Psycho Love: Falling in Evil

Ch. 7 - Psycho Playthings

Chapter 7 - Psycho Playthings -

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The group made their way from the diner to the motel office across the parking lot. Hunter stayed at the rear with the quiet and distracted Raven, while Ghost and Shadow took to the front. The office door swung open to show a skinny, balding, middle aged man sitting behind a counter watching old reruns on a small television. At the sound of guests the man stood slowly from his seat, and turned away from the show he'd become engrossed in to great the newcomers.

Hunter hustled Raven inside before closing the door much harder than necessary. Shadow bound towards the counter and hopped over it in a single swooping motion. He landed on the unprepared desk clerk roughly and both men fell to the ground. Only Shadow stood back up and the unsuspecting man laid dying on the floor, bleeding profusely from the two stab wounds traveling through his chest.

"Alright gents," Shadow declared as he faced the wall of outdated keys, "looks like we have guests who need tending in rooms 10, 16, and 24."

He snatched the rooms spare keys from their hooks and hopped back over the counter with ease.

"Ghost and I can handle these. You two love birds can get cozy in room 06." he dangled the key in front of Hunter in a taunting manner.

Hunter snatched the key up after a moment, "Right. You two get all the fun." he joked back before sighing and leading Raven back out the door by her arm.

Raven had been in a daze since dinner. She was fighting for sanity as her mind threatened to crack. She didn't fight when Hunter led her to the room, and didn't even contemplate escape when he released his hold to unlock the motel door. When they were inside the cheaply furnished room, Raven couldn't even remember how they got there, but she knew the room contained coffee and she wanted to stay awake.

"Raven," Hunter called out while she ripped open the package of blessed energy mud.

"Hmm?" she replied while filling up the coffee pot with water.

Hunter walked over and grabbed her arm, forcing her to stop with the familiar routine of coffee brewing and pay attention to him.

"You don't need that. You need sleep." he stated gently.

Raven stood stiff as a board, staring at Hunter's hand on her arm, questioning it's very existence. She refused to look up at him, insisting that she could will him away, that he wasn't real. She just had to concentrate and make the hand disappear first...

Hunter sighed, "Go take a shower. It might calm your nerves."

Raven nodded and turned towards the bathroom. As she reached the entry Hunter called for her to leave the door open, but it was too late. She'd already closed and locked the cheap wooden barrier. Within moments Hunter broke through the door, peppering Raven in tiny slivers as the woods integrity gave way. Not even that outburst of violence startled her though, and she never even glanced at the door or her kidnapper.

Hunter didn't know how to react to her sudden loss of emotions and so he said the only thing he could think of, "This door stays open."

Raven waited for him to disappear again before stripping off the coat, bra, and skirt she was still wearing from the night Jackson died. She got in the bathtub and turned the dials to take the hottest shower possible. The water nipped at her flesh, burning away the layers of emotional filth she felt, and left behind bright red skin. She noticed the new bruises covering one side of her ribs and felt confused as to where they came from. She thought about asking but quickly dismissed the idea, fearing Hunter's temper. It was terribly sore though, and she wondered if she should at least have Ghost look at it.