by Charity B.
Mikkel switches on the light, revealing Jeff, a middle-aged man desperately trying to get away from the metal spikes. Adriel jumps up and down. “It worked!”
“Help me get him up, Matias.” Mikkel crouches next to him.
Careful to not step on the sharp metal, I assist in lifting him to his feet as he blubbers worthless pleas and apologies through cut up lips. We toss him in a tall, wooden chair against the wall when Adriel steps next to me holding a mallet and four large railroad spikes. Blood drips from the holes on Jeff’s face as he shakes his head. “No, no, no. Please, Mikkel, there must be some sort of misunderstanding.”
“Well, we don’t want you to move, silly,” Adriel answers.
I push down on Jeff’s arm as Mikkel and Thomas keep the rest of him still. She lines the pointed spike up with the space right above his wrist. With a grunt, she brings the mallet down as hard as she can, successfully attaching him to the armrest. One more hit gets it all the way through. Blood and sweat makes Jeff’s skin slick as his yells bellow in my ear.
“Hold on, I want to take a couple shots of this.” My new Nikon Z6 is easily the most badass camera I’ve ever had. Through the viewfinder, exquisite viciousness flutters across her features when Adriel slams the mallet down on the second spike. I hold the shutter release button, not wanting to miss a second.
“You found out about the investigation?” Jeff sobs between screams after Adriel finishes doing the same to his ankles. “I haven’t mentioned your name, I swear!”
Ignoring his statement, Mikkel wraps an arm around me and one around Adriel. “You haven’t had the pleasure of meeting my cousins. This is Adeline and Matias.”
Jeff’s face goes white beneath the streaks of crimson. “Mikkel, you have to believe me.”
“You’re not even going to tell us how nice it is to meet us?” Adriel asks. She looks to our cousin. “He doesn’t have very good manners.”
Mikkel chuckles. “No, he doesn’t.”
I walk to the table as Thomas leans against it, his erection already prominent in his pants. He knows where this is going to go. After setting down my camera, I open my soldering kit to remove the butane soldering iron and a roll of rosin core solder. Adriel has her favorite things.
This is mine.
Removing the neck brace from my bag, I carry it over to Jeff where I fasten it securely enough that he can’t move his head.
“What are you going to do to me?!” he wails.
I smile at him. “It’s a surprise.” Adriel squeals and claps her hands as I return to the table.
Once I take off the protective lid from the pen shaped soldering iron, I adjust the temperature to around six hundred degrees.
“I’ve made it clear what would happen if you ever betrayed me, haven’t I? This shouldn’t come as a shock.” Mikkel says behind me.
Jeff’s response consists of words indecipherable through the sobs and gasps. I remember when sounds of torment would make me distraught. Now, they’re just excess noise.
The mallet falls from Adriel’s grip to the floor when I walk back to her. She bites her lip, her hand lifting her skirt to rub over her panties. “Where are you gonna do it?” she whispers.
I enjoy watching her fingers for a moment before answering. “Where do you want me to do it?”
She’s examining Jeff to decide when Mikkel says, “Just remember, losing one sense intensifies all the others.” He stalks toward Thomas, kissing him deeply the moment he reaches him. They aren’t really the type to waste time. Before I turn back to my sister, they’re unzipping each other’s pants.
Adriel’s smile widens, “I can’t decide between his eyes or his nose. He won’t be able to scream if you do his mouth.”
Blocking out Jeff’s pleas, I shrug. “We can always do all three.”
Mikkel groans from behind me, stroking his and Thomas’ cocks together. “You two are going to kill me.”
The way I feel when he praises me is addictive. I don’t have to be in competition with Adriel for his affection because he doles it out evenly. He loves us the same.
I nod to the table, telling Adriel, “I’ll need your help. Go get the plyers.”
She obeys, but before she returns Mikkel says, “Leave your panties here.”
The white cotton falls to the floor so quickly, I’d swear she knew the words he was going to say before they even left his mouth. Climbing on top of a blubbering Jeff, whose face is now shiny with snot, she straddles him, using the plyers to lift the skin of his right eyelid away from his eyeball. I unravel the thin, wiry rosin core solder, placing it between his eyelashes. She makes sure the top and bottom lids are pressed together evenly over the metal.
It’s necessary to be very precise while doing this. Adriel grips his hair to hold his head back, using all of her weight to keep his body as still as possible. The moment the heated tip of the soldering iron touches the rosin core, smoke rises, the melted metal bonding the seam of his closed eyelid. He screams louder than he did when Adriel nailed him to the chair. He’s thrashing around beneath her so violently, it’s difficult to spread the silver solder across the line where his eyelashes meet with the pointed tip of the soldering iron.
The nice thing about rosin core solder is that it not only melts rapidly, it also cools very quickly. With his right eye fused closed, we shift over to his left. The horrific noises flying from his throat are grating on my nerves, distorting my concentration. If I were doing this on my own, his mouth would have been the first thing I closed.
Jeff bucks beneath Adriel in agony, making her nipples lift the white fabric of her dress. Her breathing picks up pace as she rocks on his lap ever so slightly, being careful to pay attention so she doesn’t get burned. My erection tents my white trousers, making it more difficult to focus on the task at hand.
Mikkel’s eyes blaze watching us as he leans against the table, pushing down on Thomas’ head. It’s not the violence that turns me on, it’s what it does to Adriel and Mikkel that gets my cock hard. I love when he orders us around sexually, telling us what he wants to watch us do to each other.
I nod my head for her to follow me. “We’ll solder his nostrils in a minute, come here.”
Hopping off the howling man, she meets me at the table where I clean off the iron tip and return it to its case. She lifts her skirt to give me a clear view of her bare pussy. Her fingers rub her clit as her eyes dance between the three of us.
Glancing over her shoulder, I look to Jeff who appears to have finally passed out. Part of me kind of regrets soldering his eyes closed first. I’ve learned I enjoy it when I fuck Adriel with an audience.
My gaze shifts down to Thomas on his knees with a mouth full of cock and drool dripping down his chin. Lowering my zipper, I lick my hand before stroking myself. “I think they have the right idea.”
She bites her smiling lip, sending more blood between my legs. Over half of my erection disappears in blissful warmth the moment she drops to her knees. My fingers grip the table’s edge as I groan. It’s impossible to not thrust between her soft lips.
Her tongue slides down my shaft and she grins before looking at Thomas. “Betcha three hundred dollars I’ll make Matias come before you make Mikkel.”
My head jolts in surprise as I chuckle, “What?”
Mikkel’s laugh booms at the same time Thomas says, “Awe. That’s adorable. I’ve been sucking dick for a decade. But sure.”
She grips my base, stroking and swallowing as much of me as she can. Oh, holy shit…When there’s a bet on the line she really fucking goes for it. My hands grip at her skull. “Jesus Christ, Adriel.”
Once I say her real name, I look at Mikkel’s raised brow. “If you want to call her that during sex, I understand, but you must get used to calling her Adeline without thinking about it.”
Her tongue glides around my shaft while she looks up at us. “I know,” I moan.
If I were to look into my future a few years ago and see this scene, I would have been horri
fied. Unless, I was able to feel the things I feel in this moment.
Is this unusual, dark and a little depraved? Yes. But with my soul on her knees in front of me with our child in her belly, it’s more than I ever could have fantasized. We’re finally back in a safe, loving home, and I’ve found my nirvana. I haven’t cut myself once since leaving Lettleton.
For the first time in six years, there’s no pain to get rid of.
Adriel
21 years old
“Come on, Mommy! I want to paint a picture!” Ashes stomps her little feet as she crosses her arms.
“I told you, we’re having dinner with Mikkel’s friend tonight. I don’t want you to get dirty.”
Her little face scrunches up with her frustration. “Fine. But your mean!”
She’s so stubborn. I sigh because I hate her being upset with me. “Go play in the backyard. Your daddy will be home soon. After dinner, if your good, we can play with the paints.”
She throws her stuffed panda bear across the living room as she stomps to the back door holding her blank piece of paper.
There are plenty of people on this property to keep an eye on her, so I turn toward the stairs to finish getting ready. Vines with sharp thorns crawl their way up the iron banister next to me as I climb up the staircase. Shiny, lapdog-sized black bugs scurry across the walls of mine and Malakai’s bedroom. The older I get, the more I see stuff. Most of the things, like the pink lights and my creations, I enjoy, but the bugs terrified me at first. Then when one looked up at me and smiled, I gave it a chance. Now I know none of the things I see will hurt me, including the dog-bugs. I pick up one of them, it’s six legs resting against my chest as if hugging me. Sluma has suggested that we name them, and I wish we could, there’s just too many, and they all look exactly alike.
I sit next to the window with the bug in my lap as I tie a bow in my hair and watch Ashes out the window chasing a nutria rat. I roll my eyes. There’s no way her dress will stay clean until tonight. When she stomps on the critter with her sparkly, buckle shoes, I gasp with my giggle. I see so much of myself in her. The absence of life has intrigued her ever since her pet kitten was hit by a car. She slept with the feline corpse for two days before Malakai finally got rid of it. I obviously understand the attraction. Death can be a hauntingly confusing thing, especially at her age.
Using its tail, she slams the rat against the ground. I drop my head back with a groan. She’s going to need another bath. Since the animal is clearly dead, I don’t understand why she picks up a rock to hit it over and over until she uses the blood to finger paint on her paper.
I set the bug on the floor, laughing to myself as the vines follow me to her room, stretching across the hall walls. I can’t really get mad. I would have done the same thing.
While I pick out a new dress for her to wear to dinner, I glance out her window, smiling to see Kai and Mikkel walking across the yard to Ashes. Malakai is gorgeous in anything he puts on, but I have to admit, I really like that Mikkel makes him wear suits for business meetings. While I can’t hear, I can see Ashes’ face light up and the movement of her mouth suggests she’s screaming, Daddy! He picks her up and Mikkel’s head drops back with his laugh. Presumably at her art supplies.
They’ve been gone since this morning. I miss them so much when they’re away. Dropping her dress on the bed, I run down the stairs faster than the vines can grow. The melody of their laughing and voices always gives me a sensation that I don’t understand. I don’t need to, though, because it’s the best thing I’ve ever felt.
“There’s your pretty mommy.” Malakai flashes me a smile that speeds up my heartbeat. “She was…painting.”
Mikkel chuckles as he takes her from Kai. “And it’s the best painting I have ever seen,”
The moment his arms are free, I run into them. He holds my waist tight, pulling me close for a kiss.
“I missed you,” I say.
Mikkel puts Ashes on his shoulders, pressing a kiss at my temple on his way back outside. “Make sure Eugéne has everything for Jack’s dietary needs. I’m going to take Ashes to play in the yard some more.”
“Yes, yes!” She hugs his neck so hard she has got to be choking him. He won’t ever complain about it though. He spoils her more than Malakai does. “I want to go super high on the swing again! Will you push me?”
Even though he closes the door, I don’t need to hear his response to know what he says. My body lifts off the ground when Kai picks me up, touching our foreheads together. “I missed you too, Adriel,” he whispers.
Hearing my real name fall from his lips always gives me a thrill. In my heart, he will always be Malakai, and I know he feels the same way about me. He says it every time we’re alone.
We don’t separate hands as we go to the garage. My creation station is on the way to the freezer, so I tug him inside. Everything I could ever want is in here. Doll parts and torn stuffies fill the bins. Ribbons, buttons, stickers, and glitter sit in jars along the work table. I have more tools to help me make perfect creations than I’ve ever had before. Photos of past human creations line the walls, and right now, they are each moving in their own photographs, dancing, laughing and singing.
My newest one is still here, but Mikkel says he has to take him away tonight. His name is Larryufflegus. His torso is from the giant bear Kai bought me last month. He still has the man’s head and lower body, though, I replaced his penis with an elephant trunk and gave him antlers.
“Have you developed the pictures of him yet?”
Kai tugs my hand, guiding me through the connecting door that leads to his dark room. “I was running late, or I would have shown you this morning.”
He’s always taken unbelievable photos. However, lately, his style has truly transformed into an untouchable brilliance. He has a few private buyers that will buy anything he’s willing to sell.
Even these pictures of Larryufflegus are breathtaking. I grin as I run my fingers over the slick photograph. “I love it.”
His lips press against my temple. “Come on, Eugéne is waiting on us.”
The large walk in freezer sits at the opposite end of the expansive garage. Chills run through my body as we make our way to the back, stopping at two large crates labeled, J. Crowner.
Jack Crowner is one of Mikkel’s three cannibal clients. He purchases an entire body once a month, paying per pound, so bigger people are better for everyone. It also means we see a lot of him. He’s actually somewhat charming for someone who would eat you. I try to be extra nice because I know he is one of Mikkel’s favorite clients.
All the meat is packaged, organized by part. Kai reaches into the crate labeled ‘Lower Body.’
“What’s his favorite?” I ask.
He picks up a piece of flesh wrapped in butcher paper with the word thigh written on the front. “I have no idea. I guess the meatier pieces.”
With the partial leg under his arm, he clasps my hand and leads me to the kitchen. Eugéne is lining up ingredients and cooking utensils when Malakai hands him the package.
“Perfect, thank you.” He unwraps the thigh and places it in a bag full of marinade. His finger points to a large purple serving dish. “Mr. Crowner’s food will be brought out on that plate. I don’t want you to accidentally eat the wrong thing. Just remember: purple means people.”
Malakai snorts. “Thanks for the heads up.” His hand slides under my skirt and into my panties, fingering me in front of our chef. “Will you tell Mikkel I’ll be in his study later? I want to spend some time with my wife before our dinner guest arrives.”
Eugéne is immune to this kind of thing. Mikkel and Thomas used to have sex literally everywhere in this house. Now, they have to be more discreet with Ashes running around.
“If you catch me, you can fuck my ass,” I say softly in his ear.
His grin has me running out of the kitchen. I sprint down the hall to go to our room, the people in the mutilated photographs screaming at me the whole way.
> Just before I run up the stairs, the sight of Ashes’ blood painting stops me. It’s sitting on the small, decorative table by the backdoor right beneath the last family portrait Kai and I took with Mommy and Daddy. She’s painted five stick people. Three tall, one medium, and one small.
Her family.
Prickles poke at my heart, and I gasp. Something crawls down my cheek and when I swipe at it, my hand comes away wet. Kai wraps his arms around my waist.
“Caught ya.” He looks at the picture and grins. “She’s quite an artist. We just need to work on her medium.” When he lifts my chin, his smile is erased by a frown. Reaching up, he puts his finger under my eye. “Is this a tear?”
I softly laugh with my nod. I’ve never felt anything strong enough for it to leak out of me this way.
Until now.
1. Six Feet Under Billie Eilish
2. You Are My Sunshine The Phantoms
3. Dead Man’s Arms Bishop Briggs
4. Broken Lund
5. The Secrets In The Telling Dashboard Confessionals
6. Death Of Me PVRIS
7. Cry Little Sister Marilyn Manson
8. Put It On Me Matt Maeson
9. Bloody Creature Poster Girl In This Moment
10. Deathbeds Bring Me The Horizon
11. Die A Little YUNGBLUD
12. They Know My Name Big Little Lions
13. Dance In The Graveyards Delta Rae
14. Two Coffins Against Me!
15. Flowers Grow Out Of My Grave Dead Man’s Bones
16. Voices Motionless In White
17. I Just Want You Ozzy Osbourne
The more books I publish, the more I realize how much others make such an impact on me and my stories, and I couldn’t do this without any of them. There are really so many people I wish I could thank individually. I appreciate everyone who has believed in me and helped me along the way.
Kim BookJunkie. Oh man where do I start? You not only help make my words beautiful, but you have been a personal cheerleader for me and a fabulous friend. I am so grateful to have you in my life professionally and personally.