The Selfless Gene

Chapter 37

The wedding's in full swing in the mill, everyone on their feet dancing. After a long day and a lot of fizz, Isabella sneaks outside and heads up to the bridal suite. Noticing her quiet exit, The Intern follows her up. She kicks off her shoes and opens the door out to the Juliet balcony. Standing there overlooking the moonlight meadow, Isa allows the breeze to delicately tickle her skin as it moves through the suite.

"There you are, wife." The Intern says as he puts his arms around her waist and looks out with her. He nuzzles into her neck.

She isn't really looking at details, just taking in the light and shadow shapes cast by the full bright and bold moon. The music is dampened as a gentle silence surrounds husband and wife.

"God, you look insane in that dress. Your back. Wow."

"Not too shabby yourself."

"Was it what you imagined?"

"And more. So much fun."

"It was the best day of my..." The Intern begins before abruptly stopping. Across the meadow he sees a shadowy figure standing there. At first he thought it a scarecrow but it moved steadily through the shadows. He follows its line as it breaks out into the cold clear moonlight. Thame. Staring right back at them.

"Remember yourself." A male voice speaks from behind him. "Remember what you're doing and why. What he did to you, to us."

It was The General, just as he looked the minute he died. "My boy."

Anger in the pit of his stomach exploded. It rushed through his veins as he fought against it.

No, you're dead. I'm happy. I'm not like that, really. Please, don't make me do this.

"Do as we planned. Start the end game. Hurt that bastard."

No, no please. I don't want to. I, I love...

"You don't love her. You love the power you feel. If she wasn't with Thame then you wouldn't feel half of what you think you do."

No, no I do.

"Do as we planned."

Leave me alone.

"Do as we planned! Do it!" The General's screaming deafens him. He looks at The General and Thame is in the room, killing him all over again. With a cocky smile, Thame locks eyes with The Intern as does it.

The Intern wants to be sick. The General is dead at his feet and he relives that day as if it's the first time.

"Weak limp chicken shit." Thame says.

"Pathetic soft limp dick." He repeats. Thame gets up into his face. "You're nothing. Limp dick."

The Intern explodes. In under a second, his face changes to a deep maniac grimace. Locking eyes with the real Thame outside, he leans into Isabella again, lifts her up and hurls her over the balcony.

*

Thame's jaw drops and he falls to his knees, winded like never before. He sees her fly, her dress billowing as she goes. A fallen angel. He rocks back and forth, unsure whether to go to her or retreat.

He loved her. Why did he do that after he ... Thame knew the answer. It was because of him. He looked directly at him before coldly throwing her over. He'd stuck around without a plan, a little lost at what to do whilst wallowing in his own pity. His arrogant decision killed her. That bastard must be the best actor in the land, it was his plan all along. Thame had come to terms with confronting him calmly to see if a new way could be forged. But now? No mercy.

Thame snaps out of his trance as screams come from the barn. He ducks down and moves out of the moonlight and back into the shadows. Turning one last time, he sees him against the balcony looking down, making him tense his jaw and lock his teeth. Thame eventually makes it back to his rental car, straps himself in and lets the sobs erupt out of him.

As his tears wind down, his heart is paralysed. Then, another sucker punch to his gut and a hot scorch against his lower arm. Lohikaarme was alive. The amulet begins to gently light up and shoots his brother's presence across his nervous system. The shock makes Thame pass out.

*

The Intern looks over the balcony and realises what he's done. His organs lurch and immediately ache. Isabella's face locked in shock, looking back at him on the balcony as she fell directly backwards. Whatever he remembered from the day has been erased, replaced with the static image of her gazing back up at him, sprawled on the floor. His laced white divinity, now sprawled in front of a blood red sun which is quickly growing in size.

He looks once more and moves away, heart beating fast, trying to stay on his feet. His legs give way and he falls, trying to grab hold of the table to steady himself. He pulls the table over and convulses on the floor.

A few of the guests had come out of the mill for a cigarette and are now running to Isabella. They shriek in horror. Andrea soon follows and lets out the worst kind of sound, something she never knew was inside of her. Prima, guttural, intestinal. She immediately goes to Isabella and checks her pulse but nothing - just her friend's horrified gaze looking up her. She opens herself up for tears but they won't come; instead she looks up at the window and braces herself for action. She takes Isabella's left hand, kisses it and holds it close to her cheek.

The Intern's assistants and security dash into his room and tend to their boss. His Head of Security slowly exits from the room and unlocks his phone. "We have another one. Bring in a favourable policeman, it's a rather public one. Delicately place it as suicide."

The Intern is lost in his own mutterings, showering disbelief and hatred onto himself. He crawls to the Juliet balcony and puts both hands strongly around the bars. Squeezing the metal hard, he pushes his head against them, looking down again on his beautiful, wonderful true love.

He's polluted his happiness. His own dirty, selfish oil now smothering his breath. The end game had started on his own terms whether he wanted it to or not. Kamikaze style.