Persecuted

Unit 1.2

He turned around and took a breath, stopping himself from screaming, Celia was lying on the floor, an iron rod meant for the fireplace was sticking up through her back, she was obviously dead,it had hit her almost directly in the heart from what he could tell.

He couldn't believe how alike it was, to what he imagined while coming up.

Everything from the pool of blood slowly getting larger, and the ripped flesh around the area she was stabbed at.

Except that Juliewas missing a glove and a red beanie waslying next to the body, soaked in blood.

He heard a gasp and looked up to see Tate staring in horror at the body.

For a split second he suspected Tate of killing her but he realized that he was still wearing his hat.

That meant... "JAKE!" He shouted and pushed himself off the wall and ran into the only other room upstairs.

He found Jake sitting on the floor curled up, his face buried in his legs, you could hear him whimpering from across the room.

He came in here planning on yellingat him, but seeing him with blood on his hands and obviously distressed he couldn't do more than just watch him and wait for him to say something.

After a few minutes Jake shakily stood up,his eyes red from crying, "I didn't kill her..." he muttered under his breath, his voice was shaking, which Xander didn't expect to hear from a murderer but he kept quiet waiting for him to explain.

He didn't want to believe that his friend was a murderer,"We were just looking around the room and she was messing with the fireplace things, the one that's in her... well you know... I-i turned to her to ask if she could read the engraving on the floor and when Ilooked over... She was fine at first and then all of a sudden the poker was ripped from her hands and shoved in her back.

I t-tried to get it out," He looked down at his hands, they were shaking, "B-but I didn't kill her, I swear."

Julie had come into the room; she had stopped crying and put on brave face like she always did when something bad happened.

"Someone had to have killed her..." she said looking at everyone in the room, Tate had entered as well, "And we'veseemed to have found Jake with blood on his hands, literally..." she said focusing on Jake.Jake froze up, seemingly in disbelief of hisfriends turning on him, "I-i didn't though...

I'm not the psychopath here! He is!" he pointed at Xander."Why are you accusing him?

He isn't a psycho, I've known him since I was 6, and you've only known him for 3 years. How would you know more about him than me?"Jake just shook his head, "Remember howwe found all those dead birds and rats in his backyard, we blamed it on the cat next to his house, but I saw him kill them and laugh while doing it before chucking them behind his house into the brush..."

At that point everyone looked at Xander weird and backed away from him.

"I couldn't have killed her, I was downstairs the whole time, you can ask him."

He paused and then it dawned on him that Tate was still a complete stranger, "Where were you when this happened?" Xander asked, backing away from him a bit.

"Alright, you want to know why I was in thehouse. 'Cause it wasn't a dare. I ran away afew weeks ago and I've been hiding out here... I can't even look at blood without getting squeamish, how could I kill someone?"Julie just shook her head and turned around to lock the door.

She had just locked it and when she went to turn around we all heard a loud crunch and she crumpled to the ground, her head turned abit too far to the left.

Xander and Jake just stared at her, at a loss for words. Julie and Jake had been related, second cousins, but they were very close.

He looked over at Jake, he had just lost his cousin and girlfriend in the past 30 minutes and he expected him to be bawling his eyes out, but he just looked... empty.

I heard a laugh from behind me. I whippedmy head around, remembering that we weren't alone and saw Tate looking at the two of us with a look of pure amusement.

"Being alive must suck. Because you've still got all of those pesky little emotions still." He shook his head and went over to Jake and placed a hand on his head.

I heard a sizzle noise and then something dripping out of his ear."Poor Xander, you made a dare and now," Tate laughed, "Everyone you love is dead."He circled him, "I mean, it's not like you ever met your parents, they left you at the orphanage to be picked up by some strangers.

And you don't really love them do you, you never did. Don't have siblings, right?"Xander looked down at the floor, hoping that he wouldn't die.

It was weird though, because he was telling the truth, the only thing he had of them was their last name...Jones.

It wasn't even a nice name either."And we all know that you did kill those rats, even a deer or two didn't you?

All withyour bare hands, I'd applaud you, but you wouldn't like that would you?

You see, I was just like you, and if you let me, I can make you like me.

We don't have to be alone. I just need to kill you, but you have to agree with it. It's a consensual killing letus say."

He laughed again and pulled Xander off the floor and onto his feet rather roughly. "What do you say my friend? Say yes and I can give you heaven in the world that feels like Purgatory."Xander turned around, his legs shaking and voice cracking.

He stared at the blonde wearing the hat and scarf of his friends, and realized that he was holding the pink glove of Celia's in his hands.

He sighed and looked him in the eyes, "Yes."