She is Fatal to Death (Standalone Story)

Chapter 6 (One Long Punishment)

          "Diamond, what's going on?"

          Diamond scrambled out of the bed and into her bathroom, closing the door behind her with a silent shove. "I hope I didn't wake you..." She began nibbling on the side of her pointer finger.

          Renata sighed on the other end of the line. "I haven't been getting much sleep recently. Dr. Johnson," So, she was still seeing her therapist? This was a good sign. "says my brain is going crazy because of the anniversary coming up." She highly doubted Dr. Johnson used the word 'crazy'.

          Diamond expected a 'yes' or 'no', not anything honest in any measure—she wasn't exactly relieved by the answer. "I was going to ask you how you're doing, but that might be a dumb question now..."

          "Did you need something?"

          Diamond was still startled that she needed a reason to talk to her best friend in this whole, entire universe. She yearned for a time when she could have bothered Renata whenever and however many times she pleased. "Uh, did you get my texts?"

          "Oh, yeah, I did. I meant to respond, sorry."

          "So...?"

          Renata exhaled heavily. "Of course, Diamond. I didn't even realize how long it's been, to be honest... Is that really why you called at two in the morning?"

          Diamond felt like she was being admonished by a parent. "I'm sorry, I just needed to hear your voice." She didn't mean to let the desperation in her heart slip into her voice, but it was too late. "I really, really miss you."

          Heavy pause. "I miss you too."

          Diamond felt her nose burn. "Really?"

          "Diamond, what's wrong? Is everything okay?"

         Diamond sniffled, wiping underneath her eyes. "Yeah, Ren. When can we see each other? I don't care when, just tell me where and I'll be there."

          "Oh, uh. I'm not really sure...How about this Thursday?"

          "Done. I'll let you go... Sweet dreams."

          "Goodnight, Diamond."

Renata

        Renata left her front room area and walked into her bedroom to see the frustrated face of Tiana. Her incredulous, brown eyes flickered toward Renata's gaze, then down her naked body. Her breath was still erratic. " I can't believe you answered a phone call in the middle of that."

          Renata said nothing in response and climbed into the bed. She kissed Tiana, looked into her eyes and kissed her again. "Where were we?" Renata murmured as she trailed her lips downward.

          Tiana thankfully dropped it and relaxed. This woman was particularly vocal during sex, Renata learned during their first time together. She hadn't decided if she enjoyed the volume or not, but Tiana was gorgeous and had an even prettier smile, the reason they'd made it back to Renata's place instead of a hotel room.

          I'm sorry, I just needed to hear your voice. I really, really miss you.

       Renata focused on the soft, brown skin beneath her mouth. Tiana was trembling, hands fisted in the sheets. "Fuck, baby. Just like that." She finally made it back between Tiana's legs and even though Diamond's face was flashing through her thoughts, she began lapping in between Tiana's folds before returning to her clit.

          Sweet dreams.

**********

          Tiana lingered in her doorway and against Renata's lips. Tiana was smiling, the softness of it reaching her eyes as she finally pulled away. Must have been nice to really feel that smile. "That was amazing. Definitely call me again." Tiana took another step into the hallway.

          Renata nodded as she held her robe closed. "So were you...I'll call you." Would she? Renata tended not to fuck the same person more than two or three times...this was their third. Tiana nodded, and her gaze became disappointed as though she sensed Renata's line of thought.

          "See you around." With that, Tiana was gone.

          Renata closed the door and dropped her robe. She got into the bathroom and turned on the shower. As she peed, she listened to the sound of the water hitting the tub. It created a calming effect on her nerves. Once she flushed the toilet, she put her fresh braids up into a bun on top of her head. This time around, she kept it black but chopped it to medium length, cutting her natural hair as she did this as well.

        When she was underneath the warm embrace of the water, her muscles relaxed. Renata made sure to clean her most intimate parts before just standing there in the quietude. She sighed, remembering how she was going to have to wake in five hours. Not that she would be sleeping.

          A year is all I will give, but we will meet again.

          Renata couldn't stop the shudder that coursed through her. That warning had played in her head most moments until the point of fixation. His face, the pressure of the blade against her stomach right before piercing. The details were dulled after a year, but her torment still felt fresh, as though she'd just awakened from the nightmare moments ago instead of months.

          If the monster was being honest, they'd be reuniting sooner than what she had hoped for: never.

Flashback (six months ago)...

          Renata sobbed as she stayed balled up on her kitchen floor. She held the gun against her temple, rocking forward and backward.

          She just couldn't take it anymore.

        This was her third time. But the end refused to accept her. Even if she did pull the trigger, she'd return however long later. She couldn't die.

        Renata just wanted it all to stop, the coldness clinging to her skin, taunting her. All of the pain swirled around until there was nothing left. Until she was nothing but a body that just wouldn't stay dead.

          Something about her existence felt so cruel, like one long punishment. Someone else's amusement. The problem was, Renata didn't want forever, not if it was going to feel like this.

           She pulled the trigger.

          Renata shot up in the bed, gasping and looking around with pure terror in her heart. She reached for her weapon and calmed some after feeling the coolness of the metal. She checked her phone to see she was up half an hour before her alarm.

          Not wanting to revisit her countless suicide attempts, she decided to start getting ready for the day, one closer to her dreaded reunion.

          A year is all I will give, but we will meet again.

          Fuck me.