Page 2 of Sour
Such a fond memory of my grandmother. Probably my favorite one.
I exhaled.
”Ziggy,” Florence snapped again and whisked me back from my past. “Did you hear me?”
I shook my head, brushing her worrisome words away as I smiled down at the photo in my hands. “I did. But Florence?” My fingers wiggled, signaling for her to come closer. She hesitated,leaning down to listen as I whispered up to her. “Save that attitude for the others. I get it, you want to put on a show. But remember.” My eyes glared at hers, and I yanked on the small necklace hanging around her neck. “Watch your fucking mouth when you speak to me.” The faint color from her aged face immediately drained as her frame went rigid. I smiled at the obvious display of fear. “Just put that fake ass smile of yours on and do your fucking job. And don’t worry, I won’t misbehave…as long as you get me what I want.” My head tilted. “Understood?” Florence swallowed and nodded her head, forcing a fake smile. “There you go.” I released her necklace. She leaned back and adjusted her vintage, dusty old brown suit, pretending she wasn’t absolutely frightened. It was amusing to watch her crumble so easily before me. Entertaining really. And while I hated her, I respected her determination to not only take my case, but do something none of my other attorneys did. She fucking listened.
I gazed back down at the photograph in my grasp and admired Koven’s bloodied body. She was smothered in blood, her throat slit deep and her flesh pale as a ghost. She looked dead, trapped in that beautiful and frozen state of everlasting darkness that only preserved and enhanced her sickening beauty. I felt as if I were staring at an artistic masterpiece. God, how I fucking envied her for getting even a taste of that sweet release from this fucking world. According to Florence, Koven had to be resuscitated at the hospital because of what I had done to her. I felt such pride knowing I had killed her, giving her exactly what she had wanted for so long, even if it was a fleeting moment.
I wonder how death tasted. Was it bitter? Sweet? Or sour?
Despite my attempts to end it all, Koven was alive. She had survived, in a way, and was now living inside some forsaken asylum. Apparently, after all our crimes that night, and theunfortunate death of her mother, the state not only charged Koven, but they took custody of her. They used her traumatic past and history of mental illness against her, sentencing her to the one place no one would bother looking for her. Wellard Asylum. Apparently, it was the kind of place you send people like Koven and myself. Not just to protect society from psychos and mentally unstable killers, but to forget the ones they condemn. Depraved souls swept under the rug like fucking cobwebs, hoping they stay hidden.
Wellard Asylum.
The image of that old gothic style building, also paper-clipped in Koven’s file, burned in my mind’s eye as I vividly remembered it. It looked like something out of a horror movie, faded and falling apart as the rest of the world forgot its existence. The little information on that place was tucked away in the shadows, leaving only my imagination. I would often sit and envision the inside of the building. Imagining Koven’s life as she remained stuck within what I assumed were peeling and faded walls, lacking any aspect of a real life. She probably counted every second of every day as she waited to meet death’s sweet embrace once more. I knew she felt abandoned, and the idea of her being locked away in there, alone, without me, was unbearable. Sheneededme. And I was determined to find a way to be with her. Even if it meant being declared insane and locked away in the same wretched asylum. I’d do anything to be with her again, living out our twisted and dark fantasy in the asylum. Our own insane happily ever after. I just needed today to go my way.
Soon, Koven.
I smiled.
“Ziggy.” Florence’s eyes burned my cheeks as I side-glanced her. She was watching me, this permanent look of fear plastered in her dead eyes despite her efforts to put up a front. Her foggypupils fell to the photograph in my grasp. “You need to put that away, Ziggy.” I glared at her and remained still. “I’m serious. You’re not even supposed to have that.” Florence reached for the photo, but I whipped my hand away from her and growled under my breath. The old woman’s jaw clenched and she reeled her scrawny hand back. “Fine, just tuck it away and stick to the plan,” Florence snapped with a low and disapproving sigh as I reluctantly tucked the photo away into the elastic band of my pants.
“I sure hope you can do all you’ve promised,” I grumbled as I adjusted my posture in the uncomfortable wooden chair. “Because I don’t forgive easily. And I never forget.” Florence tried to stay calm, but I could smell the fear overpowering her ridiculous perfume. “Like I said, all it takes is one good snap.” I lifted the cuffs around my wrists and jingled them as I moved. It humored me how they thought such feeble restraints would ease my depraved behavior. They didn’t. The only thing keeping that never-ending and violent itch from being scratched was Koven. And every second I was separated from her felt like an agonizing life sentence in hell.
“Try to smile, Florence.” I motioned to my mouth with an eerie grin. “Everyone loves a good smile.”
The sudden sound of courtroom doors opening caught everyone’s attention. Florence and I both shot our eyes across the room as an overweight and miserable looking officer entered the courtroom and addressed the entire court as he opened his fat mouth. “All rise!” I tried to contain my laughter as the fat bastard walked around in his uniform, acting like he wasn’t some third time divorcee with a drinking problem and limp dick. God, the man reminded me so much of my father.
Florence motioned for me to stand. I rolled my eyes in response to her before reluctantly doing as she said. My handcuffs clanked as I stood, watching the stumpy judge enterthe room and wobble to his seat, wearing an uncaring attitude. Like he’d rather be anywhere but here. A sentiment I shared. The judge motioned for us to sit, which we all did.
The court clerk then began to read from a paper in his hand as me, my attorney, and the rest of the courtroom all listened. “Docket ending 2-0-1-3, people v. Ziggy Slater. The charges are capital murder, attempted first-degree murder, abuse, mutilation, and desecration of a corpse, possession with intent to distribute, battery, rape, and sexual assault.”
The old and overweight judge scrunched his face as he glared through his thick-framed glasses at me and Florence. “Quite a grocery list of charges, young man. One of these charges being against not only a police officer, but your own father, Officer Slater.” My jaw tightened and I bit back a smile of pride. “How do you plead, young man?”
So fucking guilty.
Florence cleared her throat. “Before my client enters a plea, I would like to remind the court that the charges of battery, rape, and sexual assault are inapplicable in this case. The state is simply reaching and trying to bury my client due to one of the victims being a fellow police officer. They’re trying to make an example of my client.”
The state’s district attorney made a face before she spoke. “Your Honor, that is a lie!” She turned to face Florence. “Your client brutalized his sister. He beat and raped her over the corpse of his murdered father?—”
Florence interrupted her and raised her finger. “Stepsister. And regardless of their relationship, or how violent the performance was, the sex was in fact, consensual.”
Oh, it was consensual alright. But it was also brutal. And so fucking good. I just wish my father could’ve been alive to see and hear just how good I fucked his precious stepdaughter over his corpse.
The sweet memory of Koven and I played in my head and the corner of my mouth curled upwards. My dick even swelled, remembering just how fucking good it felt to fuck my stepsister.
The district attorney rolled her eyes and groaned. “Consensual? During her admission to the hospital, employees noted Koven Carter’s numerous injuries. She had severe bruising all over her body, multiple cuts, bite marks to her breasts, not to mention internal injuries! Let’s not forget the victim was found with her throat cut open, bleeding out on the side of the road where she was left to die, alone!”
I resented her statement. I didn’t beat Koven…my father did. And I would never abandon Koven. That night, I was simply trying to escape the cops and come back to her, but I failed. I just needed her to know that. To know that I never left her to die alone.
Florence looked back at me, noticing my little, or rather large, problem. I adjusted my posture and nodded to her. She shook her head and took a deep breath before addressing the judge. “Your Honor, Koven Carter’s throat injury is merely a product of her own self destructive behavior in a failed suicide pact planned far before the night of Officer Slater’s death. It’s a sad fact, but nonetheless, a separate and unrelated matter.” The old woman faced the district attorney. “Ms. Willows, my client does not deny having extremely violent and rough sex with the mentioned party. As stated, the two had an ongoing sexual relationship for years. Was the relationship taboo? Unhealthy? Yes. Violent? At times. But consensual, nonetheless. Therefore...” Florence sifted through her stack of documents and retrieved a few papers. “I’m presenting a legal argument to drop the charges of battery, rape, and sexual assault due to lack of evidence.” She handed the legal paperwork to the judge and walked another copy over to the defense attorney. “Not to mention the lack of a complaining victim.”
The judge shot his head up. “Is this true, Ms. Willows?” he asked the defense attorney. “Has the victim, uh, Koven Carter, not made an open complaint against the defendant?”
Ms. Willows made a face. “No, Your Honor. Koven Carter was unfortunately incapacitated prior to treatment and has since been charged for her own part in the crimes against Officer Slater, as well as additional unrelated drug charges. The injuries were noted by multiple members of hospital staff during Koven’s emergency admission to the hospital as a result of Ziggy Slater’s crimes.”
The judge nodded. “And where is Ms. Carter now, Ms. Willows?”
