“That was a crazy night, huh?”
Arthur spoke the words over his shoulder as he groped around the table for his glasses. They were hard to miss with their stereotypical thick black frames and even thicker lenses. Cold against his skin, he shivered while fitting them into place. With the heat of his passion fully dissipated, he was quickly reminded of how cold his room could get.
Now able to see, Arthur spotted his clothes strewn on the floor. He threw on the shirt and started working at the buttons. “I hope you had as much fun as I did, wow. That was incredible.”
He was a man of small stature with a voice that followed suit, high and light. The excitement behind his molar-bearing grin nearly pushed that voice to the cracking point.
The young woman lying behind him with frazzled blonde hair, conversely, remained silent.
“I don’t want you thinking this is a normal practice for me. I’m not a serial one-night stand kinda guy. I just felt a connection between us, you know—a genuine spark that demanded exploration.”
He chuckled and turned to face her. “Usually, I try to get to know a woman before, I uh… Well, usually, that doesn’t work either, especially with a beautiful woman like you… and, never as strangers upon the first meeting, like this.”
A near imperceptible sigh escaped her lips.
“Th-that might have come out wrong, what I mean is, now we can take some time to learn more about each other. Would you like that?”
The woman stared blankly at the ceiling, seemingly unconcerned that the sheet was askew, leaving her breast exposed.
Arthur’s smile faltered. He finished dressing—buckling his belt and lacing his shoes—with full attention on her.
“I want to know more about you. I want to learn about the life choices that brought us together. I don’t know about you, but I’ve always believed in natural forces like destiny.”
Silence.
“Alright. Alright, for example,” he continued, “I couldn’t help but notice the bruises. You’ve clearly had a hard time recently and I really want to know what happened to you that inevitably drove you here, to me.”
More silence.
The smile, the fuzzy remnants of passion, the patience, all were gone now. Arthur jumped up, bumping into the table as he shouted, “I’m not the one who hurt you, okay? I’m only trying to help you!”
The woman’s head turned away from him.
“Fine, I’ll do this without you.”
He whirled around and grabbed a clipboard off the table behind him. Paging through the information, he read for a few moments, his frustrated breaths the only sounds in the cold room.
“I knew it. An abusive boyfriend did a number on you and left you, hurt and alone.”
Double doors slammed open behind him. Arthur was so startled he nearly dropped the clipboard.
An older man backed into the room pulling a gurney with him.
“You talking to the dead bodies again, Arthur?” He asked, smiling.
“Wha—uh, no. Well, yes. It’s my job to figure out what happened to them, isn’t it?”
“I hate to break it to you, man, but they don’t respond very well.”
“Fuck off, Allan.”
“My pleasure.” He said, laughing as he pushed through the double doors. They swayed in his wake, like half-doors to an old saloon, creating a sound akin to a faint, fading heartbeat.
Arthur pulled the sheet over the blonde’s face and spun around to check out the new arrival. It was a young brunette, with big brown eyes and full lips. He stared for a moment before fishing out her wrist from under the coversheet.
“Well, hello,” he said, kissing the back of her hand. “My name’s Arthur and I couldn’t help but notice a spark between us just now.”
~ Tyr Kieran
© Copyright 2014 Tyr Kieran. All Rights Reserved.
Pen of the Damned 
Reblogged this on From Bright Minds Come Dark Things and commented:
Ahh, the fantastically twisted mind of Tyr Kieran. Great read to start a Tuesday morning.
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Glad you liked it! Love is all you need, my friend.
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Love and a steady stream of candidates 😉
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Great read! The (very small) normal part of me is going ‘Eeww!’ 😉
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Ha ha, Thanks, Karen! Don’t let that normalcy spread, it’ll make you sick.
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Reblogged this on theowlladyblog.
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Thanks for reblogging!
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So a new definition for a “one night stand”, Eh?
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Hey, ya gotta find love somewhere, am I right?
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Reblogged this on Moondustwriter's Blog.
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Thanks for sharing, Leslie!
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What a charmer!
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His intentions were good… depending on your perspective.
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those dead girls, always playing hard to get……This is hilarious! so witty and quirky, didn’t see the end coming at all. Loved it, thanks Tyr!
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That’s right and she didn’t say no. I’m sure it was consensual. Thanks, Mags!
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One of your best tales, Tyr! Some people look for love in all the wrong places. Your hero is well ahead of the pack. He has found lovers who suit him in every way possible. Nirvana . . . Nirvana has been found.
It must be cold doing the deed on the slab, though. 3:)
Blaze
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Thanks, Blaze! I aim to please and apparently so does he… for himself. Hey, when a spark of true love ignites, who could argue? I think he creates his own warmth, wink wink.
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Must save a ton of cash at the singles bars!!! LOL – Great piece, Tyr. I liked the quick pace and the ‘huh’ moment when you know something isn’t right, but you don’t quite know what yet. New Love, indeed! 🙂
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I suspect he’s a frugal man. He knows how to take advantage of opportunities as they’re presented to him. I guess you can’t blame a guy form going after what makes him happy. Thanks, Nina!
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Aah, nothing like that initial spark when two hearts connect – who said anything about them both beating?? lol I enjoyed your story, Tyr; quick and quirky, but filled with some damned gruesomeness all the same! Well done!
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Real love that no one can put asunder! Thanks, Joe!
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Nice, unexpected twist at the end. I was waiting for the monster to emerge. And there wasn’t one, exactly.
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Well said, Renee! Human monsters are everywhere. Thanks for reading!
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Such a great story, Tyr. There is nothing more moving than a person who loves their job and really gets in to it. I couldn’t help but think of Rob Zombie’s “Living Dead Girl” as I finished this piece.
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Very true, I wish I could love my job as much as Arthur loves his! That is an apt song, my friend. Good Call! Thanks, Zack!
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Omg, so creepy! 🙂
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Thanks for reading, Jayme! I’m pleased you found it sufficiently creepy! 🙂
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