Torturous

Double Life

•Y/N: Your Name
•E/C: Eye Color

Author's POV:

Richard's brown eyes suddenly snap open as his body jerks in response for having a dream about falling. There were no details; all he saw was black and nothing more, but the sensation was there. The dream felt as though it lasted only a second, but the feeling was enough to get his heart pumping. The blonde shakes his head to wake up further before looking down. His eyes grow to the size of saucers upon finding his arm holding the waist of a certain girl who sleeps peacefully under the covers. He's lying beside her in the position he put himself in during the night to be more comfortable. Rich takes a quick look around and panics after seeing the golden light seeping in through the sealed curtains in the room. It's morning.

'S***!' He nearly cursed aloud at his carelessness as he reluctantly slips away from his sleeping flower and stands up beside the bed.

'I'll be late to work if I'm not already. I must've fallen asleep on accident. Damn it, Y/N! Why must you be so soft and warm?' He gives a frustrated sigh while ruffling his messy locks. There was no clock in the room, so he couldn't tell the precise time, which worried him more.

Though he had no complaints about falling asleep beside his slumbering victim, he has to keep up appearances if he's to succeed in his plans. If Y/N is to be his, he'll need the money to leave town with her and start a new life, where she'll be happy with him. The sooner he gets the cash the better. There's also the fact that all his plans would go down the drain if Y/N were to wake up and see him standing beside her. All his hard work would be for nothing.

Being as silent as possible, Richard slips on his black boots, which sat beside the bed, before grabbing his newly purchased backpack and slinging it over his left shoulder. The sweetest smile graced his lips as he bent down to plant a loving kiss on top of Y/N's head before pulling away. The girl's E/C eyes shift beneath their sealed lids, causing him to freeze for a moment before she settles. He then breathes out a sigh in relief before his smile returns.

"Have a good day, my flower," he whispers softly before wrapping a black scarf over his mouth and nose. The fabric smells brand new, which was a nice change from the scent of blood that tainted his old one. Richard slips into the quiet hallway before silently shutting the door behind him and looking around. Luckily for him, it was early enough that everyone is still in bed, asleep. He plans to leave through the front door, which is where he came in from last night.

Sure, the windows would make for a quicker escape route, but, if the neighbors saw a strange man coming out the window in broad daylight, they'd know something was up. It was less suspicious going through the front door. The killer walks with light steps, keeping his ears keen to listen to any movement behind the bedroom doors as he passed them. All is silent as he slips out the front door without issue, and he huffs out a sigh of relief before feeling a chill from the cool breeze. He turns his gaze up to the trees while walking away from the house and watches as the dry, autumn leaves fall one by one from the twisted branches due to the harsh winds, leaving the branches bare in certain places.

Cupping a hand over his covered mouth, Richard blows into it to warm the fabric and shuts his eyes for a few moments to revel in the fleeting heat. The bed had been so warm, even warmer beside his beloved rose. He missed it already. Making haste, he goes to the nearest gas station without looking the cashier's way when he enters, heading to the restrooms in the back. He lowers his scarf before slipping into the men's bathroom and locking the door behind him.

It's a single person bathroom, so he's the only one there, which gives him enough privacy to get ready. Richard removes his coat and clothes before draping them over the sink. He glares down at his bandages foot which had been wrapped good and tight. It hurt to put weight on it, and it seems the wound had opened at some point due to him constantly being on his feet during the day yesterday. A touch of crimson seeped the white fabric, staining it, causing him to curse under his breath as he pulls his work uniform out of the backpack.

He puts on fresh underwear before the black pants slide over them. He then buttons a white button-up over a white undershirt before pulling out a roll of bandages to replace the ones on his foot. Thankfully, the damage isn't too bad, but the wound does sting. Managing to lift his foot onto the sink, Rich runs the water over it and winces as dried blood washes off and spins down the drain. It would take a long while for his foot to heal, but he'll deal with it.

It's not his main concern. After the wound is cleaned, he wraps it up and tosses the old bandages in the trash before putting on a pair of white socks and trading his boots for black shoes. He opens one of the smaller pockets of the bag to pull out a hairbrush to make his disheveled hair look presentable for work. Once he's done, he runs his fingers through the front of the blonde strands to check if he got out all the knots, causing a tingle to travel up his spine and a smile to touch his lips when he imagines his pretty rose putting her own fingers through his hair. He bet they'd be gentle.

The thought brightens up his mood as he takes out a toothbrush and a travel-size toothpaste to clean his teeth. After deeming himself presentable, he packs up and leaves the gas station before heading to work quickly, making it just in time. His smile vanishes for a moment as he stops in front of the building. He has fond memories of being here with Y/N, but that was all that got him through the day. He hasn't worked a real job since high school, and, with his usual line of "business", he's grown to hate most everyone— Well, everyone but Y/N, obviously.

Day in and day out, customers come up to him with their demands, and, honestly, he had been tempted to kill one or two of them, but he managed somehow through gritted teeth. He couldn't lose this job. He wouldn't allow any setbacks. Leaving town is the top goal right now, but he won't only be supporting himself this time. Rich had to think of Y/N's needs too.

They can't both survive on pickpocketing; he was barely scraping by as it is. They need security, a safe place where they can live happily with one another. He's already done some searching on the computers at a local library for good homes that'd be perfect for them. Though apartments are a little cheaper than regular houses, he needs someplace quiet to suit his needs. A place with absolutely no people.

It seems the fates are smiling down on him, for he did manage to find the perfect home for his precious rose: a house just a few cities away from here in a small town in the middle of practically nowhere. It's an old, shack-looking place surrounded by overgrown trees, so the price is way down due to neglect. If anything, he can fix it up and make it look nice for her, but, personally, he isn't picky. The location was perfect, and that's all that mattered. He could even get a job somewhere in the town, preferably a hardware store if he's going to fix the house. That way, he might be able to get discounted items and save more money.

He already came up with a plan on how to get there. They'd be able to take a bus partway, but the walk to the shack afterwards shouldn't be too tiring for his flower. Rich had already reached out to the seller, and it seems like things would be going his way. Now, all he really has to concern himself with is how to go about bringing Y/N there. Should he lie, saying he has connections that were willing to give him the house so she can "get away" from the murderer?

No, bad idea. She'll want to tell her parents where she's going. They might want to come visit and that's not an option. Y/N is his now, no longer theirs. Perhaps he should get rid of them next? Nearly, his chapped lips pull into a smirk as a crazed look settles into his orbs. If he killed her family, there could only be one person for Y/N to turn to, him. Sadly, such a task would be a bit too risky, even for someone with his expertise.

'What a delightful idea, but I should probably save her parents for last. Such a shame, though. That would be definitely be fun.' Sighing wistfully to himself, he goes inside the coffee shop, already seeing some of his fellow workers through the glass setting up for the day. Yet another dreadfully dull work day. He couldn't wait to leave this place.

'You're lucky I'd do anything for you, Y/N.'