Filter It only amounted to one, and it would always be one and never two --and through his jaundice-soaked corneas, all he could see was nausea. Suddenly, a violent heave claimed him, a primal urge rising in his liver. Bile stained his teeth, and the following retches were acidic, lashing the roof of his mouth with fury. It could never stop: his body rejected the substance over and over; he was dangling on the edge of sanity . "Not again. Please no-" Liam clenched his teeth, the crucial moment upon him; he had to keep the substance down, or the consequences would be dire. His eyes scanned the horizon with desperation before his lids slid closed, resistance wracking him. Then, as the urge to be sick overcame him, a voice pierced through his fog of despair, a lifeline amidst his struggle. "Can you hear me?" the rough, concerned tone asked as Liam writhed against the concrete, groaning... "Don't try to answer that, but try to blink twice. Take it slow." As he fought to drag his eyelids upward, the pain, like a coiling wire, constricted his blood flow in retaliation. "Make it stop-No I-" he choked out , his voice puncturing the air. If he expelled the Vanderine from his intestines, his efforts would to amount to zero. Square one. He was at the end of a long night,his vision raw from never resting his eyes, the blood vessels all but ruptured and torn. The ingested substance had been a sinister mistake. And if he threw up twice, the Vanderine risked expulsion from his system; he battled to hold it inside. All he had could never be enough, he countered, what ever could? Even his attempts to obey the voice , coming from somewhere above him, seemed in vain. As Liam writhed in the dying sunlight, his skin erupted in feverish bumps, a crawling sensation exploring the surface of his skin. Violation jolted down his spine as he screamed through his clenched teeth . As the nausea rose again, claiming his entire being, his heart continued to pulse, counting away the seconds. "Help me--No. No," he pled through his locking jaw as he fought another gripe. The instinctive reaction of his body gripped every fiber as he felt his fight ending. He embedded his teeth into his gag, screaming against the material bound across his tongue, taunting him. Then, in one dreaded motion, the inevitable rise built within him. His pupils dilated with horror as his gag soon became saturated with the vile substance, leaving a bitter sting as he struggled against it; the retches that followed heaving through his chest. Liam collapsed into the unforgiving embrace of the concrete, his ravaged body welcoming the end with resignation. "Shit," he lamented , the heat in his own voice spreading across his flesh like untamed fire . "Twice... now it's too late." Twisting his gaze away from the glistening pool of Vanderine, he diverted his gaze from the evident failure. And in a mixture of pure shock and trauma, his eyelids slid closed with exhaustion, his body embracing closure of his fight. After his ongoing efforts and endless torment, he failed to hold down the vandarine, and it was over. But the voice persisted, causing Liam to force his eyes open, gritting his teeth. "No, I'm still here Liam; I'm getting the binds off--hang tight," the voice reassured. Liam shook his head , protesting, the fear tugging at his psyche like a fishing line as he cursed in his mouth. "No, you can't help--" As Liam fought to refocus his gaze, a pair of deep hazel eyes locked onto his own with concern. "Hey, breathe. I've got you. It's me, Ry'. Hold on while I get rid of this--" Liam flinched as his gag tore from his mouth, and he gasped for fresh air, the stifling atmosphere saturating him with perspiration. "Now hang tight while I get these damned binds off-" , Ryan's voice reassured with an undercurrent of urgency, as Liam's arms obstructed his ribcage from accomodating his lungs. Liam's voice died in his throat as the sear of rope twisted itself around his flesh , grinding like wildfire into his veins as Ryan worked at the constraints with bare hands. His deft fingers delivered frantic sensations into Liam's malaise as they eroded the rope's grained surface, causing the fibres to snap. Then, as Ryan tossed the strews of rope aside, he rolled Liam onto his back, smoothing a palm over his chest and anchoring his sternum. "Ryan? How the hell did you get out of your?" , Liam questioned in untamed confusion, shocks coursing down his spine as Ryan elevated his head and hauled it onto his thigh. " It took a hell of a long time to wear down my own, but I managed to-ah it doesn't matter , just concentrate on the breathing." As his head lolled to the side , Liam's laboured breaths stalled his movements , the horizon meeting his vision while Ryan held his jaw in place . "Easy, slow breaths, feel how I'm breathing buddy and mirror that." It was a few minutes before Liam's chest finally fell into a rhythm, his spasmodic breathing evening out. "There we go, give it some time, it's been a long damn night.", Ryan said, his hands remaining secure against Liam's face as he refocused his vision on Ryan's steady gaze. Liam, reaching up and gripping Ryan's arm, smiled against the warm twilight rays of daylight that bathed his features. "Hell of a thing to endure, seeing all that... Damn lucky that we're both still here." Liam, pulling on Ryan's arm, found the strength to prop himself into a seated position, still deprived of breath. "Shit. Get over here, Ry'" he said, as streams of magenta dust hovered , creating a surreal haze that reflected the rising sun. Liam raised his arm and enveloped Ryan in a warm but rough embrace , melding their silhouettes into one as their shoulders collided. As Liam delivered a thump to his back, Ryan reciprocated by bumping his fist against Liam's shoulder. "Yeah, yeah, calm down," Ryan laughed in spite of his cool demeanour. "We'll get a decent shot of water into you, after we find your clothes." Ryan, lowering his deep hazel irises to meet Liam's contrasting blue stare , placed a hand on Liam's knee. "thank God I reached you in time." Although the light had drained from his eyes , Liam managed a smirk. "Yeah, I know what you did Ry' . It's all kinda hazy but-" Ryan dodged the heroics as he offered a smile and turned his head, the hues of the ominous sunrise casting across his profile , promising impending heat. "Nah, I don't go down easy or nothin' but someone had to save your ass." Passage two "The sight of his crumpled jeans, smudged with fingerprints, hijacked his attention. "Those bastards don't care what they leave behind," Liam muttered as his eyes located his left sock, freezing his joints. "Please help me-" he whispered, readjusting his grip on Ryan's shoulder, wrenching his gaze away from the twisted display of inhumanity. Liam's jaw clenched as he then noticed his dehumanizing undergarments strewn across the footpath, along with his boots and shirt. Ryan held his gaze steadfast on Liam's faltering eyes as he approached Liam's belongings, gathering them and subverting the underwear, scuffing it away with his boot. Liam was already sliding toward the dusty ground as Ryan handed him the brusque garments, his expression gentle. "You earned your dignity, just focus on that," he reassured as Liam accepted his ruined clothing with a wince. "Yeah, give me a minute-" he said with a glimmer of resistance in his bloodshot eyes. The drugs in his vision burned with a harsh sting, and Liam shook his head to regain some clarity. "I don't remember how I got here. No damn clue. Now here I am stripped naked- Ry', I'm not even sure what's real or what the Vanderine made me believe--and I only said yes because -". With a jerk, Ryan pulled Liam inward by the waist. "Doesn't matter. We never had a choice. But you put yourself in my place. And they never broke your damn spirit. And I can tell you right now, this is real." Liam, looking away with a nod, fell into silence as he wrestled with the task of dressing himself. Ryan was quick to offer careful attention as he assisted Liam into his jeans. The denim, rough against his bare skin, left his bite crooked with agony. Each movement caused Liam to flinch as he guided his ankle through the hem and then buttoned the waist of the stained jeans . Ryan passed him his destroyed Henley , and Liam yanked it over his shoulders. With a groan , Liam sought leverage in Ryan's grasp, haling himself upright. "Can you walk? Coz we need to find water , c'mon Li' , sweet hydration awaits-". As Liam broke into a grin that reached his pupils with a spark , his feet found equilibrium alongside Ryan's stance. "Hell yeah-I'm dyin' of thirst-" . But as they attempted to leave, Liam's breath was stolen by confronting remnants of his ordeal. He steeled his grip on Ryan's arm as his eyes swept over the discarded bottle of lubricant and plastic glove, turned inside-out on the pavement. "Sick, perverted bastards." Ryan almost spat as his heart was seized by the disarray that had paralysed Liam. Shielded only by Ryan's insistence as he guided Liam past the aftermath , he whispered, his tone punctured with disbelief. "So you're outta your binds and you untied mine, stripped my gag -and-" Liam's head fell to his hand , cradling his temple and gritting his teeth. "A lot of what happened is ..missing Ry' -how many times did they?" Ryan responded with a gun-metal hollowness, his words smoked out by his steady exhale. "Several times at least . Enough times enough for anyone, let's say that." Liam disengaged himself from Ryan's grasp as he diverted the glare that was already rebounding off the asphalt . "I wish you hadn't been forced to watch-" Ryan dragged his legs into co-operation as he anchored himself against Liam. "It was hard yeah-but what they did-I know you think it was a mistake to say yes , but my mistake was to resist-" The air clung to his flesh as Liam dragged his knuckles over his vision , finding a semblance of composure as he argued. "How the hell was it a mistake to avoid-this? Don't you go getting all survivor's guilt on me Ry. " The amber flecks dissolved from Ryan's aspect as he mumbled at the ground , grinding his hands into his pockets. "I just , never mind. We both need water, and shade. And soon." Liam slung a recuperating arm around Ryan's shoulder , and staggered in sync with his footsteps as the navigated the footpath as it winded into potential oblivion... As they walked in shared disorientation, and noon encroached, Liam's psyche was flooded with a flashback. His hand flew to his temple, clutching his hair as the thumping blades of a chopper cut through his thoughts. The unforgiving smash of his torso onto the ground, the impact coursing down his spine as he thrashed across the dirt and onto the pavement, echoed through his chest. "They threw me from a chopper, Ryan, arms bound to my sides. Did they do the same to you? Please tell me you know more than you've been letting on-" At first Ryan hesitated, his words dead on his tongue as he swiped it across his teeth , as he stared out into the distance. "Yeah, after you, they hurled me down here , and I found myself staring into the barrel of a gun. Said there were more captives , but nothing about their sick intentions. Then you know the rest-" With a somber nod, Liam added "Yeah, they brandish the damned pistol in my face and -" Liam exhaled into the particles of oppressive dirt and debris as his posture slackened with the sobering reality of the moment . "I already feel like they've killed me, Ry'. And they'll be back. They'll kill us like dogs-" Ryan's complexion drained out a shade of its colour and he shifted his weight under Liam's one sided embrace, maintaining his stare into the spanning horizon. "Well, I'm guessin' they could zone in on us at any moment, and while I've out walked my limits, it's probably only been under a mile. But as I said before , I don't go down easy. " he said, his detached voice peppered with defiance. "Hell yeah you don't " Liam's appreciative chuckle warmed the air along with a resonating smile, shrugging Ryan into closer proximity and supporting his weight. "If I live to see a stiff drink, I owe you . Speaking of which-". Ryan's eyes followed Liam's to a ransacked dumpster further up the path, garbage cascading onto the concrete. "Liam, I don't know that I'm above crawling in there to get out of this sun...just pull the lid down and die of dehy-" Liam interjected as his eyes caught on several bottles of water , his relief interspersed through his laughter. "Don't finish that thought Ry' , I think we might not be the only survivors out here after all-" Filtered As Valen suctioned his saliva around the cavity of a decaying tooth , draining the marrow of its essence , the sound was distinct. A lingering testament to the sound of unease , the embodiment of reckless abandon. Had he no moral ambiguity, was he grounded in a neutral evil , on a criminal scale he had fabricated with a woven tapestry that only his sanity could have designed. The irreverence spiralled through his knuckles as he flexed them, each crack falling in line with the thud of his uneven gait. "Ah , Liam, you found the darkest place to shine the glint of terror in your eyes. The place where it could shine the brightest, and not one finger did I lift-" His boots, scraping to an unbalanced halt, aligned themselves either side of Liam's ears. As he lay sprawling on the ground, the instinct urging his arms to cradle his bruised ribs, he groaned in response . "You could, if you would enjoy the pleasure , take the entire torch of burning passion , and shove it, blazing and unforgiving, right where no light has ever-" . In a precise moment, sixty seconds and no less, Liam felt his first boot coming unlaced , each tug a whiplash to his ankles, and he smirked . "Ah Valen, silent assault again , huh. but what's to be said to a dead man-who wants to die?" . The tension , only palpable on the surface hairs of Liam's skin, summoned sweat and unease. Elevating his jaw to obtain a level at which he could angle his smirk in a slice of pure , untainted moonlight , he offered "Jist rip the boots off , why kill me soft? When you could make me scream your name?" Valen , with a painstaking timeliness, removed Liam's boot and placed it by his temple. "Oh , we've danced before . I've wined you , dined you. Had you where I wanted you. Not a screamer. But . There's other way's to make a moment last far beyond the fleeting passion of the night. Ways to make a memory burn brighter than a thousand echoes of my name in your fused mouth. " Liam twisted his bound torso in a wretch of unfamiliar discern. His bravado trickled through his protesting veins , fight and fight glands awakening as he let his jaw return to the concrete. "Fear is human, Li' , fear is accessible when you break through the emotions we lie with. But even then, fear is an emotion we all know. What if I can elicit something, deeper? What if , in time , your brain , thrown out into an ocean of fear, choked on the saline of something more sinister?" Liam's grin, as lopsided as ever, his right dimple betraying his amusement in the face of a threat, stayed etch in his cheek. "Oh , show me , captain, how you will steer our ship tonight, as the iceberg melts and we die in a hell frozen over . But tell me , who will die first in this version, Jack, or Rose? How wide is the door going to-" . In an instant , his second boot was by his opposite temple. "Well , maybe it's Rose after all . My feet are overheating in these socks, and besides I know how the story ends . And you know when you cast your locket into that ocean , the one my psyche will drown in, you'll never get it back. Oh , Rose, my heart breaks for you-" Valen's finger traced the hem of Liam's jeans as he undid the buckle , flicking it back against Liam's stretched abdomen and watching his skin react . He whisked the belt away as Liam grunted with the soft force, and Valen explored the curves of Liam's hipbones , lingering a moment too long, but his touch dying away fast enough to sting. In a grinding motion, Liam's teeth captured the heat of his own breath, feeling hands on his calves , as the friction of his denim left a trail of despair. Liam's hands, bound at his sides , clench into fist as Valen's' touch infiltrated his flesh in a crawling , gut wrenching motion, enclosing Liam's lower leg in a chokehold of perverted warmth. Then, his finger travelled up Liam's thigh, drawing forth a shuddered breath that held the deep seated flames of primal , undeniable fear. A threshold of whitewashed oblivion submerged with profound hyper sanity , the sense of realism brushing over the surface of Liam's awareness. "There's a place, I haven't explored . A place I haven't had the pleasure of touring. The many sights , the many terrains, the stunning architecture-". Valen wallowed with deliberate pause, awaiting the quickening of Liam's heartbeat. His hands rested behind Liam's knees, pressed into the pulse points as he gasped , his voice low. "Ah, it grows faster , for me-" Valen's whisper enter the air , cold yet impregnated with an appreciation beyond measure. Liam's flinch as transgression travelled with prominence, through his thighs and he thrust his pelvis into the concrete Valen remained silent. "Well, it wouldn't exactly do you any good to repeat history -I'm still alive and so is Ryan-and Victor-Logan-shall I go on. I'm your greatest failure yet -" . Valen's touch remained unwavering in the darkness , as he called out, his voice devoid of emotion. "Hey Ry', have you severed your binds yet, or is that gag making breathing a little difficult?" . There was a muffled scream , serving as an insidious reply, and Liam felt his eyes slam shut under the influence of horror. "Damnit", he cursed as Valen maintained his silent presence , challenging Liam to ask , as he resisted, his teeth driven shut in anguish, "you don't want to know , huh? " Liam begged his bloodline to slow, if only to thrive his captor of satisfaction in his fear . "Tape recording. You don't have Ryan. " Valen sneered at the estimation . "Ponder that. A tape recording . Is he alive , Liam? Maybe I don't have Ryan... anymore. Or I do. Who can tell. Reality is a tool. " Liam , growling in disbelief , felt the rage build as he said , his voice plated with an insulation . "I'd tell you to go to hell but-we're already in some sick version of it-not that I'll break. I'll never , ever , break. " . The silence deafened him with its persistence, the truth biting at the edges of his mind . "I don't intend to break you Liam, I don't want to see you suffer-I want to feel you descending into that place-that pocket of darkness only you know about-". Liam only laughed in defiance , "oh I reserve that landmark for the blind-" . In a sudden thrash , Liam threw his head back , and Valen groaned at the impact to his skull. "You know that after you , and Ryan , and the other useless fools , none of you have served a purpose to the Vanderine, to the drug's survival , and yet, while it won't serve my purpose to implant you -again-I don't have the strength to resist. Business. And I'm the boss. Another day in my office. Another fine opportunity to play with the clientele." Liam managed a twisted smile , the notion flooring him . "Have you ever ingested it yourself. The Vanderine , what does it feel like, you can't imagine the dreams I've had, the ideas I've been invested with-" Valen's cool trail of voice interlaced with the stagnant air . "Have, in any of these dreamscapes Liam , have you encountered this-" . In a swift movement, Liam's abdomen was against the concrete on a deeper level. "Nah, but you and me , me and you-there's really no end to the scenarios -" Valen, his voice fading an inch into the background, expensed a proposition. "There may be a way to embed the drug, that you're disposable bowels failed at tolerating. " then as Vaken removed the heat of his touch from Liam's pulse points , his blood flow was syringed with a profound chill. Liam shivered , as he said, observing the perverted truth encroaching on his existence "It seems however , that my entire digestive system is a ravaged wasteland , explored to the last inch, every cavity stripped and yet the darkest space is still untouched , pure, unvarnished-." Valen's breath was at his ear as his low voice caressed the silence, a threat in its proximal absence as it crept further away. "And yet, your vocal cords survived the trauma , but, Liam . I don't want to cause you to scream ,only to hear your voice echoing into that mouth... But I wonder if Ryan would care to indulge in the reminder of his mistake-his failure. Would he write a little harder at the sound of your pleas-" Valen said, in a lingering snarl. As Liam fought the urge to retch, wincing , the taunt of the potential voice recording pierced the air , the muffled scream lacing his mind and entangling with his resistance. "I'll need proof before I believe you captured Ryan, I'll need to feel his pulse against mine ...I'll need to feel the reverberation of his cries against my chest -" The air held a disconcerting void in its hands as Valen's unsynchronised gait dragged across the ground. "Will I dangle the carrot until the horse starves out of spite , or will I strip his gag and ask him something that only the present moment has the captivity to answer ?" Liam's stomach, dropping into its seventh circle of condemnation, raged with nausea. "There's nothing you could ask him that isn't predetermined-nothing-" he said, almost with a spit of poised saliva. Liam felt his own fear deceiving him with a deft profanity as he cursed into a whisper, and ground his jaw. Valen taunted , seeming closer to the doorway than a moment earlier. "Oh sweet Ry' , is it a shame that , when you abandoned Liam in the heat of your desperation , that he became my chew toy. Well riddle me this -exactly how long ago was it that you left him?. Tell me the minutes , the hours , the seconds. When you can -" Liam then spat , his tongue enraged with the constraints of his binds "Shit..." Liam lamented, awaiting Ryan's response. There was an engrained anticipation in the air, spiralling in a tight burst of thrilling panic , as Liam's pulse throbbed in his eye sockets, and the veins in his temples ticked against his skin. Then it slithered through the room; Ryan's voice. "Exactly ...one day......eight hours...maybe twenty minutes and...fuck I don't -" . There was a muffled distilling of Ryan's voice, as his gag was reinserted between his teeth. As Valen's hands came down over Liam's pulsing ankles, he flinched. "Ah, your pulse is faster. And harder. But , it's not my intention to break you now is it? You will undo yourself in my embrace Liam -" He lay face down on the pavement to hell, a maze of stones and ever present magenta particles sifting through his vision as he withheld a gasp. "I can't see my damned watch-" Liam muttered. Valen , dismissing Liam's frustration, loomed close and yet far enough away to unsettle the balance of intamacy and isolation. "Now Liam, if you know how long you've been alone, berating yourself for urging him to forget your existence, if you can find the answer within yourself, to the question. Well then, you know if it's all just a tape recorded dream? . Or perhaps ...it's a reality. A truth that Ryan lies bound , and as his mistake , your heart beats on his time, borrowed for you. Be grateful to hear him. Or regret that you will..." Liam's eyes slid closed as his mind was transported to the previous night. Ryan's eyes, swallowed by the insufficiency of the street light, had borne a sharp hesitation as he'd hailed the oncoming traffic. A lone , sleek black Chevrolet, coming to a halt , had been the only traffic on the bare highway of promise married with ultimatum . "I'll go Liam, if this will save you , buy you some time. I mean , it's wrong and I know it , and I don't feel I'm doing you right, but, I owe you." Ryan's gaze rested on a space between the stars as his voice hollowed out, a cool edge welding his plea. "Please don't thank me. Not ever. But ...forgive me . In time I need to know that you'll see what I'm doing as what I have to -for you , and not as some calculated mistake. " Liam , gazing directly into Ryan's peripheral vision, said , without missing a beat. "Ry' , I'm telling you to do this , don't you ever blame yourself for what happens -don't you dare, for one second , frame this in your mind as betrayal-" Ryan then pulled Liam into a hug that burned with regret , their shoulders drawn together with a deliberate force, as Ryan's arm came down over Liam's back. Reciprocating with a firm arm around Ryan's neck, he placed an open palm on the back of his head. "Don't let them strip your humanity , now go-" There was a desperation in Ryan's grip as his his palm searched for extra time in Liam's jacket, his fingers twisting through the fabric. "Damnit, if they break us-I just need you to know; We've seen hell, and there may be no heaven , but there's being alive . cling onto that , Li' ." Liam flashed a lopsided grin, his right dimple enlivening its usual position as he smiled "Well give the bastards hell, Ry, I'll see you on the other side-" As Ryan stalled a second longer he added , "I'd better, and that's a threat." His slate -gray inflection , with an ounce of its coolness heated with urgency , rasped as he released Liam from his embrace and backed away as if he were weighed down with bricks. The passenger door caught in the moonlight as he slid down into the Chevrolet and disappeared. Liam's eyes flew open , and the scorn of his binds jolted him into reality. "So the plan is , to torture me with Ryan's captivity. But, if he were to die , before me , what do you have left. My wife and three kids-" Valen's reply was as audible as a pin dropping, and Liam resisted his own tears as hands rested on his thorax . a finger escalated his ribcage , now a perilous stairway to his primal despair. "Ah Liam, joke of your imaginary life, but do not call the bluff on the only real family you have , his life is-disposable , but fascinating beautiful in the way it could visit that place I cannot , simply by being extinguished. A flame can just-" the snapping of Valen's fingers caused Liam to blink away a tear , his jaw trembling with the tension as he denied his humanity. His empathy simmered behind his eyelids as he watched the insides of them swim with moisture. "I implore you to kill me first-A suicidal cannon will only light up the sky when the wick burns out. If you exterminate my only reason to breathe-what then? Let me go and have a fading trail -or torture his existence with mine?" . The complexity ignited a strange amusement in Valen's response , eliciting a new depth of laughter . "Ah Liam , you are a mental fortress of entertainment, but even the cryptic suggestion that without him you'll be nothing, you've transcended the reason I am tracing your ribcage with an ease. You are yet to contemplate the heart of my intentions. It may take some time -I'll afford you as long as you need Li' . Ryan has -more than enough time to wait for your revelation. To hear its undertones in your screams. " Liam lay in the cling wrap of sweat, not quite daring to let his mind connect the dots that reeled across the concrete , like a constellation of fallen stars . Whether it had become day, or remained night, failed to matter. The magenta haze was all consuming. Everywhere, and he was nowhere. Ryan had been eerily quiet . And his voice was only a plea away from escaping him. "I knew from the start , your true intention......I've always understood the purpose of my life -to kill me -but not to end my misery. To destroy Ryan. Because unlike me-Ryan believes in -humanity. in dignity. He's everything you can't be . Morally good . You have to end me -to truly leave a mark that will sear like a brand . But good luck with that . Because he did make a promise and you can't stop a lawful good from his word-" Valen's clap, a drawn out slap of his palms together , held a faint mockery. "Perhaps that might have been a nice twist to play with. Killing you, to watch Ryan suffer. Or killing him ti destroy you. Perhaps I may play with my food , or throw in complementaries with the service . Keep thinking Liam. What we don't know , can indeed be dangerous. But what we do know, can be a slow burning nightmare. " As the air crept closer , Liam cursed under his breath. His cards flashed their expiry dates as he almost threw his failed royal flush across the table. But all he mustered was a faint "you'll be waiting a while ... maybe I never figure it out..." Valen , laughing at the delight in his own voice , positioned his mouth at Liam's ear. "You will come to a conclusion , and don't tell me about it. I'll feel it in your waters as you drown" Liam's weakened mindset crumbled with dehydration, and malnourishment, as he grappled with a notion that almost set fire to his lungs. "The Vanderine- you've never ingested it. You won't . Implant it in me. But my body won't make it over the border in this condition. Implant Ryan , he can't hold it down as long as me. Kill Ryan , and torture me . kill me and torture him. kill is both and the game ends . But there's only one thing-" . Valen's eyes lit up , pyromania dancing wildly in his pupils, "you're getting warmer, Liam. I think you may already be ... burning. Shall I throw you into the ocean yet or would you like a moment?" Liam's blood , screeching to a halt in his veins, choked as he whispered "You need me-alive-because you don't have anyone else left to hide the drug inside of - you were never trying to preserve it , you need -to display it, showcase its fucking beauty , in the middle of nowhere . Have someone , at the right , opportune moment , but what doesn't add up is -why hide it inside me . If I'm not a vessel of transportation , why not just give the damn substance to -why implant it? " Liam's thoughts , blurred together by sheer panic , had him screaming , "Ryan , I'm sorry !" . Preserving his silence, Valen produced a gleaming sac from his pocket , and crouched by Liam's temple , placing and unlacing his boot as he hummed. "I want the world to see , how this drug , this vile responsibility to traffic something so resistant to ingestion , can be hidden inside even the weakest, most unsaleable , adverse body. And there's a place , a place deep inside you Liam , that it can be retained . But also , there's a place inside you that I can visit along the way. I won't overstay my welcome, I promise . You're right about me not getting your deteriorated meat suit over any borders but. business calls . And I take walks in the park . I stop to smell the roses . I admire the architecture and I never pass up a stroll through the Sistine Chapel after dark..." In Liam's resounding screams, his voice begged Ryan to hear what he could muster . "Don't ... you ...ever... let my broken body... be your mistake. I'm thanking you, and there's nothing to for-" His mouth, slamming closed with the brutal mercy of the concrete , bleed through his teeth. "Oh , Ryan , he says you're welcome , and there's plenty he can't forget, nor forgive, nor forgo not even forbid. He's bound, and he's listening and oh his heart's beating-so thank him for being alive. thank him for being too pristine to make an exhibition that can illuminate a thousand skies. Thank good 'ol Ryan for not embodying the toxic playground you breathe to life..." In a flinching movement , Liam turned his cheek away, a tear streaking it, unseen . Only the metal walls could witness his release . With an even voice he said, "His promise...when he executes it... he can stand on the edge of the universe, and smile for us both. There's a place neither of us can ever visit. Except him. So send him there, Valen. But know that to win, you lose. I'm dying , it's not a secret, that even without you, I could never survive without freedom, without water , and soon. Without vital nutrients. I'm already gone . But Ryan-" Valen , resting a hand on the back of a Liam's head, countered with a sliver of mock empathy. "Oh , Ryan will smile , when he-goes to a place where you die . And he lives? Or-is his heaven a place you think you can't go ? But what if, you knew Ryan's purpose? Why Liam , do you think, I have retained his bones for so long. He's had no purpose. And yet, he's far more valuable to my operation than you. He can't see it. But ponder , for a moment, where he might be heading , for you... " . As Liam felt the insidious surreality impaling his senses, he was alone in his depraved pyche, and his own screams would fall to a deaf grave. His whisper laced the air. "Ryan is silent , is he not ? And somehow , he's been a bystander . Watching it all, hearing it all. With glass caged eyes. And you need -a witness. To see your exhibition. To be the embodiment of wonderment. But consider this. What if Ryan was that sightless traveller I reserve my landmark for?" Liam began to sing, in perfect key, "'cause there's a place deep inside, where dreams have a hold on me, and it's only a matter of time, before my soul stars to bleed, but if fall beneath the cracks , will darkness welcome me, brother if I find you there , will you still have the heart to see .: cause when I close my eyes , and my memories fade , when I'm bleeding dry , will the filter fall away, will you have the strength to stay...". His rasping lullaby was eerie in the silence , and his heartbeat twisted as he heard a guttural heave from the distance. Ryan's response was entrenched in a watery curse, spoken through a sodden barrier. "Liam, don't you dare start giving in-Not you". Valen was gone from Liam's side , and a sickening groan permeated the air . "It would seem, his gag needed a little readjusting..."Looking upward Liam delivered a direct gaze to Valen , one filled with challenge , "now ask, and then know , what Ryan promised me and then ask the depths of your twisted soul , can you live with failure so profound , it could encompass your soul and -" . Valen's eyes , staring back with a devoid expression, mirrored and ocean of tar as he drawled his words. ".He can't fulfil that promise in binds. We both know that. " Liam smiled , a slow, almost manic smile , his teeth saturated in blood. "But Valen, how do we know , for sure , he hasn't already - has he been lying here this whole , grandiose time , watching me , and watching you, through a filter of handicapped brilliance? Is what he sees , far more beautiful than what either of us can imagine?" There was a chill in the air that may have escaped the gates of a hell frozen as Valen stepped back and whispered, "He's physically .... The damned song. My witness is...? Has always been? "I would love the pleasure of exploring your suggestion , Liam. That our Ryan , is blind?" As Liam basked in the palpable terror flowing through Valen's mind he nodded against the concrete ." He lost one of his senses , I suppose the one that strengthened him the most in the end. And he'll be free. No matter what you do , he'll be free . He embraced the literal darkness long ago. My body will never be his memory, burning bright in any sky, in any universe, anywhere...Ponder that. " Valen , almost erased by his innate silence, whispered in a cold, flat , and utterly soul destroying tone "Business , Liam. Can my audience feel? Can my audience imagine? Can the dark corners of Ryan's mind fathom , where I will hide the Vanderine? And what of that, a firework display , far brighter than any I could illustrate. One of his own creation. Listen carefully Ryan , oh listen with the senses you have left: I may have felt my heart drop just a fraction when I learned of your, misfortune but, I have tourism to attend to-you have both served me too kindly , and it's not over yet. " As Liam closed his eyes , the blow to his nostrils was more than he could bear. "Liam; your sinus cavities . Then , Ryan , I'll sever your binds. As you have earned . Game well played , gentlemen. For keeping your darkest spaces wide open, just for me. " Liam , feeling Valen caress his cheek, pausing his finger at his eyelid , he hummed without tone. "I suspect Ryan can see shadows on a wall .. after all . What is one thing , Liam , that a deaf man can hear, that a quadriplegic can feel, that a man without his tongue can taste .. what is something tangible , real , more set in this world than fear or any emotion that exists. Liam, can you be the thing he can see .. oh tell me? Or keep it inside. I find it flattering in the ..highest sense..that you would call my bluff in the night.." Valen's calm humming hung in the air . " I will be back , when he proves his universal feelings , his love for my exhibition. Take a moment to embrace the tangibly of his senses. Valen was absent in a dying moment, as Liam heard Ryan's distressed groan. "Ah , Ryan, the wall , in which shadows reflect themselves , it gleams with a rise so delicate. Your corneas, do they welcome my presence, can I touch the wall without your sweet hazel irises tracing my arrival. Liam's heart collapsed against the velocity of its pulse , as Ryan's shadow revolted, and his scream echoed chilling and with ambiguity. "Now , what of that, your games may lead you those corners. But, Well , he can see .. sweet Ry' can see it all . Or can he ? Now that I touched upon his lying eyes , I may have done some damage on my out. How can one tell . I am the master of a drug operation, not a gauger of eyeballs. My caress is .. gentle . Subtle . A professional never resorts to gratuitous measures . Your insanity is too..precious. " Ryan's voice , slated with grey, came in a hoarse whisper, but filled with clarity . "Liam... the sunlight.. when we found that bench.. got drunk, and you fell asleep in the park. What did I say to you-" Then the muffled screams followed as Valen secured Ryan's gag over his tongue. Liam lay with the echoes of Ryan's voice in his skull. It had been warm, yet pleasant , embalming them both in a magenta twilight. In the moments before Liam had succumbed to the inebriation in his veins , Ryan's hazel stare, were alight with flecks of tranquil silence, as he said "it's the nights that are the longest, but dust always falls, it's not quite red, it's not purple, but it always returns . That's thing I've notice about this damned place. Even if they rip my eyes out, so I can't even watch anymore, they'll never rip out my actual heart Li'. They'd never think it could matter. It's the one organ they'll never touch and it's the only one a human truly needs to survive. Even if they choke me, burn me , there's nothing those bastards will strip from the 'ol ticker right?I'll always have my humanity , they can try but-"Liam laughed as the sun bathed Ryan's profile and he felt the warmth of the alcohol taking him under. "Is that a promise Ry' . Are you getting all sentimental on me now. Hold me Ryan oh hold me-" Ryan , slapping a firm hand against Liam's shoulder replied "Ah shut the hell up and pass out " Liam's dimples punctured the crimson bleed of the light "Will do, brother" he said as he returned a solid arm to Ryan's back. "But before I do I just want to make sure, you never forget what we have here. Whatever they take , this is untouchable ." Here's a scene based on a prompt to put my character in a graveyard in the snow: "Liam's hair, laden with splinters of ice and snow, stuck out from his low-slung cap. His words framed the brittle air as he spoke, the chill unrelenting, 'I never meant to return here. I know I--I promised I'd never look back. That I'd keep living with you as some memory on the edge of glory, but the world is round, after all, right? I ended up back here anyway.'" He dug his stiffened hands into his jeans, his boot striking a rock as his own murmur haunted him. 'Can't stay long, but I still remember what real sunsets looked like, the way the colors just bled for miles. I hope you haven't seen this magenta sky. I hope you never know it.' His acuity, melting into the atmosphere, left him with no other thoughts. 'You rest well, because I know that while I'm standing here talking to the silence, its better that hen facing it alone--' He laughed in spite of his raw sense of sorrow and turned away from the plot, dusting his knuckles across the slot of cremated ashes in a lingering fist bump. 'Again, sometime, brother.' Falling leaves swirled in his mind as he was transported to an autumn gone. 'But before I go, there's something I know you've heard me singing in my sleep,' he said in a low tone. "I came here to leave it with you, along with something of yours I've been carrying around. Keeping you close, but--if I lost it, well, you know I couldn't live with that." An entire moment passed before Liam fumbled a thin, metal guitar fret from his pocket, a perfect fit between his index finger and thumb. He then unrolled a small piece of paper with a scrawled transcription and wrapped it around the fret. In a swift gesture, he drove it deep into a crack between two bricks in the wall. "The ninth fret was always the richest, no harmonies sounded as perfect without it." Liam's faint smile rested on the glimmer of the fret , visible in the crevice beside Mason's ashes, along with his notes. "I... still... I. Just. You can't imagine the things... or the times I've wanted to say. Mace could have played you that one while I ruined the lyrics. Still have the rest of your rosewood, too, with all of your fingerprints intact. Damned if I had known you'd find me where you did--or when, and yet I wasn't there to--but hell, you'd never let me take it all on my own shoulders. And I won't--for you. It's never gonna be... all right, but--I'll try to fill a void or two with your songs. You'll never know this damn world but, its gonna be changed by what you left in me. You walked into the darkest corner of my life and you -" Without raising his eyes from his fist, his memories hid between his fingers, slipping away as he flexed his palm. "I only hope you can't see me now, with all this all this hell in my eyes, with the shadows. I still remember the light in yours, don't you worry. 'Cause I keep my promises, and you're still my oldest friend. First, and the last. Don't you forget it. Just... don't ever forget that." As Liam turned away, trudging along the icy path that wound through the cemetery, it could have been hours. Days. Months. Or just a few seconds. And it could have been anywhere. Grief only changed shape as he confronted the infused December sky, its witness the only one in sight. As Liam slid down onto the curb, only a few miles from where he'd last seen Ethan, he glanced up at the approaching figure. "Hey, Lara, I haven't seen Eth since... maybe three hours ago." She dropped to his side, grasping his freezing hand in her own. "Liam, it's cold out here; you're like ice... wait, did you visit Mas--" Her eyes, filled with a silent understanding, flitted to his and back to his hand as she placed it in his lap. "We've both been looking for you, Ethan and I--but I'll tell him you're alright, okay?" Liam, his eyes reddened but dried out from the temperature, nodded. "Yeah, I-it's... Well, you know how long it's been," he said, his gaze finding solace somewhere in Lara's dark hair, averting her gaze. "Yeah, too long. Ethan was worried you'd freeze, so you'd better get back to civilization soon..." she said, offering a smile and a hand on his jacketed shoulder. "Thanks, you've both been feeding me way too long as it is--and I'm not the most stable guest." She laughed as she let her hand slide from his shoulder. "Ethan could out-eat us all, so don't worry about that. Just take care out here." And as she walked away, he rested his head against the flesh of his palm, the solitude granting him a moment of clarity--one that he could never share. A melody in the corner of his mind, one that he could hum, roughly, in the back of his dry throat. "Yeah, Mason, you're everywhere, and nowhere, buddy. How many years has it been and you'll always be omnipresent. But at least I can live with that." -- Liam glared into the darkness, the dust in his eyes unforgiving. The melody sank in a haunting tune through the night. "Cause there's a place deep inside of me where my dreams have a hold of me...and soon my soul will start to bleed..." Liam's voice broke off as he raked a tremor through his hair. "I still miss him," Liam said, uncertain if Ryan could hear his musings. "Hey, Ry...how long have we been lying in this hell hole?" He asked, the silence torn by Ryan's answer, "Too long. And yeah, I heard you saying something about 'if you play Wonderwall, you'll look like a total tool' in your sleep, presumably to someone who could play music." Ryan smiled, but it never reached his eyes as he added, "He really was a brother to you, huh? And don't lie because I'll know...and then I'll feel bad about giving ya this." As Liam dismissed a tear at the corner of his eye, he reached over to where Ryan lay, holding a piece of paper. "Music? You wrote music. What is this, Ry? You never told me you could--" Liam said, his eyes adjusting to the dark with a vulnerability that settled between them. Ryan, smiling with a broadness that reached his eyes, glanced at the paper with a nod. "Ah, I might have written down that song you insist on humming in your damned sleep. I knew it had some meaning, although I don't know what...least I could do for you, Li'." As his irises shone with another sheen of tears, Liam said quietly, "Mason could have played this--while I ruined the lyrics." Looking up from his boots, Ryan held a somber smile. "If I'd have known you way back then, I'm damned sure I'd have held you both to that." As Liam returned the nod, he folded the paper and tucked it into his duffel bag, magenta particles stirring in the air. "I know...He really was a huge chunk of my adolescence just...gone like...well, anyway, the music, when we get our hands on a guitar..." Ryan shook his head, angling his jaw in his hand. "Nah, we're in the middle of nowhere, and it'll never happen. But you got me, brother." Liam, smiling faintly, replied, "I know. We've seen so much that , well , does it make me an asshole for being happy that Mason died young, unaffected by the trauma that has screwed us up?. I mean he could've lived a different life from us -and maybe I'm wrong to hope he's in a better -" As Ryan leaned back against the filth-stained wall , his voice contemplated the environment . "It's not wrong to want him to have a peace we may never find. It's human. " As Liam gazed back, conflict in his eyes as he said "Y'know , there's something I had back home. And it's likely I'll never see it again, I was carrying a part of it with me for years , but just knowing I kept it safe...I chose to leave it with him and--". Words eluded Liam in the darkness, as Ryan's features , found by the moonlight, left him unable to deflect his gaze . "I feel as though, he wasn't a friend-he wasn't a comrade-he was a sibling, blood was all we didn't share . And even then when he needed a transfusion... I was the first to roll up my damned sleeve. And I wasnt the Ab neg he was-" In a hushed tone Ryan asked , "You think not being compatible was somehow a fault -but Li' , have you heard-well yourself? He could play better than Van Halen I'm guessing', and you could've ruined more than just his lyrics with those pipes . Don't make me say it again." Liam fell silent, and Ryan flopped backwards onto his makeshift bed. "It's alright Li'. Just get some sleep, and don't--" It was almost automatic as Liam replied, "Yeah, yeah, don't 'thank you.' I know, I'm welcome, huh? Yeah, goodnight, Ry." As Ryan's muttering hit the wall, Liam's mind sifted through the catalog of melodies Mason had played. And, amongst the static, a distinct composition of chords found their way back to him. "And if I fall beneath the cracks, if I find you in the darkness, brother, will you still have the heart to see? When I close my eyes and my memories start to fade, when the filter falls away, will you find the strength to stay?" Drown Maybe it amounted to nothing-after hours of rotting in the daylight , night had fallen over his helpless frame, bathing him in solitude. Maybe it could only ever be nothing, and he was nowhere, as a thousand stars danced across his vision. Blood pulsed in his throat , chasing the burn of rope that encircled his wrists . It was useless to seek solace amongst the dazzling constellation, his pupils shone with the terror of his demise. His spine , bound against the metallic surface of the black Mustang , refused to elevate as restraints held it captive . In a thrash of despair , his pelvis rose upwards , only to be scorned with the grind of further entrapment . Victor's helpless screams punctured the air , sending a reverberation to his core. "Please-help me -please-" With the wheels of the car submerged under water , the underpass flooding, his pulse was counting his moments away . Time pirouetted in tight circles, casting shadows that piqued over and over as he screamed. "Please-help me-". Victor could almost taste the hollow voices that had taunted him , whispering his fate against his flesh. He thrashed, despite the protest of his limbs , resisting the suffocation of his bindings. As the menace of frigid water encroached the edges of his mind , his demise was closing in. And while the car's wheels were against the ground, his captors had left him unable to escape as he lay infused with the car's roof. Binds had been wound over his torso and hips, securing his fate atop the dormant shell of freedom and open roads . Victor had been fleeing his ill choice , until the day had taken a twist toward hell, with his beloved Mustang now on the floor of the highway's underp