Was it the way those succulent lips conversed with others? Or was it because the world came to a halt and froze around her. Perhaps it was how her amber eyes were capable of unveiling my darkest secrets.
I guess I will never know.
They say there is a fine line between obsession and affection. I first realised that when I followed her home. Oh, how her eyes shimmered like precious gems when I called out to her beneath the moonlit sky. The way those maroon lips parted to let out a hollow scream.
I understand, you may struggle to comprehend my actions, but I had no choice. She was unhealthy for me—poisonous, one might argue.
Engulfed by the scars of their own many battles, the 64 squares, abstinent by nature from violence, are constantly exposed to carnage. Each piece bears the ineffable destiny that is seared into their lives. Damned for time to always raise their swords against the same foe. And so the cacophony of sounds begins. The incessant screeching of swords, encased in the thick red fluid that is devoid of innocence, was drowning in the merciless turmoil of shouts. The steady metronome beside the board honoured the loss with each tick. But then came the deafening silence. It always does. The desperate warriors that were longing for the finish line were swiftly poised for the start. Standing in solemn solitude, they now yearn for their next attempt.
The squeak of the decaying chair was the only thing filling the hollow room for a long time, apart from the muffled voices that pounced in every corner of the room. But then, as a turmoil of sounds succumbed to one, her sight, which had been devoid of light for a long time, had no choice but to adapt to the blinding view that faced her.
"Shall we start?"
Someone's voice carried around the room.
After poor attempts at blinking, she was poised to slowly open her eyes, only to spot a tall woman towering over her. The devilish smile that was plastered on her slim face was a stark contrast to her sandy hair, which meandered just above her shoulders.
"It’s about time" I attempted to mutter, but as my tongue betrayed my mind, a short squeal was all that escaped, feeling the cold metal taste on my bruised lips.
"How about you preserve that voice of yours? You are going to need it in a second, sweetheart," the woman countered.
She casually sauntered to the table nearby, its orange rust threatening to devour the metal, supported only by its worn wheels. Shuffling around, the mysterious women stretched her skeletal fingers above the table, deep in thought, like a child in a toy shop.
When a sharp object in her fingers glistened under the dull hues of the lamp, she hastily retreated back to the woman tied in her chair. The tips of her lips twitched slightly as a ghost of a smile adorned her face. As she strolled back, a dark figure suddenly emerged from one of the dimly lit corners that dominated the room.
‘Kate, stop playing with her and get the job done’- he sternly commanded, his voice, cold in its nature, echoed around before finally settling in the air.
With the smile gone, Kate leaned onto the icy arms of the chair, her perfume, a mix of forest and honey, permeating the air between the pair.
“Ready?’ - the women in the chair whispered loudly enough for Kate to hear.
'Always’
The amber stool on which the woman was bound was kicked under her with great force in one swift movement. The freed woman plunged into the dark shadow that loomed beside Kate, effortlessly pinning him against the naked brick wall and holding the sharp knife, she was gifted with seconds ago, under his pulsating neck.
"What the hell?" - the man yelled, his voice hoarse from the icy blade pressing against his boiling veins. 'Kate! "Do something!" - he pleaded.
Kate had no intention to move, in fact, an eagerly awaited smile finally escaped her lips. The petrified man before her, his eyes consumed by fear and desperation, pleaded silently through his dilated pupils, yearning for mercy.
‘Finish it, Jane’ - Kate uttered, pointing at her wristwatch.
‘With pleasure’
As the lifeless body of the man collapsed on the concrete, a loud thud jolted the pair back into action.
'We have to go now, alright?’ - the blonde whispered, slowly pushing the door open and glancing sideways.
"Yeah" - the woman replied, cautiously approaching the door, its hinges emitting a faint creak.
Stepping a foot forward, she swivelled, facing Kate. ‘ “Sweetheart” ’ she smiled sarcastically ‘Really?’
Her heart helplessly drowned in his eyes; the air they both inhaled was suddenly infected with hope, with the very atoms holding their breath in anticipation, and the brisk but contagious warmth permeated the air between them.
A turmoil of thoughts and regrets danced around her head. But as they became one, she could swear his soul longed for hers.
And in that moment, she begged the rain to wash away the blazing flame that mercilessly besotted her lips.
