trigger warning!

CHAPTER SEVEN | KILLING ME

It's killing me again inevitably
Your traces remain and torment me
But it's not easy to get rid of a habit that is like you

• • •

"Tsk, you're crazy." The reaper commented wryly.

Dallia frowned, walking past Mark, going down the ladder that leads her back to her room. As she got back, Mark reappeared in her room and sat boringly on her bed.

The reaper watched as she sat on her chair, opening the metal box he recognized as the box she stores her 'taxidermy materials' in. Seeing as she studied her hands, face voided of any emotion.

"What do you see?" Mark spoke out loud, catching her attention easily.

"Cuts."

Mark stood up, approaching her desk to take a look. "What do you mean cuts?" He raises a brow, eyes gleaming down onto her scarred hands.

"Open cuts...red blood flowing..." she whispered faintly, the reaper scoffing at her response.

"Where do you see it?"

"On my arms, legs, and hands."

Mark took a deep breath, finally deciding to unlock his curious mind and know more about what was going on with her. Tilting his head to the side, a bewildered expression laid steady. "Is that why you're stitching your hands right now?"

The blank girl looked down at her hands, before nodding slowly. "Yes."

Mark shook his head, snatching the needle and thread away from her. "Okay, Dallia, you're acting like a straight-up crazy masochist right now." He uttered out, still not used to this whole get to know your victim situation.

"Stop acting- there aren't any cuts other than ones you made from your stitches."

Dallia furrowed her brows, shaking her head as she continued to deny his words. "No. You don't understand." She gritted her teeth, "I'm already dead!" As she shouts out loud, her bedroom door bursts open revealing her mother with an irked expression.

"Who the hell are you talking to now?! Don't tell me you picked up another dumb pet on the streets."

Dallia's eyes warily scanned her room, Mark was sat still, eyebrows raised as he listened discreetly. His eyes looking at the young girl then at her mother repeatedly; back and forth.

"Well? Aren't you going to fucking answer you brat."

"Just a friend." She responded nonchalantly making her mother scoff a reply, eyes rolling in a bratty manner.

"Ugh, fucking stop with your damn nonsense Dallia." Her mother spat out, turning around to take her leave. As she left, Dallia could catch her mother say, "We should've agreed to put you back into the mental hospital."

"Dallia, hate to break it to you, but we're not friends." The said girl glanced back at her bed to where the reaper sat.

She tilts her head a bit to the side, an evident frown forming on her lips, "Not friends?"

He rolled his eyes before shaking his head, "No. Never."

Dallia stayed silent, turning back to her desk. As she was about to pick up a new needle, Mark was quick enough to snatch it away from her reach.

"What are you doing?" She questioned, annoyed.

"Wow she actually has emotions." He sarcastically remarked before storing the needle back into her kit.

"I'm trying to be patient with you here, at least be thankful I didn't kill you right away." He scoffed out, placing a hand on the chair's backrest while his other laid flat on her desk as he cornered her in.

"You better answer every question."

Mark's strong gaze trailed from her then onto her door, remembering the whole conversation she had with her mother. He hummed shortly, "Hmm... a mental hospital? Got anything to tell, Dallia?"

The girl avoided looking at his eyes, instead, she had her head lowered. Unmoving, not daring to say anything.

Silence engulfed the two, with every second ticking by starting to irritate Mark. He hissed, "Hey you little bitch! At least answer my fucking question!" In a split second, he pressed his hand hard up her throat, the urge to choke her to death was unstoppable.

He expected her to struggle, to jerk under his grip, and beg him to stop but she didn't. She sat still, feeling lightheaded and ragged by the lack of air. Blood pressure was cut short – dizziness hitting her quick and yet she chose to stay silent.

Baffled, his tight grip around her neck loosened, yet his fingers remained still. Eyes mixed with pure confusion and shock, mouth slightly agape as he recoiled.

"Are you fucking insane?!" He exclaimed, the burning rage in him sparking.

"Why did you stop?" She murmured, "You said you wanted to kill me...then why don't you? It's not like I'm alive. What's stopping you?"

"Is it because I didn't stop you? Did you think I was afraid you'll kill me?"

Taken aback by her words, he scowled, "Shut the fuck up."

A low chuckle left her lips before staring at him dead straight in the eyes, "Did you?"

He shot her a glare, retracting his hand from her neck. "You're fucking insane."

Dallia shook her head, "I'm not the one who's trying to kill someone here- I just want to put my friends back together, Mark."

"I do not kill people without a reason."

"Then what's your reason for killing me?"

• • •
cue ikon's killing me