𝐄𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬

38: D A N C E M A S Q U E (pt2)

•WARNING: this chapter contains violent acts.•

C H A P T E R T H I R T Y - E I G H T

I lift my head as I see the damage that has been caused right in front of me. There on the floor sat a broken light, small glass scattered around. It fell from the ceiling. Everyone was starting to rush their way up to the stage, trying to peek at the incident.

"Who has done it," some lady shrills out loud to the noisy crowd.

All of their voices were a buzz to me. I pick myself up, yanking myself from their grip. I didn't want to be here, I almost died. On the floor sat Owen. He was the one who saved me.

The voices of the nearby people were crowding me. I turn around, pushing my way away from the crowd. My eyes gleamed at the sight of a fire exit door.

I sprint my way to the door, feeling the coldness hit my face and my bare arms. My hands fall onto my dress, picking it up. I begin running down the stairs, walking across the endless cement pavement.

There weren't trees that were going to protect me. I reached the dead end, a water fountain was there. Where was I supposed to go? The person who did this could be anywhere near me.

I yank the hair clips that were securing my hair. Letting my short hair fall, using it to keep my ears warm. I take a seat on the water fountain's edge.

I thought about the note I received: beware for death occurs from anything. the sky will soon fall, watch with ease. Should I be afraid? The note was practically true, something from the air nearly killed me. Or should I cry like a coward? A near-death experience once again, could I be around the person who intended to do it?

I heard someone call out my name, their hand around my arm. "Irene, look at me."

Owen was crouching down, his hands holding onto mines. I didn't want his comfort or anyone at the moment.

"Leave me alone, Owen," I snap, trying to pull his hands away from mine. "I don't need your help or anyone."

He drops them, leaning his face close to mine, yanking me up from my sitting position. "Tried to deny it, but someone is coming for your head," he says with such harshness.

"Let them," I shout at him. "Because I will never let fear coward me away."

Deep down, I know this was a lie I was telling myself. Even Owen could see right through them, too. I was mortified for the next obstacle that will come my way.

After the note I'd received, I know whoever was writing them were on my side.

"You need me, together we can be protected," he tries to assure me.

I see his face turn to anger when he examines my blank face.

"You know what, I shouldn't have saved you. You're such a brat—"

My hand raises as I strike it across his cheek. He quickly holds onto my arm, preventing me from doing it again. His lips crashed onto mine, shutting me up.

I wanted to pull away from him, but I felt at such ease. I didn't want to stop, no matter how wrong it was. His kiss goes deeper, clutching onto my hair tightly. All I wanted to do was feel something, wasn't that all I wanted?

No, it wasn't.

I don't want to feel something from someone who hates me. I could never do something like that to myself. He never tried to understand me. With all my might, I placed my hands onto his chest, pushing him away.

Owen begins to chuckle darkly, wiping a thumb across his lip. Though, he wasn't looking at me. No, his attention was focused on someone behind me.

"Victor, you finally decided to comfort your girl. All though your girlfriend had such great pleasures from my comfort," Owen states, a menacing smile on his face.

My blood felt cold as I heard his name roll out of Owen's mouth. I spin around, seeing Victor standing there, rooted to the ground. He looked like the world had stopped for him. His look was unreadable, he looked like he wasn't trying to make himself visible.

He doesn't answer or even looks at me. Instead, he turns around beginning to walk away from the scene he had just discovered.

"Victor, please," I shout to him, running up to his slow pace. "It was a mistake, I slapped him and one—"

"Walk off Reyes like you always do," Owen calls out, swaying around like a drunk man. "Go ahead damage something! That's what you always do when you can't have something in your life!"

Victor stops under his tracks, his hands clenching.

"What are you going to do Reyes, are you going to have your mother fix all your problems?"

Suddenly, Victor rushes up to him. He pushes onto his chest, his face near Owens. "At least my mother doesn't have to fear over her family."

Owen laughs, but this ticked Victor. He pushes him to the ground, grabbing onto Owens collar.

"Everything you do I hate," he shouts as his fist comes into contact with Owen's greek like features. "You take everything I have, what I've worked for."

The sounds were sickening, the crunching sound of bones meeting with each other.

"Victor, stop, you're hurting him," I shout as I see Owen's body laying there limp. He wasn't doing anything to defend himself.

Owen starts to cackle, spitting blood onto the floor. His lips were red, his pearly white teeth stained with his crimson blood. He once again spits out blood, giving me a sinister smile.

"How can you fucking do that," Victor spats, turning to look at me deeply with those hateful eyes I've once met. "After everything I've done to you, you decided to stoop so low. I trusted you, Irene! I cared about you! How stupid I was to confess my true feelings for you. And you couldn't say them back because you were with him." He accusingly points to Owen, who smiles brightly with those red stain teeth.

Owen chuckles, "Isn't the first time I've done it."

Victor begins to walk away from me, but I place my hand around his wrist. "Please Victor, please listen to me."

His hand unclasps my grip, pushing me away from him like I was some disease. But I didn't miss the words he muttered with such resentment, "I shouldn't have trusted you all along. I shouldn't have let this happen. Stupid people fall for people like you."

I cried out to him, calling for his name. At this moment, I didn't care if I was seen as pathetic. His figure was now far out of my reach. I was waiting for my tears to fall, but nothing came.

Instead, I let out a fit of giggles that soon brought me to tears.

I have lost everyone and it wasn't worth crawling back for them now. Was this worth it all along?

This is what I've done to myself, no one did. My corrupted thoughts brought me here. One by one they all left me.

^____________________^
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!
The ending is what inspired me to call this book Elite of the Sinners.

I had a hard time figuring out what to title this book. I was either going to call it 'Tattled Tale' or 'Sweet Girls Don't Scream.' All ended with Esther dying and Irene having to figure it out.

But then I thought how Owen showed lust. And thought why not have each character represent a sin. Irene-pride, Victor-envy, Brielle-sloth, Vivian-gluttony, and Owen-lust.