Pest and the Survivor make their way off the roof and down the stairs. She goes to speak, and he slaps her across the mouth.

Pest:You will not speak until you see what her corpse looks like. See the results of the choices we make, and see how they will always determine our destinies. Her death, is on your hands.

They make their way to the elevator, with the Survivor shaking, and sobbing. The doors close, a belt comes off, and strikes the girl. She does not stop crying. The doors open again, and she's standing there, bruised and bloodied. Where tears once sat, blood now adorns, a slight grin marks his face. She follows as he leads her out to the street where a crowd has formed to examine the fallen angel from above. Mothers gasp, as fathers clench fists. Men in the crowd begin to propose what they do should they find the man responsible. Pest simply parts the crowd and makes his way to the corpse. A hand strokes the cheek, the girl breathes. And whispers a single phrase. None hear her final words, save the man in the Crown. The Survivor is pushed forward and forced face to face with the decisions made. Her tiny hands ball at her sides, until he makes her stroke the hair she had previously been intimate with.

Pest:Say your goodbyes. We leave.

The beast turns to the crowd as the survivor mourns the Fallen Angel. Fingers through hair; soft beautiful hair. Bruise mask the beauty of the one who died so the other may life. A single kiss is planted, like a rose, on the forehead of the departed. A whisper from one to the other. And the Sirens are in the distance.

Pest:This girl was travelling with me. Until a monster murdered her. He dragged her to the roof, and shoved her off. That monster is now in the lobby of the Hotel. I will please request you bring him to justice. This girl's parents passed away two weeks prior, and she was left in my care. The monster took her from me.

The Pest and his Survivor make their way down the street. She begins to make sounds. He turns to her, and brings her little head to meet his.

Pest:Tell me. Do you wish to join her? Is that your desire?

She shakes her head quickly.

Pest:Then I would advise against making noise. We must make it to Denver quickly, and I do not have time to deal with your antics, girl. You will behave and be quiet. Not another word until I allow you to speak again.

They walk past a parking garage, and duck inside as a police car drives past. The Pest searches through the parking spots for something, and comes across a Van parked. He begins to examine it. It has a company logo on the side, with no door, save for the front seat, and the back. He searches and finds the doors unlocked. Oh, how you do not care about the company you work for, and their property. The keys are dangling from the visor. Could this be any easier? He forces the Survivor in the back, where he finds some rope, which he uses to tie her to the cage in back. Electricians are so predictable.

He gets inside the van, starts it up and begins to drive. Until his phone rings, which causes him to park the van and answer it. The voice at the other end is familiar, but faint. The number is unknown.

Pest:Hello?

???Hello, James. Did you miss me?

Pest:I do not understand how this is possible.

???Come visit me. I'm at the hospital. Floor 5. Ask for me. Please.

The call disconnects, and Pest drives to the hospital. He parks the vehicle and climbs into the back. The Survivor begs and pleads her him to release her, she promises not to tell anyone. The Pest removes her pants, and her panties. He lowers his pants, and begins to violate her in the parking garage. She starts to cry, and he jams a dirty rag in her mouth, and uses the Electrician's tape to secure it in. He fixes his pants, gets out of the van, and slams the back door shut. His phone rings again as he enters the hospital. He answers it.

???:Are you close?

Pest:I'm in the lobby.

???:I changed my mind. I don't want you here. Go away.

Pest:I cannot. I am here.

???:Why are you here?

Pest:I am hanging up. I will be there in a minute.

He hangs his phone up, and walks to an elevator, where an old woman has just entered. The Pest inserts himself into the elevator, and presses the button for the fifth floor. The woman goes to press a button, and he swats her arm out of the way. She goes to press again, and the door close. The elevator stops at the fifth floor, the doors open, and Pest walks out, calmly. The old woman lies in the corner, unable to move. He makes his way from room to room, until he finds it is who he came for. She's lying in a bed, bandaged, and fragile looking. Her eyes affixed to the window facing the world she used to belong to. The world she can no longer belong to again. If she notices his arrival, she gives no clues.

Pest:Hello.

???:Don't say my name.

Pest:Why not?

???Because of what you did to me. To us.

Pest:Us? Did the child?

???:Not at first. At first they were able to remove her, and I was able to hold our daughter in my arms for a few minutes. And then, she died. And I died with her.

Pest:I truly am sorry, Barbie. I do love you.

Barbie:How can you say that after what you did?

Pest:Because, I have thought of you often. I have hurt for you, often. I have hurt others to hide the hurt I have caused myself. Barbie, I truly wish your forgiveness.

Barbie:You don't deserve it. You don't deserve to see our daughter's grave, or hear her name.

Pest:I understand. I just wanted to see you. To feel you. To tell you how much I love you.

A single solitary sob forms. Then a snivel. Anger rises. Words turn into daggers. And she throws them with precision.

Barbie:You can't possibly say that. Not after what you took from me.

Pest:I truly am sorry for that act.

Barbie:Fuck you, James. Fuck you. You're dead to me. You don't get forgiveness until I get use of my legs back. Until I get my daughter back.

Pest:That is not my name.

Barbie:You don't deserve to hear me say your name. You deserve to die in obscurity with the lies you surround yourself with. Go back to your whore. The one you traded me in for. Go back to Erica.

Pest:Erica is dead. I threw her from a roof just this morning.

Barbie:Good. I hope you suffer thinking about that.

Pest:I will not. She was not you. She did not get my love. Not like you.

Barbie:If I ever walk again, I will walk right up and kick you in the balls. Go the fuck away from me.

The Pest gets up, and leaves the hospital room. He stops, and turns back to Barbie. She thought he was gone, so she had turned and rolled onto her side. As he enters the room, the crying starts. His anger is sated, and dead. It has been replaced with the deep dark empty feeling of a broken heart. Here, a Pest stands tall, posed to take on the world, so he thought, and there his girl lay. Dead. Dying. Removed from the world. Ready to take to the grave headfirst, and heart second. His girl does not need hers legs, she does not need her daughter. She needs a reason to smile. She needs someone to make her life better. A Pest makes his way to his girl, arms shaking as he does. A girl does not see him. She does not hear him. All she hears is the sounds of her heart beating. Her death coming. One slow, steady, valve opening and closing at a time.

Arms reach out, and wrap around her. Warmth. She is warm. She is everything in this world. She is the joy. She is the reason his old heart has started to beat again. Hands find their way to her breasts, they have not changed since he last felt them. A gasp. Hands travel upwards, her hair, soft and yellow. Golden. Her hair is the Fleece, and his are Jason. They stop at her throat. So slender. Hands tighten. Breathing stops. Rapid gasping, trying to catch the air. It is out of reach. Tiny hands fight his grip. He releases. She rolls into his embrace. The pair kiss. Love. He moves atop of her, she fights his belt. A moment. A brief moment, and their loins dance. She moans, his lips entice her neck. Time stops for her. Life stops for her. He finishes and pulls away, crimson stains her gown. A Pest looks, and sees the wound. Well placed, and nearly painless. Her last thoughts, of him. Her last feelings, him. Her last words, "I love you" whispered to the ear of the lover she once trusted. Not the monster Charli had to fear coming towards her. A tear falls from the Pest's eye. A parting kiss planted on her lips.

He makes his way out of the hospital, the old woman he left in the elevator is now being cared for. Her brittle bones broken and splintered. Her eye will never open again. The finger that tried to press the button, was found severed in the elevator. It cannot be reattached. Should survive this encounter with The God of Emptiness, she will never truly be the same. Like so many others before her, he came in and ruined her life. This is his curse. His gift to the world. Ruined lives where he goes. Until he finds his way to the van in the garage. The door opens, and the tape is removed from the mouth of the girl. Her pants, laying on the floor of the van, just out of reach of her legs. Her panties, still wrapped around her ankles. The shirt she used to cover herself, ripped and torn. Her cheeks, splattered with tears and blood. Her arms are held above her head, and drip blood from the wrists. There is no clean inch of flesh on her body. Should she survive her encounter with the God of Emptiness, she will never truly be the same.

She speaks. For the first time all day, he allows her to speak.

Charli:Please. Can I go? I won't tell anyone.

A Pest thinks. He stops. He steps into the van. The door shuts behind him. He examines, and finds it. The tool he requires. A Pest has found a chain. A Chain raises into the air, as high as the roof will allow. A chain meets a girl's ribs. Bones break. Ribs splinter. Words come, like daggers. Not aimed towards a Pest, but aimed towards a Girl's lungs.

Charli:Please. Stop. Don't hurt me anymore.

Pest:The God of Salvation has mercy. The God of Emptiness does not.

The chain is raised again. A Hand meets the Pest's shoulder. A hand Charli cannot see. The words spoken Charli cannot hear.

Barbie:James. Let her be. We'll drive on. Get in the front seat and let's head out.

Pest:Will you ride with me?

Barbie:Always.

The tied girl looks confused, but unable to speak. A Pest get into the front seat, and Barbie is sitting there, legs working, and as beautiful as always. A Pest puts the van in gear and drives off. A Pest, his Ghost, and a Captive Girl.