Just a piece of fiction

“Elly, why am I here?” He asked.

She made no response, no movement whatsoever. He couldn’t quite make out where they were. Some apartment, long abandoned judging by the shattered remnants of once ornate pieces of furniture. Or perhaps this damage was her doing. The only light in the room was a lone lunar ray peeking in between ragged remains of purple drapes. It seemed to illuminate her face, no, more than that, it made her face sparkle. Why was her face sparkling? He tried to get out of his seat. The bindings on his wrists and ankles cut into his skin. He yelped in surprise more than pain. The yelp brought her back to reality.

“Why did you leave me?”

“Is that what this is about?” He asked calmly.

She took a step forward, “What else would it be fucking about?”

Had he been paying attention he would have realized why her face had appeared to sparkle moments before. Her features were drowned in her own tears. But he did not notice these things for he was now staring at her right hand, or more precisely the gun held within it.

She took another step forward and pressed the pistol right against his forehead. He gulped loudly. He could feel his clothes begin to soak with perspiration.

“Wh-wh-why did you…did you leave me?” She was crying now. Her words, a mess of fury and sorrow.

“I had to go, I loved you.”

She smacked him across the face with the gun.

“LIAR!” She shrieked, no tears now, just rage. “You were bored, wanted to find a floozy for some fun!”

“No, what, never. They had found me, I had to go.”

Silence descended in the room as she pondered his words. Finally she spoke, “Why didn’t you leave a note.”

“A note?”

“Yes a note, some fucking words! You know so I didn’t think you were dead!”

“I didn’t think…”

“No you didn’t.” She was crying again. ” I mourned for you, do you know that. I thought you were dead. That was… that was awful. But then to find you with her, that, that is not fair. Why a family with HER? I-I-I just I can’t, no I can’t.”

“Elly, I’m sorry”

Those words seemed to compose her thoughts slightly. She strolled towards him. Tears still streaming from her eyes. She held the gun to his head. “Not as sorry as you’re about to be”

She would have done it, she knew it and so did he, were it not for a knock on the door. The sound startled Elly, she half jumped half fell backwards.

“POLICE, OPEN UP!” Someone shouted from the door.

“Of course, she did this for you.” Elly muttered.

“What?” He asked.

“The bitch you chose, the one that loves you like I did. She’s worried for your safety, she must have sent for them.”

“Elly, I…”

“SHUTUP!” She sighed as the banging grew louder. “I’m not going to kill you.”

The bound man almost smiled, but he quickly smothered such facial movements in case it would set her off.

“I’m not killing you because that’s too easy, it doesn’t punish you. But I can’t go on, not like this, not anymore.”

She brought the gun level with her own head.

“ELLY WAIT, STOP!”

She was crying now, sobbing between each and every word. “You used to love me… I’m…I’m sure of it. Whenever happiness creeps up on you, I want you to remember this, look at me, remember my face right now. And if you wonder what caused this, I…I want you to know that…that this was, all… your… fault!”

“ELLY NO!”

She pulled the trigger.

Confrontation

The sound of a zip awoke Jack from his nightmare infested slumber. His heart beating, he fumbled under his pillow for his gun. Before he was even fully aware of what he was doing his gun was in hand, aiming into the enigmatic darkness of the tent. The only source of light was the camp fire several feet away. It’s smoldering flames caused shadows to dance along the tent walls further unnerving Jack. He sat for three minutes poised like that. No sound registered in his ears, no enemy entered his line of sight.

It must have just been some startled animal passing by. Jack let out a sigh of relief. It was only once he had calmed down that he realized his tent was empty, Blackout was gone! Jack darted out of the tent, the air was cold against his skin, not even the fire offered enough warmth to keep him from shivering. In the distance he could see Blackout, passing through some hedges.

“Blackout Wait!” Jack called into the darkness, a risky move, calling out into the darkness.

Blackout slowly began to turn around, it looked like he was about to say something when an owl, startled by the shouts, swooped by. Blackout jumped back, he never had liked animals.

The relief Jack felt upon catching up to him, quickly morphed into anger.

“You were just going to leave without saying goodbye?”

“I had to,” came Blackout’s reply. The tall boy was staring at something in his hands, something silver, a bullet.

“Is that the bullet from the attack?”

“Yes,” Blackout opened his hand to reveal it, carved into the bullet’s surface was one word, actually a name to be precise, Samuel.

“Who’s Samuel,” Jack asked, his fury slowly melting away.

“I’m Samuel, well Sam.”

“Is someone trying to kill you?”

“Maybe but for now I think she just wants my attention.”

“She? An ex girlfriend?” Jack joked.

“No, just a cruel sadistic bitch. I have to go kill her. She wont stop until either I’m dead or she is.”

An awkward silence descended between the pair. Blackout was not usually so quick to talk bad about someone.

“I’ll come too,” Jack said.

“No, I appreciate the thought but I have to go alone. Now go back before the others realize what has happened.”

“But…”

“GO!” With that Blackout vanished into the sanctuary that was the darkness of the woods.

Hours later but before the sun arose Blackout found himself outside of her shack. A small unimposing brown building, one window on either end. It looked like it had no electricity or insulation. It must be killing her to live in a place like this, Blackout mused to himself, but she was definitely here. Her scent was unmistakable, a pungent flowery perfume that did it’s best to cover up the smell of blood. Blackout circled the building three times, it looked like she was alone in there. But he was no fool, she would have armed guards hidden somewhere. It made no difference however, there was after all only one entrance.

“Show no mercy” He whispered to himself before kicking open the door.

He walked into the room, and aimed his gun at her. Before he could make another move, he was surrounded, large masked guards aiming their own weapons at him. She never even looked up from what she was doing. Writing as if the events occurring before her were as interesting as a slug crawling by.

“Typical” Blackout said.

“Your gun, drop it” The closest guard ordered, his voice had a distinctive French twang.

Blackout did as he was instructed.

“Good now kick it to me”

With a sigh Blackout kicked the small revolver towards the man. Such a shame he really liked that gun. He’d probably never see it again. The large man gestured to others behind Blackout and several hands groped his body for concealed weapons. A little too thoroughly for Blackout’s liking, but he was not in a position to complain.

“All clear.” Someone said.

She clapped her hands in excitement, finally looking up. “Excellent, gentlemen, wait outside I do not expect he travelled alone.”

“I did actually.” Blackout replied.

The guards didn’t question their mistress, and filed out of the room, the one who had taken the gun slammed the door behind him.

“Samuel.”

“Ellianore”

“Too what do I owe this pleasure?” Her lips pulled back into a smile. She was as deceptive as a Mermaid and twice as beautiful. Her long brown hair was tied neatly behind her revealing her large brown eyes that were as dark and rich as pools of coffee. Her hands remained beneath her large ebony desk.

“You tried to kill me.”

“Samuel please…”

“My name is Blackout”

Ellianore grinned as if the new name was highly amusing to her. The grin was demeaning, it made Blackout want to smash her head against a wall there and then, but he refrained. Dealing with Ellianore demanded care, she had sent many men to their graves by goading their fury.

“As you wish. My assassin’s were really just messengers. I know you Blackout, I know what you can handle. How else was I to get your attention?”

“Why do you need my attention, why can’t you leave me alone?”

“You know too much, all we have done together, all you watched me do. I cannot let you walk away. I wont. You are either with me or you are dead. Those are your options”

“You still think I care about you? After all these years? I have no intention of exposing your foul deeds to the world, what good would it do? All I want is a life of my own, a chance to do come good in this world.”

Ellianore clapped her hands, “Bravo Agent Blackout, that was a marvelous performance.”

“It wasn’t a performance.”

“You forget that I know you” Ellianore spat, “You forget that I was the one who taught you to lie, to fight, to kill, to be merciless and flirtatious. I made you, I can and will destroy you.”

Blackout heard a sound outside, a crunching, a swoosh of air, followed by a thud. Why had he come?

“I’m not that person anymore.” Blackout said, praying to God she hadn’t heard what was probably the death of one of her guards.

“Perhaps not, still better safe than sorry.”

It was then that Blackout realized a moment to late the danger of Ellianore having her hands beneath a desk. The desk erupted in shower of splitters as a single bullet tore through it finding its target in Blackout’s shoulder.

The pain, searing. Blackout couldn’t move his arm. He screamed and roared to vent the sensation, like molten lava being poured into his shoulder, the bullet was still warm.

“Now, now child, hush up. Screaming does not become you.” She strolled across the floor lazily, purposely emphasizing the sound of her footfalls. She aimed the gun at his face. “Any last words?”

Blackout clamped his jaws shut and closed his eyes, he wouldn’t give her the satisfaction. He always assumed it would end something like this. Those that live by the sword die by it.

Bang!

The sound deafened him. Wait, why could he tell that it had deafened him? Blackout opened his eyes. Standing above him was Jack, his gun in his hands, at his feet lay Elianore, the witch was finally dead.

“Jack?”

 “Get up jackass, it’s barely a scratch.”