A Fascination with Needles

I opened the door to my house, dropped my keys on the table and kicked off my shoes as I in. I'd just had another long, thankless day at work with barely anything to show for it. The sun's rays filtering through the windows had started to weaken. I hadn't really noticed how late it was until the sun's setting reminded me. I rolled my neck, listening to its cracking with some satisfaction. Sleep had become less of a nightmare lately, and my life had finally started to settle down. I felt.. almost happy for once.

I padded softly through the hallway to my room, unbuttoning my blouse and pulling my socks off as I went. I pulled the door open to my bedroom with a relieved sigh as I unbuttoned the last of the buttons, more than ready to lay down. I froze in the doorway as I caught sight of my bed. My shotgun was laying in pieces atop my bedspread. As I looked closer, I noticed a few of them were missing. A thought came to me, and I raised my head in horror to look around the room in. A certain "friend" had threatened to come by, and sure enough.. leaning against the wall by my closet was a man waiting for my return from work.

The Advocate laughed at my obvious surprise, idly tossing a scalpel back and forth from one hand to the other. "Hey there Dia, I remembered what you said about the shotgun.. hehe. How was your day? You seem surprised to see me." He put the scalpel down and casually approached my bed, picking up a piece of the shotgun and playing with it as he did so. "I want my interview." He sighed, eying my open blouse. "Sorry, darling, I'm already taken."

I quickly turned to the side to cover myself, torn between my curiosity and the urge to button my shirt again. I settled for watching him while I tried to calm down. When I finished getting dressed, I turned back to him and crossed my arms in front of me. "I thought you were making idle conversation. I didn't know you'd take me so seriously." I paused, eying his hands in relief as he put the scalpel back in his bag. "I thought I was alone here, I sure as hell wasn't angling to give you a peep show. Um... no offense, but what are you doing here?"

He rolled off the bed and onto his feet, "What do you think I'm doing here? Sheesh, I thought you were a little quicker than that, me," he approached me, attention locked on me.

"Don't be such a stranger, come on in and shut the door. This is a private interview, remember? Hehe, wouldn't what the others to hear," he stated in hushed tones, insinuating that we weren't the only people in the house. "Now, what should we discuss first? I'm sure you have more questions with blatantly obvious answers in store for me, don't you?" he snickered, beckoning me to take a seat on the edge of the bed.

I nodded slowly, shutting the door behind me without turning to see what was there. It was obvious I didn't want to take my eyes off of him, though whether it was from fear or something else, I wasn't sure. I walked over to sit on the edge of my bed, moving a few over the shotgun parts over to make room. I thought for a moment, then cheered up slightly. I smiled to myself, looking my visitor over from head to toe. "Inviting yourself in, playing with my toys and crashing my party, not even asking for permission. How rude of you! You could try being nice to me for a bit, instead of insulting my wit."

The Advocate cocked his head to one side, obviously amused. His attention was pulled from me as he sauntered across the room and began examining the contents of his bag.  "Me? Rude? That hurts, Dia, it really does. You should get to know me." He turned to face me as he reached into his satchel and removed a syringe filled with a blue chemical substance. "I'm quite the gentleman. Hehehe. As far as party crashing goes, though, I see no balloons. Is there a party going on?" He was now approaching me again, getting very close to my face. "Maybe a surprise party for me? Hehehehe."

 I leaned back in mock disgust as he moved closer and closer to me. "...I don't suppose taking off your mask would be possible. You know, akin to taking off your hat when you're in someone else's house, ya know?"

His hand twitched spastically, and he giggled before continuing. His mask was about eight inches from my face as he spoke, "If I wasn't being nice, Ms. Renalda, you wouldn't be breathing." He wiggled the syringe near my face, "As for my mask, I would take it off but... then I'd have to use this on you," he pointed at the syringe. "I don't think you'd enjoy that, would you?" He stood up straight suddenly, and his tone became less threatening, "Next question."

I stared up at the syringe as I debated over what I should do. I could play along with him, and possibly get him out of there without any real confrontation. Or, I could try fighting him. Problem was, I didn't know what was in that syringe, nor did I know what he'd do if he were provoked. Clearly making a decision, I started talking again. "You told me something happened to my blood when you held that little Halloween shindig. Why exactly did you fuck with me? Actually, better question, what the hell did you do to me?"

"Do to you?" He cocked his head to the side and in a spinning flourish, he moved across the room and sat behind me. "I've done lots. Are you talking about the blood samples I took during Fright Night?" He squirted some of the chemicals out of his syringe absentmindedly. I began to worry a little as the liquid ate away at my bed's covers. That at least narrowed down my choices to an acid of some sort. "Oh, I haven't done anything to you yet, just took some little vials of your blood that I have in my basement. It was fascinating. I've been playing around with some chemicals, and wanted to see what would happen... your blood didn't disappoint. As for why I'm messing around with your blood, well why not? Actually, the reaction I got from your sample was quite exciting!" He giggled, touching my shoulder. "Would you like me to show you?"

I cringed from his touch, my eyes flicking between the syringe and his mask. His presence itself was bothering me to begin with, but to have him so close was just plain fucking creepy. The last time he had been so close to someone he knew by name, well.. it was his girlfriend. Somehow I doubted it would end so well. I gulped and scooted over a few inches in a not so subtle attempt to get away from him. "I think.. I think that would probably be a very bad idea, Advy. You don't know if my body would react the same as my blood alone would. I would also really, really prefer it if you didn't do it. I have no clue what's in it, but it's probably bad."

He gave a low chuckle, dripping more of the chemical compound on the floor, "True. Aw, sorry about the floor. Hehe, it seems the syringe is hungry... it's drooling!" He laughed again, then continued. "Smart choice. You probably would have ended up a puddle of half melted intestines on the floor if you had said yes. Hehehe," he kept the syringe in one hand and motioned with his other hand, "next question".

"U-um... what are your plans for Shady?"

"Wedding bells, of course!" The Advocate replied with a laugh, humming a tune and becoming distracted for a moment before continuing. "Shady holds a very special place in my heart. Hehe, she's my star pupil and she will be my masterpiece once I've had my way with her lovely little mind," he tapped his head for emphasis.
"She and I are quite alike, actually. Hehehe, it's obvious we're destined to be partners in crime. I just have to show her how to really let loose, and I can see already that she's dropping her resolve." He paused, thinking.

"The rest is a surprise. Hehe, I can't wait." He pointed the syringe in my direction, "Why'd you do the nasty nasty with Gallows? What's up with you two? Hehe, hormonal teenagers... Explain, I'm curious."

I scooted back on the bed, stopping to move the pillows aside and lean against the headboard. I took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to call for help without alerting Advy. I'd have to put some space between us to even think of it succeeding. "I like him because he's honest. He's a psychotic, blood-crazy bastard who wants to kill me.. but he was the only one to really get close to me, and show me any real affection. I hadn't gone out of my way to keep anyone from touching me, but he wanted to be close to me. No one else put the effort in. Emotionally, sure, but these scars of mine change how I view the way people deal with me."

"I know he wants to gut me and play with my organs, but after everything.. he's just on par with the rest of the shit I deal with. Anyone actually frightening me at all is a nice change. I guess, when you get right down to it.. he was there in a way no one else wanted to be. So the threat of death was almost worth it." I grinned and eyed the poster on the wall over my bed, hiding a certain memento from Gallows. "Plus, the sex was really fucking good. I need to get laid more often."

Advy groaned. "Horny woman, it's a good thing I stopped you with your little strip show earlier," He snickered, shaking his head in an exaggerated 'shame on you' kind of way. He had noticed me scooting away from him, and had risen to his feet again. He started examining some of the more personal decorative items in my room, sifting through whatever was in reach. "Note to self, Dia likes kinky sadistic men," he giggled.

"What's your story? Everyones gotta have a sob story, ya know? Hehe," He set the syringe back in his satchel, crossing his arms and cocking his head. He seemed genuinely interested.

I rested my head against the headboard again, amused by the fact that the Advocate had taken my undressing after work for a strip show. "Everybody fucks, Advy. Don't worry, I'll keep my hands to myself and resist your overwhelming charm." I snickered then at the thought of having sex with Advy, then shuddered when I thought of his needle fetish. I was secretly terrified of them, and it immediately brought my mind off of sex.

"My sob story's rather boring. Dead family, ex Gatherer, lover killed in front of me. Between you lot and the Fossils, I've had my hands full for a while. It was just starting to settle down again when you decided to show up. Which, by the way.. while I appreciate the gesture, I would prefer a little advance warning before anyone visits me. I would also prefer it if people stayed the fuck out of my bedroom."

The Advocate reached into his satchel, and pulled out a pistol, clicking the safety on and off. "Hmmm... funny... Its... funny," His eyes were fixed on me. "Shady almost got shot. Hehehe, I saved her of course. Now I've got myself a gun. And you don't. Who's going to save YOU?" He snickered, and aimed the gun in my general direction. "Bang. Bang. Bang. Just kidding." He dropped the weapon back into the satchel lazily. "What was I saying? Hehe." He walked back over to the bed. He whispered in my ear, "Do you feel safe?"

My bravado began to vanish. The more time went by, the closer he got to me, the more I realized how much trouble I was in. The simple fact was, I was alone with a man that could easily kill me. No help, no weapons, no back-up coming to save me. My mask started to drop, and Advy was left with... well, me. I was scared, worried, and I didn't know what to do. I dropped my head, and whispered back to him, "No, I do not feel safe. Please.. don't hurt me."

A low chuckle began in the Advocate's chest and grew to a roaring cackle, and as his laughter grew louder he stumbled backwards and pressed his hand against his diaphragm. He fell back into a sitting position with his back against the bedroom's door. He sighed, "Ha... that's cute, do you practice that often?" He giggled. "I'm just playing with you, dear. You're not one of those useless piggies that I gut on a daily basis, no, you're special. You've got personality. I like it. I can't say I won't hurt you," He started to rise again, dusting his legs off, "but... I may leave tonight without scratching you once... Hehehe..."

He started rummaging through his bag again, "I'm getting bored, next question." His mumbled flatly, tone changing completely.

I pouted before flopping down on my stomach, giggling as I rested my head on my arms to watch him rummage through his bag. "Aw, phooey. Most people fall for that right off."

I gave an overdramatic sigh before asking another question. "Fiiiine. Tell me about your pretty little experiments. I wanna know what you've been doing with your spare time."

He paused for a moment, glancing at me and tilting his head. "Are you mocking me? Is Dia mocking me?" He repeated the question to himself and added, "Do I need to get the gun out again?"

"....no. I'm not mocking you, just trying to give you the "Dia" you're looking for. Everyone has a different version, and it's easier to just give them what they want."

"Oh really? Hehe, and how do you know what I want?" He dropped to his knees and leaned forward, his face inches away from mine. "Are you calling me predictable?" His hands twitched towards his satchel.

I coolly looked him in the face, unruffled by his sudden change in demeanor. "Everyone has something they want, Advy. You're predictable in your madness, love."

I shook my head, smiling to myself. "Tell me what you want, then. You're dodging my questions, and I don't want to bore you. What's the show you're looking for?"

The Advocate stood up straight. "You're a riot." He said flatly.

He walked over to the wall across from me and leaned against it. "Experiments, lots of 'em. It's a shame none of the recipes have worked as desired... All of my Venus trials have resulted in dead volunteers. The majority of which exploded... Messy, but oh so fun to watch." He tapped the wall, taking a moment to pause before continuing. "I just can't wait to test out the final product... Oh, the eternal hunt for the right test subject. You... well," He giggled, "Your blood showed potential, but without the rest of you it just ended... strangely. I wonder what would happen if I all of you, not just a vial of your blood, to test with..." He was reaching into his satchel, but then apparently changed his mind. "Anyways, I'm rambling now, aren't I? What was your other question?"

I raised a brow at his antics, his wording causing some slight worry. "What exactly are you trying to do with your "final product?"

"Let's just say, it will change the world." He giggled. "I can't spoil the surprise though, you should know that!"

I pouted again, staring up at his mask in mild curiosity. "I love spoilers, but I'll take your word for it. So, tell me, Advocate my dear. Why'd you come here in person? We could have just as easily done this in a different way."

"Maybe I missed you, missed you so bad," He sang in a jazzy tone. "Hehe what can I say? Face to face is always so fun. Plus, I wanted to play with your little toy over there," He pointed to the disassembled shotgun. "But wait, there's more," he continued.

I slipped a hand down to my pants pocket, pushing a a lady's speed dial as I did so. I covered the action by sitting up and acting like I was pushing myself up off the bed. I prayed to myself as I stood that my phone was still on airplane mode. I hit the green call button, turned to Advy and continued to act enthralled by his ramblings. "Go on, tell me how you missed me, Advy baby. Tell me why you're here, if you feel like being serious."

He laughed, but continued, "Not only did I want to visit you for the heck of it," He climbed to his feet and shuffled over to me, and put his arm around me. "I need a little something from you, dearest Dia." A needle for drawing blood appeared in his hand, its point aimed towards my face. "Would you mind if I borrow some of your beautiful blood? Hehehe..."

He gave me a light push. I tumbled back on the bed, looking up at him in fear. My eyes crossed to keep the needle in focus as I did so. A tiny sound could be heard as the phone connected, which I hastily started speaking to cover up. "It isn't borrowing if you don't give any back, Advy. Please don't touch me with that, I'm afraid I may start screaming. You wouldn't want anyone to hear what's going on, would you?"

"Oooh maybe I would... hehehe." He leaned down, lowering his syringe as he did so. "I was only asking to be polite. I don't have to be nice. It's not like you really have much of a choice. It's for science, for me. I need what I need. If I don't get it now, I'll have to come back and get it later... And I may not be in as pleasant a mood then..." I swung  at him, and he rolled off of me with a laugh. "Feisty. But seriously, shut up and come here." He stood up, brushing himself off as I scrambled off the bed and swung the door open. "Dia..."

He sighed and grabbed my arm as I tried to sprint from the room. I screamed and tried  again to hit him with my free hand. He ducked, stepped around me and twisted my arm at an angle behind me. There for a moment, it seemed like he would break my arm, but instead he kicked me behind the knee and let me go. I stumbled forward and hit my head on the wall. I shook myself and ducked into the kitchen to try to grab a knife, yelling back at him, "What's so damn important about my blood?"

"What's so important?" He mused, caressing the needle delicately. "That's what I'm wondering as well... but I know that your blood is the first sample to give me positive results. So, please, donate to my cause." He casually strolled into the kitchen, "You seriously think I left your knives untouched?" He gave a low sigh, "Do you think I'm an idiot?"

I glanced at the rack in horror, then back at him. "Fuck! How long were you in my house, Advy?" I realized how close he had gotten to me, and abandoned my search for a weapon in favor of looking for an escape route.  As I ran past him, he extended his arm and slammed into me with his elbow. As I lost balance, he grabbed the front of my shirt and threw me out of the kitchen into the hallway leading to my room. I tumbled across the floor and slammed against a wall.

He walked up to me slowly, paused and kicked me in the hip, shoving it out of socket. That was when he suddenly paused and eerily turned his attention towards the bedroom. He saw the phone laying on the floor, and it clicked in his head that it was connected. To who, he didn't know. But when he turned his focus back to me, his body was unnaturally tense. "Oh no me, big mistake calling for help... Now I have to entertain an audience, don't I?" Laughter roared from his mouth as he grabbed me by the neck, lifting me. "Would you please scream? I would appreciate it." I graciously obliged, screaming like a banshee from hell. If the fucker wanted me to put on a show, I could at the very least hurt his ears while I was at it.

"Good girl," He stroked my cheek with the tip of the needle, leaving a scratch. He loosened his grip and released my neck as he drove his knee into my stomach. I was stunned from the blow, and it was the opportune moment for my assailant to reach in his satchel and...

BANG

The loud sound of Joshua's gun firing hung in the air for a moment.

"Sorry about your phone, it had to be done." Came the mock apology. He had shot my phone from across the hall, destroying it. He started humming, and as he returned the weapon to his satchel, he withdrew a wet cloth.

"Darling.." He pressed himself against me, trapping me between his body and the wall. "One more question." His mask was inches from my face.

"Does this smell like chloroform to you?" He pressed the wet cloth against my face, and I blacked out.