Lovely {The Edited Version}

Chapter Four

A/N: There might be more added on. Depending on how the editing of Chapter Five goes...

Jeremiah, the Experimentalist chosen to guard Lovely while in the human world, inserted the needle slowly into her arm. Usually getting blood taken wasn’t painful, but Jeremiah managed to make it agonizing and Lovely hated him for that. She hated that he made her hurt and it didn’t affect him, he didn’t show one ounce of regret.

“It’s almost over.” he cooed in a false comforting tone. Lovely’s blood filled the little vial, staining the sides of the tube silver. Jeremiah looked up at her and though she tried to hide the hate and pain, he saw it. “This won’t be the last time I take blood.” He drew the needle out of Lovely’s vein. “Morpheus ‘ll want more soon enough. This should satisfy him for a little while, hmm? You were good today.”

“Thank you,” Lovely spat, “You’re praise is welcomed.” He grunted and set to packing up the medical equipment.

Lovely was unsure how to describe Jeremiah. At times it seemed like he actually cared about her, but at others he was just…insane. He was around thirty, but looked older, and one would assume that he wasn’t part of a secret organization that studied aliens. Lovely had decided to behave around Jeremiah, she had learned early on that he wouldn’t hesitate to harm her. She hated him. And she hated Morpheus and everyone related to him.

“Jeremiah?” He grunted and Lovely took that as a sign to keep talking. “What would happen if I tried something.”?

Jeremiah sighed; they had been through this before. He had told her many times what would happen. “You would get sent back to the Institute, which would mean another painfully long drive.”

Lovely shuddered, the drive had been over twenty-four hours. She had been stuffed into an RV along with ten or so armed guards and practically tied down. A very uncomfortable way to sit and when they finally arrived they’d had to drive to a separate warehouse where Jeremiah came to pick her up. After that he’d taken her to his house and explained the rules to her, Lovely recited them silently to herself. Number One, don’t touch things I don’t say you can touch. Number two; listen to me and only me. Number Three, don’t try to escape ‘cos you’ll regret it. Finally, Number Four, for all people know you’re an exchange student and I’m your host father. Don’t do anything to make them doubt that story; to other people you’ll be Emily Ryker a fifteen year old from the UK.

“Hey! Are you even listening to me?”

“Eh?” grunted Lovely. If Jeremiah had been talking, she hadn’t heard him.

“Figures. A creature like you…” The sentence trailed off into muttering and Lovely took the opportunity to really look at the kitchen. She’d been living in the house for two months, but had hardly bothered to get to know it.

It was an average size kitchen with the ultra-modern stainless steel counter tops and appliances. “Hey Jeremiah?” said Lovely. She slowly inched towards the island counter, her eyes set on the cutting board.

“What now!” he exclaimed. “I have work to do you know.”

“Well, I was wondering what a…” Lovely wracked her brain for a big word, “A masochist is?”

“A… masochist?” He stopped putting the blood vial away and turned to look at her. She reached the cutting board and the kitchen knife sitting next to it as Jeremiah completed the turn. Lovely snatched it up and pointed it at the Experimentalist.

“I want you to tell me something.” The knife, still pointed at his midsection, was shaking. “How do I stop the shock-y things?”

“The shock-y things,” he said slowly, “Cannot be stopped without the remote.”

“Then give me the remote!” Lovely practically screamed and brandished the knife.

Jeremiah shook his head. “I wasn’t finished.” He took his time selecting his next words, “To…dissemble the shock-y things, one would need the remote. And the creator.”

Those last three words hit Lovely like a ton of bricks. Her breathing intensified and her grip tightened on her weapon. “The creator. That means…”

He nodded. She almost dropped the knife there and then, but something held her back. Jeremiah still had the remote, maybe Lovely could figure out a way to stop it. After all, if she had the remote no one could use the shockers against her.

With new resolve, Lovely renewed her knife brandishing. “Give me the remote.” Jeremiah merely shook his head in response; his lack of fear was really starting to annoy her. “No, I’m serious! Give me the remote or I’ll kill you!”

“You wouldn’t kill me, you’re too scared to even scratch me with that knife. If you put it down and behave nicely, I won’t tell Morpheus about this little fiasco.” Jeremiah’s condescending tone drove her over the edge. Why does he think that he’s so much better than me! Fuck that! How the hell can you manage to stay calm while a knife-wielding alien is threatening to kill you! How the fucking hell Jeremiah?

She growled low in her throat. “I’m done with talking. Give me the remote or I promise I will kill you.”  Jeremiah sucked in a breath, his eyes widening. It was the first sign of fear Lovely had gotten out of him and it made her feel in control, like a predator.

Lovely knew something was happening to her and it felt almost right. A feeling of calm swept over her and her mind became uncharacteristically blank, her normal thoughts suppressed by an urge to kill. She spoke, but the voice coming out was not hers. It was much wiser, much harsher and more evil. Lovely spoke with the voice of the most ancient of people and the most dangerous of predators. It made Jeremiah shudder and grip the counter top behind him.

“Jeremiah Nominis, you have one last chance to give me the remote or I will take it from your dead body.” She waited for a minute. “Well?”

Jeremiah was unable to find words. He sunk to the ground, clutching the bag with Lovely’s blood close to his chest. Breathing was getting harder and harder, black dots were starting to cloud his visage. My god he thoughtas Lovely started to walk closer to him. Her purple eyes had clouded over and were now an opaque black. Is this what Morpheus meant when he said to watch out for her-

His thoughts were cut off abruptly as she spoke again. “Your time’s up. Have fun in hell Jeremiah.”

Lovely smiled and drove the knife into his throat. He choked as she pulled it out, his windpipe whistled as he tried to draw in air. She stepped aside dispassionately and waited until he was dead before dropping the knife next to his corpse.

Her eyes slowly faded from black to their usual purple and she was dimly aware that someone was screaming. Her knees buckled and she sunk to the floor next to Jeremiah’s body. The screaming stopped