by Ally Vance
I’m so fucking hard it’s painful, and if I don’t get out of here, then I’m going to throw caution to the wind and claim her. I need to take the edge off—I need to do something because I’m not sure whether I’d simply fuck her or be tempted to kill her outright if I was to succumb to my fantasies, right here and now.
Chapter Four
Zach
The cold air against my hot and sweaty face clears the fog in my head. I’m not sure how I managed to get out of there without waking Violet or doing something stupid, but somehow, I managed to avoid both. I’m standing in her back garden, gulping down lungfuls of clean, unscented oxygen. It’s lighter out here, and I can see the faint outlines of nearly barren flower beds and a small shed. My cock is throbbing, my blood is rushing in my ears, and my inner demons are screaming for the sleeping flower in the house behind me.
Every part of me is dying to sneak back in there, to watch her, to touch her, to make her mine in every way I can possibly fantasize. It was a miracle I managed to get as close as I did. To risk sneaking back in there right now would be tempting fate, and in my experience, fate is a cranky bitch when the mood strikes.
I take a deep breath, inhaling the scent of earth and grass, mixed with clean, crisp air, before slowly exhaling again and watching the dark mist of my breath form in front of me. The seasons are changing. It’s getting colder, and the nights darker, but the dim light thrown over the fence and into the garden illuminates just enough of the garden for me to see where I’m going.
Pulling out my phone, I smirk when I see the still open app with my short message to Violet. I hope she responds, and if she does, what will she say? Will she engage in conversation? Will she draw me closer to her, and welcome me into her life? Fate has drawn us together, only she doesn’t know it yet...but she will. Soon enough, Violet will know our paths were meant to cross. But, where hers is clean and unblemished, mine is dark and stained in blood. Will she shy away from me, or will she step into my shadows to see what monsters are hiding in the darkness?
Satisfied that I have a way to insert myself into her life, I leave as quietly as I arrived and begin the drive home. The whole journey, I’m plagued by her peacefully sleeping face, and the deep ache in the pit of my stomach grows into a fierce yearning that nearly has me swinging the car around and returning to her. I tighten my hands on the wheel, forcing myself to stay on course. Inhaling slowly, I then release the breath and repeat until my heart is calm and my mind clear.
When I finally pull into the garage attached to my home, my thoughts are steady and I have a plan firmly set in my mind. I will work to gain her trust. I will make her crave me as much as I do her, and only when she is ready to initiate a meeting and take things further will I indulge in everything I desire. Violet will be the one who makes all others seem lackluster and wilted, I just need to nurture the seeds I have sown and watch them grow until she blossoms and is ripe for picking.
Until she is ready, I need to remain patient. I can indulge in the darkest of my urges with substitutes. I’ll paint the poisonous hearts of weeds with their own blood to create the most magnificent garden. But if I can’t extinguish the insatiable need inside of me with those lesser flowers, then Violet won’t survive when I finally take her for myself. She’ll become another flower in my garden, and if she does, she’ll be the most beautiful I’ve planted. There may be more than one desire I can satisfy with her before I crush her petals between my fingers.
My cock twitches in my pants, but I shove my urges as ideas a sudden idea flits through my mind. Climbing from the truck, I head out of the back entrance of the garage and into my garden. I inhale deeply, smelling the crisp, clean air and the scent of damp soil, and a smile alights on my face. Making my way across the garden, my eyes slowly adjust to the dim light until I’m able to locate what I’m after.
I spot one of the first flowers I met—Cassia—and walk toward her. I’ve never done this before, but remembering her pretty looks, so similar to Violet’s, I know she’s the one I need right now. Freeing my stiff cock from my jeans, I wrap my fingers around it and start to move my fisted hand, rubbing the precum along the shaft to make the motion smoother. As I draw closer to finishing, my balls tighten and Cassia’s face vanishes, replaced by Violet’s, and it tips me over the edge. Cum shoots from the narrow slit on the head, painting the delicate yellow petals with the creamy substance.
I let my head drop forward and fight my shaking legs to stay upright until my shudders cease, then slowly tucking my cock away, I lower myself onto my knees. The haze of endorphins clears, and I look thoughtfully at Cassia before I gently brush a droplet of cum from one of her petals and watch the rest slowly drip down to the earth. Sighing heavily, I get to my feet and wipe my finger on my jeans before turning my back on my garden and entering the house.
Chapter Five
Zach
I wake up to my phone bleeping next to my head with a notification. I roll over onto my back and rub my hand down my face as I yawn. The sunlight behind the curtains is bright, and my head begins to pound. I slept like shit, torn between alternating desires and thoughts of Violet—one moment, wanting to fuck her until she forgets her own name, and the next, wanting to preserve her like a flower pressed between the pages of a book. I want her beneath me, and I want her in my garden, but I don’t know which of these desires is more dominant. In the morning light, reason trickles into my mind, and I force myself to stop this train of thought before it crashes.
Picking up my phone, I swipe the screen to see who’s messaging me. I smile when I see an unopened message from Kit, but when I see the notification from the app I downloaded last night, my expression deepens into a smirk. After quickly reading Kit’s message and firing off a swift reply, I click on the app to see what awaits me. There are a few messages from unknowns which I should have expected, but one stands out among them. Violet has answered me.
Heart beating fast, I delete all the others without reading them and I open Violet’s.
ViBlackthorn1064: Hi, ShadowZ952. Thanks for your message, I’m doing okay, how are you?
ShadowZ952: Thank you for answering, I’m well. So, tell me about yourself. Z.
We go back and forth for a little while, and although she doesn’t tell me much about herself, I can almost hear her soft voice behind the typed words on the screen. It’s a start, and given time, I will become a fixture in her life—one she will never be able to remove. Not wanting to seem too interested and desperate, I say goodbye, but the promise of talking with her again hangs between us from her sweet response.
ViBlackthorn1064: It was lovely to meet you, maybe we can talk later?
ShadowZ952: I’ll message you. Z.
My phone buzzes in my hand, and when I see that Kit has responded, I let out a heavy breath and start to get dressed. I can take a shower after I’ve planted Heather between the bushes at the far end of the garden near the stream. Maybe she’ll bring me more luck than I did her, I muse, a slight smile turning up the corners of my mouth.
After gulping down a rejuvenating cup of coffee and some painkillers, I grab my car keys and head outside. The heat and searing brightness of the sun makes my head throb, but I ignore it and stroll toward the garage, letting my gaze fall upon Cassia and the space where Heather will soon join the other flowers in the garden. Neither of these two were my first, and they won’t be the last. My eyes burn as I stare at the patio where the bones of Rose and her pathetic boyfriend are hidden beneath the paving slabs.
I chuckle quietly, and tear my gaze away from it all and focus on my destination and the truck that’s sitting silently within the brick structure. Popping open the glove compartment, I pull out a pair of sunglasses and put them on before starting the truck and leaving the dark garage. The drive to Kit’s place is uneventful, and I’m gratified to see him waiting patiently outside for me, puffing on the cigarette between his lips as a trickle of smoke floats up through the blond hair that falls over his pale eyes. He’s leaning ca
sually against the closed door to the crematorium, and as I get out of the car he straightens, staring knowingly when I approach.
“I’ll be seeing you again very soon if the expression on your face is telling me what I think it is.” He smirks, and his lips curve up around his cigarette when he pulls in a drag, making the end glow red.
“Maybe.” I shrug, but the dark shimmer of excitement doesn’t leave his eyes.
We both know my evasive one-word answer is bullshit. I’ll be calling him soon and the smug bastard standing in front of me knows it as well as I do...he’s practically giddy at the prospect.
I don’t understand his tastes, and I’ve no wish to venture down that murky path myself to find out the appeal. Death is beautiful, but I’m not interested in anything more than being the cause and then controlling the aftermath when I plant the evidence in the beds of earth lining my garden.
“She’s through here,” he says, turning and unlocking the door.
He leads me inside the cool room that contains the morgue and into the room with the furnace. My eyes immediately go to the small cardboard container sitting on the metal bed where we laid Heather’s body a few days ago. All that’s left of her now is ash, and though she’s dead, I will soon immortalize her within my garden. I stride across the room, pick up the box, and turning to face Kit, I meet his eyes.
“I’ll call you soon. Thanks for doing this.”
“You bring them, I burn them. We both get to have our fun, one way or another. This way just raises less questions.”
I nod in agreement and brush past him, out the door and back into the sunlight with Heather clutched tightly in my grip. Kit and I are two sides of the same tarnished coin, two blackened souls fighting not to be overwhelmed by the other’s darkness. We’re well matched, and our bond is strong, but when two monsters meet, destruction often follows in their wake.
Chapter Six
Zach
It doesn’t take a genius to locate people who give themselves floral names in an attempt to appear prettier—it’s the reason why some of my flowers have ended up being been less beautiful than I initially thought, although I got lucky with this one. That app has proven useful in more than one way, and I’m glad I had the sense to purchase a burner phone I can easily dispose of should the need arise.
Some people are easily led and gullible. A few flirty words here, a few well placed compliments there, and the most desperate will be clawing at the chance for some attention…desperate enough to go home with a stranger. Their physical needs don’t interest me, but the high of stealing a life is irresistible. They never see it coming, too interested and beguiled by the monster who wears the face of a man.
I leave nothing behind, and neither do they. Not a trace, not even a speck of blood to tell anyone we were there. Alyssa was messier than some of the others, though, but using pruning shears to gouge her throat was definitely fun. With her nearly black hair and soft elfin features, she was pretty when I met her—she’s even more so now she’s lifeless and covered in blood. I’m sure Kit will like her just as much as I did. For me, the sexual appeal of these pitiful flowers pales in comparison to Violet, but I’m sure Kit appreciates the absence of my sloppy seconds. A fleeting thought enters my mind, and I shudder as I briefly wonder if I’m actually doing him a favor by not getting them all wet before I hand them over. I’m sure he has his own methods of dealing with them that I don’t want to dwell on.
Alyssa’s chest is stained with blood that’s slowly congealing on her skin, cracking as it dries and turns from vivid crimson to rich burgundy. Quickly checking to make sure no one is around, I carefully place her in the back of my truck and pull the covering over to hide her. I slide my phone from my pocket and send a quick text to Kit.
Me: Get everything ready. I’ll be there shortly, and don’t start on me with the ‘I called it’ bullshit.
Kit: Be there in 30
My phone vibrates again, and I shake my head when I see another message from Kit.
Kit: I still called it though. See you soon.
Smug bastard. I grin before stowing the phone back in my pocket and starting up my truck, enjoying the low rumble and the steady vibration as the engine comes to life. Looking over my shoulder, I stare out the rear window, making an effort not to look at the bed where the dead flower is hidden from view. Seeing that the way behind me is clear, I pull out of the space and head for Kit’s.
Like always, he’s already there when I arrive, signature grin in place and eyes lit up with dark glee, like it’s his birthday or something. I suppose flowers for special occasions are somewhat commonplace, although the ones I bring are far from the traditional gift. He tosses down the butt of his cigarette, stubbing it out with his boot as he approaches my truck. Kit eagerly tugs the cover off, and it’s like watching a child unwrap a birthday present. I can see the excitement on his face even in the faint glow from my tail lights.
“You’re spoiling me, Zach. But it might be wise to slow down. People may start to notice something’s up.”
I snort in derision. “I leave nothing behind, and every one of these girls has been a nobody or an outcast. They won’t be missed, and I’m not stupid enough to hunt in the exact same place, over and over. Besides, what evidence is left behind once you’re through with them?”
Kit nods, appeased by my response, and instead refocuses on Alyssa.
“What’s this one’s name?” he asks, stroking her face and peeling back her eyelids to gaze into her eyes.
I clear my throat, and he looks at me with dark eyes. “Alyssa. I found her through a dating, friendship app I recently downloaded.” His eyebrows shoot up and he appraises me, a perplexed expression on his face. I continue, “I have my reasons, and this was less conspicuous than prowling the streets.”
“Is there someone in particular you’re stalking on this app? What’s her name?” he asks slyly, a smile kissing the corners of his lips.
I roll my eyes and let out a breath. “Violet. And before you say anything else, this one is different. I need to take another approach.”
“You’ve never needed an app to get someone you want before, you’ve always just taken them.” he snorts before continuing, “I’ve never understood your obsession with flowers, Zach.”
“Well, I’ve never understood your obsession with them after I’ve killed them,” I fire back, more harshly than I intended. Kit’s a friend, but talking about Violet with him makes me antsy. I’m not sure I’d be able to let him have Violet when I’m done with her.
“Touché,” he laughs.
I can tell he’s realized he must have hit a nerve, but we’ve known each other long enough for me to tell he’s not upset by my response. This is the closest either of us have come to verbally acknowledging one another’s less than conventional interests.
“Come on, let’s get her inside.”
Chapter Seven
Zach
I feel calmer, less unsettled, now that Alyssa is with Kit. I refuse to let my imagination conjure up scenes of what he might be doing with her prior to the cremation. Killing the flowers so they may become an addition to my garden is the only thing that has brought me any sense of peace since my dad left.
Violet has my thoughts scattered, and she’s sent my wild desires out of control. Her face is woven through my mind like roots beneath the earth, and I am entirely consumed by my need to have her. Once a week, since my first visit, I have returned to her home, calmed by each fresh kill and the knowledge that no evidence will lead back to me. I watch her unhindered, and each time I see her, my need grows more violent...more deadly.
During the day, she messages me, and the loneliness bleeds through her typed words, like an unspoken plea to cure her solitude. She’s starting to cling to me, to my replies, and every day my impatience begins to make itself known. The shoots of desire are growing swiftly, and soon enough, she will blossom...then I will take her for myself.
My phone buzzes with a notification, and lookin
g at it, I smile as I see the familiar username flash across the screen. Without opening the message, I read the short text. I smirk when I see she has mimicked my signature, only swapping out the letter ‘Z’ with her own initial.
ViBlackthorn1064: You’ve been very quiet the past few days. Did I say something wrong? V.
ShadowZ952: No, of course not. I’ve just been busy with work and stuff around the house.
ViBlackthorn1064: What do you do for a living? I’m an IT technician for a small local business.
ShadowZ952: Landscaping. I like to work with my hands.
It’s not a total lie, but it’s not entirely the truth either. I do take the odd landscaping job on occasion, but my other interests have kept me occupied recently, not to mention my frequent visits to her house. I’m not about to tell her any of this, though. Violet has no idea who I really am. She doesn’t know anything about me other than the fact I refer to myself as ‘Z’ and do landscaping. However, I’m not going to risk drawing unwanted attention to myself by revealing anything that might incriminate me.
The cops are probably aware that something untoward is happening in the surrounding towns and city, but I’m careful to cover my tracks and remain undetected while pursuing my desires. People go missing—it’s tragic, but that’s the way life is. Human existence is as fleeting and fragile as the petals adorning a springtime flower, withering and dying before the season’s end.
I’m slowly working my way into Violet’s life, burrowing into the essence of her being and trapping her within the roots of my desire. She’s beginning to trust me, to rely on me, and as time passes she will become completely bound to me. My phone vibrates again.
ViBlackthorn1064: I missed you, and I’m glad I didn’t upset you. I don’t really have anyone in my life to talk to. It’s like having a friend, even though I don’t know all that much about you. V.
