The Psycho Is Innocent | ꪜ

Chapter 31: Parker Lynn

Present

         ARIEL PEELED AWAY every article of clothing from her body. The hot water flowing in the tub beckoned her inside and as she slipped into its hot blanketed arms, her troubles slowly dissolved, even if it were for a fleeting moment. She tapped her fingernails against the edge of the tub: click, click, click. The sound enveloped her ears and echoed through the eerily silent bathroom. She fluttered her eyes shut and dragged her nails across her flesh.

          She sunk her nails into her skin and gritted her teeth in pain. Her chest ached, her hand trembled. She wanted nothing more than to lower her head beneath the surface of the water and let it wash all her problems away. Why? She questioned. What did Tobias Aspen possibly have to hide? Ariel despised people who deceived her and most of all: wasted her time. She was beginning to think Tobias was a complete waste of time.

          Ariel's head lolled back towards the edge of the tub and though her arms began to grow limp and her thoughts grew hazier, she didn't make an effort to pull herself out. Click, click, click. It didn't stop, she still tapped away, trapping her own self, aware that she was the only person caging her mind when she could set herself free. But she didn't care, instead, she slipped more and more, searching for the answer.

         "Ariel, what are you doing?" A deep voice resonated through her ears, willing her eyes to peel back open. A pair of blue ocean-like orbs pierced through hers. He was waist down in the water, arms braced upon the edge of the tub. The water sloshed around him as he moved closer towards her and soon enough his face hovered over Ariel's, lips tugged into a smirk.

         "I'm trying to forget about you, that's what I'm doing," she replied. He raised a hand to her face and brushed her damp hair away, "why would you want to forget about me, my little mermaid?" Ariel captured his hand in hers and leaned her face into his touch, "you promised me, Tobias." He frowned in confusion, "I promised you what?" She raised a hand to his face and captured his damp cheek beneath her bloody fingertips.

        "You promised that this wouldn't happen. Why would you lie to me?" He dipped his head low and pressed his forehead against Ariel's, "I'm here now, aren't you?" Ariel's lips twitched as anger pulsated through her veins. The more she remained confined within the walls of this suffocating house. . .this suffocating town, she'd grow angrier and angrier. Her resolve was slowly beginning to slip away and it was all because of Tobias freaking Aspen.

          "Who's here?" She spat venomously as she shoved him away from her. He crashed into the water, eyes wide, pain taking home on his freckled face, "Tobias Aspen? Or is it Ricky Morton? Or Jet Marshal? I don't know who you are. Have I ever known who you were or was that also part of your twisted game? What? You wanted to see what I would have done after getting to know of your disorder? Did you want to test me? My loyalty? Did you want a lap dog who'd vouch for you when you got yourself in a twist? Hmm, what is it? What do you guys want!?"

          He sat upright, and his face which was once clear to her began to grow distorted. As he shifted across the tub, Ariel could only see the outline of his lips. His ocean blue eyes had faded into the darkness, his freckled cheeks had become the mirror of a blank canvas. His bronde hair had withered into the air. He was no one, but he was everyone. "We just want you. You're getting angry over someone who's not even here. Not only are you being foolish but you're wasting your own time. Last time I checked, miss Campbell, did you not hate it when people wasted your time?"

        "Isn't that what you're doing?"

         He chuckled, "me?" He slowly raised his hand to her cheek once again and trailed his cold fingertips along the base of her jawline then over her chin until his hands slid around her neck. "It's you, love. You're wasting mine and your time sitting here crying over spilled milk." His fingers dug into her flesh and she sat upright as she wrapped her hand around his arm, trying but failing to pry it off of her. "We're not here, Ariel. This is all you. This is your guilty conscience trying to make an appearance. It's been dormant for so long and now it's fighting you. Why don't you just let it win?"