Chapters
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. The closet felt like my only sanctuary, its narrow walls a fortress against the outside world. Inside, the scent of my nest, the mixture of coconut and vanilla, wrapped around me like a comforting shroud. I had crafted this refuge with my own hands, a secret place where I could be myself, if only for a fleeting moment. The clothes hung high above, obscuring the view from the door, while beneath them lay the soft nest that cradled me. I clutched the burner phone in my trembling hand, my heart pounding…
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77.2 K • Completed
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As I knelt by Saul’s grave, overlooking the rolling green hills that surrounded the small town of Hollow Creek, my heart swelled with bittersweet emotions. In my hands was a bouquet of the most vibrant, fragrant flowers from my own garden. Their petals were like velvet, their colors akin to the brilliant, bleeding sunset across the horizon of the endless sky. “Hey, Saul,” I breathed, my voice soft and reverent, echoing through the still air. The graveyard was silent, empty save for me and my…
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58.3 K • Completed - Edited
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Her hands were moist against my skin as she scratched her skin, tiny bits of flesh hanging off like peeling bark. I couldn’t help but smile despite my heart sinking. She was giving me her blood as if it was payment for my affection, a potion of her essence. From this moment forward, no one else’s would suffice. So, I knelt down and opened wide, drinking in her red offering, intoxicating my parched veins with liquid poison. Her taste was familiar and foreign at the same time. Warm, sweet, and salty…
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58.3 K • Completed - Edited
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Eight months later... I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins as I made my way back from the store, my heart racing with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. The sun had set, casting the world in a blanket of darkness that only served to amplify the sense of foreboding that had settled over me. As I rounded the corner, I spotted him—Orpheus, stepping into a nightclub with an air of confidence that was both alluring and intimidating. He was dressed in his usual attire, a black…
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58.3 K • Completed - Edited
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I stared at my heart in my hands, contemplating the inevitable. Crushing it would be the ultimate act of self-annihilation, the solitary endpoint to a torturous existence. The past year of separation from Vanessa, condemned to silent solitude, had tested the limits of my resilience. Hadrian’s unexpected compassion softened the edges of my despair, granting me the solace of observing Vanessa through the cameras he had surreptitiously installed in her home. At first, I reveled in the stolen glimpses,…
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58.3 K • Completed - Edited
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It had been a year since I found out that Orpheus killed Saul. I still hadn’t spoken to him, but every week, he delivered a new painting, some portraits of me and others showcasing important memories like those of his friends and family or significant moments of his life. Each painting came with a letter sharing the memories or feelings behind it, a vial of the paint he made from the blood of the men he killed, the blood he collected from them, and their bodies harvested for me in coolers so I could do…
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58.3 K • Completed - Edited
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As I approached Orpheus’s apartment, I could feel my heart racing. I’d only been here once, and the thought of returning had me both nervous and excited. I was here to check on him, to make sure he was okay after what happened with Vanessa. But I also had another motive—to bug his apartment with cameras. The door was unlocked, and as I stepped inside, I was met with an eerie silence. The place was dark and cold, and I could sense a lingering sadness in the air. I flicked on the lights,…
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58.3 K • Completed - Edited
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At the same time... The wine glass’s cool weight pressed into my palm, its crystal surface reflecting the dim light of the room. I sat on the couch, my eyes fixed on the bottle of wine on the coffee table, untouched and unopened. My mind was a mess, a storm of emotions I couldn’t control. The weight of the world pressed down on me, crushing my spirit. My once-familiar life had shattered into a million pieces, leaving me lost and adrift in a sea of uncertainty. Each breath I took felt heavy…
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58.3 K • Completed - Edited
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