by Lucian Bane
She finally headed to the stairs, sliding her thin coat on, stomping her way up. They’d not told her to stay put. She wasn’t a prisoner. She slid the deadbolt just as it hit her. It could be locked from the outside.
She grabbed the knob. Turned. Took a breath and pulled. The door opened, bringing a slice of sunlight. She opened it enough to lean her head a little and peek around. By the angle of the sun hitting the trees in front of her, it was already afternoon. Surprised it wasn’t night.
She opened the door more, the wind biting through her clothes. All around her, the graveyard sat in that eternal peace silence. It really was a beautiful place. She searched everywhere, trying to see any signs of them. Of anybody, really. She didn’t want to be seen if she was going to be MIA. She peered at his house just to the right. She could… go see what kind of supplies they have. Or clean it. Should be okay if she just… minded her business and tidied up.
She raced across the frozen ground, hissing in pain by the time she made it to the slate looking stones, leading to the back porch. She glanced around as she went. Everything was so neat and trimmed around the decrepit looking house. No flowers or decorations on or near it but clean and free of clutter. Maybe the house would be shockingly the same, unlike that wreck of a shed.
As she hurried up the steps, she eyed the two black windows with the black screens, looking for signs of a light. Opening the screen door, she tried the door handle. Another light gasp escaped when she found it unlocked.
Shit, what if he was there? Too cold to care, she turned the black round knob, making it squeal. The door opened with more obnoxious creaking. She was too happy that it was open to be too worried. If he was there, she’d just say she came to see what the fuck was going on and why they were a million hours late for lunch.
If they were there, they liked freezing. There was no heat on. “Reggie?” she called in a loud whisper as she shut the door, looking over her shoulder in the dark room. Kitchen.
She turned, taking in the small area. More neat, bareness. A tiny square table with two chairs sat in the center. Nothing on it. A little white stove stood next to a single counter with curtains for cabinets beneath it. She smiled at the apron sink. Wow. Her grandmother had one of those.
She eyed the single opening in the middle of the wall, venturing her way toward it. Goldie Locks, breaking and entering. That’s what she felt like. While the Big Bad Wolf was away. The Big Bad Wolf and his sweet twin. Wait, that was The Three Bears, not Big Bad Wolf.
At the doorway, she realized just how small the house was. She was already in the middle of it. The living room before her, had a stiff looking couch facing the front door. Nothing else but a coffee table that reminded her of the top of one of the cement graves. On the left and right of it were a pair of tree stumps, nothing on either. She looked around and her legs took her to the neatly lined squares of something on the wall just to her left. Shadow boxes. She looked in each, wondering if he made them. Wondering which of them had made them if they had. The craftsmanship was rough, reminding her of Bones but the tiny flowers and scenery in each reminded her of Reginald. The first was a fishing scene. The next was a camping scene. She came up to the third and stepped closer, confused with the contents. She angled her head, trying to understand what all the messy meant. It appeared slapped together, but she doubted it was. She came to stand exactly in front of it, trying to get a different angle. There were bits and pieces of rocks and moss and sticks. She recognized a thimble. And… a needle. Scraps of material? She turned to the other wall, finding it empty.
She glanced out the front windows, looking for signs of anybody before eyeing that door on the far wall. She tiptoed across the floor, the wood planks creaking under her weight. She gave one last glance through the front windows then opened the door.
This was a surprise. The door opened into a hall with three more doors. She went to the one before her and opened it. Bathroom. Tiny. One window. She remembered that scene in The Shining when the mother couldn’t fit through the window to escape her lunatic husband.
She turned to the door on the right and made her way to it carefully. Somebody could be in it, for all she knew.
She thought to knock on it this time. When she heard nothing, she opened it, finding a neat office. She saw the laptop on the desk and her heart hammered as she realized. Was this where they were when she’d met them online?
She scanned the walls, cluttered with tons of stuff, a lot of newspaper clippings. This space looked lived in. She glanced to a skinny door on the right and walked over. She opened it then looked for a light switch on the outside wall. Not seeing anything she felt along the inside walls, finding it.
She flipped it and froze. Not a closet. She stared around the small office sized room packed with… stuff. There seemed to be a walkway down the center of it with everything placed all around it. Definitely placed. Tiny stuffed animals, candles. Figurines. She walked slowly in, looking closer at everything. Then she realized when she came to a picture. Just like the kind you’d put on a tombstone. These were from the graves.
She glanced all around her, slowly backtracking out of there, feeling like she’d stepped into a shrine now. Why did he have all this?
She shut the door, listening for sounds. Where were they? Had something happened to them? It hit her and she paused. Why would she say them if there was just actually one of them? She needed to remember he was sick. Suffering from a split personality and not become sick too.
She tip-toed to the final door, which she assumed was the bedroom. She peeked in and her heart raced at seeing she was right. A full size antique bed sat before a double window with no curtains. Of course they had those black screens on them. The bed reminded her of those hospital ones, the metal kind with the spindles, only black. She scanned the single, black dresser, next to a black desk with a very old looking office chair that didn’t match. Antique maybe. They liked black in their bedroom that was obvious.
She wondered what material the onyx blanket was made of and decided she better not venture in. Bones might somehow find out. Bad enough she’d gone in that weird room. Her luck he’d dust for fingerprints and find her nosy ones all over everything.
She headed back to the kitchen, ready to find where the heat was in that little ice-cube of a house. She’d seen vents on the ceiling but maybe it was out. She spotted one more door in the kitchen and opened to find a laundry room. Small but exactly what you’d need. She had to smile at the clothes-line, complete with white briefs, socks, and a t-shirt hanging on it. That had to be a Reginald thing.
She shut the door and spotted a thermostat. Oh, please let it work. She turned it on heat and rejoiced at hearing it kick on. Thank God.
She turned to the kitchen and headed to the fridge. See what kind of good stuff she could cook up in there. Some coffee would be nice.
****
“Come on, Bones.” Reginald sounded out of patience. “I know what you’re doing.”
“What?” he said, all innocent.
“I’m not stupid and I’ve been more than patient with you.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“First, it was the loooong shopping. Question after question, like you never in your life do, like you actually give a shit about any of it. And talking to people? Really Bones? When do you ever do that?”
“I was trying to be helpful.”
“Helpful to yourself,” Reginald muttered, checking their mirrors. “You know I wanted to hurry and you don’t.”
“I’m doing what you asked. Normal things. I’m supposed to practice, remember?”
“But today?!”
“When else should I start,” Bones muttered. “I’m kind of forced into sudden normalcy all at once.”
“So, why are you grinning?”
“Because it’s kind of funny.”
“It’s funny because you’re busted,” Reginald said, making him grin more. “All this caring when you don’t really care.”
“See?” Reginald said. “Any other day I would be thrilled to death but not the day when I have the woman I love waiting in a dank basement while we frolic and shop the day away. I think you’re hoping she leaves.”
“I was just…” Bones was running out of excuses as he slid his hands along the steering wheel. “Maybe I know that once we get back, you’ll have your face where I can’t be, and won’t be seeing a lot of you.” Bones rolled his eyes at feeling Reginald soften. “And no more pointers,” Bones added, hoping he’d keep his mush trap shut. “I’m done with that. You’re on your own.”
“I won’t just be doing that with her.”
“I hate to break it to you Reggie boy but… yes you will. And I still don’t like her.”
“Why!” he whined.
Bones shrugged. “She’s nosy, bossy. She’s a woman.”
“If you’re worried about your secrets, you know you can trust me.”
“Right. And you’ll trust her and she’ll trust so and so.”
“I would never,” Reginald said. “And your night insanity isn’t going to happen again so…”
“How can you be sure?”
“Because we’ll figure out some way to make sure.”
“Well, I would love to know when you think of it. And I hate to even say this,” Bones said, “but it seems unsafe to have her around with me unable to control this. Don’t you think?”
Reginald let out a derisive, half laugh. “I think I’ll find a way to make her safe, that’s what I think. And I think you need to focus on helping me do that.”
“Fine, risk it.”
“Your manipulation isn’t going to work,” Reggie said.
“Oh, Christ.”
“Oh, Christ nothing,” Reginald snapped, gripping the steering wheel and pressing on the gas a little in his anger.
“Fine,” Bones said, “we’ll sleep with her, I don’t care. We’ll do what we’ve always done up till now. Let fate decide.”
“I never said let fate decide.” Reginald took over driving and turned the truck around.
“Where you going?”
“Home. We’ve missed lunch, and it’s damn near supper.”
“It’s 3:30.”
“We haven’t even done our chores,” Reginald said. “Or our new project. And why didn’t we think to give her a phone so I could call her? I bet you probably did and didn’t say anything,” he muttered.
Bones wouldn’t deny that.
“No, there’s not plenty of time. And knowing you, you’ll have me up till midnight playing the idiot.”
They drove through town, and Bones eyed the gas needle. “Better get fuel,” he mumbled.
“It’ll wait.”
“Fine, but if you run out, it’ll really put us late.”
He remained silent as the last gas station came up. Reginald did his criminal mirror check with his jaw clamped tight. “I need some gum,” he said, yanking the wheel right and pulling into the gas station. “I want my breath fresh when I kiss her.” He pulled up at the pumps and threw the truck in park. “Kiss her alllll night.”
Bones fought not to smile, but a snicker broke free. Reginald clamped a hand over his mouth and Bones jerked, only to have Reginald hold tighter. He grabbed his fingers and pulled. “Let… go,” he mumbled under his hand.
A knock on the window made them drop their weapons. “Wanna fill up?”
Bushy Ben. “Yeah,” Reginald called to the giant man, carpeted in hair.
They watched him at the pumps in the side mirror. “Don’t put your hand on my mouth again,” Bones said.
“It’s my mouth too, I can put it where I want.”
“Ah, yeah,” Bones grinned. “And I can’t wait to wrap mine around that bottle of rum I’ve been dying to have.”
“I’m sure you can’t. Just like I can’t wait to sink my cock into…” he trailed off, like he’d gotten smacked by his chivalrous side. Bones wished he had one, then maybe his dick wouldn’t have gotten hard at the threat. That was another reason Bones didn’t want to go back. Because he knew how hard it would be not to partake when Reginald got going. He couldn’t seem to avoid the festivities where his cock was concerned. Worse, was that he didn’t want to avoid it. Reginald doing that with their body could grow into an addiction they both had to have. How the fuck was that supposed to work when she belonged to Reginald? Not that he’d have to wait long to get satisfied given Reginald’s appetite with her. But what if his other appetites decided they wanted to play? What if that appetite decided to take what it wanted when he slept?
The owner of the gas station came out, yanking the soapy squeegee from its holder and slopping it onto the windshield.
“Remember what happens when I drink?” Bones asked, to which Reginald sighed. "One swig will have you s-s-s-stuttering all over the place. You think she’s gonna be turned on with that? W-W-W-Winter, c-c-c-can you-you-you-you s-s-s-s-suuuuuuuck m-m-m-m-my c-c-c-c-c-c-c-”
“Shut the fuck up.” Reginald smacked him in the forehead, hard enough to make his head jolt. “It's your lame jokes I’m more worried about. I can handle myself.”
“This I gotta see.”
“This you 'will' see. The language of love doesn’t require words.”
Bones snickered with laughter. “Good thing.”
They both snapped their head left.
“She’s been missing…” the owner of the station said. “The Professor ain’t happy. Neither am I. She owes me another cocksucking. Last time, I fucked her fat-ass before making her suck it.”
Reginald opened the truck door and stepped out, making the dirty chucklers turn. “Who were you just talking about?”
What the fuck are you doing? Bones said.
“You didn’t hear about that missing whore?” the owner asked, his shit colored eyes going wide. “The Professor’s been looking for her, that’s her pimp. You see her?”
Get back in the truck. Bones ordered.
“Is her name Winter?” Reginald asked.
“That’s the one,” the owner squealed. “Whoooweee, she can suck—”
Reginald cocked back and Bones put his own fury behind it, decking him in his fat mouth and laying him out cold. Bones was still a little shocked because it was damn near all Reginald.
“The hell you did that for?” Bushy Ben said, angry brows aimed at them.
Now you can get in the truck, Bones ordered.
CHAPTER SIX
No, I’m not done yet Reginald said, facing the hair-ball. “Because he disrespected her,” Reginald said, resisting Bones’ pull in reverse. “And if I ever hear anybody say anything about her again, I’ll kill them.”
Now. Get in now.
The man’s meaty mouth hung open in confusion before it slowly clamped shut.
Your lunch is getting cold and she’s probably pissed.
“I got this,” Reginald said, moving away from the truck and removing their coat.
Did you miss his size? Are you fucking serious?
“I got it, Bonesy,” he muttered. “These bastards hurt her. They’re gonna pay,” he finished with an eager blood-thirst.
“No, I got you,” the burly man said, lumbering toward them like a tank of lard.
“Come on you ugly, hairy, fat-ass,” Reginald taunted, shuffling around on his feet like the boxer he wasn’t.
You don’t know how to fight!
“How hard can it be?” Reginald muttered, holding both fists up in front of him, rotating them in different positions. “Fist to face? You’re going to meet your friend on the ground, you nasty lump of pubic hair.”
He was going to get their ass killed. You’re on your own.
I’d expect nothing less. She’s mine to defend.
Don’t get too close to him Reggie. He’ll snap our spine.
Reginald crept in a circle around the man, doing his strange boxing ballet while the man lumbered after him, confused.
Get h
im on the ground.
Reginald suddenly ran at him, slamming them into the wall of monster. Arms of iron locked around them and the world tilted before their back hit the cement with a bone rattling force.
The mass of madness fell on them. “I got this!” Reginald grit, squirming under the elephant. A large fist slammed their jaw, damn near knocking them unconscious. He landed another punch, then another.
“Get him off!” Bones roared.
“I’m trying!”
The man’s massive size didn’t seem to slow him. Bones shoved fingers in his trachea while turning enough to get his leg around his body. Was like straddling a fucking couch.
The beast somehow pinned them on their stomach and pulled their head back, shooting pain down their spine. “I got it, I got it,” Reginald strained out in grunts.
Bones whipped his head right, escaping the hold. The next second, Bones locked the bastard down with his legs. “That’s how you do that, Reggie,” he gasped, spitting blood then ramming his elbow into the dude’s face several times.
The first break in the monster’s resistance, Bones spun and bent his meaty arm over his leg. “Do it” Reginald grit, adding all his weight to it.
His upper humerus gave a loud crack, and the man belted out a scream. “Scream you fat fucker,” Reginald hissed, bringing the heel of his boot down onto his nose. He repeated the assault, over and over and over.
“That’s enough!” Bones yelled, yanking his foot back and rolling away from the lifeless man. They dragged themselves up and looked around, limping quickly to the truck. “Fuck, I can’t believe you did that.”
He climbed in and started the truck, looking around as he tore out of there.
“Don’t break the laws,” Reginald warned as they drove the short distance back, winded. “What do you think they’ll do now?” he asked, eyeing the mirrors again.