“Last time I’ll be speaking with the alive huh?” Richard spat, sitting in his chair. “Then ready up— because I have a lot to fucking say.”

  He sat straight, “I’ll explain what happened from the start.”

  “I choose you.” Paris chuckled— he flicked everyone away with his other hand whilst he readied the other, pointing at Richard who was kneeling. “Yes, you will be perfect!”

  The boy gulped— he looked up and saw Paris, the alternative villain was smiling— gleefully as his flicked Richard in the forehead. “You heard me— you kill tonight, whoever- I don’t care but it gotta be you.”

  “No— I kill when I want.” Richard spat onto the ground, his saliva dissolving parts of the ground as Paris chuckled.

  “Who said you got a choice?” The Evil gave a vial— poison and dropped it into Richard’s pocket, “We all see the decay stuff— ash, be more subtle and you could win you know.”

  “Do I get to take somebody with me? Or people?”

  “Nah— fuck that, you go alone— reminder of what you did. Evil boy.”

  “I didn’t choose for this shit! Leave me alone bastard!” Richard stomped his foot, his tone aggressive.

  “Hey— keep screaming and they’ll recognise your shitty voice.” Paris put a finger to his lip before quietly chuckling, “They’ll find someone like you out instantly— be a stepping stone so they can excel.”

  “Why’d you pick me huh? I got decay— I got power. You want a stepping stone? Pick someone weak!” Richard banged his chest.

  Paris went silent— before chuckling, “You are weak— now go and kill. I’m gonna be all sad— moody. ‘I don’t like this boohoo’, I’m a fucking actor— I love this, it’s what I signed up for. Now you should get your alibi ready.” The punk giggled— his laugh fading out as he disappeared.

  “Fuck.”

  “That bastard you think actually gave a shit— he doesn’t care at all. All he cares for is making himself feel good, some hedonistic freak. I did go to Roxanne’s home, I did— and shit happened from there.” Richard sighed, he stared at the ground— it was moving, or was he imagining it. Who knows— why would he care anyway, he’s about to die as soon as he finishes. He just sat—, the waterworks came of course, he cried for a little before continuing.

  Knock Knock.

  “Whoe’er?” Roxanne ran to the door— she opened it to see Richard, he was sweating— profusely. “Oh hunny— come in.” She opened it fully, allowing Richard to walk in.

  Her home was tightly clean— well kept, it was small— like the others probably, it looked the same from the outside. The hallway was long— tediously long, as they both walked into the living room. She sat on the couch— her ass magnified by the cushions as Richard followed, beside her. Richard stood like a giant compared to her— his physique toned hers a beautiful goddess. A dingy television was on a bar table, they pressed it on— news playing, Invalia returning under the rule of Samiel?

  “Isn’t that the chick from the Reprisal?” Richard gasped— he pointed at the TV, his gloves drenched in sweat. Roxanne patted his shoulder— she took off his tracksuit, revealing a grey tank top beneath— sweat was coursing throughout his body.

  “What’s the issue sugar? You quite sweaty tonight.” Roxanne giggled— she covered her mouth as she took her hat off— placing it onto the television. Her golden luscious curls gently flowed down her neck as she tilted it— freckled face, beautiful blue eyes which complimented her camel skin. Her teeth— bright, white as it glowed in Richard’s face. He quietly laughed, “Just tired— exercising.”

  “You run?”

  “While I ran here— saw a door open wide, pretty sure it was Famine— that silhouette had a hat on, that makes me look bad.” Richard chuckled.

  “He see you?”

  “Nah— that tracksuit makes me basically invisible.” He pointed at it before hugging Roxanne tightly.

  “Get outta me, you stink!” She playfully taunted as she tapped Richard’s nose.

  “Come on— just give me some sugar.” Richard giggled as he wrapped his whole body around her— falling onto the couch.

  “Fine— only a little taste.” Roxanne kissed him.

  “I knew I was spotted— it couldn’t have been just me— and since it was a far distance, didn’t know my face or my height. I was good.” Richard cracked his neck— he looked at Famine who chuckled. However Richard’s eyes didn’t hold hatred no longer— just bliss, “You were smart— I acted at the worst time, you actually decided to use your powers. It’s why you’ve made it so far Famine— why you own such a monopoly, we all know just nobody can bring you down— you are too smart.” Richard choked for a moment before realigning his back and breathing, “This is scary.”

  “Woah— you went crazy.” Roxanne giggled— she had a towel covering her body as did Richard as they sat together, “Are you alright?”

  “Tired— really tired now cause of ya.” He poked her breast as she began to chuckle louder, “Fucking hell.”

  “Here— they’ll get suspicious if they find you here for so long patna.” She attempted to give Richard the upper half of his tracksuit but something fell.

  A glass vial— a blue liquid inside, fizzing.

  It stopped. The world stopped. Roxanne’s eyes widened.

  .

  .

  .

  “What the hell izzat?” Roxanne shrieked, she jumped out of her towel revealing her naked body— lewd, and volumptious as Richard gasped. His towel dropped— revealing his uncut penis— sweat dripped down his body again.

  “Wait— I’ll explain!”

  “No way! Ya be the killer? WHY?”

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  “I was forced— listen babe! I need to tell you.”

  “What is that blue shit? Is that really?”

  “No wait— let’s get dressed first.” Richard grabbed onto her shoulders.

  “She was scared initially, I mean who’d blame her. Your boyfriend’s clothing just has some blue bubbling liquid inside— that’s fucked alright, but she calmed— she calmed way too fast. Once I told her— about Paris, about me being forced— she decided that no.” Richard shook his head and stared down, “She decided to try make an unsolvable murder.” He lifted his head and stared at Paris who simply chuckled on his throne.

  “Paris done told ya to do this?” Roxanne grimaced— she was back in her cowgirl attire, sitting on the chair— cross-legged as Richard was kneeling below her. “That vial— is it poison?”

  “Yes… lethal probably— don’t know when it kicks in but, just know it does.” Richard exasperatedly stated, his pants sent tremors— but Roxanne sat unfazed.

  “You know what Hun, who was you planning to get?”

  “A weaker one— someone I could overpower and force you know, like Lichness or…"

  ”“You wanted to kill on of da friends? You stupid or something— come on.” Roxanne slapped his head— he didn’t recoil but just sat there. “Relax mane..”

  “Sorry…”

  “Honestly— I’d kill ya but the way you’re going, I wouldn’t even needa.” Roxanne facepalmed, “Bait ya no— I’ll help.”

  “Don’t implicate yourself— we don’t know what they’d do to two killers, especially one that wasn’t even chosen.” Richard tried to grab her but was pushed off— staggering before collapsing to the floor, knocking the television over as it shattered.

  “Stop with making the noise.” Roxanne lifted her finger as Richard bent his head down. “I won’t help you like that. Matter fact— I gotta be the victim you’know.”

  She stood up— snatching the vial from Richard’s hand, guzzling it down. He tried to get up but his body didn’t let him, it was what was needed to be done.

  She finished, smiling at Richard.

  That smile faded.

  As she clutched her stomach— falling towards the ground, Richard didn’t move. He sat still— Roxanne’s skin changing blue, attempting to adapt but— it’d never work. Just a barrage of blue toxins inside attacked and she was powerless— defenceless, but was that not what she assigned.

  “You! You don’t say you killed! You don’t say you were here! You don’t say shit!” Roxanne ordered— the pain barely hindered her voice as she instructed Richard, “The couch! Clean it up— your juices and mine, get that gone! Decay that television! Decay everything in here! Go to the kitchen and grab the knife— give tha to me.”

  Richard followed— her every order, step by step. As Roxanne lied on the ground— she grabbed a pillow, shoving it into her mouth, muffler for the pain.

  Once Richard arrived with the knife— she was already half blue— red rashes starting appear on her body.

  “See, you are good!” Roxanne taunted on the ground— each pant could potentially be her last as she pointed to the door, “Get me into da bedroom.”

  Richard obliged— gently picking her up and carrying her to the bed.

  “You got paper?”“No…”“Fuck!” Roxanne yelled, “Scavenge!”

  Richard obliged, he ran through the cabinet before seeing a notepad— he tossed it onto Roxanne’s body as she ordered Richard to give the knife.

  “No time for fucking pen!” She barked as she slit the front of her finger— the pillow in her mouth watering as tears emerged from her eyes. She began to write.

  “These are fucking notes— you remember and do the code I put in. Live for me, Deny deny deny and be sad the whole time!”, her voice was muffled but the intent was clear.

  “You leave— staying here will make you look horrendous!”— the rashes appeared on her face, as she ordered Richard out the house.

  He obliged.

  “I stood there— I watched her fall down. She snatched it— right out my hand, what the fuck. I didn’t know what to do? Stop her? But how? It was just instant— the whole world froze but I was even slower than that, couldn’t even get up. My body, it said no— it said stay there Rich. Stay there Rich and watch what happens when you always act like a mean guy. I’ve always been mean to others I don’t like— yea, fuck— I just can’t think of this shit. It’s hard! Too hard! Think about me— she should’ve thought about my mental sake. Half the shit you guys said about all of this, I didn’t know. I didn’t know she wanted only me to live— I didn’t even see her death. I ran— like a bitch, like a fucking pussy. Like all those kids I used to bully when I was younger— like young Dan who I fucking bullied until he died— just because I was a bitch. So you know, I accept my death— because if a piece of shit like me lives after what I’ve done— then justice ain’t with the world. You dig?” Richard tilted his head to Zero— who simply stood still, quiet. “You dig for real.”

  Richard was standing outside Roxanne’s house— the screams, the pain— it went mute. He looked up at the night— the night looked back, with anger.

  So he chuckled, because what else can he do.

  When he walked away from Roxanne’s house— Richard didn’t look back. His soul knew— if he looked back, he’d run back in. It’s futile though, Roxanne’s life is depleting and already sealed. So he should focus on his own.

  “I hear singing…” The boy spoke— his eyes spiralled as he walked towards a door, “Must be quiet— tribute for Roxanne…”— he was scratching himself, violently— blood beginning to seep throughout his body.

  Knock Knock.

  Nil opened the door— in front of her was a dark figure, dressed in noir as the dark night enveloped the individual in shade. She gasped but felt a hand placed on her mouth— gagging her, it didn’t feel like a typical hand— just leather.

  Richard was panting— the other hand grabbed onto his head, scratching— blood leaking out. His voice was quivering— “Shut up…”— each breathe probably felt like a knife lodged in their gut, sharp needles piercing through his lungs as they spoke— “You make noise— not good, during this time.”

  Nil’s eyes widened— the blood leaking from the head, the dark outwear— the shivering, it was a killer— in front of her, once again.

  Her voice— muffled, muted as she attempted to break free from the hold, slamming her hands at the arm but— it didn’t budge, not once, not at all.

  “Relax… or you’ll die as well— I got to live.” Richard gulped— shivering, quacking, twitching, scraping, scratching, seething— “I have to fucking live— for what I’ve done.”

  He dropped her— before running off, each step fading out into the night.

  Richard was running— running— running— until he reached his home, he opened it— slammed the door closed, walked to his bedroom— lied in his bed, and screamed….

  He screamed— his lungs— his vocal chords, everything erupted.

  Rage? Guilt? Hatred? Sadness? Everything— a cluster of it all, he didn’t want to wake up, perhaps the true God will forgive him and let him die in his sleep— not whatever these false Gods such as Thidos are doing. Hatred— yes he felt hatred, directed to all. Blood from his body leaked onto his bed— staining it, creating a warm pool of blood.

  A nest— a blood filled nest, for a bloody killer.

  “What else do you want me to fucking say? I’m evil okay— I let her die! That’s my problem— I basically killed her. I’m evil as shit okay— tired as shit, all of this shit it’s been hell! You know I want to die— so I can get out of this bullshit. I’m a victim as well! I didn’t choose this! That fucker up there whose been giggling his ass off did— and now I die for it. Cheers! I don’t care anyway! This Reprisal has been evil. First Challenge— I relive my past, saw that poor kid Daniel jump off a building. Woke up— what even was the requirement to win? It just forced you to see hell— and hell looked back, grinning. Second Challenge— kill one person? Nobody wants to be a fucking martyr but poor Jonah gets fucking erased by some psycho bitch. Same psycho bitch who somehow was in my challenge— destroying the world and sucking it up to some into spiral. You know— I survived by decaying that spiral, turns out the real world says fuck you and I can’t do that— fair enough. So I sat there— watched Jonah die. Did I know him? No. It affected me though— any one of us could just die and be forgotten— it’s evil. So those days— week of peace, I loved it— chilled with my love. She’s dead now because of this stupid Reprisal— was becoming a Saint or Slavi or whatever really worth it? Is ascending to Godhood really worth losing the ones you love. Is becoming a Pure God really all that? Thidos— I wasn’t there, but I heard— I did see. Out of all the potential participants— I lived, when he went berserk— eliminating, killing all those possibe participants and all those audience members. I threw a bastard in the way— saved myself, just for what? Me to die a couple days later? This is bullshit— fuck me, sometimes I envy Roxy— how you really get out a hell like this. Fucking hell— If I was a druggie like Famine, I’d be smoking right now. Accepting death when you see it coming— maybe that’s the only fair thing left in this hell…” Richard stopped resisting in his chair— he just sat, looked above and closed his eyes.

  During Writathon, I wanted to showcase the texture of this world and how evil is not natural but birthed by chaos.

  Thank you to everyone reading, commenting, and supporting No Heaven for Monsters during the event. Your eyes mean more than you know. Even if the Gods in this story wouldn’t agree.

  Next Chapter: 'Parasighted'.