The Cellar City Chronicles

Is this what you want?

X had no response for the voice. His body seemed to think that this was in fact what he wanted. He could feel the current of, well, everything under his skin.

This dark haired girl was standing before him. She was dressed in... barely anything. There was a lot of blue lace on black satin. There was a lot of smooth pale skin showing, and she was... she was…

I’m not sure this is what you want, X.

“Shut up.” He hissed back.

She didn’t even bat an eyelash at the outburst.

Why shouldn’t he want this? Why couldn’t he? Normal people wanted this, normal people did these things. Who said he couldn’t? Who gave a fuck if normal people were twisted and broken things, he was too. Who said he shouldn’t want this?

You do.

He felt his breathing hitch in his throat as she lifted his hand and placed it on her breast. He could feel her heartbeat through the soft skin on his fingertips. He felt himself react, and found that he enjoyed the sensation. It felt normal. It felt like he was normal. For a split second.

Don’t do it.

“Fuck you.” He snarled.

She hadn’t stopped staring. She met his eyes, fearless just like... Just like…

Lenora.

“Oh I hope so.” She purred back at him.

He felt a laugh bubble to his lips, and for a second she looked offended – but before she could say anything, he felt the red creep into the corners of his vision, and his other hand reached out to grab the back of her head, pulling her in close to touch lips again, to feel close again.

She moaned into his lips, and his other hand pressed her, felt the shape of her, and she pressed right back, again right against the wall.

There was heat there, warmth between them. It felt familiar. He felt like he had done this before.

He heard another groan and realized it was him. X felt her smile against his lips, and she spoke to him again. He barely heard the words, but in another moment she was apart from him.

She stared him in the eyes, and the look there made him want to grab her again – but she was quick. She caught his hand in hers, and snagged his other hand as well.

“Lets’ do this right, shall we?” She growled at him.

He nodded.

The voices turned into a hum at the back of his mind, and he let her pull him into the next room. The bedroom. He let her push him down and slowly, achingly, straddle him with ease. When she leaned down to kiss him again he took deep breaths of her and fistfuls of her hair.

She WAS with some other guy. She never wanted you then, did she? But is this what you want?

“Yes.” He murmured.

“Don’t worry, baby.” She moaned, her hips working up friction and magic on his own, her body moving like it was made for this. “I will give you just what you need.”

She lowered her face to his chest, and her tongue flicked out, tracing the scar tissue there, and for a second he felt pain. A sharp, hot pain in his chest that arced from her tongue. His eyes gleamed red and they rolled to the back of his head, and he was helpless then, and the voices could offer no retort save one.

Fuck it.

Lenora ran. Her shoes were off, and she was wearing almost nothing, but she ran. She didn’t know why she had called Renee, maybe she just wanted to hear a familiar voice, something to make her remember what normal life was – but she was so out of ‘normal’ that it barely helped.

It only got her more confused.

After the explosion she barely had her wits around her to grab anything she could get her hands on. She’s stumbled over Mr. Jones’ body again with a sob and snatched up any folders right on top of the desk, then she ran. As she did, sirens filled the air in her wake.

The streets went by in a blur. Puddles splashed up the sides of her legs, and soon she had to stop. Panting and sweating from the run, she shakily plopped on the sidewalk, flitting through the folders. One had financial statements in it, different clubs and their income. Maybe quarterly reports?

She dropped that to the side and leafed through the next. Contractual agreements between Mr. Jones and the aforementioned clubs. She saw familiar names- Crank, Fed Up, Vixens…

Then she held her breath.

Arrowhead.

She put the folder to the side again, leafing through the last one. This had... more financial records, but … no clubs were listed. She didn’t know any of the companies listed on these papers. She put it in the pile and tried to catch her breath.

A car pulled up and she gathered the folders up, fully intending to flee again – but then a familiar ‘mrow’ made her stop.

When she turned to look, a large man leaned over and opened the passenger door, Trap sitting casual as can be on the seat looking at her.

“Mrow!”

“...Trap?”

“Mrow.”

“L-Lenora?”

Lenora looked past the CAT and saw the man from the restroom staring back at her – the one she had stopped X from shooting. “You.” She breathed. She started to back away slowly.

“Mroooow.” Trap insisted.

“It’s o-okay. Your friend is in trouble.” The big guy gestured for her to get in.

“X? X disappeared...” Lenora approached slowly. Trap hopped onto the dashboard. Or at least he tried. The big guy caught him mid leap and assisted him in the process.

“He came out of the ChiMera lines.” The bug guy nodded, almost with a sagely wisdom about his expression.”He’s … he’s at your place. With her.”

Lenora’s eyes narrowed but she approached. Trap was looking at her expectantly, long neck bowed against the windshield. Hesitantly she got in and buckled up.

“Her? Who?” Lenora asked.

“Giselle.”

Lenora shut the car door with a resounding thud. That name... that name... She had overheard Mr. Jones say that name. She gasped as the snippet of conversation sank in.

“Bring me his crazy fucking head wrapped in that fucking black jacket …And don’t think I won’t find you if you fuck with me again, Giselle. You aren’t the only cold blooded killer in town.”

“Oh my God.” Lenora was trembling as she turned to the big guy in the driver’s seat. “You have to take me back there, please take me back there, she’s going to kill him!”

The big man was nodding, but he was already turning the car around.

“I think the CAT took me to you.” he stated simply.

Lenora gave him a funny look as they sped by. “What is your name?”

He was quiet for a minute. “My first name is Useless. But... but you can call me Francis.” He smiled over at her, and it was the kindest, most genuine thing she had seen all day.

Her eyes clouded with tears and she sniffled. “Hi Francis.” she reached out a trembling hand and touched his elbow. “Thank you.”

Trap wobbled onto her lap and she clutched him to her. Francis made no other conversation as he drove them back towards her home. In no time at all he was pulling up to the front of her building, where she saw the downed power lines and the damage to her neighbor’s car. Looking up she could see a light in her apartment.

Her heart was hammering in her chest, and she frantically looked around the car.

“I … I need something. Like... like a bat or something... Anything...”

Useless got out of the car and popped the trunk, Lenora clamoring after him, She dropped Trap on the sidewalk and he trotted up to the open door of her building.

Lenora helped Useless dig for only a second before she came up with a crowbar. Without another word, she dashed for the building.

Useless grabbed her elbow, and Lenora spun towards him with the extra momentum of her movement.

“Let me go!” She pleaded.

“She’s dangerous!” Francis said, looking up towards the window.

For such a big guy, he looked so helpless. Her heart went out to him for just a second before she shook off his hand.

“So am I.” She hissed back. She turned and ran into the building, the darkness within swallowing her whole.