Night lingers in the soul
Richer than the blackest of coal
Rages against the heart's hole
Seeping out to become whole
*****

Eric knew it was a mistake to let Alice go. Though there wasn't much he could do, she had left willingly.  Going back to a bad situation when things were already shit was just asking for trouble. He sat down on the couch in his empty house, letting the tension out of his shoulders. He came home to an empty house and the silence seemed to mock him, adding to the reality that they were gone.

He ran a hand through his hair in agitation before dropping it and sinking into the cushion. He thought about Alice as he stared blankly at the wall above the TV. There were a lot of things he should've done- almost a lifetime of things. He had ample opportunity to tell her how he felt. He could've been there for her, could've held her while she fell, and could've sat with her in her loneliness.

But he didn't. There was an unspoken rule that every best friend knew- you don't go after your friend's little sister. And he didn't want to make things even more complicated than they were, but now it all seemed, lack for a better word, stupid.

His phone buzzed again, reminding him that he still hadn't checked the missed text. He pulled it out of his pocket and looked at it, seeing it was from Jake, along with a missed call and voicemail. Damn, he'd forgotten to check on him. He touched the play button and listened as his frantic and unsteady voice filtered out of the speaker.

"Look, I thought about it and I'm giving myself up. The police will find a way to point this on to Katie and I can't allow that..." There was a long, silent pause where Eric could only hear his breathing before he spoke again. "She's dead."

It sounded as if he was trying to believe it himself.

"I love Katie, Eric."

Silence.

"She kept running back to that asshole. I was gonna' tell her.  That night- I was going to tell her how I felt. I had come into town early only to see her leave with that fucker. I watched as he had forced her into the car and followed them to a cabin. I wanted to make sure she was okay."

He took a deep breath, letting it blow out into the receiver.

"What I saw was like watching some nightmare. Hearing the yelling I was able to see into the bedroom window. Fuck sakes, he was trying to rape her! I ran to the front door to find it locked and went to the back as a shot went off.

"I heard the door slammed shut then the car taking off when I stopped trying to find a way in. I was scared shitless of what I would find in there. The front door was left open so I made my way into the bedroom. Paul was there and I felt so relieved.

"He was bleeding, but still alive. I knew that he wouldn't leave Katie alone until he killed her, so I shot him with the gun. I was going to tell Katie once things had settled down. I guess I should have sooner. I was afraid that it would have scared her away from me. Katie was my life and now she's gone.

"That's why I am going to the police. I can't let people think anything bad of her. I can't let them blame her for something she hadn't done. I thought that I owed it to tell you this before you hear it from the news."

That was it; the phone held against his ear stayed silent. He couldn't believe what he just heard.

"Fuck..." he breathed out into the room.