Title: Garden Lights

Author: Hana Rui

Summary: He had warned her. Told her not to come back if she ever left him again. She didn’t listen. Like so many times in the past.

Note: Inspired by Option 2 of Musemuggers #286th challenge

The garden lights glinted off the edge of the steel as it went down for another plunge. Again and again the same fluid movement, the same destination. The same purpose. Over and over the unvarying thrust. The unwavering emotion channeling itself along his arms, all the way to his hands….

To the steel that had become too dulled with darkness to acknowledge light…

He had warned her. Told her not to come back if she ever left him again. She didn’t listen. Like so many times in the past, she had rushed out of his front door, out of his life, owing to some errand she said she needed to do. She kissed him. She never did forget to kiss him. He always got that much consolation, along with the numbing pain. It was never enough.

She stayed away for days, weeks, sometimes even months on end. Then one cold and quiet night, whenever he least expected it, she would prance in through his back door, kiss him and get on with life as though nothing had changed.

He was never allowed to ask the questions. When once he tried, almost begged her to tell him where it was she went when she went away, she disappeared for days. And when she came back with that same air of nonchalance, he thought he’d let her get away with it.

Again and again. Over and over. The same old pattern. Going away, coming back, never caring to explain herself. Never letting him ask the questions rioting in his head.

Not that she gave him enough time to pull his wits together after each nerve-whacking orgasm. The sexual satisfaction was never lacking, and was mind-blowing enough to make him forget.

And forgive.

Until she pulled the same stunt on him. Again and again the same fluid movement of her rushing out of the front door.

Over and over, he would put his fingers to his lips, savoring the habitual consolatory kiss. Fearing, always fearing it was gonna be the last.

She never knew of his pain. Of how much it hurt to always have to see her go. How each ache turned into something wicked every time she left him.

How he longed to make her stay. Just make her stay long enough to justify the illusion of owning her.

The night was bleak, but inside his heart was rejoicing. He had spotted her walking down the path before she ever reached his house. She always left through the front door, and came back through the back one. Always the same habit. The same quirk. And he had always stood there waiting… Every single night, just waiting…

“Hey, baby,” she said with a smile, draping her arms around his neck and looking lovingly into his eyes. “I missed you.”

He held her tightly, like he always did. One hand splayed across her back, the other combing caressingly through her hair. Her long brown hair.

For a split second he saw a vision of that same hair mottled with dark, dry blood. He gripped at a clump of it, closed his eyes and smiled.

“What are you thinking, hm?” He felt her fingers running softly along his face. “You look… happy…”

That sweet voice, the sweet melodious voice he had loved to hear screaming. Crying out in pain.

He opened his eyes and met those of hers that were looking curiously up at him. Waiting for an answer. How could she expect for an answer when she never gave him any? How could those eyes look so lovely under the same lights that had witnessed a horrible side of him earlier?

Those eyes. Those lovely green eyes that had been dulled with the horror of knowing it was gonna be the end.

For her. For that girl.

He stole a glance at that particular spot in his garden where he had buried the latest victim of his hatred for her.

“Nothing, baby,” he cooed. “I’m just glad you’re back.”

-end-