Bones

“We are saddly reporting…the missing body of twenty-five-year-old Julie Baker had been found last night” the news lady said quitely, with fear and saddnes written in her eyes.

Which caused Archie grin on his face to widen as he watched his tv screen , he loved this part.

He absolutely loved it.

Violence had been woven into his life long before he was born. Before he could walk or talk, the path had already been carved for him. His family had been doing this kind of work for over a decade…long enough that the smell of blood and the glint of red on skin felt ordinary.

Familiar, Expected.

It was his uniform.

His brand. His destiny.

Nothing was going to change.

His phone buzzed in his in pockets

he pulled it out swiftly already knowing who it was.

His mother.

“Oh honey, how are you?” she chirped.

“I’m fine.” he answered as he eyes stayed glued to the TV.

“I’m watching the news… ah…such a shame what happened, hmm?” He could tell his mother layed up on her sofa with the biggest grin on her face proud.

Oh so very proud of her son actions he was just like her.

A quick smirk tugged at his mouth, at the thought it. “Yes. Such a shame.” he muttered, sarcastically.

A soft sigh came out of his mother mouth on the other side of the phone. “Well…we have a family dinner tonight. You must show up.” her voice stern like she wasn’t asking him, she was telling him.

Archie rolled his eyes.

Those dinners were nothing but opportunities to gloat, to compare kill counts, to celebrate the sick, generational tradition their bloodline held.

“Mother… I’m busy.” Archie argued back.

But the truth was simpler. He was tired.

Tired of the speeches about legacy, tired of being reminded that the head was supposed to fall on him.

Tired of hearing about marriage, as if dragging someone else into the nightmare would somehow redeem it all.

His life was already twisted…why put that burden on anyone else?

“Archie… you will come.” His mother reponsed back, competely ignoring his dissmals.

He sighed, competely knowing that there was no debate. “Fine.” Archie said as he scrached that back of her head

His mother was his weakness. The only reason he still sat at that cursed table.

“Good boy. I’ll see you later.” her tone competely back to softer one.

The minute he ended the call

A soft but harsh knock came from his door.

“Fuck? What now?!” He Irritatedly shouted.

He thought he scared off the Jehovah witnesses ladies away, when he told them he was in a middle of an ogry So he knew it couldnt be them.

He angerly walked towards the front door, Archie opened the door just enough to see—and froze.

A woman stood on his porch.

Not trembling. Not lost. Not even remotely afraid.

She looked… happy.

Like she had found exactly what she’d come for.

What the fuck was she smiling about? Archie thought as he examined the lady in front of him.

Her dress was bright yellow—painfully bright against the dull afternoon light. Too clean, too colorful, too out of place on this forgotten stretch of road. The fabric almost glowed around her, making her seem like she didn’t belong in his world at all.

Which only made her presence feel more wrong.

Her eyes examined him softly, curiously.

“Hi,” she said, as if they were old friends.

Archie blinked, speechless for once.

Why was she so confortable?

“Hello,” he managed to say after a minute of silence “Who are you?”

“I’m your new neighbor,” she answered lightly. “Just moved in two doors down.”

Her gaze drifted past him for a moment, as if she was trying to see inside his home. When she looked back, her expression remained warm—but there was something else underneath.

Something unreadable.

“Well, I thought it’d be rude not to introduce myself.” the stranger said brightly.

She lifted a small round tin.“I brought you something. A fruit cake.”

A fruit cake.

Archie almost wanted to laugh.

Of course she did.

yellow dress, sunshine smile, and a fucking fruit cake. He thought as his eyes moved along hers.

Archie stared but didn’t reach for it.

“You baked,” he said flatly. “For me.”

“Yes. It’s tradition where I’m from—greet new neighbors with something sweet. Helps set the tone.” She said causally.

She had no idea who she was talking to.

Or what he was.

“I don’t eat fruit cake,” he muttered.

Her face drops slightly but she covers it up with a smile…almost as if it had been something she practiced .

“That’s alright. I didn’t expect you to. It’s not everyone’s favorite.”

“Then why bring it?” He questioned back.

Almost regretting asking…as—usually this was the part he would tell a stranger to fuck off.

“Because it’s polite. And because I needed an excuse to come meet you…neighbour” she said with a smile on her face.

He didn’t like that answer.

He didn’t like her being here.

“Thanks… but no thanks.” He muttered ready to wrap up the conversation

“I understand,” she said softly….a clear edge of dissapointment.

She turned to leave, then paused.

“Oh—I didn’t get your name.” her voice now higher.

“Archie.” he muttered back.

.“Archie.”She repeated it quietly, almost reverently

…..But something about the way she said it tightened his chest.

“I’m Jaune,” she added.

Of course.

Yellow in French.

It suited her disturbingly well.

“Bye.” She walked away, her dress bright against the grey world.

And for a moment, something in him—something buried and unwanted—wanted to drag her back.

He exhaled sharply, as he watched her walk away..he body shape was perfect legs tone…even though thr dress was flowly he could tell she had a huge asset..she looked sfter herself..her skin was pefect the coffee mocha colour that went perfectly with the dress she wore.

“What the fuck am i doing?” He whispered to himself..why was he so trigged after one converstion.

He needed a drink and….a few cigarettes

It was only 2 p.m.

He rubbed his eyes than turned back into home..he was busy he had a few weapons to clean up.

Family dinners were hell.

Archie’s eyes filled with boredom as he looked around the table, his mother, Bethany say next to her husband and Archies father David..who was a very quite man. Next to him sat Uncle Marcus, his mother’s younger brother and his wife Delilah.

“And then I told the man, ‘Your time is up,’ and shot him,” Archie’s younger cousin boasted, waving his fork like it was the gun he’d used.

Archie tuned out the bragging. His younger cousin, Henry, however, was impossible to ignore. Henry loved these gatherings—loved the attention, loved the chance to parade himself as the perfect heir.

“And what about you, Archie?” Henry called across the table.

“Fucking prick” Archie muttered underneath his breath.

One thing Henry did was always trying to draw him out.

“What about me?” Archie questioned back.

“Anything new? Other than living alone… and drinking alone?…It’s all you do, right?” Henry questioned, with a crocked smile.

“Henry!” Henry mother,Aunt Delilah snapped back, with a hidden grin on her face.

To which Archie’s mother rolled her eyes at.

“What, Mother? I can’t worry about my cousin?” Henry said, faking his innocence.

Archie’s patience thinned to a thread, as he clenched his knuckles under the table.

He so desprately wanted to knocked the shit out of him.

So instead, he played dirty.

He turned to face Anna, Henry’s wife with a small grin on his face

“Anna..I like what you did with your hair ..you got highlights right?” he spoke to her with interest filled in his deep voice, as he held direct eye contact.

Anna’s eyes flicked up, confusion tightening the space between her brows. She touched a strand of her hair nervously.

“Oh—um… yes. Just a few.” She whispered as she continued playing with it.

Henry’s jaw shifted. Not enough to be obvious, but enough that Archie caught it—which caused him to grin.

“Looks beautiful ,” Archie added casually, leaning back in his chair like he had won.

and did.

Anne flushed at Archie compliment, as she slightly bite her lips unable to hide her grin.

Henry’s hand slid across the table until it rested possessively over Anna’s. “We don’t need your approval, Archie,” he said, his voice low and brittle.

“Was I talking to you?” Archie aruged back “I was talking to your wife” he looked down and grin slighty

“I mean…she has a mouth right?…she can use her mouth? right..? He voice low comptely igorning other presebtd on the table.

He look back at Anne as she shifted in her seat.

“Isn’t that Annelisa?..you can use your mouth..hm?” Archie whispred secductivly.

“I-“ Anne began to speak

Then the bell of the door saved the moment.

“That must be my guest!” Archies mother said brightly, competely dissming the scene.

Guest? Archie signed to himself hoping to get out of here within the next 10 minutes.

His mother walked back into the room with 2 women following behind her.

“Family, this is my friend Heather, from the tennis club, and her daughter Grace.” She annoced to the table in front of her proudly.

Archie’s stomach sank.

Of course.

This was her plan—her attempt to “fix” him, to set him up, to push him toward marriage.

“Hi, Archie,” Grace said, offering a shy smile.

He rolled his eyes. “I’m going for a smoke.”

“Useless,” Henry taunted. “No manners.”

“Don’t you ever shut the fuck up, Henry!?” Archie Said before he stormed out, lighting a cigarette with practiced ease.

He understood why his mother was desperate, but he knew time was running out. Tradition demanded someone take over. But it wouldn’t be Henry—Archie refused to let someone so sloppy inherit something so dangerous.

Henry would expose the family within a year.

Archie wouldn’t lose.

Even if he had to kill him…He felt nothing at the thought.

“You’re pathetic, you know that?” Henry’s voice came from behind him.

Archie exhaled smoke. “Are you obsessed with me? Why do you keep following me?”

“I’m just curious., Your mother’s trying to help you. You know you need to get married to take over her status.” Henry said tightly.

Henry wasn’t wrong—but that didn’t matter.

“You know they won’t give it to you, right?” Henry pushed. “I’m married. I have kids. I’ve made the next generation. You haven’t done shit.” He hissed out

Archie stepped closer,droping his stick.

“It’s not about kids. It’s about not being caught and you’re sloppy…Henry. I’ve cleaned up your mess before If you think you’re taking over, you’re delusional.”

Henry’s nostrils flared.

“You’re a killer,” Archie continued, “but you’re a weak one and you lack intelligence” He smirked. “So give up. focus on your kids….and your side jobs”

He leaned in closer to Henry’s frame “Your wife seemed bored tonight… I can entertain her if you’d like.” he whispered.

“Fuck you!” Henry barked back.

Archie shrugged. “She’d enjoy it. You couldn’t see that?”

Henry attempted to lunged, but Archie didn’t flinch, as he swiftly placed his arm on his chest

“Stay away from me,” Archie said with quiet menace, “and keep your fucking mouth shut when you’re around me.”

He stepped into Henry’s space even more his drak eyes cold.

“Before I shut it myself.” He whispered not a promise filled in his tone, but a fact.

Henry stayed still, as he let out a huff.

Archie grinned then patted his cousins chest before turning away.

In this moment Archie knew things would have to change

……even if he had to make sacrifices.

**Hmmm what do we think?**