Apartment Complex (Amsterdam)

"The laundry."

"Well then let's check your laundry. Where do you keep it?"

"Bathroom. I'd rather... eh, don't."

Serenity ignored him and went into the bathroom.

Charlie didn't really care, but he thought he should at least try to preserve what privacy he had. "Hey, come on, get out. I can find it myself."

(Accio Wallet, anyone?)

"Found it." Serenity said, throwing it at him and coming out of the bathroom.

[

WEEEEEEELL FUCK]

Pause. "That's not mine."

[Sorry!!]

"Then whose is it?! Whatever. Find it, I'm done looking." Serenity went over and sat on his bed.

[was at sarah]

"Who cares?" He took the wallet. "Let's go."

"Great! YummyYummy.." Serenity said, jumping up and leaving.

It was, as a prerequisite, the middle of the night. Scenes like this always take place after dark. And this particular side of town always had a sort of haze over it, dimming the natural light of the moon and the stars. There were some streetlights, but those were faint; some were burned out. There was a single fluorescent rod attached to the ceiling of the hallway outside of Charlie's apartment; however, it only casted shadows and made the place look even more unnerving. It looked like the sort of place one would find some lost soul meandering about.

Charlie was lying on his bed, the blanket bunched up at his feet, staring up at the single fan spinning slowly above him. Serenity was gone; she'd been gone for exactly a week, counting the day that had begun just minutes ago. For that matter, it was now the next year, wasn't it? Why wasn't he out at some party, living it up with his "friends"? No, it wasn't the guilt setting in for what he'd done a week prior, it wasn't that he was sick or anything, he just... didn't feel like going. Simple as that. So as one year diverged into the next, Charlie just continued to follow that one, perpendicular blade of the fan as it followed its around the axis on which it was attached. The only sound was the faint whisper of Charlie's breathing. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale.

Click.

Creak...

A small ray of the misty, grayish light came through the growing crack in the doorway. Charlie sat up with a start, pulling his wand out of his pillowcase and pointing it at the intruder. The door stopped a mere two centimeters off of its strike plate. His heart was pounding; it felt as though the muscle would detach itself altogether and escape through his throat. "Who-" He stopped to cough, clearing his throat in an attempt to sound more intimidating. "Who's there!?"

"Charles..." came a slow, somewhat pained growl.

It all happened within about three seconds. The first second: the door was thrown inward so fast that it tore off of its hinges thus colliding with the wall. The clash of pseudo-metal into beige-painted brick radiated around the block, probably waking up most of the neighbors - or whoever had the mind to live in such a dump. The next: Angel Astor moved across the room with the silence and stealth of an enraged rhinoceros, grabbing Charlie by his neck. The last: Angel slammed Charlie into the other wall; his other arm was aiming his wand straight at the prey's forehead.

"Where is Serenity?"

Charlie was completely breathless. However, out of pure fear, he managed to choke out a feeble, "I don't know!" In the commotion, he'd dropped his own wand, so he was completely defenseless. Damn, Angel was a lot stronger than he looked.

Angel's grip tightened around Charlie's throat. His eyes - open wide, staring at Charlie with a look of unadulterated murder - had an eerie dullness to them. As though any remnant of who he was before had vanished. He leaned closer, his warm breath brushing the edge of Charlie's ear, and whispered, "Where... is she..."

It was growing difficult to breathe, let alone talk. Charlie struggled against Angel's hold, but it was useless. "I'm sorry, man, I don't know! She left a while ago!" His voice was strained, cracking.

"YES, YOU DO!" Angel pulled Charlie back and began repeatedly slamming his head into the wall. "TELL ME, YOU BASTARD!"

Olivia had made her way across the hall and was standing where the door used to be, eyes still half-shut. "What the hell, it's like three in the morning..."

Angel's arm snapped around and pointed at Olivia. "Petrificus totalus!" And, of course, she froze, falling forward onto the scrap of shag carpet being used as a rug. Angel looked back at Charlie. "I KNOW YOU KNOW! WHERE IS SERENITY!?"

"I- I just-"

Crack.

Charlie's head drooped sideways - a little too far than it should have normally. Saliva and blood began dripping from his slightly open mouth. His eyes went blank, tears still streaming down his pallid cheeks, staring straight down from where his head had ended up. Angel released his iron grip on Charlie's neck; the body slumped to the floor in a heap. Angel took a step back, and for a moment or two, just stood there, admiring his work. Then, he began to chuckle. That chuckle slowly grew into a loud, screeching cackle. He was laughing so hard, he had to support himself against the opposite wall, clutching his ribs. His petrified sister just lied there, face down on the floor, mutely screaming her lungs out.

Right, his sister. What to do about her... she would without a doubt know where Serenity was. So, Angel recomposed himself enough to end her petrification, taking her by both arms and forcing her against the wall as he'd done with Charlie, only minus the choking. "I suppose you know?" His voice had this abnormal deepness to it, as though he was speaking straight from his lungs. Olivia couldn't speak; she was overcome with screaming for help and sobbing over the loss of her best friend. Angel took both of her wrists in one hand, and slapped her across the face with his free one. "I'd hate to have to take care of you as well, my darling sister!"

"You couldn't!" she wailed. "YOU'D NEVER KILL ME! ANGEL! IT'S ME!"

"Oh, wouldn't I?" Angel taunted. He slapped her again. And again.

"STOP! JUST STOP IT!"

"WOULDN'T I!?" He continued to slap her, erupting into the maniacal laughter once more. "CRY SOME MORE! IT'S POSITIVELY HILARIOUS! AHAHAHAHAHA!!"

(Hello Rena Ryuugu. No, but in all seriousness, that was great. =3)

[Hooooly shit. I am SO GLAD I went to bed before I read this. I would be having nightmares.]

[...WTF. That was an amazing, yet horrifying, post.]

The sirens blared, the flashing red lights cutting through the fog and illuminating the dark street at intervals of a few seconds. Olivia stood in the doorway of her own apartment, staring across the hall at the piece of yellow tape across where Charlie's door was. There was a cop standing there, speaking to her in thickly-accented English. Trying to assure her that the situation was under control, everything would be alright; also, prodding her for information about what exactly happened that night. Olivia couldn't bring herself to speak. Or even to think clearly. The scene just continued to play on repeat in her mind. After a while, the cop gave up, gave Olivia a gentle pat on the back, and left. She stood there for a few minutes after, continuing to gaze across the hall, before stepping back into her own room and shutting the door.

A small, little owl perched on Olivia's windowsill, cooing loudly. With it held a small letter.

Olivia,

I've missed you so much, please come and visit me on the address sent. I need a sane person to talk to!

Amanda.

[Wow. Excellent timing. Just... Excellent timing. *facepalm*]

[whut]

Oh and it's like a week after all that.

[Okay then, not that bad of timing.]

Amanda appeared, and rushed over to Olivia. "Liv!"

Olivia was sitting on her bed, knees pulled up to her chest, staring out the large window on the far wall. The room had a very similar layout to her room in the manor - a bed on one side, a makeshift bookshelf on another with no books on it, and a small table sitting underneath the window with some old takeout boxes piled on it. She didn't respond.

Amanda frowned, and sat beside Olivia. She sat there in silence for a moment, then quietly whispered, "Olivia, what has happened?"

There was a long pause. "Angel... He was here last week... He killed Charlie." Her voice was cracking, and barely audible over the loud buzzing of the heating unit in the corner.

Amanda's eyes widened with fear. She put her arm around her friend, and quietly whispered, "Olivia... I'm so sorry. But there is more to the story, isn't there?"