Something New. Something Different.

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            To Yixing. His life felt like a cliché. He never saw himself as a writer for the newspaper and blogger when he was in high school. He saw himself dancing. Dancing for people. Dancing for her. But the car accident shattered his dreams and she left for school over seas. And he stayed. He stayed to write and to sit in his studio apartment on bitter days with his white cat, wrapped up in a sweater and a cup of coffee beside him on the table as he typed away his next article for the news paper.

            After the e-mail was sent to his editor he plopped down on the bed and looked up at the ceiling. The white paint chipping off leaving cracks and exposing the cement underneath. Bai, his cat, jumped up and laid along the side of Yixing, waiting for his back to be scratched.

            He needed change. Something different from the routine of the cookie cutter life he started dreading to live. Yixing sat up in bed and looked around. He needed something spontaneous. Something that he wouldn’t even expect of himself. He grabbed his phone and called his best friend.

            “Tell me something spontaneous to do.”

            “Why?”

Yixing sighed, “Because I’m boring and I need something new to do.”

            “redecorate.”

            “Seriously? That’s the only thing you can think of?”

            “Dude, everything in your apartment is white, gray and blue.”

He looked around and started nodding, “You’re right.”

            “Always am.”

            A few blocks of walking and a bus ride lead Yixing to a home décor store. He pushed a cart up and down the isle taking his time looking at things and only ended up buying a new lap and mouse pad for his desk. At the bus stop someone else who was in the store sat on the bench next to him and he glanced over to see what she had bought. Lights on a string and throw pillows.

            “Hi?” She spoke up.

Yixing looked up quickly and blushed. “Hi sorry I was just looking at what you got.”

            “Oh. Yeah I’m slowly redecorating my apartment.”

He laughed, “So am I.”

            “With a lamp?”

            “I don’t know how to redecorate.”

She laughed and tossed her head back, “I would have guessed that much.”

He blushed more and looked at his lamp. Still boring. Like his apartment. Like his life. “Well, you seem to know what you’re doing. Why don’t you come over and help me.”

The girl stopped laughing and looked at him in the eyes before smiling, “Okay, you’re cute anyway.”

            The bus came and they both went. Back to his apartment. When they entered she started tossing things around. Telling what he needed to do to change his life. Once a week she would come over and help him. Move things around, reorganize and redecorate.

            The white walls became purple and the plane wood floors were refinished to a lighter color. Gold tassels hung around the light gray drapes at the windows. Black and white photos hung on the walls and teal lamps with yellow shades were on the end tables next to the gray couch with multi colored flower pattern pillows. It was becoming something that was him. Even a small cat castle was in the corner of the room for Bai.

            When the work was finished Yixing invited the girl over one last time. To celebrate the newness in his life. The bottle of wine was empty and Yixing’s jacket was on the floor as he nibbled on her neck. Hands slipping under the hem of her shirt.

            She wasted no time in taking her pants off and started with his. He pulled back and looked over her almost body.

            “What is it?”

            “You know, I’d like to thank you for helping me redecorate.”

She smiled and blushed, “You’re welcome.”

            “But there is one color that is missing from this room.” He said before going back down to kiss her collar bone.

            “Hmm and what color is that?”
            “Blood.”

Her eyes widened but it wasn’t enough time to move away.

            Yixing’s hands gripped the kitchen knife he placed under the couch before she came and ran it into her side. Slicing open and spilling the blood onto the couch, dripping onto the floor. His hand clamped over . His eyes alive at the bright color that pooled on the carpet. A quick glance to her, fear and pain written all over as she tried to push him off. Wanting to stay alive. But she lost all strength to fight back as the knife twisted and dug farther into her body before he ripped it out to jab it back in a different spot. This time at the end of her sternum. Cutting open her stomach.

            In minutes she was dead. Blood still spilling form the three stab wounds in her body. The third being the fatal blow. Straight in her heart. Yixing looked into her eyes as he pushed the knife in slowly.  He wanted to watch her soul leave her body. Watch everything she was, just go away in slow breathes. To quiet for any animal to hear.

            He looked at the blood stained floor and went to grab the bleach and cleaning gloves. Everything was spotless and there was no trace of her anywhere. Her heart sizzling and popping in the frying pan with a little garlic and oil. The meat was tough but juicy as Yixing steak knife cut it into little bite sized pieces. Feeding a little to Bai before finishing it off with a second bottle of wine.

            In the day that followed he was to report on a girl who was found wrapped in plastic inside a dumpsters. He won a Pelzer prize for is investigative journalism into the articles following the case of this unsolved murder.

            This was the something new. The something different he needed. Wanted. He did something only few could do. And something almost no one could get away with.

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Little darker than the others, but it's a "Halloween-y" story. I hope you enjoyed and don't forget to comment!