The Tiffany Box- ONC 2021 Shortlister

28- Brutal

Haven felt invisible. It had been the first time since Eli had told him Roach and Sam were looking for him that he dared venture into the town. Not that he wasn't terrified. He was. He wanted nothing more than to return home and stay away from Los Demonios for as long as possible. But he put on a brave face and told Ash and Eli they should treat themselves to a nice meal.

Not keen on sitting in a dull restaurant filled with unfamiliar faces, Haven suggested he grab some Chinese food while Ash and Eli waited for him in the abandoned park not too far from Taste of Asia Chinese Restaurant. He didn't want his friends thinking he was still scared though the look on Eli's face when Haven insisted he go alone to grab the food told him otherwise.

The scent of sweet and sour chicken wafted up to Haven as he carried two large bags overflowing with food through the alleys. He didn't realize how hungry he was until the scent hit him. Though Kadisin didn't need to eat food as often as humans did, Haven would never say no to sweet and sour anything.

Lifting his gaze over the bag, he saw the deserted park in the distance. Two figures were swinging on the swing set. He knew it was Ash who was going higher and tilting her head back so that her hair swayed in the breeze. He smiled but a second later, someone shoved him so hard he fell onto the pavement. Haven heard his knees and palms smack onto the ground brutally.

He saw the food strew before him. Containers open and broken. The orange-red of the sweet and sour chicken stained the pavement like cheap Halloween blood.

"It's been a long time, albino," said a gruff voice behind him.

Haven's heart leaped to his throat. If he lived to be a million, he'd never forget. Sam. Haven turned his head. Every movement hurt. He saw the two men laughing over him. Sam's hands were on his hips, he was guffawing while Roach looked like he'd just won a grand prize.

"It took us a while, albino." Roach stepped closer. "But we found you. We're going to kill you but not before we beat the shit out of you and do anything else we want to do to you. This time, there won't be no cops coming to save you."

Before he could rise, Roach was upon him. Haven heard his shirt tear when the man grabbed him roughly. "No!" Haven squirmed and kicked at Roach who fell off of him. Haven began to crawl away from Roach who leaned over him and ripped the rest of his shirt off his back exposing his twin wounds.

"Sam. Yo, Sam," Roach yelled gleefully. "He's trying to crawl away before I can give it to him."

Sam rushed to Haven and picked him up roughly from behind. Holding Haven's arms behind his back Sam whispered to him that they'd both give him what they should have given him that night so long ago.

Neither of the two brutes realized what the marks on Haven's back were. Neither knew that Haven had fed and that Eli's and Ash's blood gave him the strength he didn't have that tragic night months ago.

As Roach and Sam spat their vile comments, Haven's eyes narrowed. He felt no mercy. He felt no shame. Not like he often did when he was about to kill an innocent man to feed from. No. This time the hand of death would feel nothing but content. "I don't think so," Haven uttered low.

"What did you say, freak?" Sam yelled as he gave Haven's arms a vicious tug.

"I said fuck you both." Haven swung his foot back cracking Sam in the knee hard enough to make it snap.

When a searing pain traveled up Roach's leg, he let go of Haven and dropped to the ground, howling in agony. "I'm going to kill you!"

Seeing what happened to his friend, Roach lunged for Haven but Haven was swift. He punched Roach in the face causing his nose to explode in a fountain of blood. When Roach fell to the ground, Haven was on top of him, straddling him as the pain blinded the horrible man. Haven's hands cupped Roach's head yet there was nothing intimate or gentle about the way his hands squeezed. "Perhaps you should have wished for the cops to come around this time." Bringing Roach's head up, Haven smashed it to the ground. He did not stop until the man ceased screaming and a pool of slimy red trickled out from behind Roach's broken skull.

When Roach was dead, Haven rose like a phoenix from the ashes and strode to Sam.

"Ok, ok, I'm sorry. I wasn't going to do all those things," Sam said breathlessly. He was holding his broken leg, his face was white.

"You already did too much," Haven said. "You hurt me. You gave me months of nightmares." Hovering over Sam like a ghost, Haven added, "You should not have tried to find me again." Before Sam could gasp, Haven fell to his knees. His hand rammed in Sam's chest, breaking his rib cage as the man screamed to the high heavens. In the slimy mess of his chest, Haven reached for Sam's heart and pulled it out. The beats pulsed in his hand as he rose and flicked the offending muscle away where it landed between the spring rolls and noodles.

From the sanctuary of their park, Eli and Ash heard the commotion and came running. When they saw the slaughter they looked at Haven wide-eyed, startled yet glad.

"Roach and Sam," Eli said remembering the man who'd offered him money to see it. "You...killed them." Eli ran to Haven and threw himself in his lover's bloody embrace.

"Holy hell, Haven. You really did." Ash shook her head. For Haven's and even Eli's sake, she felt nothing but relief they were gone, even if they were gone in such a brutal looking way. "Hey," moving to Eli and Haven, she grabbed their arms. "We need to get the fuck out of here before anyone comes. Before cops come." She gave the two men a gentle push. "Go. I'll catch up."

With Eli's arms around Haven's trembling body, the two lovers did what Ash asked and began to walk away. They felt the blaze of the heat reach for them before they rounded the corner. They didn't have to turn around to know that Ash had set Roach's and Sam's corpses on fire. 

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