Bad Dream/Becoming A Monster

From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe

He stood outside in the hall, breathing heavily behind the face mask. He was always a hider; take now for instance. He was hiding from the truth behind the door. The truth he already knew and had been waiting to confront. He took another deep breath, trying to calm his nerves.

This week had been hell. It started with another firing. Jobs were low, and it was hard to support another person alone when you barely ate and your apartment sucked. Then he'd gotten the tip-off, and he started following Anna. He saw her, alright. He saw her with him. Shit, she was with him.

After a few more breaths, the memories begin flooding in. Every little fight. Every moment she stormed out. How many of them were excuses made up to see him? How many times had she brought him to their house while she thought he was at work. How she'd suck his fucking dick, then kiss him on the lips when he got him. His hand goes to his gun, tucked carefully in his pants. Just like he used to. Just like back in the Brawlers. It was a brand new gun, the serial number carefully filed off. He draws it, adrenaline pumping through his veins, his hand trembling. He finally pushed himself off the hideously wallpapered hallway wall. His key went into the lock, and it opened with a click.

He walked through their apartment. All the stuff that he earned. The T.V., the couches, the tables. Every-fucking-thing she intended to take from him. He raised the gun, walking to their bedroom door. He reached out for the knob, but as he approached the door, he could hear it. He could hear the panting, the moaning. He could hear her screaming his fucking name. He withdrew from the knob and in turn kicked the door off its hinges with a single kick. At that moment, they looked over and Anna screamed. Her lover barely comprehended what was going on before the trigger was pulled and a bullet rocketed into his face. He slumped over onto her as she began to scream, blood pooling on the sheets.

"What the fuck are you doing, Anna?!" the gunman screamed hysterically. "What the fuck were you fucking thinking?!"

Anna screamed, only for the gunman to aim into the air and fired a shot. "Shut the fuck up, bitch! Shut the fuck up!" he screamed again, slumping back against the walls.

He kept the gun on Anna, who held the bloody sheets over her naked body, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Jacob, please! Please!"

Jacob screams back at her in anger. "What's wrong Anna? Am I being too loud?"

She begins to sob, screaming back at him in terror, "You're drunk!"

He fires a shot at the vase next to the bed causing it to explode into pieces. "SHUT UP! What the fuck are you thinking?! How can you let him sleep in our bed, Anna? Let him stain OUR sheets? Fuck MY WIFE?!"

Anna screamed, sobbing. "Jacob, please, you'll wake up the baby! Please!"

He grabbed her by the hair and pulled her out of the bed, tossing her to the floor. The gun stayed on her. "Get some fucking clothes on! We're going for a fucking ride!"

She crawled to her clothes, sobbing. She began to dress herself. Jacob screamed at her, "FASTER! TIME IS MONEY!"

She finally finished, going for her shoes before he grabbed another handful of her hair and dragged her from the room. She screamed in pain, only for him to yell back at her. "WHAT HAPPENED TO NOT WAKING THE BABY, ANNA?! HUH?! You're making a lotta fucking noise!"

He pushes her out into the hall. She sobs harder. "Please Jacob, the neighbors."

"Fuck the neighbors! You aren't coming back!"

"You aren't going to get away with this!"

"So fucking what."

They walked to the parking lot. He opened the car door and pushed her into the passenger seat, gun held on her. "Buckle your seat belt! Wouldn't want to get hurt!"

He got behind the wheel, turning the ignition and floor the gas to take off. As they speed through the rain, Jacob struggled to stop himself from completely cracking, crying and screaming at her. "You really fucked me over, Anna! You really fucked me in the ass!"

"Baby, please!"

"NO! Shut up! I don't want to hear any fucking excuses? How could you do this to me? After everything I fucking did for you?!"

She continued to sob. The music on the radio sang along.

"Change the station! I fucking hate this song!"

She sobbed harder, turning the radio off.

"Hey Anna?! Why don't you like me?! It's my face isn't it? You think I'm fucking ugly, don't you?"

She sobbed and reached out to him, "Baby, please, I love you."

He shoved her away violently. "GET THE FUCK OFF ME!"

There was a pause, tears streamed down Jacob's face as his sanity slipped by the second. "I HATE YOU! I FUCKING HATE YOU WITH EVERYTHING! ...Oh god, I fucking love you so much! How could you do this to me?!"

She sobbed and screamed "I'm sorry!"

Finally they reached the destination. The pier. The car pulled over, and Jacob got out. "We're here. Get out."

Anna just sobbed and screamed as she undid her seat belt, "Jacob, please!"

He opened the door violently and grabbed her by the shirt, tearing her from the car and tossing her to the ground. His gun stayed trained on her. Through her sobs, she spoke to him again, "Please, Jacob! Please, we can start again! We can forget this please!"

Jacob screamed in rage, "NO! You did this to us! This is your fucking fault! There's a dead man in our bed, Anna! Don't you fucking remember that?! You think this is some big joke?! Guess what! SURPRISE! IT'S ALL REAL!"

She screamed and got up, trying to run. He lunged forward, tackling her down. "Don't run! You can't escape!"

She yelled. He laughed in her face, "You think you're going to get help! No one's coming, Anna, it's just us!"

His hands wrapped around her throat, squeezing the life from her. She thrashed under him, trying to get away. He was unrelenting. Her life slowly began to leave her. Finally, after a few final spasms, she fell limp and lifeless.

The next day, Brent Allister was found dead in Jacob and Anna Rookswood's apartment, his face skinned. Their daughter, 2-year-old Amber Rookswood, was found sitting in the lobby of a near-by orphanage. Anna was found under the local pier, her face skinned as well. Jacob Rookswood was never seen again.