Static Reflections: Book 1 of The M... - Chapter 19: Chapter 19

Boris opened the door to Amaranthe's car, and got out, looking at the small white house to the left. The paint on the outside was chipping in large chunks. There was an ominous golden light from the inside. The house was raised on a cement foundation and had three wooden steps leading up to the door on the side. The middle step was broken and splintered in the middle like something had hit it really hard.
The white wolf turned off the car and darkness consumed them. Not even the light from inside was enough for them to really see out there. The dirt crunched beneath their feet as they approached the sinister abode. It was at this time that Boris's heart was screaming at him to leave.
Amaranthe ascended the steps, skipping the middle, before stopping after grabbing the round bronze doorknob. "You coming?"
"Y-yes," the masked otter nodded. "Just getting my bearings. I've never . . . done this before, after all." Was "done" the right word to use? He no longer felt that there was an item he was purchasing, but something he was partaking in.
"I get that," the wolf smiled, his sharp fangs poking out of his lips. Really sharp fangs. "Most customers haven't. But that's what I'm here for."
Boris swallowed. His mind drifted back to the fact that it might be something sexual, after all. He continued following him. "Alright, I'm okay."
The door opened with a loud creak and that same chemical smell from before filled Boris's senses. Almost overwhelmed him. It seemed like they were in a washroom, the washing machine rattling as it ran through its cycle from where they entered.
The otter barely had any time to process this room before they entered the absolutely spotless living room. It looked like Amaranthe cleaned it almost every hour. The couch had no stains on it, the shelves and coffee table contained no dust, and the wolf wiped even the TV screen completely. Amaranthe totally mopped the wooden floors as well. But there was still that crazy chemical smell that bothered Boris to no end. Everywhere he had been tonight had bothered him.
Amaranthe turned around. "It's five hundred for one. One thousand for two. You can pay me now and use them for as long as you want."
Boris took out his billfold and took out the cash, counting to one thousand just as he had said and handing them to the wolf, whose sinister smile completely freaked him out.
"Thank you, thank you . . ." the canine growled as he flipped through the money. "They're down the hall, just this way." He was already moving again and Boris trailed him, having one last thought to take out his knife and go wild with it, but needing to know what he had just paid for.
The white wolf put his hand on the chrome handle and looked back at him. "Excited?"
"Y-yes," Boris nodded. "Let me see."
Amaranthe pushed the door open and the sound that greeted Boris was horrifying, freezing every strand of fur and every cell of his being. There was grunting, fearful moans, and muffled screaming. Then there was the shuffling of the sheets on the bed, the sound getting faster and faster and then stopping. But the vocal sounds never stopped.
Boris realized his fears when Amaranthe stepped to the side, and he finally saw what had been waiting for him. It was insidious. It was horrible. The otter felt like he had lost his mind with what he had just been chasing earlier and now was staring at with wide eyes behind the plastic wolf mask that covered his face.
Two animals were on the bed, a female mink and a male gazelle, both middle-aged and rather skinny. The duo had been stripped down to their underwear, and their eyes were both wide with fear. Each of their mouths had white cloth gags that were wrapped tightly around their heads. But that wasn't what scared Boris the most.
What scared Boris the most were the ropes. Each animal's wrists had been bound by a thick rope tied to the metal bed frame. It had a rod that extended across the top of it. Had Amaranthe purchased it for that reason? Neither of their ankles was tied, and it was clear now that the shuffling sound earlier was their desperate ankles rubbing against the sheets violently as they thrashed and struggled.
The otter stepped into the room, continuing to stare at the couple endlessly as the door shut behind him, and Amaranthe walked next to the female, both of the animals turning their heads and watching him with horror.
"I guess I should explain the rules," Amaranthe said, bringing a finger forward and stroking down the mink's face and neck slowly. "You already know what you paid for since you're part of the forum, but I like to reiterate anyway."
Boris couldn't find it in his heart to speak. He was terrified of what he saw and wished Tyler would somehow drive his car through the house at that moment, taking him away from the situation he had gotten himself in.
"You're free to do whatever you want to these two," Amaranthe started. "If you were to pay for only one, you would have had to choose based on your preferences. That's why I prefer couples. These two happen to be married."
Boris's eyes moved, and he saw that each of them did indeed wear a silver wedding band. ". . ."
"Anywho." The wolf went to the nightstand that had nothing on top of it and opened the drawer, pulling out a metal pan that held all sorts of blades and strange devices. "Anything you can think of to get yourself off is allowed. You can fuck them, torture them, or even just kill them. Most clients like to end the session by killing their animals. That's the main reason people do this. The rest is just a bonus."
Boris felt himself shake. He wanted to throw up. Was this a regular thing that animals did? There was no possible way. It was despicable. Demonic.
Amaranthe sighed. "There are a lot of things here to help you. I have a device that cuts fingers off or a claw remover. If you like less fur, there's a razor here." He held the portable electric device up for a moment, then set it back down. "There are a lot of knives that do different things, too. Just a few rules you have to follow."
"O-okay . . ." Boris managed to get out.
"You can't untie their hands, for one," Amaranthe said. "Don't want them escaping, of course. You can't remove their gags either, even though I soundproof the walls." He gestured to all the purple sponges that lined the walls around the roof, even covering the ceiling. "Once you're finished here, you have to shower in my bathroom. Don't want to let any evidence out of this house, you know. Don't worry about the bodies. I'll take care of them myself. You can stay here for at least three days, but I'm not going to feed you or let you use my kitchen. You also can't leave before they're dead. If you don't kill them, I'll kill them myself."
The large white wolf walked to the other side of the bed and put his hand on the gazelle's thigh, rubbing gently. "If you decide to eat them, you're going to have to stay here and take something so that you throw it all up. I can't risk anything. And don't worry about the blood on the sheets. I'll burn them after."
Boris watched the terror in the captive animals' eyes and found the courage to speak. "How often do you get customers?"
"Ah, ah." The wolf wagged his finger. "No questions about other clients. If you want to add me to the fun, feel free to do so, but you'll have to shower with me afterward so I can make sure that the evidence is off both of us once they're dead."
The female mink struggled against the bed, screaming into the gag as tears streamed down her already red eyes. The kidnapped male animal wasn't moving, just breathing slowly.
Amaranthe squeezed the gazelle's thigh. "If they try to fight against you, there's a syringe over there with a sedative that will calm them down. Don't worry about all the blood in the room. I'm happy to clean it up. Just try to avoid getting it on the walls as best as you can. Did you bring a change of clothes?"
The otter shook his head slowly.
"Then you'll have to take everything off. I also require that you give me your phone during the process so that the outside isn't contacted in any way. You understand this, right?"
"What is this?" Boris asked, still shaking, his heart thumping like a soft drum in his small chest. He removed his flip-flops, kicking them to the side.
"What do you mean? It's what you paid for," the wolf laughed.
"Y-you're telling me that you wait at that place for customers and then bring them here?"
"Well, yeah! It would be stupid to make any appointments online or anything. You and I both don't want to be tracked." He beckoned with his four fingers. "Clothes off. Phone."
Boris shook his head. "No . . ."
"What do you mean no? Don't bullshit me," Amaranthe said. "You literally paid for this."
The otter reached back and pulled out the pink mirror from where he was concealing it, removing the Blade of the Mirror and holding the ancient object in front of him tightly.
"You brought your own?" the wolf blinked curiously. "You know you're gonna have to leave that here, right?"
"I can't do this," Boris said. "This is beyond sick."
Amaranthe groaned loudly, looking up toward the ceiling. "Are you serious? I did all this shit already. They're here for you! Just fucking do something with them! Kill them right now! I don't care! I have the money!"
"I won't!" Boris shouted, gripping the golden handle of the knife tighter.
"THIS IS YOUR ONE CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE THIS IN SUCH AN EASY WAY! YOU ONLY GET ONE!" He held up a long-clawed pointer finger, and Boris's eyes locked on it.
Before he could even think about it, the otter slashed the knife toward it hard, severing the digit clean off as most of it fell to the floor and the crimson liquid sprayed out from what was left. Amaranthe howled out a moan and placed his other hand on top of it, the blood leaking down the stump like some sort of twisted candlestick. It dripped onto the floor and his white foot below.
The three other animals in the room had unyielding wide eyes, and Boris looked at the bloody edge of the knife, then at Amaranthe. "I-I'm putting an end to this and saving these animals!" he yelled.
Amaranthe growled, and his muzzle wrinkled in anger. He swung at Boris with his good hand, and the blow connected with the otter's nose, sending a shockwave of pain through his face. Luckily, it wasn't hard enough to break it, but two red rivers streamed from the nostrils now. He dropped the Blade of the Mirror onto the floor next to him.
"Agh!" Boris swung his fist futilely, and the wolf dodged it as his finger stump continued to bleed. He turned around and ran back toward the silver tray, with Boris right behind. The animals on the bed screamed and wriggled around violently, kicking their legs.
Amaranthe had just placed his hand on the edge of the tray as Boris grabbed his tail and pulled back hard. The white wolf's hand dragged along the muted silver thing as it slid off the nightstand. It tilted off the edge and then completely fell off as all of the torture supplies, including the knives, dropped, right onto his feet. The wolf screamed in pain as they were bruised and cut up.
Boris got on the floor, scrambling his hands around and grasping for the thick cylindrical tube of the syringe, which was his goal.
The larger animal reached down at the otter between his own legs, ripped off his mask, and tossed it askew. He then picked him up, throwing him on the bed, right onto the female mink's legs. She yelped out as his body connected.
The uneven feeling from her legs hit his back, and, knowing what he had just landed on, he scrambled to get off and into the space between them, the syringe gripped tightly in his hand.
Amaranthe noticed quickly and, in his fury, launched at Boris onto the male gazelle as they rolled and fought each other, crashing off the bed and onto the floor, where they continued to wrestle and struggle. When he hit the ground, Boris heard a large cracking that had to have been the makeup case.
Boris held the syringe in his left hand, throwing his body around as the canine continued to fight against him. He finally grasped Boris's hand with the device and used the strength of both of his big paws to begin squeezing. The otter's breath caught, and the muscles in his hand became wires, taut and straining. There's no way that Absalom will let me get hurt. But the squeezing got tighter and tighter.
All at once, it shattered in the otter's hand, and he screamed as the sharp edge cut his palm. The clear liquid inside, as well as blood, ran down his dark-furred arm. He moved his body wildly, and Amaranthe continued holding his arm, dragging him off the ground and lifting him by it. A piece of glass stuck out of his palm as the insane animal had him by the wrist.
"SAVE THEM?" Amaranthe yelled, intoxicated dog breath hitting Boris's face full force. "YOU THINK YOU CAN SAVE THEM NOW THAT YOU FUCKED YOURSELF OVER?! NOW ALL THREE OF YOU HAVE TO DIE! YOU STUPID FUCKING IDIOT!"
The otter yelped as Amaranthe forcefully turned his hand around and slapped it against the wall, the glass sinking deeper into Boris's palm as it ripped into the skin beneath the fur. He moaned in pain and shook in fear. The wolf pulled him and whipped him around to the front of the bed, where Boris knew the Blade of the Mirror had fallen. His eyes scanned the ground for it.
The knife was gone.
Boris cursed inside as Amaranthe also searched the floor for it.
"Where the fuck is it?" The wolf exclaimed, scouting the ground. "Where's your fucking weapon?!"
"I-I don't know!" Boris yelled, the pain in his hand unbearable. His nose continued to gush fountains of blood as the wolf dragged him along the ground.
"It didn't just disappear! What game are you playing?!" Amaranthe hissed. He was bringing Boris toward the torture supplies on the floor. The captive animals continued to watch everything.
Boris saw his chance and threw his foot forward, meeting it with the back of the wolf's leg and causing him to crumple onto one knee, wincing and hissing between his sharp teeth. He let go of Boris's arm.
The smaller male ran forward as fast as he could. I need to find an uncracked reflection! He reached the door and fumbled with the knob. It fought against him, and he realized Amaranthe had locked it.
"Rrragh!" Amaranthe rushed forward, and Boris's heart dropped as the wolf used the momentum to grab the back of his head and slam it into the white surface of the door with a loud bang. Blood smeared against it as he dragged Boris's aching nose on the surface.
The otter's head hurt wildly after that, but the fight wasn't over, and he had to be the last one standing. He had to be. He wanted to save these innocent animals with everything he had, wanting them to live another day and shut this whole thing down.
But the world was cruel, and Amaranthe had had enough. He threw Boris against the spongy wall one more time as he reached down, grabbing the first knife he could from the hodgepodge on the floor.
He grunted as he crawled onto the bed and, standing on his knees between the two captives, grabbed the male gazelle by the horns and, with not even a squeak from the animal, ran the edge of the blade deep along his neck, creating a dark red line that painted red down his body. The gazelle's throat gurgled, and he twitched.
Before Boris could even move, he slit the mink's throat as well, and both animals shook and sputtered as their lives slowly drained out and crimson covered them.
"NO!!!" Boris yelled. He swiftly procured a blade from the floor and, in a frenzy, lunged at the animal on the bed. Their blades smashed together with a clang. The otter kept his left hand away from the fight as best as he could. He felt angry. Absalom was supposed to protect his puppet, and he wasn't doing that! Boris could have saved those two animals.
Amaranthe continued to fight him with his knife on the bodies of the dying animals, nicking Boris's small ear at one point. He was growling and snarling, and drool leaked from his mouth as a fury consumed him. This otter wasn't going to destroy his plans.
There was a slight opening, and Boris threw the blade, cutting Amaranthe's cheek. His head was hurting, and his hand was searing with the glass inside. The two tied animals' heads hung, both of them deceased from their wounds. It didn't even take a minute. Boris had failed.
Slash after slash, cut after cut, the fighting animals sustained damage to their arms and fingers, the wounds varying in size. Blood was everywhere, painting Amaranthe's snowy fur while darkening Boris's brown fur. The otter made sure his throat was out of reach as well as kept an eye on his wrists. They moved all about the bed, and Boris felt horrible that he was disrespecting dead animals like this, but he couldn't focus on that for long, as each assault distracted him.
He was filled with fire, dueling with everything he had as the bed squeaked and squeaked beneath him. He wanted nothing more than for this animal to die already. Even if he sacrificed his own life due to Absalom's negligence, it would be worth it.
And then the wolf, who had previously been keeping his injured hand with the severed finger away, slashed with his claws, and it hit the bottom of Boris's knife hand as he pulled away, causing him to let go of the weapon in shock.
Amaranthe angrily grabbed it and threw it forward as it clattered on and scratched the hardwood floor. Instead of using his own knife to finish Boris off, he threw that away, too, pinning the otter down with his large hands, the liquid from his mouth falling against his cheek. He looked upon his prey with wide angry eyes, leaning closer.
Boris knew he was done for. Absalom had utterly abandoned him during this kill for the first time. His hand and head were in immense pain, and he was being pinned down by an animal that was much larger than him. He had fought with all his might, but it was over now. He had lost. All that was left was to stare into those fierce eyes as the wolf leaned down to rip his throat out with those sharp fangs.
It happened in a flash. The wolf got closer with his opening maw, threatening to end Boris's life in an instant. But as he got closer, the otter saw it; in the wolf's eye. He couldn't make out the details in the short time, but he knew that the silhouette in the reflection of Amaranthe's eye was what he was waiting for. A dark otter, holding something out to him.
Knowing what he had to do, Boris risked everything in one last desperate movement. He lifted his head as the bloodstained animal brought his head down and moved his small mouth up to the wolf's eye, opening it and pushing his muzzle into the socket. He closed his teeth around the hard surface of what he was hoping for, then ripped his head back with all the force he could muster.
The wolf screamed louder than Boris had ever heard as the Blade of the Mirror tore his eye out from his head, blood gushing from the cavity left. His hand immediately went to cover the space as he shook his head this way and that in immense torture. "FUCK! FUCK! MY FUCKING . . . AHHHH!"
Boris jerked his head, so the blade fell in his mouth, grinding against his teeth as it turned on the side. Now that the larger animal had let go of him, Boris brought his uninjured hand to grab the knife from his mouth, jamming it into the side of the wolf's neck, again and again, and again. Blood sprayed from the wound, and the otter didn't stop until the dog collapsed on him, finally dead.
Boris panted and heaved as the endorphins filled him, the pain subsiding in his blurry mind or just being ignored by his body entirely. It was definitely still there, and he felt like he, himself, could die at that moment. He stared at the purple sponge on the ceiling, letting go of the knife in his hand as it fell to the bed. It was over.
Using the last of the strength he had left, Boris pushed the heavy animal's body off of him and rolled to the edge of the bed, throwing his legs over and standing up, looking back at the massacre. Red covered everything, and Boris's heart was heavy, knowing he wasn't a savior that night. Only a killer. Despite winning, he had truly lost in the end.
His head spun as he limped toward the door, unlocking it and opening it with his good hand. The otter dripped red onto the clean floor and left scarlet footprints behind him as he slowly made his way through the living room and the washroom, the washing machine no longer rumbling.
Boris opened the door and stumbled down the stairs, falling onto his knees. He tried to catch himself with his palms, feeling the glass pierce through the other side and numbness consume the hand. He panted and groaned and wanted to lay down right there forever. He had never experienced anything like this before, and it was completely overwhelming.
Slowly, he pushed himself to get up, walking even slower down the dirt driveway toward the road. Tyler . . . Tyler . . . He reached the front lawn and saw no car there. No one was going to save him, either. Tyler . . . where are you?
Feeling that his lights were about to go out, the otter went off the road and into the uncut grass on the lawn, standing there. He looked down at himself and felt his vision blur. His clothes were sticky against his fur, and the colors were much darker than before. It was a blood-covered universe now. He had forgotten his flip-flops inside, but there was no way he was going back in right now.
He looked around some more, the crickets chirping in the night his only answer. Tyler . . . I thought you were going to follow . . . I thought you were going to--
Thump.