Chereads / The Tickling Torturer / Chapter 8 - BULLET

Chapter 8 - BULLET

MERIDA'S POV

Ere I could sprint to the door and open it, I heard a key make its way through the lock and she threw herself in without any ado.

"Merida, what's wrong?"

Owing to the astounding silence in the house she questioned me_ her distress unconcealed. Honestly, I think it's called 'mother's instinct' but how would I know?

I stumble as she pushes me out of her way and starts to ascend the stairs, without having awaited my response.

"They're in Jade's room"

I hastily respond, trailing silently behind her.

"Jade! Scott!"

She instantly got on her knees after being welcomed by their lifeless bodies which were spread on Jade's blue, fitted mat.

A sob erupted from her chest as she asked what I've done.

"No Helen. You shouldn't be terrified by what I've done," I mused with a dirty smirk playing on my lips. "What should scare you should be what I'm GOING to do." I said with a sweet voice_ one that sounded like Mom's. Mom was sweet.

She immediately lunged at me; unfortunately her efforts were in vain for I caught her by her hair and knocked her out against one of the loveseats in Jade's room. For a second or so, I thought I'd caught a sight of blood, however, to my avail, there was no such thing. It was only a hallucination, perhaps.

I quickly tied her up to the same loveseat with a rope that came along with the 'package' I received earlier.

It didn't take long for her to regain her consciousness.

"Please don't hurt me, Merida_ if it's even your real name… I've been nothing but good to you. Is this how you repay me?" she pleaded, her speech distorted by her wails. Just like Mom when she screamed for help.

"Come on. Don't cry Helen. Don't be such a pussy. I haven't done anything to you and you're already gracing me with your Goddamn salt!" I scolded, my fist hitting the arm of her seat, startling her.

"Stop crying! You're loud and I hate loud people!"

She opted for silent tears, which I found good.

Before she could raise her lips and grace me_ once again_ with her ignorance I walked over to Scott's and Jade's dead bodies; unstuffed their mouth with the socks I had shoved in them earlier then bound the drenched socks together and filled Mrs. Greene's mouth. She gagged in response, it's a pity that I couldn't care any less. It was quite consoling to know that she had a healthy gag-response, though_ assurance that the person I'd be murdering was not ill in anyway or rather half-dead.

"Were are my manners?"

"Mmm_"

"You don't have to answer that, Helen, it's rhetorical. My manners are right here with me." I cut her off, placing my left hand over my chest, "Now, do you know what we're going to do, sweet Helen? Of course you don't." I enthusiastically clapped my hands as my face lit up with a smile.

"I'm going to tell you a story. One that I've never had the luck of telling to anybody else. That makes you very special to me, Helen_ very special. Do you understand?"

Shaking her head, she sealed her eyes shut. Wrong move.

"I'm not having a conversation with myself Helen. Answer me for goodness' sake!" I yelled before remembering that I hadn't given her the instructions.

"Nod once for 'no'; twice for 'yes'; three times if you're a little confused. Be warned Helen, I don't like timid people and if you don't respond_ I'll just assume that you were_ confused. Let me tell you something: you won't like being confused at all, it won't end well." I instructed with a warning tone before making myself comfortable on the mat in Jade's room and folding my long-legs thereafter.

I gave Helen a sweet, innocent smile and poured my mind out… literally.

"You see Helen, Josh took something that belonged to me and I'm not very happy about it. I'm sure you've noticed?"

A nod.

"Well then you're dumb. Anyway, I. Am. Not going to waste my time on a Stupid. I'll continue. I hope you agree?"

Two nods. Good.

"Greene murdered my parents. By the way, I'm Merida Klein and I'm entirely American just so you know. Should I carry on?"

Two nods.

"They didn't exactly kill me so I don't know why they deemed me dead as well, it's just another one of those mysteries I fail to get to the bottom of.

They were all friends, in case you were wondering and they were all_ rich or rather_ wealthy. To wrap everything up: your husband and three of his other friends betrayed Dad_ they were greedy and now I'm greedy; I'm out for their blood. That's why Jade and Scott are lying dead on the floor and that's also why you and Josh will be following them…very soon" in uttering the last two words, I deepened my voice. Thereafter, I got up, stretched my slightly-ached body and yawned.

"Any last words Mrs. Helen Joshua Greene?" I mocked and she didn't respond.

"You're a little confused I see. Forgive me mademoiselle, I shan't waste more of your precious time." I sarcastically concluded and removed her shoes.

It was one of my few prayers that she didn't have stinky feet. That would decrease the pH of my neutral mood and make me very, very bitter.

Fortunately, her feet had not a revolting scent and I immediately ran my nails gently on the bottom of her left foot, startling her once again. I increased my fingers' speed and started working up her body, gaining a continuous, muffled laughter from her.

I've learnt one thing about the members of this family: each one of them has a complicated 'health' history and a ubiquitous phobia. Mrs. Greene, for instance, is claustrophobic and has asthma. It's one hell of a combination if you ask me.

Her death wasn't as pleasant as her son's, unfortunately. I didn't get a chance to laugh at her laughter because it wasn't hilarious and I was running out of time so I had to make it snappy. Her already-discussed-'issues' aided me in depriving her of her life a little faster than I had anticipated.

I was indulged in absolute bliss as she gave her last breath and my lips curved up in a wide grin; thereafter, I collapsed on the neatly-done bed.

Dad would've been so proud of me.

Not a quarter hour has passed since the timely death of Helen.

Josh must've figured it out by now. At that thought, I get up from the bed and go my bedroom to get a syringe_ one that I'll use to sedate Joshua Greene. With him, I won't risk it. He's definitely not stronger than I am, but I'm a bit exhausted by today's activities and that makes me a bit_ vulnerable.

I've been moving around the kitchen for way too long now. It's high time I called Greene.

"Hello Mr. Greene, you might want to come home ASAP." I threaten him with one of the sweetest voices I've pulled up in my long, miserable life.

"I don't know who you are or what you want, but I want you to keep my family out of this and take what you want then LEAVE!" he yells.

"I hear you Joshie-boy, but we have one problem, though: YOU. It's you that I want so I obviously can't take you and leave you at the same time…" musing, with a bit of a purr, I extend the conversation.

"I should've known you're just some hormonal teenager! Just when I thought_" he goes silent. It's a pity that he had 'thought' right "N_Never mind. I'm 5 minutes away. Don't harm them please." His plead sounds rather like an instruction and if I hadn't killed them already, I would've definitely done it after that instructing plead of his. Over and over again.

Who does he think he is, ordering me around?

I dial his number again and he picks on the first ring.

"What now McNeill?" exasperated, he asks, "You might want to excuse security guards tonight Greene and make sure that all of today's surveillances are erased. We don't want anyone catching a word of the infidelity of California's mayor now, do we?" I suggest, hanging up.

I hear him pull his car in; it takes a while before he kills the engine. He must've been 'excusing' the security guards and having them get rid of today's footages.

In the aftermath of his not-so-long 'break', he pushed the door open and I immediately sedated him then pulled him up the stairs. His weight was quite burdening. Never before had I contemplated a man of his build being that heavy; nevertheless, I pulled through. Nothing new.

I have no idea why Jade has two loveseats in here, but in all honesty, she just made my job a hundred times easier. Consequently, I have Mr. Greene tied on a different loveseat_ giving him a precise view of his now-deceased family.

He winces and opens his eyes, despacito.

He opens his eyes to what I think is the worst sight he's ever seen in his long, miserable life. Tears fall from his eyes immediately and he shifts his gaze to me.

"Who are you?" he asks me, broken.

This is exactly what I wanted. Dad is proud of me, I know he is.

"I'm Merida, Joshua." I smiled "Don't you remember me?"

He looked puzzled.

"Merida Klein. Does it ring any bells now?" I introduce myself.

"How are you still alive? I thought_"

"That you killed all of us?" I cut him off, "No. You didn't. But I'll tell you what you did. You incurred my wrath_ all of it. And it's quite a heavy price you're going to pay. I might just rip your balls of, fry them a bit and feed them to you as your last supper. What do you think Greene?"

All he did was cry; I was beyond pissed because his wails weren't the most handsome. He sounded like a dying rat and he was so fucking loud_ I couldn't concentrate.

After five minutes of having him grace me with his graceful humor, he lifts his gaze to me once again.

"You won't get away with this Klein." He warned

That's the worst joke I've heard thus far. Does he even know who I am!? As a laughter erupts from my chest I tell him that I'm not scared of him, or anybody else.

"You should be girly. It's going to take more than just a sedative to bring Parker down. He'll snap your delicate neck just like he snapped your mother's before blowing a bullet right through her head." He pauses for a moment, "Walton is also a very intelligent woman. I wonder how you think you'll fool her." He let out a laugh. Were he a smart man, I would've sworn that it was mockery, but knowing him_ I'm not worried. At all.

I remove the socks from his wife's mouth and shove them in his and I start tickling him. Problem is: he seems to not be ticklish. Or he's doing a good job concealing his laughter.

What am I going to do?

I remain stunned; I'm snapped from the thoughts of planning my next move by punch on my abdomen. That hurt.

Oh hell no he freed himself. He lunges at me and manages to wrestle me to the ground after I stumbled over Helen's foot.

He forces himself onto me and pins my hands above my head. Ere I could knee him in the nuts.

A bullet breaks through the window and I immediately feel his full weight against me and a bit of shattered glass.

Shutting my eyes closed I roll his body off me and get up. Who could the sniper be? Did Greene have more enemies besides myself? Was the bullet meant for me rather?

Stop

Stop

Stop thinking.

My inner self scolds. Looking back at Greene I catch a sight of his_ blood.

I need to get of here before I get a panic attack; without further ado, I slipped out of the room and went to get my 'corpse' from the kitchen.

I can only hope that the sniper is unaware of my survival_ if his intention was to kill me.

Taking one last look at the dead Asian woman I'm pulling up the stairs, I take a moment to acknowledge her exquisite and exotic features. She was beautiful.

After having the whole family inside Jade's room. I rushed to my own room and threw my backpack over my shoulders and started setting the whole house on fire.