I’m aching. I hate more than anything that that is thedominant feeling I have right now.
I look out into the distance down the path he took, the only thing I can seem to think about—besides the fact that I'm fucked for letting him that close to me again—is the one thing I fear now more than anything else…
He knows something I don’t.
11
TRACE
"Movies don’t create psychos; movies make psychos more creative." – Billy, Scream (1996)
Violence coils in my gut. The need for blood warps my vision as my desire for pain—anyone else’s or my own—cages me in just like the rough, warm hand that I had wrapped around Olivia’s throat moments ago.
I watch her now as she dusts herself off before she stands up from where I left her. I like it a little too much, observing the way she rubs at the fingerprints I left around her neck, recalling the way she squirmed as I choked her up against the tree. It gave me so much pleasure hearing her gasp for air as her eyes were rolling back.
Call me a monster, or a psycho or a fucking weirdo, but I revel in the way it feels to make someone succumb to my sadist tendencies. Olivia won’t be exempt from that even if I am here to save her.
I wasn’t always like this. I certainly never had to ask twice for anything I wanted and I had no problem showing my aggressiveness. But I only transformed into a nightmare personified because why the hell not? I took the pain I was gifted so generouslyand turned it into something worth suffering for. So now, I am a man cut from the shadows, hungry for bloodshed, and forged by the need to watch people suffer simply because my darkness can’t be stemmed by anything other than inflicting pain. And the prettiest one of all is going to feel my wrath becauseshe’sthe one who craves it the most.
I am not done with her tonight. Not by a long shot. I keep my eyes trained on her figure as she throws her hair up into a ponytail—my little flower proving to me that she’s rather defiant. She starts to weave in and out of the trees, trying to find her way back to the path acting as if she wasn’t writhing in beautiful agony against me while I threatened to haunt her.
And I will haunt her.
I’ve come back for revenge and though I have no doubt that I will succeed, I know that no matter what I won’t be leaving empty handed because Iwillbe leaving withher. The promise I made to her will prevail as my truth and I don’t care if I have to take her kicking and screaming and even more broken than she was when I found her. But even so, when all is said and done here, she'll be free. She'll understand her pain and her fear a lot better, and she'll accept herself as one thing and one thing only . . .mine.
“Don’t you think you took that just a little too far?” I look over my shoulder to see Sage taking off the yellow mask, one that mimics my own. He pinches his fingers together, leaving little space between them to display just howlittle too farhe thinks I went.
I don’t face him completely when I answer him.
“I don’t recall asking you for your fucking opinion,” I spit out before walking over to the next set of trees,making sure I don’t lose sight of Olivia as she starts to disappear down the path that’ll take her to where everyone is gathering for the next big event of the night.
“I’m just saying. I’m all for the cause and all but you do know she lost her memory of that night and you took-”
I turn and charge, pinning Sage up against a tree with my forearm to hold him down at his chest. He rolls his eyes with his hands up in defense as Evrin chuckles a few feet back.
“Should have kept your mouth shut,” Evrin sing-songs to Sage who starts to relax under my hold.
“Oh, stay out of this. Not my fault that you’re TK’s favorite.”
I don’t hate the guy, but I smirk knowing damn well that my choice to let Sage tag along was not really my choice. I only did it to keep Ev happy and to have as many eyes as I can tonight knowing I wasn’t going to be able to have my sights everywhere this weekend. I gave each of them someone to watch, keeping tabs on whereabouts and actions while I devise a plan. While they are here with me, giving me their loyalty and doing what I say, this is all my doing. I’m the one with the agenda, I have the need for revenge and if everything goes according to the plan, this weekend I will end in bloodshed. Lots of it.
The guys only know what I want them to know, because even though I have high doubts that they should be on my hit list, I don’t trust anyone. They also know that what I do with my little flower is none of their fucking business and should keep their mouth shut when it comes to what my plans are with her.
And of course, I know she lost her memory. I remember how it was the talk of the town the week following everything that had happened. People were saying that she was guilty because of it, that she pretended to not remember so she wouldn’t have to lie. I don’t know exactly what she’s forgotten and what she can still recall from that night. But I have inside information that no one else has. And I’m going to unveil the truth, I just have to find the right time. I have to wait for her to realize what she’s forgotten.
“Can you let me down now, Loverboy?” Sage huffs behind strangled words, seeing as I’m assisting in the lack of his ability to breathe. But he pissed me off which is not a good thing to do when I’m already on edge.
“Think I might just push a little harder-” I press my arm into his chest, pinching his body between mine and the tree. “Don’t fucking question me again, got it?”
The glow of my teal mask positioned on top of my head illuminates in his blue eyes as I watch him tighten his lips and stare at me. I let up, dropping him from the position and he sucks in air.
“Not too rough on him, TK. The only marks I want on his back are mine.” Evrin walks over to Sage and grabs him by the throat, removing his mask before pulling him in for a kiss.
“You two have your own fucking cabin, you know?” I roll my eyes. “Go fuck around there.”
“Don’t be jealous, T. You’re not the only one who gets to have a little fun. Just because you can’t act out whatever fucked up fantasy your sadistic mind has developed,” Sage says with a chuckle.
I scoff. “It’s notmyfantasy.”
