begin        ?        there’s   grand  theft  auto     —-       stealing  expensive  muscle  cars  just  to    crash    &    bail;         more  accounts  of   battery    than   i  could  even  remember;        and  then  there’s  the   murders,     of  course        —-       holding  someone’s  life  in  my  hand  just  to    rip  it  away,        watching  their    BLOOD  SPILL    while  they    scream      &        beg      for  me  to  stop.          but  i  don’t.         i  just  let  them  suffer,       watch  them    burn     just  like         —–         ❜           he  stops  suddenly,        the  recollection  of  his  family’s  murder  on  the  tip  of  his  tongue,       never  to  be    WILLINGLY     voiced.       he  doesn’t    want     to  talk  about  it,      so  he  won’t.         ❛         —-      whatever.           ❜

THE BOY IS INFECTIOUS,     &   cold - blooded murder is a crime  befitting  of punishment.   disgust begins to crawl beneath skin,  siphoning  the mirth from his demeanor.   this human stain   speaks of  cruelty  as though nothing else were as trivial or mundane as  taking an innocent life.   his anger swells,  blistered   &   visceral,  a red wrath he cannot contain.     ‘     you  sicken  me.     ’     but the devil isn’t finished with him yet.

❝ ━━ i am sorry, mister, do you have any PROBLEM with that?  ❞

≺ * &. ━ ✧ starter call • accepting  ≻ @reignedhell

‘ then you’re gonna love me, sweetheart. ‘ she takes a sip, crossing one bare leg over the other as the liquid burns warm down her throat. ‘ we might’ve, but I can’t say that I’ll remember, my memory isn’t too good. ‘

she blinks, and can see the faint, burning lines where his wings used to be — wonders for a second who he is in the angelic world. and what kind of desperate act would lead him to do such a thing.

‘ what’s your name, hot stuff? that might jar my memory. ‘

PLAGUED BY FAMILIARITY,     his conscience strains in attempt to unearth the  memories  buried beneath filth   &   rot,  but comes up short   &   with more questions than answers.     ‘     well,  i’m  certain  there are more ways to jog your memory.     ’     he drinks in the sight of her,  entertaining  desire whilst nursing a sip from his glass to soothe the pinch of scar tissue.

‘   ––––––  started with  what  ?  this hardly qualifies as  fun.   ’

‘   you’re not her type.  don’t flatter yourself.  are we about  done  here ?   ’

‘     WOULD YOU BELIEVE ME     if i told you that well over half of this generation’s favourite  dead poets  are damned ?   it’s  tragic,  really.     ’

there it is :  that ludicrous claim,  the one apparently lacking horns  &  a tail.  the devil.  it flies in the face of everything she believes ;  more importantly,  everything she  DOESN’T.  but three times,  he’s been riddled with bullets  &  walked away unscathed.  it did get me killed.      ❪   you saw it.  i don’t know what i saw.   ❫

‘   of course you are.   ’

‘    –––––––  i still need you to pick up trixie.  we can talk about your  …  persuasive  string - pulling  later.    ’

ANCHORING DOUBT,     flooding the veins of such a precious life.   he notices,   &   stands patient at the shoreline,  waiting for the day she might  rise.   it must get exhausting,  struggling  to keep yourself afloat in a riptide of  denial.   hands pocketed,  he resigns.

‘   yeah,  believe me,  i’ll make sure she does.  and what  IMPRESSION  would that be ?   ’

‘ I guess you’re going to have to find out for yourself, aren’t you? step a little closer, let’s see   what happens. in the meantime, I’ll have a whiskey, old fashioned if you don’t mind. ‘

‘   BOTH.  stay away from my sister.  would you like me to  spell it out  for you ?   ’