Number 666

Number 666 II Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The room was dark...completely pitch black save the light flickering over her. They had closed the blinds. Ariel was in a chair on the conference roomed tied up. The once glamorous, high fashion socialite now looked like a broken woman. She had always seemed so classy and demure when I met her before but now she looked defeated...like a battered princess with a kingdom stolen from her.

Her eyes tilted when she looked at me. Cuts and bruises were all over her face.

"Raphael needs more time to heal," she stated, "That is...if he heals me at all. I'm not very pretty am I?"

I looked over at her. It was very much so like Ariel to wonder how pretty she was right now even while her body was covered in scars and she had betrayed me.

"Not your best day," I replied to her honestly.

"My hair is matted. I haven't showered since yesterday. I smell. I know it. You don't have to tell me. I smell like...a man. Do me a favor darling. Will you?"

I looked at her. She looked so pathetic in that chair. Raphael had tied her up so tightly. What did he think she was really capable of? I guess I shouldn't have doubt that she was dangerous. She had sent her dogs to almost kill me. If the Cherubs hadn't saved me I would have been dead by now. I knew that.

I was reluctant when I looked back at her but I nodded none-the-less.

"Will you tell me what you wanted to tell me then?" I asked her.

She nodded, "Yes. Yes. I'll tell you. Just do me a favor doll. Can my lipstick? I kept an extra stick right over there near that chalk board. I always hide my lipstick in case I need it. Be a dear and get it for me. Will you? Put it on me. Will you. It's ok. There aren't any animals in this room. I'm completely helpless. Yes. Thank you."

I had outlined the nude lipstick on her as best as I could. I did a horrible job to be honest. It had smeared across her face. Still Ariel didn't seem to care. Just the idea of having some sort of touch up seemed to bring her back to herself. She sat up a little taller now becoming a reminder of herself again.

"How did you and Rodney meet?" I asked her.

She shrugged, "It was when I first got introduced to Rag and Cham. Cham was the one who found me. I'd always had a connection to people you know. Always. Even back then. They found me beautiful. I used to like to believe I was Snow White and I would dance in circles. The animals would think I was beautiful. So when Rag came to me and said I was an angel, I believed him instantly."

"How conceited of you," I responded.

She laughed grunting a little bit, "You're right. I suppose. I do put on that front at times don't I? Possessions are things that were important to me. My money, my fashion, my animals, my mansion, my life. I'm an heiress, you know? My grandfather started a chain of resorts along the southern coast. He amassed a fortune. From a very young age I knew everything about ownership."

"What does this have to do with the Bull?"

"Who?"

"Rodney Peters. I call him the bull."

She laughed knowingly. I could see the flicker in her eye as though even the mention of the Bull seemed to drive her into some sort of loving concept.

"I was sent on a mission. Cham stated there were some lesser fallen angels on the other side of town. Before the trumpet they really weren't much to take care of. Usually a dog or two would do. I prefer the Rottweilers come on those kind of things. Anyway, it turned out to actually be Leviathan. He was only a fraction of what he is now before his own abilities were awakened. He hadn't truly become himself back then. He was a weak, useless creature, similar to a human. And he begged me...just like an animal for mercy."

"And you gave it to him?"

"Of course. Else he wouldn't have been alive, you see?" she replied.

"Why Ariel? Why turn against God?"

"Funny hearing that from you of all people," Ariel replied laughing so hard she coughed a little bit. She caught her breath after a minute however, "Eh-Erm...either way. It was love. You know? He smiled at me and all of a sudden the world stopped. When he spoke I believed every word he said. He made me feel safe. And all of a sudden this was this one thing that I didn't possess. With all my power...my power with my money and my power with my animals this was something I couldn't control. "

I shrugged wondering if I understood her point, "So it was more like a challenge to you?"

She was quick and eager in her response, "Yes. You know. That challenge. You know what I mean. That rush and that vulnerability is what I'm talking about, Michael. Pure love. The immediate kind. The kind that makes you freeze up. You know the type."

"I really don't."

"You really do."

She was looking at me with this knowing eye. It was the look that I got from Cham so much. Was I becoming so easy to read? Was I becoming such an open book? I hated the idea of having someone believe that they knew me like this. I wondered if Uri was aware as well.

"You must have me mistaken for someone else."

She paused as though thinking. I didn't need her thinking. I didn't need her thinking about her words. I didn't need her comparing herself to me in order to draw parallels to our situations. I hadn't betrayed the other angels. Not yet at least.

"The way you look at Uri," she replied, "I see the two of you exchange looks when know one is looking. I've seen it since the beginning. Don't lie to me. I'm not Raphael. I'm not here to judge you."

"No you are here to kill me."

"You'd do the same to me if Uri needed you to," she replied.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I quickly retorted turning my eyes away from her, "Besides. Even if I did, which I don't, but even if I did ... it's different. See. Uri isn't a demon. Is he?"

"Not a demon. Leviathan is a fallen angel."

"Same thing darling." I mocked her.

She sighed and seemed to think about it again. I didn't think Ariel was dumb enough to believe what she was saying. In a way I felt bad for her. I don't know why I felt bad for her in the way I did but I did. Maybe it was because for some reason I could understand her. There was a danger in love. There was a danger in falling so hard for someone that you would do anything just to make them happy.

It was the reason I was so afraid of Uri. I knew I had the potential to love like that. I knew he was the type to bring that kind of thing out of me. So here I was looking at Ariel and I could relate to her wild abandon. I could relate to the fact that she was willing to do anything for love.

Even if I didn't want to.

"When you love someone, heaven and hell stops mattering so much," she explained, "I don't think you'd understand. It's ok. I don't understand myself..."

Ariel smiled weakly at me before putting her head down. There was so much uncertainty in her smile. I felt her...and I understood her...more than I understood any of the other angels. This was me. Ariel was me...

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Raguel had stared at the door. The others were behind him. They were all as anxious as he was. Chamuel had come and gathered them all in the office space. Michael had been in there talking to Ariel for some time now and it made all of them nervous.

"What's taking so long?" Gabriel stated.

She had always been the impatient one. She paced back and forth making Raguel's head hurt a little bit. He focused on the door. He could change the appearance of that door if he would like. He had the ability to make it seem like that door wasn't even there at all but it would just be an illusion. He couldn't hear past that door. Raguel just stood there pacing.

"Give him more time," Uriel replied.

It was starting to become expected that Uriel stand up for Michael. Even to Raguel it was was becoming expected. Uriel had a connection to Michael. It was a connection that Raguel didn't understand but some things were past explaining.

"He could be killing her," Raphael stated.

"Good riddance," Gabriel replied, "Finally the tiger shows is claws. That's what I think. If you ask me. Those claws are some sharp ones too. Did you all see her face? Good god."

Gabriel laughed but there was a slight nervousness behind it. She was the bravest of them all too. Raguel knew looking around the room that the others were just as nervous. Everyone else had defined abilities...almost written in stone. Michael's abilities had ranges. The range made the others nervous. It made him nervous. Raguel had noticed the look in Michael's eyes as he dragged Ariel into the room and threw her at their feet. He had hurt her within an inch of her life and he seemed to have no memory of it at all. That kind of power was something that scared Raguel. That was no illusion. Michael was the real deal.

Raphael hadn't been able to heal her wounds fully even after hours. He had described the internal bleeding she had to Raguel.

Raphael seemed to say the words that they were all probably thinking, "He is just as bad as the fallen angels..."

There was a silence in the room. Usually Raguel would have corrected Raphael but something about Michael was scaring the fuck out of him more and more. Raguel had seen the fallen angels and Michael's true power did seem more like a fallen angel than anything.

"Aren't you going to say anything, Rag?" Uriel stated at that moment, "Tell them he's not a fallen angel. Tell them that about the whole Cherubim thing."

Raguel nodded, "Yes...yes Cherubim..."

Raguel just wanted to end the conversation. It made him uncomfortable. He had spent hours praying about Michael. He had spent hours talking to God and hoping that he heard the voice of God back to him. God never spoke. Cham had seen them however. Cham had described the lesser angels that appeared invisible to everyone else and did Michael's bidding.

"You ok, Rag?" Gabriel asked.

She noticed. They all probably noticed. Raguel had his doubts about Michael...

"It's not the power I question," he admitted finally, "It's the source. I know how Michael's abilities work but motivation is everything. Michael tortured Ariel. It was...it wasn't something good."

"Whose to say what's good?" Uriel stated, "You can't honestly believe that Michael isn't good."

"He's as corrupt as they come."

"Coming from the hypocritical bible thumper," Uriel replied to Raphael.

A slight chaos happened afterward. Raguel was sure that the two boys went into some sort of shoving match. He wasn't interested in young drama however. Raguel was the oldest of them all and even though he wasn't that much older he still carried himself as though he was. The group needed that maturity and they definitely lacked it sometimes. At times Raguel seemed so far removed from the everyday emotions of the other angels. He had to look at the big picture. That was all that mattered.

It was probably Gabriel who broke it up and it was no doubt that she had used her strength to do it.

"Enough!"

Her order was a barking command that calmed the boys into place even if it was just for a minute. Before long however Raphael was back on his feet looking over at Uriel.

"I don't have a problem with you, Uri," Raphael stated, "None of us have problems with each other. We all have one thing in common. One darkness that is causes all of this. And that's Michael. Tell them. Tell them what he did to you."

Raguel finally turned to pay attention to what was going on behind him. When he turned he saw that Gabriel was holding Uriel back while Chamuel was holding back Raphael. They were on opposite sides of the room. Raguel noticed that Raphael was bleeding. It was no doubt that Raphael had been hit. It was no bother however. Raphael could always heal himself relatively quickly.

"He didn't do anything to me, what are you talking about?"

"He seduced you. You were kissing him."

Boy drama. That was all this was. Raguel turned back at the door letting it take his major attention again. What was going on behind that door.

"I kissed him because I wanted to kiss him," Uriel replied.

"You're...gay?" Gabriel asked.

Uri paused, "I...don't know...maybe..."

"This doesn't matter!" Raguel finally exclaimed to them, "You guys need to put this petty drama away. The world is at stake. Don't any of you care? Doesn't that mean anything to any of you. We have a traitor in our midst. None of you noticed Ariel's ability to betray us because of your pettiness. We need to come together."

"So why are you so afraid of Michael----if coming together is so important to you?" Uriel asked.

Raguel thought Uriel was smart. He was strong. He was a great addition to the team but his passion was something that Raguel didn't welcome. He made decisions with his heart and that was what was causing this passionate outrage. The outrage was doing nothing more than distracting them from what was really important. Uriel was taking this personal and Raguel knew it. He had to be careful how he continued to discuss Michael to him. Raguel wasn't sure just how deep Uriel's emotions went for the other boy.

"Michael is...a complicated situation," Raguel responded, "The power doesn't scare me. No. Power is good. It's the motivation. Like I said earlier. Michael had all right to defend himself from Ariel. Understandable. Even if Michael had killed Ariel. Understandable. It's the torture that scares me. He...tortured her and kept her alive. That isn't angelic. That motivation. That is what scares me."

Silence.

They sat there in silence thinking. Raguel knew there were different reasons for silence. Gabriel was probably in her emotions. Cham probably felt things were getting awkward. Raphael and Uriel were probably contemplating the slight argument that had just happened. The silence was good for Raguel though. He had to think.

Clearly the angels were capable of betrayal. Ariel proved that. What if Michael wasn't to be trusted? What if Michael did have a bit of evil in him? Like Ariel.

"He didn't kill her," Cham stated, "She's revealing something to him. I can see it with my third eye."

Chamuel was staring at the door. He may have been looking with his third eye to avoid the awkwardness. Raguel knew Chamuel well enough to know what Chamuel hated most was awkward silences.

"What is she telling him?"

"She's telling him who Leviathan is."

"You mean the fact that Leviathan is an fallen angel."

"No. He knows that already. She is telling him who Leviathan is... to him."

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I walked out of the room to see all of them staring at me. They must have been standing behind the door waiting for me the entire time. Ariel and I had gone on about her love for Leviathan. I listened...losing track of time over it. I wondered if my mother had fallen for the Bull in the same way that Ariel had.

"Is she ok?" Rag asked.

"She's alive," I replied, "Raphael may need to do some healing."

"That is yet to be determined," Rag stated, "We needed her healed so that she could give you information. Whether or not she is going to be killed hasn't been determined yet."

Interesting. Now he was acting as judge and juror. I wondered if Rag was capable of such a thing. I wondered if I was the only one who felt awkward about it. The only other person that seemed even a little bit shocked at what he said was Uri and that was expected.

Uri had that sense of morality that a lot of the others didn't. Cham thought everything was a joke. Raphael played everything by the book even to a fault. Gabriel felt she was above all of this. Only Uri used his heart when it came to matters like this. I wasn't surprised when I saw him open his mouth for a rebuttal but I shut it down in order to avoid any sort of argument.

"Suit yourself. I'm going home."

"Wait. What did she tell you?"

"Nothing..."

I started to walk at that moment. As I walked I noticed all of a sudden a wall in front of me blocking me from passing. It was a wall that wasn't there before. It was a wall that just happened to appear in front of my eyes in a matter of seconds. I blinked a few times.

"You're lying," Rag stated.

I passed my hand through the wall a few times until Rag's illusion disappeared, "I'm tired of you tricks, fat man. I told you she told me nothing."

"He's lying," a voice said.

I turned to see Uri. URI! Of all people. He stared at me with this concerned look. It shocked me really. I wasn't expecting him to turn on me like that. I had to admit at first it hurt to see him sell me out all of a sudden but then I just found myself amused by the fact that I was actually hurt by him.

"What do you know?" Rag asked Uri.

Uri hesitated. I knew what he was going to say before he said it. I could feel him about to say it.

Uri turned to the others and told them, "I believe his mother's boyfriend may be Leviathan. The night that Cham came back I spent with Michael. I saw with my own eyes."

They looked at one another. I could see the judgment. It was the judgment that I was hoping to avoid. I couldn't believe Uri would just betray me like this. I couldn't believe he turned his back on me and would tell them information that he promised not to share. Now they all looked at me wondering why I hadn't shared it with them first.

"Let me get this right. This entire time you've been living with a fallen angel?" Gabriel stated, "How long did you guys know about this?"

Silence.

Rag was the one who responded, "We know where Leviathan is. That's all that matters."

"We should attack. Now," Gabriel replied.

"We wait," Rag stated.

"Why?"

"Because the last time you stormed in head first everyone was almost killed. We wait. We plan," Rag replied, "We get smart this time. Michael you need to stay away from Leviathan for the moment."

"That's ridiculous," I stated, "I live with him."

"You can come stay over my house," Uri replied, "You know...just for the night or however long it takes us to figure out what we are going to do about Leviathan."

"Good. Uri I trust you won't let Michael out of your sight?"

I gagged. My heart raced. Out of his sight.

"Am I the traitor now?" I asked shaking my head, "Never mind Ariel. I'm the traitor. Huh? Why do I need a babysitter? Why do I need someone watching over me?"

"It's for your own protection," Rag stated.

For some reason I just didn't believe him. For some reason I just felt that things weren't the same. I watched as Gabriel and Raphael walked away whispering about me. Even Cham seemed to give me a curious look. Uri betrayed me. Rag clearly didn't trust me either. I realized at that moment I had no one. I had no one on my side.

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"Welcome to my house."

"Whatever."

I was at Uri's apartment. Walking in it was exactly what I would have imagined from a guy like Uri. The apartment had a real mod feel to it. The ceilings were high, cathedral length. The walls were painted a minimal gray. The floor was all wood. It smelled like pine all throughout the apartment. The furniture looked structural and stiff like those super cool sofas from IKEA that you never really thought were actually comfortable but they looked good.

"Would you like something to eat? Drink? Anything?" Uri asked.

"I'm fine."

I was being cold. I was being cold on purpose. I needed rest. The days were really getting more and more hectic. I still hadn't recovered completely from that show of power that I had before. I still needed time to rest.

I looked around to see a 55 inch television in the living room. There wasn't a lot of art or anything like that. The only decoration was a single picture that was on top of the television. It was a boy in the picture and a woman...dark beautiful and tall reminding me a lot of the Beverly Johnson.

"It's my mother," Uri stated.

I hadn't noticed him walking up on me.

"Can you not do that?" I asked him aggressively.

"What?"

"Sneak up on me. I didn't ask who she was anyway."

"You looked like you wanted to ask," Uri responded, "I don't mind telling you."

"I don't give a fuck about your family or what they are doing..."

"Wow. You really don't fuck with me huh?" Uri asked me at that moment.

"You think?"

Uri sighed a little bit, "I'm sorry I told them. I really am. I had to though. If I didn't tell them you would have went back to that house. I know you would have. It's dangerous for you..."

"I don't care. You shouldn't either."

"I do though. I care even if you don't," Uri replied, "I'm not trying to see you get hurt."

"My mother is in that house!"

I didn't know how else to say it. I wasn't trying to cause a commotion. I wasn't trying to make a scene. I was concerned. Even with how I put myself away and act like I didn't care I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if something happened to my mother and I wasn't around. Leviathan was clearly a demon. I knew it like the next man. The fact was my mother was in that house so I should have been in that house as well.

"I'm sorry," Uri replied, "Look. I know you care. You care more than you show other people but I...care too. I know it was so fucked up that I told them what I knew but I had to. Cause... I care."

"You shouldn't."

"So are we going to act like it didn't happen?"

"Like what didn't happen."

"The kiss..."

"Mistakes happen."

"That wasn't a mistake. You know it and I know it..." Uri replied.

Uri leaned in at that moment. He was so close. His sweet breath was pressed up against my neck. Footsteps were almost immediate in the room and I found Uri jerking back from me a little bit. I hadn't even meant to jerk away as well but I ended up doing the same. We probably looked more than suspicious.

At that moment I noticed it was Dwight that had walked into the room. Dwight who was Uri's roommate and the guy who I used to have sex with all the time.

The awkwardness filled the room almost immediately. I wondered how much Dwight had saw. Even if he didn't see or hear anything it had to look awkward that Uri and I jerked away from one another in the way we did.

"Speak of the devil," Dwight stated walking into the room, "Michael---fucking---Vorhees. Uri and I were just talking about you the other day. Wow."

His eyes lit up. What the hell was Dwight and Uri talking about me about?

"I just wanted to know if you guys were---um---well---" Uri stared...

"He wanted to know if we were in a relationship or if we just fucked," Dwight stated bluntly, "I had no idea in hell that you two knew each other like that."

​Dwight was always very blunt and honest. Uri was clearly a little anxious at this moment and honestly he wasn't the only one. Seeing Dwight again after I played him to the left was awkward. He wasn't the first guy that I used and tossed out to be honest. I had done it with many guys in my life. It was more like a habit for me. Guys didn't mean anything to me. They were just meant to be used and tossed aside.

"We're friendly," I replied, "Haven't seen you in a while Dwight..."

"Not since you broke my heart man."

I looked over at Uri. This was beyond awkward.

"Um..." I started.

I wanted to end this conversation. I noticed how Uri was looking at me. I knew how awkward this had to be for him.

"Don't worry about Uri," Dwight explained, "I came out of the closet to him after you broke up with me. To be honest I was really living in a bubble back then. I don't blame you for breaking up with me."

I wanted to ask him how we could break up when we were never in a relationship but drama was something that I was actually trying to avoid in this circumstance.

"You don't?" I asked instead.

"No. I didn't treat you right. All we did was have sex together. Uri is straight and all but he always helped me with how I was feeling when it came to you. I was telling Uri---you know, after I came out to him---I said, Uri, I miss that boy. I can't stop thinking about him."

"You must be special," Uri told me.

Uri's eyes caught with mine. We stared at each other. I didn't hear the next few words that Dwight was saying. I damn near zoned him completely out. I was just staring at Uri after hearing him call me special. It was like everything that Dwight was even saying didn't matter at that moment. The only thing that mattered was Uri here and now telling me how special I was.

"----Huh?" Dwight said.

"Wait sorry. I didn't hear you," I stated snapping back into reality and staring at Dwight.

Dwight was closer than he was before. His muscular frame leaned over me. He was such a strong looking man. He wasn't as handsome as Uri. There weren't many people who were however. He did have Uri's body though. They worked out together. I knew that because I actually used to see Dwight and Uri jogging often. I used to be so obssessed with Uri back then that I did anything to get close to Uri including flirting with the guy close to him. It didn't make sense even back then. Why not just flirt with Uri if I was so attracted? It was because Uri intimidated me so badly. I felt like I had to settle for the next best thing which was Dwight.

Dwight was no Uri though.

"Actually. I'm interested in someone else," I stated.

"Oh..." Dwight replied.

I tried not to look at Uri, "Uri is it still ok if I spend the night?"

"Yeah. You can actually take my room. I have extra tooth brushes and towels in my bathroom," Uri replied smiling all of a sudden, "Um...let me know if you need anything. I'll come in there in a minute to check up on you."

I noticed Uri's smile. I started to walk away. I noticed Dwight staring at me as I walked away but when I turned back I also realized that he wasn't the only one. So was Uri.

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Uriel stood in the kitchen pouring wine into the glasses. The more things were happening the more that he knew that things felt right.

"Since when did you and Michael become friends?" Dwight had asked him.

Dwight had been Uriel's best friend for a while now. They were more like brothers than anything. They'd met in a gym back in the day and Dwight had actually hit on him in the locker rooms. Uri had been hit on by guys before and he always took it as compliment. Back then Uri had explained to Dwight that he was straight. Since then they'd been friends and gym partners.

Uri didn't mind the fact that Dwight was gay back then. He'd never had a problem with gay guys. He'd learned it from his mother back in the day before she died. His mother accepted all people. She was the sweetest woman that Uri knew.

"More associates then friends."

"You invite all your associates over?"

"We are carpooling to work tomorrow. His car got caught up in the snow. I figured it'd just be easier if he spent the night. You know..." Uriel lied.

It was much easier than explaining to Dwight that they were both angels in a battle to fight invading demonic forces. Uriel knew Dwight enough to know that Dwight wasn't the smartest guy out there.

"Oh...right, right," Dwight stated, "So hey. Man on man. I have to ask you a question about him."

Uriel got nervous. Did Dwight notice how Uriel looked at Michael. He tried not to look at him like that but he couldn't help it. Uriel had been so sure that he was so straight but then the kiss happened. Ever since the kiss he couldn't take his mind off of Michael. It was almost as though he had discovered a whole new side to himself that he didn't know existed. Uriel had always thought some men were attractive in their own rights...even guys like Dwight. He'd never actually thought about acting on it however. He never thought that maybe he could actually be bisexual.

It excited him more than anything though. Maybe the fact that he had such a hard time finding the right girl to hold his attention was because the person who was supposed hold his attention was a guy. A guy by the name of Michael.

"What question?" Uriel asked.

Was he guilty? Was he letting himself off the hook?

"Do you know who Michael likes?" Dwight asked, "I'm really into him. I mean I know he can be a dickhead and what not. But the sex was on point---"

"I don't want to hear all that..."

"Oh right. Gay sex isn't really the topic of choice for straight guys. But regardless I like him. Do you know who it could be? Any ideas."

Uriel had an idea. It was a long shot. He wasn't sure about it. He didn't know if Michael actually felt the same way about him as he did about Michael. He needed to find out though. He needed to break past that wall Michael had on.

Uriel grabbed the glasses of wine, "Not sure man...but I'll find out for you. And you'll be the first one to know."

"Good man," Dwight said.

Uriel nodded. He did feel bad about it but for some reason the circumstance that drew Uriel to Michael was above some basic human principals. They were angels. Half angels at least. They were drawn together by a destiny more complicated than Dwight could ever understand.

Uriel had to see where this would lead.

He found himself walking over to the bedroom door. The door was locked.

"Michael? You ok? I got some wine..." Uriel stated under the door.

As he pressed his head to the door to listen for the shower he didn't hear anything. Instead of hearing anything he felt a breeze. He felt a strong breeze from under the door and he knew something wasn't right. Uriel found himself calling on his flames at that moment. The flames engulfed the door handle melting it completely off and allowing Uriel to enter the room.

As Uriel walked into the room he saw the window wide open in the bedroom.

Michael was gone.

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​"Mom!"

I had to get my mother and I had to get out of this place. I didn't know where I would take her. Maybe I'd take her back to Rag's office. It was protected. Maybe I'd just cut my loses and leave all together. That would be the smart thing to do. What about Uriel though? I couldn't just leave him. Maybe I could talk to him. Maybe he'd come too. No...that was ridiculous I barely knew Uri.

Why the hell would he come with me? Why would I want him to come with me?

"MOM?"

The light was flickering in the house. Something was wrong. I had taken a cab hear after escaping Uri's home. Uri had kept me away from being home. I did blame him. If it wasn't for him I would have come straight home. I didn't care about what Rag wanted me to do but Uri's opinion mattered slightly more. Still. I had gotten away when I had gotten away. That was all that mattered now.

All the lights in the house were flickering. My heart raced as I walked into the dark living room. I could see the back of my mother's head. She was watching television. It was an old show. I love Lucy. She always used to love watching I love Lucy.

"Mom. Don't you hear me talking?" I asked as I walked into the room, "What's going on with these lights? It's freezing in here? Don't you notice how cold it is?"

I walked over to the thermostat. As I placed my hand on it I realized how freezing it was. It was so fucking cold that I jerked back. Something was wrong here. Something was so wrong.

I found myself jerking back and bumping into someone.

"Be careful..."

I turned to see the Bull. Holy shit. He was just standing there. He looked bigger for some reason. He was glaring at me. His eyes glaring down at me.

"I didn't see you standing there," I told him.

"I didn't see you standing there," the Bull mocked me in the deepest voice I ever heard.

"What are you doing?" I asked him.

He cleared his throat at that moment. He looked deep in my eyes. As he looked deep in my eyes there was darkness there. The lights were flickering again. On and off.

On and off. Darkness. Darkness was all around me.

The Bull cleared his throat, "What are you doing?"

My mouth dropped open! He sounded exactly like me when he spoke. It was almost as though he reached down and stole my voice right out me. I looked over at him. I was so afraid. I could feel myself getting so cold

I prayed. God help me. God help me. God help me. God help me.

"God help me," the bull was saying as though he was reading my mind.

My mother was just watching television. She didn't hear anything. I looked over at her. I looked over at her and I was panicking. She was so still. Her head didn't move. She didn't watch. What was wrong with her? Please god, let nothing be wrong with her.

She was the only person that I had left in this world. Please got let nothing be wrong with her.

"Please God... Please God..let nothing be wrong with her," The Bull stated.

"Mom. Mom get up. Mom get up!"

I started to walk towards my mother. I realized the Bull wasn't following me. Instead he pulled at the cordless phone that was in our room. I watched as he picked up the phone all of a sudden and started to dial something. He wasn't paying attention to me. I didn't know who he was calling.

I didn't care who he was calling!

I had to get my mother. I had to get out of here!

"Mom! Please. MOM!"

I ran over to the television. I put my hands on her and watched her almost topple over!

My heart was racing! What was going on.

Please God!

She was the only one I had left. She was the only thing keeping me still with this world. I couldn't lose her.

I ran over to the television and that was when I saw her. She was sitting there.

And tears rolled down my eyes. I fell to the ground immobile.

Tears...tears were the only thing that I could think of at that moment.

My mother wasn't watching the television. She had no eyes. The eyes...the eyes had been carved out of her skull and laid in her laps. Blood dripped down out of my mother's mouth.

This was my mother's corpse.

My entire world collapsed at that moment. My entire soul collapsed really. She was the only good part of me left I think. She was the only part of me that remained in tact. She had always seen the best of me and here she was dead. Now there was nothing left. Nothing...

"Hi...officer. My name is Michael Vorhees. And ... I just murdered my mother! I couldn't help it. See I've always been troubled. She tried to get me help. She tried to save me. It didn't matter. You might want to send someone officer."

I hadn't said a word. It was the Bull...mimicking my voice on the phone...telling the police that I had just killed my mother...

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