Cold Blood

❥ Chapter Twelve ❥

Written by DeadlyDisasters

Everett's POV

I wake up around 5:30 but I don't get out of bed. It's too early, I don't feel like doing anything today. I might just have a nice easy day after all the activities last night. The house is silent, I reach next to my bed and grab my phone. I unplug it and unlock it. I open one of the many news apps and look for our kills. The news won't have anything on our kills last night but that's okay they will soon.

'The Reaper, as the public has been calling the mysterious killer has struck again a few nights ago. Five people were found dead in a neighborhood park and down the street five more were found dead in their home. A note was found written by the killer in the home explaining that they had killed those ten people and more. They are now working with a partner who was off killing in another area, police tell us that another ten people were found dead. There is hardly a connection between any of the victims, some victims had been killed with their families bu-'

My eyes left the article and stared at the door. Ash had screamed, he's the only other person in the house. It had to be him, I waited and he screamed again. I didn't hear any footsteps so I pushed the blankets off of me and went to the door. I waited with my hand on the handle, I counted the seconds as they ticked by slowly. I took a deep breath and opened the door, the hall is dark and empty. Ash's door is closed and he screams again.

I cross the floor in four steps and open the door, I push it open so hard that it slams into the wall. Ash is alone and doesn't wake at the sound of the door. He's shaking and covered in sweat, his lips are moving but I can't here what he's saying. I walk over to the bed and grab his arm, he finches. I didn't hurt him yet he screams again, I drop his arms and grab his shirt covered shoulders. I shake him, he doesn't wake right away.

"S-s-s-stop, I-i-i haven't done anything." He sobs, I shake him more. He finally wakes, when he looks up at me I want to cry from the pain I see in his eyes. He sits up and hides his head from me, he's shaking. I wrap my arms around his skinny body and rub his back. The ground hurts my knees but I don't care, he needs comforting.

"It's going to be okay, shhhhh. Calm down, Ash. You're safe, you're with me." I repeat those words over and over until he's finally calmed himself down. His tears have slowed and he hiccups every once in awhile but I don't care. I use the blankets and wipe the sweat off his brow, he still refuses to look at me.

"Now that you've seen me this way, seen me at a very low spot you probably want me to leave. To kill me to keep quiet, I'll go quietly. I won't put up a fight, just make it quick." He pleads, he really thinks that after all we've done so far I'm really just going to kill him for this. He wipes his eyes with one of his long sleeve covered arm.

"No, I'm not going to. So you have a rough night, no big deal. What happened in your dre- erm nightmare?" I ask gently, hoping not to upset him more. He takes a few deep breaths then says,

"I dreamed my father had come home late from work and found me out of my room. He had my mother hold me down on my stomach, he took off his belt and whipped my back, with the buckle. He wouldn't stop, just kept hitting me and hitting me." He started shaking again and took in a big breath. He didn't breath out right away, he was calming himself.

He's so scared, so vulnerable. Dreams and nightmares can be based off thoughts and memories. I can't imagine why he would think of his parents abusing him, so it must have been some kind of memory. I think back to how frail he was when I met him, his parents must have been abusing him. I won't know for sure unless Ash tells me, I don't believe he's ready though. He'll tell me in his own time, he just needs me to be here for now.

I stand up and walk to the other side of the bed, I climb on the covers and sit next to him. I gently place my hand on his back, I can't see his face because of his hair but I can tell he flinched. I slowly rub small circles on his back, he won't stop shaking. He's so beaten up by this, I hate to think that this is what he's been reduced to compared to last night.

"You don't need to, I'll be fine. I've had this nightmare a few times since I've been here. I'm always fine after awhile." I shake my head and stare at the smooth ceiling.

"Maybe you have, I don't know but I do know that this is the first you've yelled in your sleep. I'm not leaving you alone."

He doesn't respond, he pulls his knees up to his chin and just rests on them. I don't stop rubbing his back, he eventually stops shaking. He looks like he could use something to eat or drink, I'm hoping that if I get him something it'll help bring some color back to him.

"Hey, I'm gonna go get you something to eat or drink. What do you want?" I ask quietly. For a moment I think he's fallen asleep but then he whispers,

"Just some water, please." He's really broken down, he never says please when asking for something. I nod and walk downstairs to the kitchen. Now that I think about it maybe he's always been this broken. Maybe he's just hidden that part away to seem strong so I wouldn't kill him.

I get him a glass of water and rush back upstairs, careful to not spill the water. I enter the room and set the glass on the bedside table, I take note that he hasn't moved from the position I left him. Poor Ash, I'm excellent at reading people. How come I never knew of his inner demons?

I claim the spot next to him again. He slowly reaches over and takes the glass. He sips from it and just holds the glass, his hand trembling again.

"Why do you kill if you feel this way? Like a victim yourself?" I ask him, how can he kill knowing he's hurting another human like he was?

"Like I've said, it gives me power. It's gives me that feeling of control I need, I love that adrenaline rush and knowing that even if I'll never be loved in life, I can never be hated like that again. I can kill before it gets to that point." He finally looks up at me and through his red, puffy eyes and broken exterior, I see his determination.

I never want to see him this broken again, I want to see him strong, happy and full of life like last night but something tells me that I might have to see him break again.