So, this is the last chapter of this fic. As with all last chapters, I ask that you guys spam the comments to show your support. Thank you for all your love on this story! I know a lot of you guys don't want to see it go but if it's a good consolation, I know you're going to love The Black River when it comes out. In case you haven't seen the little teaser, here you go. 

https://youtu.be/Zb5eR7m9g8U

If you want a little more on The Black Rain, there's a teaser image on my Instagram. (NonaHysteria). Also, in case you didn't notice, I'm completing this today in honor of it being the five year anniversary of the Creatures album. 

Again, I can't tell you guys how much it means to me to see all your comments and votes. I can write some of the most fucked up shit and you guys love it. Thank you <3 And I hope you enjoy the last chapter of The Rain...

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Chris,

You of all people are all too familiar with the fact that no matter how much you can feel, you may never be able to put your feelings into words. I've thought over what I could say and I've realized there's nothing that will make us both at peace. I'm not going to find closure for the way you shut me out and you will never forgive me for betraying you. 

I know how your mind works. You do not forgive or forget. You'll always hold anger towards me for what I did and I know I could never change your mind. The truth of the matter is I don't want to. We weren't meant to be together. We're toxic, you and I. Regardless of what could have been and what we couldn't have changed, I am sorry for hurting you. 

Everything you've ever done for me I've thrown back in your face. Starting back from my slave days, I should've been grateful you gave me a home, a bed, a place to shower and food to eat. Instead, I spit in your face. Somehow you managed to fall in love with me. I'm not sure when it happened or how, but one day my utter hatred for you just went away. Or so I thought. 

It's always been there, way in the back of my mind. I believe most of it did go away when I fell for you but I never rid myself of all of it. I'm not capable of loving someone without hatred. Neither of us are. It doesn't matter how much you pamper Ricky, you will not be able to love him without force. It is who you are. It's who I am too. I was not the only one that took my life for granted.

Now, you've found someone to make you happy. He'll never hit you, call you names, or degrade you. He won't cheat on you or lie to you. As much as I hate to admit it, I've seen it in his eyes. He loves you. I loved you too, but where I differ from him was I could not live the life of a submissive. I've got a soul that doesn't want to be tied down. You could never control me no matter what you tried. Please, don't blame yourself for a thing that happened between us. 

The only way we could've prevented our relationship from being toxic is if we both changed. We were never going to change though. We never will and that's not necessarily a bad thing. You are an incredible, sexy man with amazing passion, drive, and talent. But, I wasn't the one who could bring out your good side. 

I'd like to hope that someday we can find peace and become friends. I don't want it to lead to a relapse. You have Ricky and I have someone else now. What happened between Angelo and I, it hurt someone else more than it hurt you. That is the one person I do owe it to to change. For every time I have hit you, cheated on you, lied to you, I am sorry. This grief was not worth the end result. A part of me will always love you but I found someone I love more. I'd like to hope you've found that same peace with Ricky.

Love, Devin

His handwriting seemed so flawless, just like him. I tried my best to get sleep but only a few hours came to me. It was near four in the morning when I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep. I avoided reading the letter because I was worried it would keep me up. Truthfully, the exact opposite proved to me true. Ignoring it was haunting me. 

Though he didn't say who his new love is, I've got a good feeling. Whether it be him or someone else, I am happy he's happy. We had our differences and our separation killed me. That doesn't mean I'd wish him bad. A piece of my heart will always belong to Devin. That piece is apart of my past, though. Ricky is my present and my future. I relaxed back into the bed as I turned off the light. He cuddled into my chest and I drifted off with a smile on my face. 

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Returning to Scranton put a pain in my heart that I couldn't place. I love my home but this city haunts me. Every street of every block has a memory I can't shake. I've lived here my whole life. This is where I became who I am, both the parts of me I wanted to be and the parts I didn't. It was even worse to walk back into that house. 

At some point, my nights were so restless that I had to go stay at Ryan's for a few days. His house was smaller than Kuza's but it was the better option. I didn't want to expose Ricky to Mike's... ways. I avoided staying with Balz and Ryan-Ashley for similar reasons. The few times I've seen Ryan-Ashley dominate a slave, it honestly scared me. She can be mean when she wants to be. Whereas, Ryan is the exact opposite. He adores his girls.

Now, after being at Ryan's for a few days, I began to notice a few things. I think he was trying to hide them from me but nothing gets past me. Tonight I had planned to go back to the house. So, I thought I might as well confront him about it. Ricky was curled up in my lap like a good pet. Joy was in her room while Friday was snuggled up to Ryan on the couch.

"So," I started off slow, "You two have gotten pretty comfortable with each other."

"She was a perfect fit for our family." He replied, absentmindedly petting her hair.

"I see that. You treat her pretty well for a slave." 

Ryan pursed his lips, then cleared his throat. "Well, that's because she's not exactly a slave anymore..."

A smile crept onto my lips, "You renounced, didn't you?"

"...Yeah. Nikki was pissed with me but it's something I wanted to do for Joy for awhile. When Friday came along, I knew it was time. I told Josh but I haven't told Kuza yet."

"Don't worry. He won't care about you doing as much when he finds out I'm going to." 

He quickly looked over to me, "Seriously? You're going renounce?" 

"He's worth it." I replied as I stroked Ricky's hair, "I love him. He's still going to be my naughty little pet in the bedroom but I want us to have a 50/50 relationship. Are you keeping them as pets afterwards?"

"Joy and I plan on becoming a normal couple. Friday isn't a pet, actually. She's a little, and I think it's been driving her nuts not being able to act little. It's her choice but I doubt she'd give it up. It's a perfect sub role for her." He explained.

I missed at the angelic little lady across from me, "Sweetie, you know I had a little of my own. You don't have to act grown up around me." 

"Really?" She asked, her eyes filled with hope. I nodded, to which she replied, "Thank you. Daddy, can I have my binky back now?"

Ryan reached into a small box that was on the table. He pulled out a pacifier and handed it to her. I can see it now. He was right. She made the perfect little. After all the abuse she's seen, it was a good payoff. Friday deserved to be happy and having Ryan as her caregiver made her just beam with joy. 

Speaking of Joy, that sweet little vixen came downstairs. Ryan allowed her to act like his girlfriend instead of a pet. They made a cute couple. She sat down next to him, giving him a kiss on the cheek. They might not be a normal family but they're a happy family. That's all that matters.

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I suppose I should give a shit about throwing Angelo into the lion's den. He was a very good slave up until the fiasco with Ghost. I know he'll serve Kuza well. It's been awhile since I've seen Mike and I figured I should tell him to his face that I was quitting the game. He might throw me out of his house or he might not care. I can't read him, ever. He's always been a wild card. 

On my way home from Ryan's, I stopped by his house. I didn't want to leave Ricky in the car because he doesn't like to be alone. I'm not sure taking him into Kuza's is much better but I won't let him get harmed. I'd kill a man before I let them touch my baby. Ricky could tell we were in a bad place. He was hiding behind me, shaking a little.

"It's okay, Sweetie. He's not going to hurt you." I reassured him as I waited on Kuza to open the door. 

"The others told me about him." He whispered.

I sighed, "Just be on your best behavior." 

Kuza opened the door, seeming unfazed by me dropping by unannounced. "I hope you're not here to take Angelo away from me." He joked.

"No. Just wanted to stop by to talk and check on him." I replied.

He stepped out of the way to let us inside. "Alright. I just made some hot chocolate, if you'd like some." 

Kuza seemed so... tame? That murderous look was gone from his eyes. He still sounded a little pissed but he always was that way. 

"No thanks. We just had dinner at Ryan's." I responded, "I was staying at his house for a few days. I don't like being at my house ever since Ghost and I broke up. Everything there reminds me of him."

"Are you going to date again?" He asked as he sat down on his couch.

"I, um... Well that's what I wanted to talk about... There's no easy way to say this so I'm just going to say it. I've decided to quit the slave business to be with Ricky." 

Kuza raised his eyebrow while he drank from his cup, "You're freeing another slave?"

"Yeah, I am. On the bright side, this means this is the last one I'll ever be able to free." I said, trying to cushion the blow.

He sighed and set his cup down. "All I'm going to say is you better not fuck this up like the last one. If you two end up making it longer than you did with Ghost, I'll bite my tongue forever. If you don't though, I'll never let you live it down."

"Deal." I chuckled, "Where's Angelo?"

Kuza turned his head towards the hallway, "ANGELO!" 

Within seconds, Ange was in the room. He kept his arms folded behind his back like a good slave. "Yes, Master?"

"Chris has stopped by to see you. Take off your shirt so he can see what I've done to you." 

Angelo pulled his shirt off and delicately set it on the back of a chair. He was black and blue with several cuts. Yet, he didn't seem too shook about it. He was barely fazed. It wasn't like when Friday would tremble just to hear his name. Kuza was rather proud of how much he had abused his slave. I mean, it was his slave. I couldn't tell him what to do.

"I take it you're pleased with him?" I asked.

"More than pleased. This little slut isn't going anywhere anytime soon. He's so talented and he can take a beating. I know you only offered this trade out of sympathy for Friday but I'm not even mad about it. Angelo is the slave I've been searching for for a very long time." He mused.

"I'm glad. It's getting late. We should get home. I just wanted to check in." I replied, "I'm sure you two would like your privacy anyways." 

He pushed himself up from the couch, "I'll walk you out." 

As I turned around, I accidentally bumped into Ricky. He made a small whimper and apologized even though it was my fault. "It's okay, Sweetie." I told him as I grabbed his hand, "You're tired, aren't you?" 

"Yes, Master." He murmured. 

"Let's get you home, then, Baby." I placed a kiss on his forehead, then guided him to turn around. My arm stayed around his waist as we walked out.

"You really love him." Kuza spoke in amazement.

"I know to you it seems insane but it is possible to fall in love with a slave. You might think they're less than human but that's not true. They're more human than we are. We're monsters." 

"You were a monster." He corrected me, "You've managed to escape your anger. I knew will, but," He seeped a long sigh, "Maybe I've found a slave that's helped me to tone it down."

I smiled softly, "Night, Mike."

He grabbed the door and began to close it. "Night, Chris." 

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Anything I needed had been pulled from this house. It wasn't hard to find an apartment that didn't cost too much. It's not that I can't afford anything more. I just don't need anything more than a one bedroom apartment. This house is a symbol of my arrogance. I never needed this much damn space but I wanted to be feared. People fear and respect giants. This place is not who I am anymore.

It's been a few weeks since New York. I officially renounced a few days ago and handed Ricky over to Nikki. He said it'll be about six weeks before I get him back. I'll use the time to make plans and save money for all the trips I want to take him on. It's going to be hard to be without him for a month and a half but it'll all be worth it in the end.

Today, I've had to return to this dreaded place for the open house. I know typically owners aren't around for that sort of thing but I felt like I should be. Something in my bones told me to take in one last walk of the building. Most the people coming and going looked so vanilla. Let's hope they never find out what kind of sins have been committed inside this house. 

Any furniture that I didn't need I just left. It'll go with the house. That gave me an excuse to raise the price too. Even if I'm giving up being a materialistic person, that doesn't mean I don't like money anymore. C'mon, there's no one that doesn't want more money. Ghost is right. There will always be apart of me that's angry and greedy. I'm not going to fight it anymore though. That's the only way to set it free.

I walked through this house slowly, knowing this is the last time I'd step foot in it. The memories in these walls are some I am slightly scared to give up but it's the only way I can move on. Seeing Ghost's old room empty, having my possessions taken off the walls, and the lust gone from the air, it was chilling. I feared heading down to the basement. I knew I had to if I was doing this for closure. 

In my walk to the cellar entrance, I was met with a familiar face. Vinny was leaned against the wall across from the basement. He looked up at me and opened his mouth to say something. Then he sighed and shut it again.

"What're you doing here?" I asked.

He shrugged, "I was just a ride."

A ride? For who? Oh... I had a sinking suspicion he might come around again. I opened the door to the basement, seeing a beautiful figure sitting on the bottom of the stairs. Yes, I said beautiful. My heart does belong to Ricky now but I can't stop being attracted to Ghost. All the times we've made love, seeing him curled up in our sheets in my shirt, I couldn't just forget how that made me feel.

Cautiously, I stepped down those old creaky stairs. My hand met the railing. It was a rarity my skin ever touched it. Usually I wore gloves when I tended to my slaves. I've stripped myself clean of my past. Without the furniture down here, it was just a shell of what it used to me. If I closed my eyes, though, I could see all the torture again.

"How'd you find out?" I asked Ghost as I sat down beside him.

"Ryan told me." He mumbled, "He said you're selling your whole estate."

"Not everything. What I wanted to keep, I already took out. Everything left here is going with the house." I replied.

"So, is that why this basement is empty? You're taking it all with you?"

I shook my head, "No. I let Nikki take all of it. I figured it would be easier to sell the house if there wasn't a sex slave dungeon in the basement. I honestly just want this place gone from my life. Some of my worst mistakes happened in this house."

"You fell in love with me in this house." Ghost murmured.

"I also fell in love with Ricky here too and he's made me incredibly happy. I may have made a lot of mistakes here but I did have some good choices too." I grabbed his hang gently, "Loving you was not a mistake, Devin. There are so many good memories we shared... But for every day I loved you, there were two days of doubt. That was no way to live." 

A few stray tears fell off his eyelashes, "I know. It's hard to forget..." He squeezed my hand. "The pain. We burned each other so badly. I'm happy now but... Sometimes the past does keep me up at night."

"That's exactly the reason I'm selling this place. If it's gone from our lives, maybe we can find some closure." 

"If it was my choice I would've burned it to the fucking ground." He quietly seethed.

I sighed, deciding maybe a change in subject would be for the best. "Is it Vinny you're with now?"

Ghost nodded and carefully wiped his eyes, "I asked him to come help me pack up my things when you kicked me out. He told me I could come live with him because him and his girlfriend had broken up. We had a lot of time to talk while we packed. One thing led to another. He might not have much but he treats me like a queen."

"That's what you deserve. I want you happy, even if I'm not the one making you happy." I gently placed a kiss on his temple, "I still love you and I don't want to let go of you. I read your letter and I believe we should stay friends. I'm not ready to say goodbye to you." 

He rested his head against my shoulder as he took one last look around. "Life needs a balance of calm and chaos. You will always be my chaos. I can't live without chaos."

Isn't that the truth? We both have found our calm and maybe that's what we've needed this whole time. We were a storm in search for a steady rock. I might be leaving my old self behind but I will always be an addict for dramatics.