CRIMSON DEVOTION

The sun had just begun to set, casting a golden hue over the garden where Molly's body now lay. The ground was freshly disturbed, the small flowers they had planted earlier that day gently swaying in the breeze around her grave. Morgan had dug the hole herself, the physical labor a form of penance, though she seemed unaware of the weight of her actions. She gently lowered Molly into the earth, her hands shaking as she placed a bouquet of flowers on the small mound. She spoke softly, as if trying to convince herself more than anyone else.

"Goodbye, Little Star. I'll make it right. I swear I'll make it right for you."

Her voice cracked as she dropped a handful of dirt onto the grave, her tears staining her cheeks.

Once the burial was done, Morgan wiped her eyes, her face now an unreadable mask of determination. She straightened her back and walked back inside the house, the door slamming shut behind her. Emily remained locked inside, helpless, her body numb as she stared blankly at the floor, her mind still reeling from the night's events.

Morgan was gone for a while. Emily barely registered the passage of time, trapped in her own broken thoughts. But when Morgan returned, she wasn't alone.

"Time for the next part," Morgan said, her tone strangely light. She had a priest with her, his expression tense as he stood awkwardly by the door, clearly uncertain of what was happening. Morgan ignored him, her focus entirely on Emily.

"You're going to wear this," Morgan said, throwing a white dress at Emily. Emily didn't respond. She didn't even look up. The dress, so pure and innocent in its color, seemed like a cruel joke.

"Put it on," Morgan demanded, her voice firm as she stepped closer. "Now."

Emily didn't move. She barely registered the order. But when Morgan grabbed her arm and yanked her up, Emily complied, moving with mechanical motions, almost as if she were a puppet and Morgan the one holding the strings. The dress felt suffocating, a symbol of the nightmare she couldn't escape.

Once Emily was dressed, Morgan led her out to the backyard, where the priest stood, still uncomfortable but resigned to his fate. Morgan's eyes were cold as she glared at him, the gun in her hand glinting under the fading sunlight.

"Marry us," Morgan said, her voice steely and full of a cold sort of command. She pointed the barrel of the gun at the priest's head, her gaze unflinching.

The priest swallowed hard, fear flashing across his face, but he quickly recovered, his voice shaky as he began the ceremony. Emily didn't hear his words; they were all a blur, a distant hum in her ears. She was numb, every part of her shutting down as she stood there, her eyes empty, her body stiff and unyielding.

And then it came—the part she had feared.

"Now, the kiss," the priest said quietly, almost apologetically, as if he were asking for forgiveness.

Emily's eyes locked with Morgan's, but she didn't see her. She saw nothing. The life inside her had drained away with Molly.

"Molly would have wanted this," Morgan said softly, as if to justify what she was doing. Her voice was tender, almost affectionate, but Emily didn't respond.

A single tear slid down Emily's cheek, but she didn't wipe it away. She didn't feel it.

Morgan tilted her head, her eyes glinting with something dark, as she stepped closer. She cupped Emily's face, lifting her chin, and without waiting for a response, pressed her lips to Emily's in a kiss that was cold and devoid of warmth.

"Good girl," Morgan whispered as she pulled away, a sick satisfaction filling her voice as Emily remained frozen in place.

Morgan didn't wait for any more reaction. She turned to the priest, still standing awkwardly behind them.

"You know your way out, don't you?" Morgan's voice was even, her gaze never leaving Emily's vacant expression.

The priest nodded, trembling as he quickly left, eager to escape the madness that had unfolded before him.

When the door clicked shut, Morgan turned away, heading to her computer with a purposeful stride. Her fingers flew over the keyboard as she typed something that Emily didn't care to know about.

Emily stood there, her mind a fog, staring at nothing as Morgan continued her work, her presence in the room the only thing that kept Emily tethered to the nightmare she couldn't escape. The world outside might have been gone, but the darkness within the house—the world that Morgan had created—was the only one left for Emily now.

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It's been days—days of living in the suffocating cage that Morgan had built, the silence only broken by Morgan's occasional presence. Emily felt her resolve breaking, her Spirit fraying to the edges, but deep down, something was still fighting. A sliver of defiance remained in her heart, and one night, she found it.

In the dark when Morgan was distracted, Emily crept into the corner where Morgan kept her gun. The cold metal felt foreign in her hands, but it also felt like the only thing that could break her free. She had never imagined that she would use it, never dreamed of the day she might raise her hand to the person that once meant everything to her. But now.... Now it was the only thing that made sense.

When the moment came, Emily waited until she was sure, Morgan was close. She stepped into the living room,her heart pounding in her chest. Morgan turned, her eyes lighting up as she saw Emily, but then froze when she saw the gun in Emily's trembling hands.

"You think you can kill me?" Morgan's voice was low, almost a whisper, but there was no fear in it. Only something darker. "You won't do it, Emily".

"I hate you," Emily said, her voice shaking with raw emotion. "You ruined everything! You took everything from me. I hate you, Morgan. I'll kill you for this. You deserve it." Her words were harsh, but they felt like a release—like the anger that had been building inside her for so long had finally broken free.

Morgan took a step forward, her usual casual demeanor slipping Into something almost sadistic. "You don't mean that, Emily. You could never kill me."

The words almost sounded like a challenge, but Emily's hands were already steadying. She pulled the trigger.

The gunshot rang out, deafening in the quiet house. Morgan looked down at her stomach, the blood quickly pooling, soaking through her clothes,she didn't flinch.

The smile that spread across Morgan's face was maddening, "you think this is the end? You think you can stop me with a bullet?"

Morgan started walking towards Emily, each step measured and purposeful , despite the blood oozing from her wound. Emily's hand trembled as she dropped the gun to the floor. Her anger had melted into something else entirely —guilt, sadness, regret — things she had never wanted to feel but couldn't deny.

"Why" Emily whispered, her voice barely audible. "Why do you have to do this?"

Morgan closed the distance between them, her arms wrapping around Emily's waist, pulling her close despite the pain. "I'm really sorry....for everything," she whispered, the word soft,filled with an unexpected sincerity.

Emily tried to pull away, but the world was spinning around her. She felt her strength waning, the room growing darker with each passing second. Morgan pulled something from her pocket,a small needle.

"No" Emily gasped, her body becoming heavy.

Morgan's voice was gentle now, filled with a strange tenderness. "I'm sorry. I never wanted it to end like this....but I couldn't lose you, Emily. Not again"

Emily couldn't keep her eyes open as Morgan pressed the needle into her neck. The drug spread through her like a poison, snapping her strength until she collapsed to the ground, dragging Morgan down with her.

"I'm sorry", Emily whispered,her voice breaking. A single tear fell from her eye, landing on the cold floor.

Morgan's grip tightened, her face falling into an expression of agony as she looked at Emily. "I love you", Emily said softly, her final breath shaky as the words escaped her lips.

Morgan's heart twisted,her sobs rising to the surface,a mix of relief and heartbreak in her chest. "I love you too", she whispered, her voice crackling under the weight of her confession. She had waited for years to hear those words. And now as Emily's eyes fluttered closed, the weight of it all crashed down on her.

She leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss on Emily's lips, her tears mixing with the blood on the floor.

"IF I CAN'T HAVE YOU THEN NO ONE CAN" Morgan's choked voice filled with raw desperation.



With that Morgan's grip loosened. Her body collapsed next to Emily's. Her final breath escaping in a quiet sob. The smile on her face remained, twisted and broken,as she died in the arms of the person she never stopped loving.