Death
"I don't want to die." She's shaking so badly right now. The insinuations before, the threats, even the attempted assassination - it had never been real. Or at the very least, immediate. Not like the heat at the side of her head, the body behind hers, taller than her and pinning her to the wall.
"Most people don't." He says casually. "I'm giving you the chance to apologize."
"I never did anything to you."
"Your life is on the line, Lea. Tell me the Christ-damned truth. What did you give me?"
"Melatonin." And she cries out as he hits her in the side of the head, forces her down to the floor.
"One last chance."
"If I gave a fucking damn about my pride, I wouldn't be on the floor begging you, would I!" She grabs for the nearest object - a hardcover copy of the Qu'ran on the bookshelf - and slings it at him. He's on two bad legs, it should be enough to slow him down, she hopes, but he falls forward and grabs onto her pant leg.
She'd be less terrified if his voice wasn't so calm and calculated, if he wasn't looking her in the eye like he'd done this before. "I warned you."
"Please…"
"No." And he gets up, pulling her up with him. "I'll be merciful. You won't feel anything."
"I have a wife now, Tom, I have a wife and we're going to adopt a baby and…"
"You know if I didn't do this, someone else would. And they wouldn't be so kind about it."
"Please."
She's going to die like this, crying, begging and clinging to life like an animal, stripped of dignity and hope. She doesn't care. She doesn't want to die yet.
"No."
"I never did anything to hurt you."
"Close your eyes."
"Don't do this. Please. They'll know it's you. Everyone will know it's you."
"I know."
"I thought you were better than this, you fucking schizo."
"I may take back that 'painless' part-"
"Don't kill me!"
"Close your eyes."
"I don't want to die." There's no response to that for a few seconds. She thinks she should try to move her hands up to her face, wipe the tears and running nose and fear off her cheeks before she goes, but she can't move. "Purgatory. Canto XIX. Give that to her."
"I will. Now close your eyes."
"Why are you doing this?"
"Because you tried to kill me. It's only fair I return the favor."
"I never…"
"Don't look. Make your peace. I'm allowing you that, don't waste it."
"Please don't kill me."
She closes her eyes and prays to the God she never had. He kills her anyway.
---
It's three days before they uncover the body, dredged from the water, almost unrecognizable. But Amy Walters knew all along. She knew exactly what had happened when she found three torn-out pages on her lover's desk, the conversation between Statius and Virgil highlighted. Statius, attempting to kiss Virgil's feet.
And so great is my love for you, I deal with shadows as with solid things.
Never before had her lover made her cry.
"Most people don't." He says casually. "I'm giving you the chance to apologize."
"I never did anything to you."
"Your life is on the line, Lea. Tell me the Christ-damned truth. What did you give me?"
"Melatonin." And she cries out as he hits her in the side of the head, forces her down to the floor.
"One last chance."
"If I gave a fucking damn about my pride, I wouldn't be on the floor begging you, would I!" She grabs for the nearest object - a hardcover copy of the Qu'ran on the bookshelf - and slings it at him. He's on two bad legs, it should be enough to slow him down, she hopes, but he falls forward and grabs onto her pant leg.
She'd be less terrified if his voice wasn't so calm and calculated, if he wasn't looking her in the eye like he'd done this before. "I warned you."
"Please…"
"No." And he gets up, pulling her up with him. "I'll be merciful. You won't feel anything."
"I have a wife now, Tom, I have a wife and we're going to adopt a baby and…"
"You know if I didn't do this, someone else would. And they wouldn't be so kind about it."
"Please."
She's going to die like this, crying, begging and clinging to life like an animal, stripped of dignity and hope. She doesn't care. She doesn't want to die yet.
"No."
"I never did anything to hurt you."
"Close your eyes."
"Don't do this. Please. They'll know it's you. Everyone will know it's you."
"I know."
"I thought you were better than this, you fucking schizo."
"I may take back that 'painless' part-"
"Don't kill me!"
"Close your eyes."
"I don't want to die." There's no response to that for a few seconds. She thinks she should try to move her hands up to her face, wipe the tears and running nose and fear off her cheeks before she goes, but she can't move. "Purgatory. Canto XIX. Give that to her."
"I will. Now close your eyes."
"Why are you doing this?"
"Because you tried to kill me. It's only fair I return the favor."
"I never…"
"Don't look. Make your peace. I'm allowing you that, don't waste it."
"Please don't kill me."
She closes her eyes and prays to the God she never had. He kills her anyway.
---
It's three days before they uncover the body, dredged from the water, almost unrecognizable. But Amy Walters knew all along. She knew exactly what had happened when she found three torn-out pages on her lover's desk, the conversation between Statius and Virgil highlighted. Statius, attempting to kiss Virgil's feet.
And so great is my love for you, I deal with shadows as with solid things.
Never before had her lover made her cry.