Thursday, October 10, 2013
Nathan's Point of View

I stepped out the car, I looked over at Dakota, I realized in the dark shadows behind her, stood Mark. My eyes widened. I tried to warn her, but I couldn't find the words, I felt stuck.

"Nathan what?" She asked.

I started to run over, my face horrified. Her legs caved in as she dropped to the ground. I watched as her body pooled blood all around it on the dirt.

Forgetting that Mark was even there, I raced to her body, "Dakota?!" I shouted. "Dakota?! Wake the fuck up, what up right now!"

There was a pinch in my neck, and before I knew it, I collapsed myself, onto Dakota.

***

"Nathan!" I heard screams. "Nathan please! Wake up!"

I flinched awake, my vision was blinded by bright lights. I kept my eyes squinted, allowing them to adjust to the bright lights.

I could make out where I was. I was lying on a sofa in.. the dark room? What was I doing here?

"Nathan!"

I looked up, realizing I was lying on the ground. There sat some girl in the chair, she was duct taped to it, but I couldn't quite make out who it was. I tried to move my body but I couldn't. My wrists were bound together and so were my ankles, "Shit."

I shut up eyes for split moment, I could see her corpse on the ground of American Rust. My eyes fluttered open, I flinched, looking around me, realizing I was still in the dark room.

"Nathan! It's me, Am-" I heard the screams, but after a while my brain naturally blocked it out as I looked around the dark room, still confused.

As I blinked once more, I saw Mark standing over my body with a drug filled syringe. My eyes opened wide, I frantically looked around me, my hearing came back.

"-Up! Please, wake up!" She shouted.

My eyes locked with the eyes of the girl's on the chair, "D-Dakota?" I asked.

My vision began to focus instead of being so foggy and blurry. The girl's eyes were blue, her skin pale, "Amelie?" Realizing it was Amelie in the dark room's chair, I started looking around in a panicky motion.

"Nathan!" Amelie called. "What's happening?!" She was crying, hear tears running down her cheeks, "What is all this Nath?"

"The dark room.." I trailed off. "Shit, fuck, Amelie, what are you doing down here?"

I heard footsteps walking towards me, "She's my newest subject. Beautiful, isn't she?"

I looked up, my eye's met Mark's, "That's my fucking sister, that's my fucking sister, let her go you-"

"Now, now, Nathan," Mark said in a calm town. "Why don't we tell Amelie the beautiful story behind this beautiful place?"

I looked at him, "Don't."

"Go on," He said softly. "Tell her."

"Amelie I-I'm so sorry," I cried out. "Amelie, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm-"

"Let's just say, I became sort of a father figure for Nathan. It happens often is teacher/student relationships. It was kind of touching for a while.." Mark trailed off. "I told him what he needed to hear. In return I had access to the Prescott fortune. Who do you like paid for think glorious dark room and equipment? How else would I get all these hip new drugs for my subjects?"

"You-You manipulated my brother!" Amelie shouted. "You did all this! You! You hurt Kate and-"

"-And Nathan hurt Rachel," Mark cut her off.

"Shut the fuck up Mark!" I screamed, my whole body twitching.

I looked over to Amelie, her mouth was agape. Her eyebrows furrowed, her eyes glassy. She looked at me and shook her head, she couldn't believe it.

"Oh.. Rachel Amber.." He trailed off. "That's the real tragedy."

I was breathing heavily now, "I'm gonna kill you mother fucker!" I spat.

He ignored my threat, keeping his eye's on Amelie, "Nathan thought he could be an artist like me.. Instead, the dumbass gave her an overdose."

"I-I, you told me that amount.. I-!"

"Why Rachel..?" Amelie asked, her cheeks wet.

"I don't have time to tell you everything. But she.. aw special. A human chameleon.." He kept going. "So many visual possibilities.. we had a real connection. Rachel was in love with me. That's not my ego. Just look at our sessions. Not that I'll let you. Nobody loved having their picture taken more. Anyway.. Rachel is dead. But no tears, Los Angeles would have killed her anyway. So, look at this a favor."

"You're evil," Amelie said infuriated with what she was hearing.

"Oh I see," Mark said. "Your boyfriend almost beat Nathan to death, and you love him, right? See, we're not so different.."

"Yes.. yes we are," Amelie said, her fists were clenched. "I care more about Nathan than you do."

"No! You don't. It's just too bad that he fell in lust with Rachel," Mark was getting angry. "He actually thought he could mimic what I do with a camera and a subject. Like father, but not like son."

I could feel my face was wet, soaked with my salty tears. How could I let everything get to this? I was gonna leave with D-Dakota and get help and finally be good for you.

"Where's D-Dako-" I could barely get my words out, I was choking on my tears.

"Dead and buried," Mark said nonchalantly.

"Why would you.. do that.. this had.. NOTHING TO DO WITH HER!"

"You see Nathan, it has everything to do with her," Mark crossed her arms. "When you fall in love, you become soft and weak. And you let love get in the way of everything Nathan. Everything would be okay if you just, hadn't hooked up with her in the first place."

Amelie started screaming at the top of her lungs. Kicking her legs, they broke free from the chair. The chair was old, and wooden.

"You bitch!" Mark said rushing towards her. "You must need another doe huh?"

"Don't you fucking touch her!" I screamed. "Don't you fucking dare i'll kill you!"

"Leave her alone motherfucker!" I heard someone shout.

I couldn't see who it was, but I could tell by the voice, it was Chloe Price.

"You think I'm scared of some punk bitch?" Mark laughed. "You won't shoot." She must've been holding a gun.

"You should be," Chloe answered.

I heard a loud bang, as the gun went off, I thought of Dakota. I was running to her body. "Dakota?!"

My eyes opened to Warren, he was cutting me free of the duct tape. Where was Mark? I look to the ground, his body lied there. Max was setting Amelie free. Amelie ran over to me, sobbing.

"Holy shit I killed a man.." Chloe trailed off. "Fuck.."

Amelie grabbed me, pulling me into a tight hug. I couldn't hug back, I just say there, empty.

All I could hear was Dakota, her laughs, her cries, her voice. I looked around the dark room, it suddenly filled with people. Cops. Their lips were moving, but all I heard was her.

Chloe was shouting and Amelie was crying, pointing fingers and Jefferson. The cops shook their head and turned me on my stomach. I felt a cold metal on my wrists. What was happening?

"Hi my name is Dakota Diaz," I heard in my head.

I was lifted off the ground, a cop on either side of me, my hands behind my back. They led me out of the darkroom.

"I'm new and need my schedule."

I was thrown into the backseat of a cop car. Amelie raced to the car, banging on the window, screaming, yelling. Then the car drove away, leaving Amelie at the old barn.

"Nathan I-I love you too."