Stains

When Heads Roll

Mare didn't look at Julien for a long time. He paced the room back and forth talking nonstop. His words finally blurred out enough for her to consider her next course of action. Two heads had rolled on the floor just moments after she saw them perfectly connected to their bodies. The whole thing shocked Mare.

"You're doing this by yourself." Mare said. Julien stopped running around the room and looked down at her on her knees. He was taken by surprise.

"What?" He asked as if it offended him.

"You," she said looking at him, "are doing this by yourself. Cleaning it up, killing them, all of it is you." She said powerfully. "I'm not doing it anymore." She said.

"Like hell you're not." Julien said defensively. "I pay you, you cover my ass." He said angrily.

"Really? Like Greg did? Like Johnny's doing? Fuck you, I'm out." She said. She pulled herself off of her knees and stood up in defiance. He eyed her every movement, unimpressed with her rebellion. "I'm not playing this game anymore. My back hurts from carrying your shit, it's your turn buddy. Don't call me when you need me, don't fuck me when you're lonely. Don't call Johnny anymore, don't ever say Greg's name. Leave us all alone." She said nearing his scowl.

He laughed. "And what makes you think you can leave?" He asked considering himself stronger. He was obviously much taller, better built, and lately better fed. But she was angrier.

"Nothing. But I'm out. I am literally so unconvinced that I'm able to leave, but I'd rather die than be here." She said laughing hysterically back at him. "I'm not doing this shit anymore."

He smiled back at her, then grabbed her and shoved her back against the wall. He let her head hit first then held her against it by the throat. "Let's be clear, I own you. I control you." He said stressing his power. But she just laughed at him.

"Really? Is that what you think? Where do you think I've been for the past few days? Me and your girlfriend. In your control? Boy, she hasn't had her hands off me all weekend." She said with a choking breath cracking her voice. She smiled as his hand closed tighter around her neck. "By the time I'd fucked her twice she was in love with me. And she hates you. And you think you have control, but you don't. You thought you controlled my relationship with Lyndsey, but you just wanted me to love you, and all I did was love her. And when Greg killed himself, you lost all control over him. It drove you mad. And you think you control your girlfriend, but she'd always be with someone else. And you killing everyone is just another way you've lost it all; you can't stand it. You ain't shit anymore and you know it. I run this goddamn show, I own all the moves you play, and I hold all the money you push around. You think you're in control, but that's just an illusion. You're back to being that lonely little boy in a shit ass neighborhood and I am everything you aspire to be. Good fucking luck getting back to the top, cause as long as I'm here, you're nothing." She said. He let go of her, letting her fall to the floor and stepping backwards. He looked around the room for something to be written on the walls, some message.

But, he couldn't find anything, so he turned around. He turned away and left her coughing for air in the floor. For a moment, she was all alone again. Looking out at the empty room full of soulless bodies.

"What are you going to do now?" Lyndsey asked from the back of Mare's mind. Mare looked around the room for her, but she was gone.

"Fight a little longer." Mare said out loud. "Then I'm gone." She said.