Gast: Volume 1: Dead to rights. (Gothic Horror) (Completed)

Chapter 4.2 - A Rose without thorns.

"Adam."

He breathed as if controlled by an other's will.

"Can you hear me?" A whisper drifted from across a deep chasm.

"This is so fucked up." The voice, no longer a whisper, but not quite a shout, sighed.

Drawing strength from some unknowable unfathomable well, Adam's left eyelid opened, until the luminescence of the room blinded him and his eyes snapped shut once more. Roused by the voice, and with hope in his heart, he tried again. And this time both eyes flickered open fully. He stared at the overwhelming light of the room and waited for his eyes to stop burning. Sure enough, the light faded and revealed a blank canvas of a room. It was then that he knew where he was.

Sat in the corner of the room was the owner of the voice, her face remained hidden behind her hands, she was crying. The long, black as night hair and her familiar voice all served to plat the seed of hope in his weary heart.

"Rose?"

Upon hearing the desperation in his voice, the woman let out a loud cry, and her body tensed and trembled from the strain of her tears.

"Rose? What's wrong?"

She stopped crying, pushed the hair free from her face, and stared at him with empathy and sadness in her eyes. He knew something was wrong, but the illusion of hope prevailed in his heart and blinded him from the truth. The longer he inspected her face, the less power the illusion had over him. Until finally, after a minute of silence, he knew the truth, this was not Rose. It had never been.

"Lily? Where's ..." He said, only to break out in a violent cough.

Lily jumped to her feet and rushed over to him, she handed him a glass of water from the side table and waited. He reached for it, but only mentally, his arms didn't respond. He stared at his arms horrified and tried again. This time, as if operated by a puppeteer, they followed his commands. He only wanted a sip to clear his throat but found himself emptying the cup, and the second that followed.

"Is she?" He asked unable to finish, unable to accept the truth that the voices tormented him with.

"Adam." Lily shook her head, and a tear rolled down her cheek, It was then, that he knew the truth.

Adam stared at his hands and saw blood. Rose's blood.

He clenched his fists tight enough to draw blood and cursed.

"It was an accident," Lily reassured, but unable to hide the niggling doubt in her voice, the rage and sorrow in her eyes... Adam shook his head, and before he knew it, he said something that he would later dwell on.

"As if that fucking matters."

"Her blood is on my hands, accident or not, I killed her..."

Seeing the self-hatred in his eyes, and the darkness in his soul, Lily recoiled as if psychically struck. She turned her back on him and sighed.

"I'll leave you in peace to mourn."

She reached for the handle but stopped and spoke. Adam knew that it wasn't a coincidence that he couldn't see her face.

"I just... wanted you to know that I don't hate you."

Adam clenched his jaw to the point that his teeth were grinding and spoke.

"Well, that makes one of us."

He whispered, but she had already shut the door behind her.

Adam was alone in the room, yet he felt a piece of Rose with him. And it fucking hurt, the memory of her hurt more than the fact of her death.

She would no longer interact with this world, save for the maggots.

Adam relived the moments of her death. Replayed the last things he had said to her, and the tears flowed down his face in a great flood.