Tainted Ch. 01

"So," Sam said, drawing Mark out of his little trance, "Are you ready to go?" He could see the excitement in her eyes. She was dressed to kill, hopefully wooing Jake.

"Yea, let me grab my hat and we'll get going," Mark smiled, "It'll be a great night," he somehow doubted that though. As they walked to the party, he noticed everything seemed dark, unnatural even. Of course, the little children still gather candy along the streets and houses didn't count. It was the air, it bit unnaturally hard for this time of the year. Mark noticed Sam shivered the whole way.

***

Sex, smoke, and alcohol were the only thing Mark smelt when he opened the door. It was just a few minutes after 11pm, but the party already looked like it was raging for hours. Sam and Mark weaved through the crowd of people till a tall and athletic guy found them.

"Hey Sam, so glad you could make it," the guy no yelled over the music.

"I wouldn't miss it!" She yelled back, "Thanks again for having me, or us I should say."

Jake gave the most basic acknowledgement of Mark's presence before wheeling Sam off toward the kitchen, exciting hoots and hollers when he entered. Jake's friends were obviously the loud ones at this party.

It wasn't until sometime later when Mark saw Sam again. He was slowly sipping a beer and enjoying idle chat when Sam stumbled into the living room drunkenly with Jake. They had an armed wrapped around each other.

Looks like she snagged her prey,Mark thought to himself. He cocked his eyebrow when he saw them start to kiss and couldn't help but feel some regret. He didn't know why but the pressure in his chest intensified.

Something wasn't right. In the dim lightly Mark saw Jake's hand move subtly over Sam's drink.

That fucker,Mark thought before he was off the couch and flying across the room. Jake tried to move her toward the staircase as Sam lifted her drink to her lips.

"Sam," he said, trying to force her to hold his attention. "We need to go, now," and he took the drink from her hand and tried to pull her away from Jake.

"What the fuck are you doing asshole?" Jake pulled back on Sam, making her wobble and her hair fan out everywhere.

"What?" Sam said drunkenly. She was so far gone that he knew she wouldn't understand anything.

"Sam, we need-" Mark tried to explain again but Jake wouldn't have it.

"You can go if you want shit head, but she's staying," the alcohol on his breath was terrible, causing Mark to make a face. "Actually, get the fuck out," he moved to stand in front of Mark, trying to tower over him. Jake was only a few inches taller than Mark and that didn't scare him, but Jake's friends coming out of the kitchen did. Jake reached for the drugged drink but Mark moved it out of his reach.

"Sam, we need to go, he's trying to-" pain flared violently behind his eyes and once again we he landed on the ground. Sam stumbled at Jake sudden action and lost her grip on her drink. The liquid split and the red cup clattered on the hard wood before anyone reacted.

Sam started yelling at both Jake and Mark, though mostly at Jake. Then she started yelling at Jake's friends as they started pushing and carrying them out. They dropped Mark at the curb, his head hitting hard on the cement, before they told them they weren't welcome and went back inside.

"What the fuck Mark?!" She yelled again. He was still laying there, trying to breathe evenly. "Why why why do you ruin everything? Why are you so selfish?" She was slurring her words from the alcohol. She was getting flustered and red blush topped her soft breast and neck now.

He slowly got up, "Let's go," he said painfully. He could feel the blood running from underneath his eye. It was already swelling and aching.

"No," she stood defiantly, "I'm tired of you ruining things for me Mark!"

"He tried to drug you!" Mark yelled back, catching Sam off guard. She wasn't used to seeing this side of him. Mark knew he scared her, but he didn't care. His chest started hurting, the unmovable pressure that followed him all day started hurting.

"No... You're stupid! He wouldn't!" She yelled back when she found her words.

"Oh yes he fucking would," Mark said aggressively, "I saw him do it Sam. He was about to take you upstairs and rape you." To Mark, this cold truth bit into him and drove him crazy. He could feel his anger rise at the thought of Jake.

More pain laced through Mark's chest as he said, "And I've tried to make everything happen for you Sam, everything." He really did. Mark would always accommodate Sam and often ditch what he wanted to do for her. He would do any favour or request without hesitation. Mark felt a deep heat fill his chest, feel the heat soak his muscles with raw power, making him shake. He cared about her a lot, and it hurt his heart to know she had no idea. "If you can't see that then what the fuck am I doing here?"

Sam held Mark's eyes and noticed something wrong. He was shaking and it wasn't because he was drinking. She noticed his eyes were different too. They were such a striking blue that they didn't look real. The emotion in them cut into Sam. Sam could see Mark's soul in his eyes, as well as the pain he was feeling right now. Sam's heart feel when she saw a tear fall along his cheek.

Sam reached out and took a step forward just as her friend Mandy cut in, "Whoa Sam are okay?" Mandy stepped in front and grabbed her friend by the shoulders, blocking her view of Mark. When she managed to peer her head around her worried friend, Sam saw the back of him walking away. She called out once and was ignored.

"Just take me home."

---

Mark stumbled into his house in pain. The earlier rage had worn off and the swelling of his eye left him feeling defeated. Mark was still pissed at Sam. She would trust some random jerk over him, her best friend?If she wants a jerk, she'll get a jerk,he thought. Though, deep down he loved Sam, but he couldn't do it anymore. It hurt him too much. Mark heaved his door open as his chest pain grew worse.Why does it hurt so much,he thought. His heart throbbed in response as he sat on his bed.

His room was part of the attic, giving him a huge slated wall and two big, deep, low sitting windows. The windows began at knee height and ended at shoulder height before the room slanted inwards. The bed sat in the far right corner of his rectangular-like room, below one window. The second window was deep and big enough to fit two people. His walls were covered with various comic, gaming, funny, and music related posters. This left the original dark brown walls completely covered, making the Christmas lights along the ceiling reflect their glow in colourful splashes. But with the only light coming from the dull red glow of his alarm clock, it was doing nothing to light the room.

Mark huffed again as he made his way to his closet across the room. He dragged his shirt over his head as moonlight flooded in from the window beside him. A thick scar stood out against his chest. It ran like a jagged slash from his left collarbone to the bottom of his sternum. When Mark was born he had to have emergency heart surgery. He luckily survived, but not without the scar. It sometimes made Mark self-conscious and tonight it was being unnaturally ironic as he rubbed the source of his chest pain.

Just as he finished getting on old pair of shorts when pain exploded in his chest. It started as a deep throb in his chest before tendrils of agony shot through his body. Anything thought he had in his head was violently pushed aside by the pain invading his thoughts, making his vision blurry, balance off centre, and his panic rise.

What the fuck,Mark thought as he clutched his chest. The pain was so overwhelming his body locked up. The vibration of his phone managed to grab his attention and slowly made his way to it. As his vision darkened, images of Sam yelling at him caused him to stumble and fall onto his back. He was looking up at the ceiling, watching the light from his cell light up the ceiling.

The cell stopped ringing and darkness fell on the room. This time though, the shadows seemed bigger and scarier. They were slowly inching towards him, consuming everything in darkness. He was close to losing consciousness as the pain continued to radiate from under his scar, cutting into every layer of him. The pain built till Mark was sure he was going to die.

What little vision he had left was gone. His ears rang and body sweat against the wood floor. Mark felt his eyes close as what little amount of strength he still retained left his body. The pain was building and Mark was convinced he was going to die. He figure this heart attack was long overdue since his complications as a baby. He inhaled sharply as the pain peaked and then released abruptly. It wasn't until he was confused, hurting, and finally starting to feel unconsciousness overtake him that he felt something else there. It wasn't the shadows that were slowly edging towards him.

Mark tried to look around, but couldn't move his head. It felt close, too close. Mark released quickly he was helpless. He was so sore and disorientated that he couldn't help but weep a little. He wanted to ask if the was going to die as the darkness overtook him, but without the strength to ask he simply surrendered to unconsciousness.

But before he left reality, a voice quietly said,No.Mark's eyes snapped open to see nothing but blackness and the same pair of red eyes as this morning. It was the last thing his mind could process before a dead sleep took him.