04.

Laine was found dead.

Well… no, when he was found he had a few breaths of life in him. He died in the hospital. It is said that when he was found by the lakeside, naked with almost all the joints and bones of his limbs were crushed as though his assailant wish to turn them into powder, with the skin still intact. He had been castrated, a detail that did not surprise much of the population. His lower jaw had been ripped out with his castrated member stuffed down his gullet and his eyeballs were pressed deep into his skull. A great number of people believed the description to be exaggerated, such an inhumane execution style killing in their town was simply unthinkable, nonetheless, the thought of a murder did make them shudder. The town was set on edge, and the mayor was determined to fish out who had killed his precious son.

Sal couldn’t help but feel a bit of schadenfreude when he heard the news, maybe someone had finally had enough of him and took things into their hands. That cheery piece of news was to be put aside for the moment. He and his wife were ladened with a heavy concern. As had come to be a part of their lives, the couple worried about Addison, more than they worried about their own children. Since he returned from wherever it was that he had ventured to, he spent every waking hour even more dazed and listless than when he left. And when he wasn’t stumbling about, he was asleep for very long periods of time. He slept deeply… very deeply with shallow breaths that it was difficult to tell if he was still alive. This had frightened Erica into tears more than once.

When the news of Laine’s death reached their household, the couple initially thought that maybe, in a twisted way, it would make Addison feel better. Much to their dismay, it caused the young man to crumble to the ground.

“What?” his rough voice came out in an uneven whisper as he tried to pull himself on to his feet using the edge of the dining table as leverage but failed, he crumbled to the floor again.

“Laine is dead. His body was found by the lakeside.” Erica repeated as she came to his side to help him up. She was shocked by how easy it was to lift him up. The poor boy had truly wasted away.

“No…”

“Addy, it’s okay to feel a little joy about it. In fact, you should celebrate a little. After everything that fellow has done it’s really no surprise.” She said softly as she led him toward the parlour. They had taken just a few steps before Addison collapsed.

Erica had never seen him like this. So jittery, so anxious. He bit his nails, scratched his palms and pulled at his hair. He shifted uncomfortably, his eyes darting about the room like a panicked rabbit. Watching him made her nervous. After he had collapsed, she called for Sal who then moved him to their bedroom. When they returned after dinner and made sure the little ones had been put to bed, this was the state in which he was found.

“Do you have something to say to us?” Sal, unwilling to beat around the bush, asked after a while of watching the man fidget in his chair.

She cast him a glance of disapproval. Surely, there were gentler, more thoughtful ways to talk about it. “Addy-”

“I did it.” Addison started suddenly in a hushed tone, leaning toward them. It felt like he was sharing a secret “I killed Laine… I think it was me.” He leaned back; his eyes widened with obvious shock at his own words.

He was not as shocked as Erica though, who let out a small, a hand clutching at her chest.

He gripped the sides of his head as it throbbed “I did it. I killed him. It’s all my fault.” He muttered to himself, as he rocked back and forth “I shouldn’t have-”

Erica’s hand flew over her mouth as she suppressed a sob. Unable to watch him fall apart, she made a quick excuse about filling the jug and scurried away.

“Addison?”

He did not answer, rather he clawed at his head and continued mumbling.

Sal grew impatient, walked to stand in front of him and forcefully pried the man’s hands from his head. It didn’t require much energy as the man’s wrists felt like they would snap with a little pressure “Take a very good look at yourself right now.” Though impatient, every word was heavy with genuine concern “You barely have enough strength to keep yourself on your feet, how could you possibly harm anyone in such a pitiful state? You weren’t even awake when it happened.”

Sal’s question snapped him out of his daze but shortly after, he regained his nervous disposition “I came across someone…” he freed his hands from the larger man’s hold, his eyes fixed on something outside the window even though there was nothing to be seen in the darkness “…sh-she said she would help.”  After saying that much, he went silent drifting into that dazed state again. He had not spoken a word of what had happened when he went missing to anyone. A part of him still found the whole experience unreal.

“Addison!” Sal called out to him.

He glanced briefing at him, with his gaze returning to whatever existed in the darkness beyond the window, he continued “When-when I went missing, there was a woman… I think it was a woman. it appeared to me as a woman. It wasn’t human.” He paused withdrawing his gaze briefly to focus on his friend but Sal gave no reaction, so he kept talking “She did something to me, Sal… it-it was sheer torment.” He shuddered involuntarily at the recollection. Suppressing the urge to vomit, he pushed the rising fear down. “I thought it was a dream…” he hung his head as whatever lay beyond the window did not interest him anymore, digging his nails into his thighs “…so I asked her to kill me.” His voice grew quieter with each spoken word until it was nothing but a faint whisper. “She offered to help… she said she could help… I begged her to help me.” He looked up suddenly, his voice became lively as he tried desperately to explain himself. “I didn’t know! I swear it, Sal, I didn’t know anyone would die…” his voice shrunk again “I didn’t want this.”

Sal met his pleading gaze head on and nodded “It’s alright, you’re not that kind of person anyway. I believe.”

Relieved by this response, Addison manage a tiny shaky smile.

“Sleep here tonight.” He instructed before turning around to head for the door stopping short at the threshold, he added quietly “You know, it would not be the worst thing in the world if you wished them dead. Noone would blame you, especially, not me. Even if you’ve fantasized about it, it would not be the worst thing in the world.” Stepping out of the room, he saw Erica crouched by the doorway, her hands pressed tightly to her mouth as she suppressed her sobs. Her body shook.

Seeing this, he made up his mind. He would write to Felix immediately, their move could not be delayed any longer. They had to leave, this town was proving to be bad for all of them.

In the days that followed, Addison became a permanent fixture in their home, largely due to the couple’s insistence. The days were quiet and peaceful for them. The investigation into Laine’s murder showed no progress as the people who could have wanted him dead were not few and far between, but not once did anyone point to Addison.

In this way, the days merged into weeks, and another person was found dead. Actually, there were several bodies found in the pub, hacked into chunks with an axe and a single body found castrated and tortured by the lakeside. Like Laine, he was naked with his lower jaw was also ripped off with his castrated member shoved down his gullet, his eyeballs pressed deep into his skull. He also had a few breaths of life when he was found. Unlike Laine who had broken bones and intact skin, this person was flayed down to his bones.

It was Tristan.

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