Tales From The Basement
You can't go through with this. You know your life is going to be in danger and that Pa Morningstar may very well already be dead, but you can't actively be involved in killing anyone directly or indirectly.
Your demeanor changes from one of feigned cheerfulness, to one of scared candor. You even take Bobby's hand which shocks him a little.
"Bobby, you opened up to me, so I'm going to open up to you. We need to go into that woods right now, because your dad might be in serious trouble."
"What?! What're you talking about?"
"There's no time to explain, but my uncle is going to kill him!" you exclaim and get up trying to pull Bobby with you.
Bobby starts to move, but insists that you tell him in more detail of what is going on. You do in a very condensed fashion which causes him to pause.
"So wait, you're working with your uncle to kill me and my dad in the woods? And now you want ME to go in there?"
"NO! I was bullied into helping my uncle, but I couldn't do it that's why I'm warning you now, so that you can save your dad!"
Bobby stops completely.
"Why would I do that?"
"What? Come on it may already be too late!"
"So what if it is? Look Suzy, you don't know my dad like I do. The guy has barely any fucking redeeming qualities and those he does have he barely shows most of the time. Fuck him."
"B but he's your father!"
"What of it? Just because someone is related to you don't mean anything if they're complete assholes to you and treat you like shit your whole life. Hell he hasn't even been the worst to me. He's been a fucking abusive tyrant to my whole family. I'm sure all of them at some point have thought about killing him themselves. Shit, I know I have."
You certainly didn't expect this reaction. You don't know what to do now, you start to cry.
"Now what's wrong with you?" Bobby asks.
"I wish I could be that brave, but I'm so scared. Now that you know what's going on you can avoid your fate. But I'm still in danger. My Uncle Ed is gonna (Sob!) kill me!"
"Hey Shhh Hey don't cry. Don't cry. Look you are brave. I mean it took courage to tip me off didn't it? You went against your uncle's threats and took a chance that I wouldn't flip out and kill you myself right?"
"(Sniff) I guess so."
"Look your uncle is still expecting me right?"
"Probably."
"Well let's wait a minute or two, then I'll go in the woods and I'll take care of your uncle Ed."
At this point Bobby lifts open his jacket and quickly displays a large knife of his own. It's rather ornate from what little you see of it. "I'm prepared." He says
He spends the next few minutes calming you down, but then begins to mumble some sort of prayers. You can't make out most of them, but they certainly don't sound Christian and you hear the name Tiamat a lot.
After he finishes he turns to you and smiles.
"Okay I'm going into the woods. YOU wait here. Now one of two things will happen. Either I'll come out and your uncle will be dead. Or your uncle will come out and I'll be dead, and you can still take credit for luring me into the woods. Just tell him you told me to make up with my dad or something. He should buy that, and you'll be still be safe."
"What about your dad?" you ask.
"My dad? He's probably dead. If he was still alive he would've came out by now. Obviously Tiamat had forsaken him, if he was taken down by the likes of your uncle."
Bobby makes his way into the woods.
You wait at the table for awhile in the darkness. There isn't a soul around. You continue to look into the woods waiting for someone to step out. Bobby, Uncle Ed, Pa Morningstar, anyone
Eventually someone does and it's Bobby. He looks a little roughed up and there are bloodstains on his clothes. You can only guess that it wasn't an easy kill.
"Sheesh, that was intense. Your uncle might've killed me, if I hadn't known he was lurking around. I think what caused him to go off his game plan was when I mentioned you told me that he was waiting. I think he wanted to yell at that point, because his calm killer demeanor turned into white hot rage. Still he never made a grand outburst, he just mumbled something about ripping you apart after he was done with me. Well we better get out of here. You need a ride home?"
You back off a little bit. As much as you didn't want to be involved in Bobby's murder, you're not entirely trusting of him. You know for certain that he and his family are indeed cultists that sacrifice people to this Tiamat he's mentioned a few times.
"Uh not that I don't appreciate the offer, but maybe I should walk home."
"Walk? In that outfit and through this area? You'd be safer with me. I'm not going to do anything to you."
"How do I know you aren't going to sacrifice me to Tiamat?"
" well I suppose you don't. However, all I can say is that I'm in a better mood than I was, and that's thanks mostly to you. I can now run the compound the way I want to and communicate to Tiamat directly as the new high priest. Plus you did warn me of your uncle and possibly saved my life. So I'd say you're safe. I mean it's not like you're going to blab about any of this right?"
Bobby is smiling. He's even a little playful, but you get the very real feeling he is warning you.
"No, no of course I won't."
"Good! I'm glad that's settled then. Come on let's go."
You follow Bobby to his car and sit quietly. Bobby turns on the radio and begins humming happily to the heavy metal music playing. Halfway home he speaks to you directly.
"So, you wanna go out sometime?" he asks.
"What?!" you say in total surprise.
"Do you wanna go out? I mean it seems like we got some stuff in common. And before all this went down it seemed like there was a spark there. At least I felt a little something. It's why I told you about my dad, which was a major place of trust on my part given that you were a virtual stranger."
"Yeah, I suppose so."
"As you might guess my family isn't much for outsiders. None of us gets out all that much. I was one of the luckier ones, being the eldest son and all, but I still had strict guidelines. Fucking your sister alleviates the tension so to speak, but really it doesn't allow for a good future bloodline. Well that's the way I see it anyway. So, how about it?"
"Well, I dunno. I don't get out much either. Though that's by choice, not because anyone made me."
"Hah. Sounds like you were your own prisoner. Come on, let's go out. It'll be good for the both of us, you can tell me all about your obviously fucked up family on the date."
"I wouldn't even know where to start." You laugh.
"See that's the spirit! If it helps you don't have to dress like that either." Bobby points at your clothing.
"I don't normally wear this sort of thing."
"Yeah, I sort of figured that. You didn't seem comfortable in it from the moment I saw you. Hell, if I had to guess. You're still a virgin."
You're amazed at Bobby's insight.
"Is it THAT obvious? My Uncle Ed knew too when he roped me into this."
"Well it's probably more obvious to us predatory types even if we don't know that much about the person. Darkness is often drawn to purity. Don't worry though; Tiamat doesn't have a predisposition toward virgin blood. You're still safe."
"Well lucky me."
Bobby stops in front of your house. You didn't realize you were already so close to home.
"Here you are. See, nice and safe. So do you want to go out sometime?"
You look at Bobby and its crazy that after all that's happened tonight, you do feel a certain spark between you.
"Okay what the hell. Come pick me up whenever you're able I suppose. You know where I live and I never go anywhere so I'll be here."
"Alright then, but first "
Bobby quickly leans over and steals a quick kiss from you before you get out of the car.
Your first kiss. You always wondered if it would happen. You feel completely giggly. He smiles in satisfaction.
"See you soon!" he says and drives home. You head back to the basement nearly walking on air. A good thing came out of all this and you fall asleep with no problems for the first time in the past few days.
The wonderful dreams you have that night you know are just glimpse into the reality that is sure to come.
Your demeanor changes from one of feigned cheerfulness, to one of scared candor. You even take Bobby's hand which shocks him a little.
"Bobby, you opened up to me, so I'm going to open up to you. We need to go into that woods right now, because your dad might be in serious trouble."
"What?! What're you talking about?"
"There's no time to explain, but my uncle is going to kill him!" you exclaim and get up trying to pull Bobby with you.
Bobby starts to move, but insists that you tell him in more detail of what is going on. You do in a very condensed fashion which causes him to pause.
"So wait, you're working with your uncle to kill me and my dad in the woods? And now you want ME to go in there?"
"NO! I was bullied into helping my uncle, but I couldn't do it that's why I'm warning you now, so that you can save your dad!"
Bobby stops completely.
"Why would I do that?"
"What? Come on it may already be too late!"
"So what if it is? Look Suzy, you don't know my dad like I do. The guy has barely any fucking redeeming qualities and those he does have he barely shows most of the time. Fuck him."
"B but he's your father!"
"What of it? Just because someone is related to you don't mean anything if they're complete assholes to you and treat you like shit your whole life. Hell he hasn't even been the worst to me. He's been a fucking abusive tyrant to my whole family. I'm sure all of them at some point have thought about killing him themselves. Shit, I know I have."
You certainly didn't expect this reaction. You don't know what to do now, you start to cry.
"Now what's wrong with you?" Bobby asks.
"I wish I could be that brave, but I'm so scared. Now that you know what's going on you can avoid your fate. But I'm still in danger. My Uncle Ed is gonna (Sob!) kill me!"
"Hey Shhh Hey don't cry. Don't cry. Look you are brave. I mean it took courage to tip me off didn't it? You went against your uncle's threats and took a chance that I wouldn't flip out and kill you myself right?"
"(Sniff) I guess so."
"Look your uncle is still expecting me right?"
"Probably."
"Well let's wait a minute or two, then I'll go in the woods and I'll take care of your uncle Ed."
At this point Bobby lifts open his jacket and quickly displays a large knife of his own. It's rather ornate from what little you see of it. "I'm prepared." He says
He spends the next few minutes calming you down, but then begins to mumble some sort of prayers. You can't make out most of them, but they certainly don't sound Christian and you hear the name Tiamat a lot.
After he finishes he turns to you and smiles.
"Okay I'm going into the woods. YOU wait here. Now one of two things will happen. Either I'll come out and your uncle will be dead. Or your uncle will come out and I'll be dead, and you can still take credit for luring me into the woods. Just tell him you told me to make up with my dad or something. He should buy that, and you'll be still be safe."
"What about your dad?" you ask.
"My dad? He's probably dead. If he was still alive he would've came out by now. Obviously Tiamat had forsaken him, if he was taken down by the likes of your uncle."
Bobby makes his way into the woods.
You wait at the table for awhile in the darkness. There isn't a soul around. You continue to look into the woods waiting for someone to step out. Bobby, Uncle Ed, Pa Morningstar, anyone
Eventually someone does and it's Bobby. He looks a little roughed up and there are bloodstains on his clothes. You can only guess that it wasn't an easy kill.
"Sheesh, that was intense. Your uncle might've killed me, if I hadn't known he was lurking around. I think what caused him to go off his game plan was when I mentioned you told me that he was waiting. I think he wanted to yell at that point, because his calm killer demeanor turned into white hot rage. Still he never made a grand outburst, he just mumbled something about ripping you apart after he was done with me. Well we better get out of here. You need a ride home?"
You back off a little bit. As much as you didn't want to be involved in Bobby's murder, you're not entirely trusting of him. You know for certain that he and his family are indeed cultists that sacrifice people to this Tiamat he's mentioned a few times.
"Uh not that I don't appreciate the offer, but maybe I should walk home."
"Walk? In that outfit and through this area? You'd be safer with me. I'm not going to do anything to you."
"How do I know you aren't going to sacrifice me to Tiamat?"
" well I suppose you don't. However, all I can say is that I'm in a better mood than I was, and that's thanks mostly to you. I can now run the compound the way I want to and communicate to Tiamat directly as the new high priest. Plus you did warn me of your uncle and possibly saved my life. So I'd say you're safe. I mean it's not like you're going to blab about any of this right?"
Bobby is smiling. He's even a little playful, but you get the very real feeling he is warning you.
"No, no of course I won't."
"Good! I'm glad that's settled then. Come on let's go."
You follow Bobby to his car and sit quietly. Bobby turns on the radio and begins humming happily to the heavy metal music playing. Halfway home he speaks to you directly.
"So, you wanna go out sometime?" he asks.
"What?!" you say in total surprise.
"Do you wanna go out? I mean it seems like we got some stuff in common. And before all this went down it seemed like there was a spark there. At least I felt a little something. It's why I told you about my dad, which was a major place of trust on my part given that you were a virtual stranger."
"Yeah, I suppose so."
"As you might guess my family isn't much for outsiders. None of us gets out all that much. I was one of the luckier ones, being the eldest son and all, but I still had strict guidelines. Fucking your sister alleviates the tension so to speak, but really it doesn't allow for a good future bloodline. Well that's the way I see it anyway. So, how about it?"
"Well, I dunno. I don't get out much either. Though that's by choice, not because anyone made me."
"Hah. Sounds like you were your own prisoner. Come on, let's go out. It'll be good for the both of us, you can tell me all about your obviously fucked up family on the date."
"I wouldn't even know where to start." You laugh.
"See that's the spirit! If it helps you don't have to dress like that either." Bobby points at your clothing.
"I don't normally wear this sort of thing."
"Yeah, I sort of figured that. You didn't seem comfortable in it from the moment I saw you. Hell, if I had to guess. You're still a virgin."
You're amazed at Bobby's insight.
"Is it THAT obvious? My Uncle Ed knew too when he roped me into this."
"Well it's probably more obvious to us predatory types even if we don't know that much about the person. Darkness is often drawn to purity. Don't worry though; Tiamat doesn't have a predisposition toward virgin blood. You're still safe."
"Well lucky me."
Bobby stops in front of your house. You didn't realize you were already so close to home.
"Here you are. See, nice and safe. So do you want to go out sometime?"
You look at Bobby and its crazy that after all that's happened tonight, you do feel a certain spark between you.
"Okay what the hell. Come pick me up whenever you're able I suppose. You know where I live and I never go anywhere so I'll be here."
"Alright then, but first "
Bobby quickly leans over and steals a quick kiss from you before you get out of the car.
Your first kiss. You always wondered if it would happen. You feel completely giggly. He smiles in satisfaction.
"See you soon!" he says and drives home. You head back to the basement nearly walking on air. A good thing came out of all this and you fall asleep with no problems for the first time in the past few days.
The wonderful dreams you have that night you know are just glimpse into the reality that is sure to come.
