Blood and Apples: An Annora Park Novel: Book One

Chapter Thirty-One: Rush of Ruin

    I was rather pleased with my handiwork. I'd managed to fish out the bullets and deposit them on the kitchen table next to the Pad Thai. Walker insisted on keeping them. I thought he was crazy. But that wasn't anything new.
"Eat, eat Annora darling. No point in wasting good food." Walker says. I look down at where Garrett is still lying in a great, ol' giant lump on the ground and bite my lower lip nervously. "Ohhhh don't worry about the kid, he's fine, he's fine, right Birdie? You didn't do anything lasting to him, correct? Mores the pity, in my opinion."
"Romanoff is correct, Annora my beloved. Goodson is fine. He's sleeping."
"Uhhhh he looks like he's in a freaking coma," I snap.
Chamuel cocks his head. "Hmmmm...an apt description of what his body is going through at the moment."
"You put him in a coma!" I shriek at Chamuel.
Chamuel sighs. "Amour, he was being completely unreasonable. He'd just shot Romanoff, twice, may I add, and was going to come to take you by force if need be."
"He'd never—"
"—I read the intent in his eyes, yes, amour, he most certainly would have. I had few options left to me. This was the least...harmful of them."
"Again, mores the pity," Walker interjects.
"Shut up Walker," I say, then sigh. I push back a few strands of escaped hair and then grimace. "I'm sorry, Chamuel. You're right, you're right. There wasn't much else you could do. And...and...well this won't hurt him in the long run, correct?"
"Correct, my beloved. He will wake when I will it. He may have a headache, but other than that, he'll be just fine. Well, not fine exactly, as there is something definitely 'off' about him right now. But physically he'll be no worse for wear."
I let out a deep sigh of relief. "Okay, good, good." I lick my lips. "I...I am a little hungry."
"Well of course you are, darling girl. Sit, sit, and eat. In fact, I think since Goodson was so obliging to bring double portions, I'll partake as well."
"Oh of course, Walker," I say. "I mean you just got shot twice. I think you deserve some freaking food for your troubles." And I smile when he laughs. We fish out some plates (black of course) and begin to dish out the food. "Oooohhhh it's still a little warm," I say happily.
"I can heat—"
"—nope, we've been through this before," I say laughing. "Take my food from me and I stick a fork through your hand. I'm fine just like this." I put a bit of everything onto my plate except for the Tom Yum soup which I bring into the circle of my arms and eye Walker dangerously as if to say, you touch and you die.
Walker laughs, "You're not sharing the Tom Yum?"
"Nope, no way Jose. This soup is mine, all mine...it's my precious." And I grin when Walker laughs louder.
"We should have a movie marathon Annora darling. We could start with The Lord of the Rings trilogy and move onto Star Wars, oh and then The Avengers. Oh, then Hellraiser, the Saw movies, and the Jason and Freddy movies."
"You know I don't do horror movies."
"I know, and I don't get it." Walker bemoans, "They're soooooo bloody good!"
Bloody good.  Probably why I didn't like them in the first place.
I sigh and chew thoughtfully on my food before swallowing and answering him. "I think I see enough horror, Walker. I don't need to see anymore, even if it's not real."
"But that's the point. It isn't real, my pretty girl. And it's always amusing to see how wrong they get everything."
"Wrong?" I ask.
"Oh horror movies are always wrong. Especially the ones with serial murderers. They're always so sloppy, messy and stupid. And nothing is realistic at all. That's why you should enjoy it, it's sooo far from being real its amusing."
"Then why do YOU enjoy them. Why do you watch them?"
"Well, because they still contain blood, guts and gore galore, darling girl. I like that stuff, you know," and his eyes gleam. "Although the first Saw movie had promise, the second one wasn't too terrible. Then they just got silly. I like psychological thrillers and horror too, like 'Silence of the Lambs,' that was one terrific movie."
"Okay, I'll give that one to you. That is an excellent movie. A really excellent movie, and Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins are truly spectacular!"
"Especially Anthony Hopkins," Walker says,
And I nod, "Yes, especially Anthony Hopkins. Although Ted Levine as Buffalo Bill was really spectacular."
"Oh yes, how could I have forgotten him. He was truly wonderful! He played his part perfectly. I wonder if he enjoys any of that stuff in real life."
"Uhhhh I don't think Ted Levine is anything like his character in Silence of the Lambs, Walker."
"Hmmmm....shame."
Oh Walker, Walker, Walker. "Do you realize, seriously, do you realize just how nuts you sound most of the time.  I mean, is it really a wonder that people think you're a psychopath?"
   Walker shrugs.  "I can't control what people think of me, Annora darling girl.  You better than anyone know that,  And so what if they think I'm a psychopath.  I mean, I am a psychopath.  At least I'm better than that asshole Dark Fae King,  he's a total sociopath.  I'm not quite that bad."
   Hmmm...the two of them were kinda neck to neck in my opinion, but I wasn't going to go there right now.  "Can we just agree that if I agree to watch 'Silence of the Lambs with you,' you WILL NOT discuss all the gorgeous attributes of Buffalo Bill. Cause I'm telling you, I swear I'll, I'll hex you."
   Walker laughs.  "Baby girl, you can't hex me, that's my territory."
   "Trust me, I'll figure out a way.  I'll agree to a movie marathon eventually, as long as you keep a a...a...civil tongue."
   "God, why must you ruin all of my fun, Annora darling girl?"
   "Because your fun is bloody, brutal and usually ends up with someone dead, Walker."
   "Hmmm...true. True.  Okay.  We'll try it your way."
Oh, I was SOOOO glad to know that he was willing NOT to kill anyone while we watched movies, or talk about skinning them or taking them apart piece by piece.
"Sooooooo which should we start with, baby girl?"
"Which of what should we start with?"
"What movie? What series? We'll make an evening of it. You me, my couch, or the Heavenly Chair if you prefer...it can sit two," and he wiggles his eyebrows. "I'll conjure up some popcorn, kettle corn, your favorite!"
    My chest feels tight again and I run my hand over the skin over my heart, feeling uncomfortable suddenly. Why do I feel uncomfortable. Why does the idea of a movie marathon with Walker suddenly make my heart beat faster and the lead ball of concrete settle in my stomach again. Walker and I, well, sure he's kinda crazy. But he's MY crazy. And I have already established that I'll probably finish the bond with him. So why now am I so hesitant and...and...uncomfortable.  It's like something inside me rebels at the very idea of being well being being with him....with any of my guys for real.
"I...I don't know if that's a good idea."
"Of course it's a great idea." Walker seems to be getting into it now. "We could begin with Lord of the Rings if you'd prefer. But, truly, I'd much prefer Hellraiser.  Ohhhhh yes, Hellraiser! Clive Barker is a genius!"
I swallow—hard. "Hellraiser. Walker, Hellraiser is totally disgusting. I mean, this Frank buys a magic box that somehow when solved calls "Cenobites"—and they're totally into extreme sadomasochism. Larry, Frank's brother cuts his hand carrying a mattress up the stairs, and lets his blood drip on the attic floor. The blood resurrects Frank as a skinless corpse, who is soon found by Julia, Larry's wife and Frank's ex-lover. Still obsessed with Frank, she agrees to bring people back for him to drain so that he can be fully restored, and they can run away together. Julia begins picking up men in bars and bringing them back to the house, where she mortally wounds them. Frank sinks his hand into the dying bodies, draining their life, regenerating his body. Frank explains to Julia that he had exhausted all sensory experiences and sought out the puzzle box, with the promise that it would open a portal to a realm of new carnal pleasures."
   "I know, I know the story, it's delicious! The chains! The whips! The flesh torn from bone, and sinew and tendon and oh the blood...the delicious wonderful blood." Walker rubs his hands together,  You can't tell me you don't like this, my darling girl.  You're a Treader.  I KNOW you understand this as I do. The pain with pleasure."
   "Walker, that movie is totally sick.  I mean...I mean...his daughter solves the box and summons the Cenobites and Pinhead and they are crazy, even crazier than you, Walker.  I mean, they can't differentiate between pleasure and pain anymore, and the pain and death is THE ONLY way for them to have any pleasure."
   "AND?" Walker says.
   I stare at him shocked.  "Walker...that is NOT you.  You do not need pain not that extreme to feel pleasure in the act."
   Walker sighs.  "I guess not.  I mean, it IS more pleasure with some bloodletting, but the act in itself in pleasurable even without the extreme blood and gore."
   I roll my eyes.  "Oh well, what a fucking relief that is."
   "Soooo..." Walker frowns, "No Hellraiser."
   "Hell no," I snort.
   "May I suggest Star Wars?" Chamuel says smiling.
   I match his smile.  "The originals right? 4, 5, and 6, right? The only ones that REALLY matter."
   Chamuel nods, "But of course."
   "Hey, I never invited you to movie marathon night, Birdie."
   "That is fine, I'm inviting myself, Ramanoff."
"Can we bring the DVD player and movies to Tir na nOg," I ask, and watch as both men stiffen considerably.
"Must we?"
"You yourself said something was wrong with Garrett, Chamuel, and...and...if I admit it to myself...I do feel somewhat...odd."
"Odd? How so?"
"My chest it's so tight, Chamuel. I feel such an aching horrible sadness. And whenever Garrett is close to me, I feel this weird pull to him. No don't freak out. I'm not attracted to him, and I don't feel anything for him like what I feel for you guys...but there is this odd feeling. My chest feels like it's turning to stone, like my heart is becoming a solid mass of concrete. It's awful." I rub my chest again. "I don't know what's wrong. And I don't like not knowing what is going on. And...I have this weird feeling that I'll find my answers in Tir na nOg."
"My amour, may not be so off, Romanoff. This only began AFTER we returned, correct? perhaps the answers we seek are in Fairy. She did promise Branuel Of De A'lanuel she'd return three days hence. She only has one more day anyway."
"I don't like it." Walker mutters.
"You don't fucking like anything, Walker," I mutter. "Listen, I'm packing up my apartment, and you're going to figure out what to do with Garrett, something that doesn't have him passed out like a lump on a log on the fucking ground, okay? When I return from my apartment we're going to portal to Tir na nOg and we're going to figure out this shit, okay? Oh..." And I give Walker a small smile to soften the blow, "I've got a portable DVD player at my place, I'll bring the DVD player if you'll bring the moves...okay?"
Walker sighs. "Fine, fine, for you Annora darling, for you darling girl anything."
    And THAT was what I was counting on.