Haunt || Matty Healy

.neT

"Adam," I greet enthusiastically. He waves me off and picks up a guitar of his, strumming a few chords. I frown but I'm in luck because Ross is still at Under T pretending to be my girl and her lucky number's boss and George is out saving small children from burning buildings or whatever it is that he does, so it's just me and my best mate, Adam.

I only idly wonder why they've left us, the two who are more on the other side of the light, so to speak, in the same vicinity without someone to observe us. Usually they let John babysit, he's mostly neutral to everything but for the most part he keeps us from killing each other and the rest of the world. He's a great guy.

"It's just you and I," I muse to Adam.

"Tonight?" he teases, "Want me to figure your heart out, mate?"

"Obviously," I shrug, taking a seat on the floor of the stage. We're supposed to be practicing but we never actually do that. We're mostly here to feel out the venue – some warehouse in Brooklyn, that we'll be playing at Friday. "Why else would I willingly be in a room with you other than to kill you, of course?"

Adam smirks and runs a hand through his hair. He strums something familiar but lets it play as background music. I would never actually kill Adam; despite everything, he's my brother. I know, though, if he knew about the change, he'd be quick to stab me in the heart. Maybe make Nila watch for good measures. Not that I'm sure she would care much for it more than be shocked a little.

Sadistic fucker.

"So you shadow walk, huh?" I say casually. I already know it's his mode of transportation; hell it's mine too as of late as well.

"I didn't hurt your girl, mate," he tells me, "Relax, I'm just having a little fun." He raises an eyebrow, "Isn't that what you were doing?" he grins and walks over to me, "Why'd you stop anyway, Healy?"

"I didn't," I say stupidly, defiantly. "You're just fucking everything up. She's mine."

"She isn't" He taunts, "She's no one's. She's free reign."

"She's mine, and if you ever fucking touch her again, I will murder you. I won't even be creative about it."

I sip my iced coffee that Ross had Nila's Seven go buy and I frown at the lack of caramel they had given me. Was it Kelsey that worked at Starbucks? I'm going to have a word with Nila's friends and their cheapness. If they knew I could rip apart their souls from their bodies, then perhaps they'd have added a little extra sweetness to this disgusting coffee.

"Feisty," Adam catcalls. He sets his guitar aside and I roll my eyes at the song it's still playing. He takes a seat beside me and pulls a cigarette from fuck knows where and offers it to me. I grasp it and light it. It does nothing for me when I inhale but its good for practicing deep breaths. Maybe it's meditative. "Do you even know her last name?" he quizzes. "Do you know George killed her father because he didn't want to kill her?" he presses. My eyebrows shoot up. "Did you know her aunt saw the whole thing?"

I don't say anything; He knows when I'm bluffing. His dark eyes flash red for a moment and I say, "Stay away from Nila."

"Did you know she's a virgin? She gets so wet for you – when I was in her room the other night, touching her...skin," he whispers, "using your attributes to ease her temperamental heart, I smelt her. Her blood was pumping so quick, I heard it rushing in her veins, and I wanted to taste her, wanted to taste her fear and her arousal." The entire cigarette held between my fingers goes up in flames. "I bet she tastes amazing. I'm not just talking about her blood, either."

I knock him out but it hardly dents him. He's on the floor laughing at me. "She's going to die, Matty. I don't know what shit you spewed to her about some deaths being fixed and some not – but she's going to die. All deaths are fixed. I'm going to be the one who takes her soul. Maybe I'll take something else of hers too."