Kaleidoscope Killer

Chapter 12

The only noise I hear is the thud of my combat boots on the deserted pavement of vaguely familiar streets. I try not to care that my blood has already soaked through the bandages and is now dripping onto my tank top. My bandana falls from my face, but I can’t stop to get it. This is the only option I have left; keep my friends alive even if it is for just a month. They will find a way to get rid of Sevals, I know it.

            The great red, brick building come into view. My heart skips a beat. This is the factory with all the workers, where Sevals experimented on me with lasers, and where Myth and Mischief kicked me out. I notice the sun is starting to lower itself into the sky, prompting me to keep going. When the Night of Shadows comes once more, you friends will die by my hand. No, I will not let Sevals win.

            The first door I find is already open, so I immediately trudge up the metal steps that echo throughout the stairwell. My shoulder is on fire as I reach the top floor, or rather what is left of the top floor. This building is practically destroyed. A gold mirror with the company’s name etched into the frame catches my eye.

The person staring back is a stranger to me. Her hair is pretty and clean. Not one speck of dirt taints her pale skin. Her shoulder is bleeding profusely, and the bags under her eyes are almost fading. The rips in her jeans show off her bruised and frail legs. I can’t stand seeing this girl’s mask of confidence, so I look back at the mirror’s frame. It says Mass Acres; the same name of the company Sevals used to own. I place my hand on frame to dust it. A rose vine is also carved into it, the same roses that are on my gun. I sink to my knees and cry.

“I will always be a part of this,” I say to the figure behind my reflection.

Sevals steps from the shadows. “Come now, daughter. It’s time.”

As I stand up, I pray that everyone will be safe and be far from here. Sevals’ smile is filled with greed as I take his hand. He leads me into a long hallway, passing a large window overlooking a room with many broken machines. It’s the room where I witnessed the deaths of hundreds of men. He brings me into a small room with a black, wooden desk, and a table waiting for me to lie down upon it.

The table is cold and the buckles Sevals is strapping me down with are like ice, but I don’t show my fear. I will not give him the satisfaction of scaring me. I will not give up on saving my friends. If surrendering my life to Sevals is what it takes to keep them safe and sound, so be it.

Sevals goes to his desk and shuffles through his drawers. My eyes focus on the window in front of me, keeping my tears at bay. My lip quivers, but I clear my throat to stop the tears. Sevals comes back to me, flicking a syringe with blue liquid inside of it. The tip of the needle touches my skin, but Sevals pauses.

“This is not staying here,” he grabs the golden necklace from my neck and yanks it. The chain breaks and slides off my neck into his deceitful hands. “There’s no need for this.”

He walks to the desk and places the necklace down gently as if afraid to break it any further. I notice that his hand looks burned in the shape of the tiny “t” where he held it. He notices it as well and anger wells up in his eyes. Sevals roars in frustration.

“You marked me!” he yells to the ceiling.

I know he isn’t talking to me, but my heart still pounds at his voice. He storms over to me with the syringe. The needle comes in contact with my bad arm causing me to flinch a little. The liquid makes my arm go numb instantly. My head starts to feel heavy as I start to become colder. My eyes tightly close as a searing pain consumes me.

I try to yell out, but all that comes out is a light whisper, “Razor…”

 

 

As Blade explains while we run down the abandoned roads, my anger boils in my blood. Sevals will not kill her. I cannot let another woman I love die by his filthy hands. Ice jumps down from a building’s fire escapes and informs us that Sevals’ minions are nowhere to be seen. Blade catches him up on how Kaleidoscope was shot by Sevals and told to meet him at a brick building somewhere. I hate how Sevals can steal her away so easily.

“That’s the building!” Blade shouts as he points his finger at a crumbling structure.

Ice and I run past the broken down door while Blade and Scorch keep watch from the shadows of other buildings. I can’t help but to notice the trail of blood leading up the metal stairwell. I don’t want to imagine how much blood is hers. I speak aloud to God as we continue looking, but it brings me no solace. Ice follows me silently as we ascend the foul smelling stairs. We get to the top, and I go to run down the only hallway, but I slip and fall.

“Razor, are you al-”

I see why Ice stopped. I am on all fours in a pool of bright red blood. I forcefully blink away my tears as I get to my feet. We walk down the hallway in silence. This whole building smells disgusting. I look around trying to find the source of the odor. I stop as we come across a huge window overlooking a large room loaded with rusted machines. As I look closer, I realize it’s not rust; it’s poison. The same poison Sevals used on Mother. My breaths become shorter as my hate and anger grow. I cannot bear to imagine how many lives were taken in there.

Ice’s voice drops an octave as he almost cries, “God, no.”

I walk over cautiously noticing how tense Ice’s body suddenly is. I poke my head into the quiet room. My fingers grip my gun tighter as my eyes focus on a body lying on a table. I run to her, dropping my gun and throw my right arm over her body as I scoop up her head with my left. I place my head on her chest, hoping to hear a heart beat, but I don’t hear anything.

“Razor-”

“Ice come help me get her off this now!” I yell over him through my rising hysteria.

I didn’t think he’d actually help after I just yelled at him, but he’s at my side in an instant. He holds out his hand; her necklace. I take it from him and slide it into my pocket. When all the restraints are unbuckled, I quickly, but gently, pick up her lifeless body. Ice leads me out of the room and down the hall. I watch my step this time as we pass a big mirror at the top of the stairs. I keep telling myself that she’s still alive as we trample down the gray steps. Lord, let her be alive.

“Razor, is she okay?” Scorch asks, meeting us on the sidewalk in front of the building.

Ice answers for me, “Unconscious. She’ll be fine when we get way from here.”

I don’t have the heart to say that she isn’t unconscious. Blade looks at Scorch as if to reassure him that Ice is telling the truth. I feel guilty for letting them believe a lie, but no words come out of my mouth to correct them. The night wind blows around us making Kaleidoscope’s hair flow over her perfect face.

“Let’s get out of here,” I say stepping off of the cracked sidewalk.

No one protests as I lead them out of the heart of the deserted city. They don’t question me as I walk into the Fever Woods. Not one person says a word as I lie down with Kaleidoscope next to a small stream. The air around us would be silent as I hold her throughout the entire night if I wasn’t crying.