Status: In process

Love Is Dead

Chapter 2

Rikki

I sipped at my coffee, still feeling a bit groggily from just waking up. I knew me and Gustav would find each other again. I smiled, thinking about how close we used to be.

"Gusti, do you want to purple ones?" I asked, holding out the purple skittles in my tiny 6 year old hands. I knew those were his favorites. "Oooo, ja gimmie!" He happily took them out of my hands.

I poked him in the stomach. "Slow down, you're going to get fat!"

He looked at me. "Oh yeah? Well you're going to get... tickled!"

"AHH! No- hahaha- wait- hahah- OKAY I'M SORRY!" I said inbetween laughs.

Gustav laughed, pulling me into a hug. "Okay, I'm sorry I tickled you.

I smiled, "Reallllyyyyyyyyyy?"

"No...." I smacked him in the hand. "Okay, okay yes!" He chuckled.

"YAY! I wuv you Gustiiiiiii" I hugged him.

"Honey? I need a word with you." Nana sat down next to me, breaking me from my thoughts.

"Yes, nana? What is it?" I asked, smiling at her.

She looked uncomfortable. "Is everything okay?"

She sighed, closing her eyes. "He's out..."

My smile faded. I knew exactly what she was talking about.

"W-what? I thought.." So many thoughts raced through my head.

"He escaped..."

I didn't say anything. I got up and grabbed my keys. "I'll be back nana.." I looked at her, giving her a weak smile before heading out the door.

This isn't good. He's going to come after everyone I love, I just know it. First my mother, my sisters... "NO!" I screamed, hitting my hand against the steering wheel.

Tom

"TOM I KNOW YOU TOOK MY EYELINER JUST GIVE IT BACK!"

I snickered. "I don't have your eyeliner, Bill. Have you checked your purse?"

"One, it's a SATCHEL. And two, YES I HA-Oh. I found it... ha ha.......ha ha....." Bill scratched the back of his head.

I rolled my eyes. "I told ya."

"Hey Rikki, what's up? Uh yeah, sure. Are you okay? Alright..." Gustav hung up.

"What was that about?" I asked.

"She wants me to pick her up some alcohol. She didn't really sound okay. You guys wanna come with?"

We all nodded, following Gustav out the door.

We were all piled in the car, Gustav driving. "Um, guys? Just for fair warning, she doesn't know you guys are coming... but I know seeing all of you will make her feel better.. or maybe not. But I sure as hell wasn't going to let her down all this alcohol by herself."

I instantly got nervous. Why was I nervous about seeing her, anyway? Maybe it's the fact that I know she isn't okay right now. I've never really had to make a girl feel better.

We got out the car and Gustav led us to a brick wall. "Why are we staring at a brick wall?" Georg asked.

"Sh. We have to get over it. C'mon." Gustav replied, lifting himself over to the other side. We all followed him.

Over the wall was a secluded meadow. There was a small lake, trees, and color flowers naturally spread around the area. I felt at peace looking around until my eyes caught a ghostly figure in the distance. I looked at everyone else to see if they saw it too, and they all had pained expressions on their faces. I looked back at the figure and squinted to see who it was.

Oh mein gott.. It was Rikki, sitting in front of 3 grave stones with her head in her knees rocking back and forth. Gustav was already next to her trying to talk to her.

"Rikki?" I broke the silence as me, Georg, and Bill got closer to her. She looked up startled and looked me in the eyes. I gasped, realizing the dead expression in her eyes. Her heart warming light brown eyes were now lifeless and black, her make up was running down her face, and her olive skin was now paled out.

"You brought them? You told them, didn't you?" She accused Gustav.

Gustav looked taken a back. "I brought them, yes. But I told them nothing. That's a decision for you to make. Now, what is all of this about?"

I could see that she contemplated answering. "Did you bring what I asked?"

He handed her the bottle of rum and she took it, gulping half of the bottle straight without wincing at the taste.

We sat in a circle, waiting for her to speak. She sighed. "He's out, Gusti." She looked at him and gave him a weak smile. What the? Who's out?

"Oh, Rikki." He cooed, engulfing her in a hug. "We won't let him hurt you, I swear it Rikki. He's not going to come anywhere near you." WHO? Who isn't going to hurt her!?

Then she did something unexpected. She laughed, and it wasn't her same laugh. This one was cold and dark. "It's not me I'm concerned about. Knowing him he'd save me for last." She brought the bottle to her lips but I snatched it out of her hands. "Hey!" She protested.

"You get this back when we start getting answers. Don't leave us in the dark, Rikki. We're your friends. We love you."

She scoffed. "Who are you trying to kid? I'm the last person you want to even say that word to." She paused, shaking her head. "Love is a joke, it's a fucking joke. My heart is too broken to be fixed with a stupid meaningless word, Tom. You don't even know me, and you want to spit these lies at me?" She started laughing some more. "Bullshit."

"What are you talking about Rikki? Okay, fine. We've known you for less than two days now, but we knew instantly that you were different. You didn't scream in our faces when you found out who we were. You didn't try to pretend to be someone else just to impress us, and we love you for that. We love who you are, so don't fucking tell me that I don't know what I'm talking about."

Her face softened and she threw herself into an embrace. I hugged her back, stroking her back. "I'm sorry. I'm just so scared." She sobbed.

"I know, sweetie. Can you please tell us what this is all about?" I let her go, looking at her face. She nodded.

It all started about a year after my mom got remarried to a guy named Connor. I was 5 years old, my little sisters being 3 and 2.

"You have little sisters?" Bill smiled. "HAD sisters," She weakly smiled, gesturing towards the first two grave stones we sat near. "Amber and Emily. Anyways, it started when I was 5."

5 year old me walked into Connor's and my moms room. "Connor? Where's my mommy?" I asked.

He rolled his eyes. "She's at work until tomorrow morning. Can you call me dad?"

I shook my head. "No, you're not my real daddy!"

Connor got up and pushed me down. "You will call me daddy. You will call me daddy just like your sisters, and just like your mother does every night. Or do I have to make you?" He smirked at his comment.

I gulped. "N-no." I backed away into the wall. "I'll tell my mommy!"

"Oh, right. Who's going to believe you? Me, or her 5 year old fucking daughter who watches too many scary movies? I keep telling your mother not to let you watch them. Your imagination is very vivid at your age." He grinned, closing and locking the door.

"Take your clothes off." He commanded. I shook my head. "NO!"

He grabbed me by my hair, throwing me on the bed and tying my hands to the headboard with his belt. "Let me go!" I sobbed.

"Nope. If you do as I command I won't make it hurt as bad." He flipped his switchblade and my eyes widened. He chucked as he cut my clothes off my body with the switchblade, then carelessly flung the blade across the floor. "Call me daddy." He commanded. I shook my head, causing him to slap me across my face and insert his index finger inside of me. "CALL ME DADDY!" He screamed at me. I cried harder. "D-daddy." I said lowly. He inserted another finger in me, moving them around.

"LOUDER!"

"DADDY! PLEASE, JUST LET ME GO!" I yelled. "Aw, but we've gotten so far!" He unzipped his pants and whipped his hard-on out. "Suck." He commanded. I looked away from him.

He shoved himself in my mouth and started moving in and out of me. He moaned as I gagged on him, tears streaming down my face. When he was about to burst he stopped, then shoved himself inside of me. I screamed out. "Who's your daddy now?" He moaned against my neck. "Huh? Who's your fucking daddy?" I didn't say anything, letting tears escape my eyes as he came inside of me and collapsed on top of me, falling asleep for the night.

A tear escaped my eye as she finished her story. All of us embraced her in a group hug as she cried, recalling the memory. Poor girl. If I ever see that man..... Who would do such a thing to someone so young and innocent? It sickens me.

"How about we all go to my hotel room and watch a movie? What do you say, Rikki?" Bill offered.

She smiled and nodded eagerly. I laughed at her change of mood.

Rikki

After the movie we just sat around making small talk.

"So, Rikki. What do you do when you're not working and with us?" Bill asked.

I rolled my eyes at his last comment. "Um, I'm actually in a band with 4 of my friends." I played with my thumbs.

"WHAT?!" Tom and Bill yelled at me in unison. "And you didn't tell us?" Tom asked.

"You guys never asked! We have a gig on Saturday if you guys want to come."

"Um, yeah we want to come!" Georg laughed, punching my shoulder.

"Who plays what?" Bill asked, interested.

"Well, it depends who wrote the song. All of us switch between guitar, bass, keyboard, and vocals. Except for Ryan. He stays on the drums."

"So you play guitar?" Tom smirked.

"Yes I do. And no, I won't play for you. At least, not until you see us live. I want it to be a surprise." I winked at him.

"Okay, well I'm beat. Goodnight guys!" Bill yawned, going to his hotel room.

"Same." Georg and Gustav followed.

"Um, so I guess we're having a sleepover." Tom awkwardly sat down in a chair.

"Whattttt! I don't have any of my stuff! Can I borrow something?" I batted my eyes.

He chucked. "Of course!" He threw a large T-shirt and boxers my way.

"Thank you. Where's your bathroom?" I asked.

"Or you can change in front of me, I don't mind." He winked. "OW! You didn't have to throw things! It's through my bedroom. Very hard to miss." He rubbed his head when I threw a book at him. I giggled, making my way towards the bathroom.

I didn't look too bad. My hair was still in tact, and my make up was all cried off. I pulled my long, brown hair up into a pony tail and changed into the clothes Tom gave me. I smelled his shirt. Holy- he smells good.

"Must you wear such big clothes?" I walked out of the bathroom, finding Tom sitting on his bed.

"What's wrong?" I asked, realizing he was being quiet. He looked up at me. "I just have a question, and feel free to not answer it! I was just curious..."

I sat down next to him. "What is it?"

"I saw that there were 3 gravestones, 2 belonging to your sisters... was the third one-"

I cut him off. "My mom. And to answer your next question, he killed her. Tied her up to my bed and injected bleach into her veins. He raped me on top of her after she was gone, too." I looked down at my hands.

He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes. "Mein engel," He started, "you're too precious to have been treated that way."

I smiled. "I'm glad you're not pitying me."

He chuckled, understanding. "You know, I really like you." He looked back up at me. Before I could answer, he cut me off with a kiss. Soft and quick, but full of passion and caring.

I hugged him. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Being here. Thank you."

"C'mon. Let's go to sleep." He laid me down, then got up to leave.

"Where ya goin?" I asked. "I'm sleeping on the couch tonight."

"You don't have to do that. Come." I patted the spot next to me. He smiled and laid next to me.

We laid in silence for quite a while. "Tom?"

"Hmm?"

"Can we cuddle?" I asked innocently.

He turned to face me and pulled my closer to him. "Goodnight, liebe." He kissed my forehead.

"Goodnight."