Kinktober #16

This is an original story.

Psycho / Crying

All the stimulation... The blinking... The multi-coloured light caught in the smoke spewed from the machines... The people in outrageous outfits and haircuts, dancing like monkeys to the funky music of neither harmony or melody coming from all directions equally loudly...
Everything about the location haunted the delicate senses of the country boy. But he needed to see him. It was a matter of life and ****.
He pushed his way through the sweaty dancers, towards the bar.

"Hi..." Dave couldn't hear his own voice for the music, "HEY!"
"HEY! WHAT CAN I GETCHA, CUTIE!?" The lanky, pale woman tending the bar leaned on the counter.
"I WAS TOLD I COULD MEET... PSYCHO HERE!!"
The bartender looked left and then right, putting a flute glass on the counter. She filled up with a clear liquid from a colourful bottle, "ON THE HOUSE! YOU'RE GONNA NEED IT!"
Dave picked it up, but didn't drink it.

"COME WITH ME!"
A clean-shaven man with slim waist, broad shoulders and a spa's weekend supply of products in his hair moved in behind the bar as the female bartender passed through the beads suspended over the doorframe behind the bar. Dave followed her, finding himself in what might be the narrow corridor of a particularly nice hotel. The bartender knocked on the door.
"Enter." A woman's voice from behind the door said, and the bartender opened the door. Three men and two women were seated in a circle inside a dimly lit hotel room, between age 25 to 35, dressed in neat suits and dresses.
"Yes?" One of the women said.
"Excuse me, this man wants to speak with Psycho."
All of the men looked Dave up and down with amused expressions.
"All right, ladies and gentlemen. I think we'll call it an early night." One of the women said, "I need to take care of this one."

The bartender held up the door for the men and women to walk outside, then shut the door behind them, leaving Dave alone with the woman. She wore a long Chinese style dress glistening in crimson, that stuck to her curves like paint.

This was Psycho?
"Yes, I am Psycho, dearie. So called that because I have a masters in psychology. Quite a point of interest in my circles."
"Ah... I expected someone..."
"I presume you expected someone who can help you. I expect I can... Or if I cannot, then you are truly left without recourse. Now if you are done wasting both of our time... What... Is your problem?"

Dave's lips wobbled. He buried his face in his palms, and cried into them. He wept and sobbed, as if the weight of the world was bottled up inside him.
"Oh... Hey... I didn't mean... Geez... " Psycho patted on the spot on the sofa next to her, and Dave sat down. She patted his shoulder and offered a napkin.
"S-sorry... I... I just can't help it... All of this... It's been too much for me... I didn't know how to handle it... Any of it! I came to Osprey City j-just a month ago t-to find a job... To make daddy proud... Everything was so much bigger... Moved so much faster... The day I came here was the day I really found out what it meant to be a stranger. I had no idea how to make friends. It was the first time in my life I felt alone. I spoke to my dad on phone every day, but when I didn't speak to him I felt confused... Lost... Scared... I soon found that a job wasn't gonna just fall into my lap, and the worry struck me on the head that money was gonna run dry sooner rather than later. That's when I met him. One day in a diner. A man in his 50s or 60s flirting with the waitress... It wasn't creepy flirting though, just silly flirting. He talked to me for what must have been hours. About the city. About myself. About movies and comics and.. Well, whatever was important.. Or whatever wasn't. He paid for my coffee. Gave me an extra $300 to keep me afloat... Asked to call him Ben. Cause he was my Benefactor. I started meeting him regularly in the diner. Each time we had something new to talk about. If I mentioned an expense, he'd gladly give away what I needed. No questions asked. One day Ben said he needed a favour from me. A simple task anyone could do, but which was important that I did. And didn't mention it to anyone. I mean, he had done everything for me, so how could I refuse? I was going to take a suitcase from him at Third Street, take the subway to fifth street and deliver it to some guy in an alleyway. He was really there. He and two other men. Looked just like Ben had described him; muscular short guy with cropped bleached hair. Blue vest, blue eyes, and more earrings than I had shirts. I just gave him the suitcase. He handed it to his friend, who opened it. Then he exploded. He was furious. They've stiffed us, he said. Nothing's there. The guy in blue vest got really angry. Started yelling at me to show the rest. Said I was gonna regret it. His friends had to reel him in. Calmed him down. Told him they were gonna talk it out with the chief. He left, but not before spitting in my direction. I didn't know what he was talking about. I didn't even look at it for more than five seconds. Just did what I was told. I was gonna take this up with Ben. Ask him what that was about. But he didn't show up at the diner. Not that day. Nor the next. Wish I had asked for his number. Just figured he didn't need me anymore. On the night of the third day since the incident, Ben showed up. In my apartment. He'd brought some kind of huge sumo-wrestler guy in black vest... I don't know how they opened the door. Guess he had some special key or something. The sumo guy threw my face at the table, holding me down with one hand. The other pointed a knife at my eye. Ben called me a a joker and a hustler... Called me ungrateful, and that the stuff I stole was worth more than me three times over. I had no clue what hewas talking about! I told him that, over and over. But he didn't believe me! In a panic I... I lied. I told him I still had the stuff... That I could get it back. He gave me three weeks. Then let me go. He told me if I was a second too late, he was going to arrange a permanent stay at the bottom of the river."

"When did all of this transpire?"
"...It's been twelve days."
"You should have come to me long ago."
"I... I know. I was scared, I didn't know what to do... I figured someone called Psycho would be my last resort..."
"Who sent you to me?"
"Someone on the bus stop by my apartment... Maggie. She always has a lot of things to say... About pretty much nothing. But I listen to her anyway, and she listens to me. She told me I could find you here and she could take care of all of my problems."

Psycho remained quiet for a moment, crossing her legs and looking at Dave; still a sobbing mess. It looks like he hadn't gotten a wink's sleep in days.
"All right. I shall help you."
"Ah... Ah! Thank you! Thank you so much!"
"But... You will owe me a favour. And when the day comes for me to collect the favour, you will ask no question. Just do what I need you to do. Understand?"
"Ye... yes..."
Psycho grew a thin smile; not for striking that kind of deal, mind, but the fact he hesitated when agreeing to the dea. It looked like the guy really had learned his lesson.

The following day, Dave got a phone call. It was from Psycho. Dave was shocked to hear her voice, since he never gave her his number.
She told him to meet at a large casino at five. And come alone.
Dave put on his finest suit and followed her into the elevator inside. She pressed the button to the sixth floor.

A few steps into the corridor they came upon a double doors. Psycho knocked.
"Yeah?" A gruff voice from the other side of the door asked.
"Men of snow leave no footprints." Psycho said, followed by a click and the door opening, "He is with me."
"Step inside. Quick." The man who opened the door was a foot taller than Dave, who wasn't a short guy in the least. He looked like he pressed iron eight days a week twenty eight hours a day. His muscles bulged out of his black suit jacket. Around his neck hung a golden chain.
"Hands behind your head." He said.
Dave complied.
"Can I keep this?" Psycho held up a locket dangling from her fingers like a pendulum.
"...You want me to be impressed by your jewelry? Sorry lady, rules are rules. Hands up, stay still."
While Dave and Psycho raised their hands, the muscle ran his hands along their bodies from top to toe. Psycho whispered something in his ear and he nodded.
"You're clean. In you go."

The floor of amber glowed like the sun in the brilliant light, connecting the ceiling with golden pillars. Red carpets guided the way between the tables.
That was a temple. A temple of depravity.
The man from the alleyway was there, now in a white suit jacket with a black T-shirt under. He was the kind of fancy that went out of its way to look like he didn't care about looking fancy.
"It's him." Dave whispered to Psycho and pointed in the direction.
"That guy? That's Freak. I can handle him. Just follow my lead."
Both of them took a seat at the table.
"Well well, got some guts showing up here. Right under my nose, on top of that!"
"We just want to enjoy ourselves, little man." Psycho said.
"Sure, just don't pull any shit. You'll be out on your ass in no time!"
"What got into you back then? You.." Dave started, but Freak interrupted him.
"Hey! Shush! No talking business during leisure time, aight?"
"How about we make a game of it then?" Psycho said, "Whoever is up most after three rounds wins. If you win, tell us everything you know about that night."
"Haha! What's in it for me?"
"If you win.." Psycho took Freak's hand with both her hands and stroked it, "I will take you to my place, and I'll show you the real meaning of leisure time..."
"Heeey! Now that's what I'm talking about! You're on!"

Two rounds later, and Psycho had won. Almost as if she could read him like a book. Now he was on to him though. He knew her gig was bluffing, and went all in.
"Full house with aces! Suck on that!"
Psycho sighed, closed her eyes and put her cards on the table, "Flush."
Freak had to rub his eyes to believe what he saw, "Unfreaking believable!"
"Looks like I won. Care to share with us what we wanna know?"
"Sure, a deal's a deal... But not here, let's meet outside in the alley in five."

Five minutes later Dave and Psycho stood in the alleyway outside. The dim light from above the kitchen entrance did little to illuminate the night air. Freak was there though, and he brought with him the bouncer.
"Let's cut to the chase... I presume you know perfectly well this gentleman here didn't touch your precious... Whatever you are dealing. Look at him. He's trembing like a leaf."
Freak chuckled "You know what the toughest part of all of this was? Keeping from laughing myself shitless when I saw that guy's look on his face! Ahaha! Godamnit! You even know the name of the gang you work for? The Maccobies. They run all of Westside, and we here at the Korpellies have a bit of a history with them you see? In fact, one of their big shots, Sam the Pile, outright offed my brother during -08. Fuck that guy! My own brother bled out in my fucking arms! Asked Boss if I could bust his head, but by then we already had struck a truce with them. So, no dice. Was looking for a reason to stage a fight with them. Give Boss a reason to take the truce with a pinch of salt... And that's when this rube came along. No protection. No clue. No nothing. God, it was like a heaven sent! One of my guys did a switcharoo on the subway. Gave him a suitcase full of stones. Then I could convince Boss that the Maccobies were trying to stiff us. All it cost me was one god damn chump, who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Looks like someone upstairs likes this one chump though. And I'm talking properly upstairs, you know what I'm saying?"
"And now, of course, you will give back what you took from us before things get ugly." Psycho declared, "Your **** boner will simply have to sit this one out a little bit longer."
"Ugly? You wanna talk ugly?" From Freak's jacket he pulled out a gun with a suppressor, pointing it square at Psycho. Dave froze stiff and just looked at it terrified.
"I did say if you came here I'd tell you everything. Didn't say nothing about the state by which you'd leave! Ahaha! Now on your knees, let's make this..."

The bodyguard grabbed his master's wrist in some kind of kung fu grip that made him drop the gun in an instance, then punched Freak right in his face so hard it looked like his head was going to fly off. He kneed him in the guts, slammed his face into the garbage cans over and over. Finally, he tossed Freak against the wall until he collapsed like his legs were made of paper.
"Stop." Psycho said and the muscle froze in his position as if time stopped, "Care to give us what we want now? Or are things gonna get real ugly?"
It took some time and effort before Freak learned how to talk through his rearranged face, "F-fine! Take it! Just... Man! You turned my own man against me!? My closest man!? You know no mercy?"
"That was a post-hypnotic suggestion. I can't make him do anything he isn't capable of. In fact, I can't make him do anything he doesn't really desire. I didn't expect him at all to be this violent... You turned him against yourself."

Next day at the diner, Ben showed up. He sat at his regular place, flirting with the waitress as if nothing had happened.
Dave placed the suitcase next to Ben, who placed it on the counter while the waitress's back was turned and opened it.
"All of it is here. Not just some of it. All" Ben said.
"You were tricked... So was I. And so was the other side. I didn't have anything to do with it."
Ben closed and locked the suitcase, putting it on the floor, "Guess you're as honest as you look. Apologies, my business is one of absolutes."
"Yeah... I don't want to know about your business. I just want to go back to normal."
"No can do. I can't let you go if you're gonna go around telling people what you saw."
"I won't tell anyone. Promise."
"Words are cheap. If you really mean it, swear it in blood."
Dave blinked, "I'm... I'm sorry, what?"
"I need you to swear a blood oath. Swear that you will never utter a word to anyone about what transpired." Ben took out a pen knife, pressing it against the palm of his hand.
"Do I have to?"
"It's the only way. Only a pact sealed in blood can not be broken."
Dave cleared his throat. He had heard gangsters were superstitious, "Sure..."
Dave showed his open hand.
Ben scratched his own hand, wiped the knife then cut Dave's hand. They shook their hands. "Say after me; on my word and on my blood, I will hold my words until the end of my days."
"...On my word and on my blood, I will hold my words until the end of my days."
Ben pressed Dave's hand hard, then opened. Dave noticed he hada cross on his hand from his wound and the blood from Ben's wound.
"We're blood brothers now. And let me tell you, there's no hell damned enough for the creep who betrays a blood brother."
Dave didn't know what to say, so he said nothing. He just stared down at the palm of his hand.
"Coffee's ready, you two! Two sugars as usual Ben?"
"Make it three, I want it to be as sweet as you."
"Oh, be quiet you!" The waitress chuckled.

Four months passed. Dave got a job at a shipment company, working as a courier and in the warehouse. He earned an honest wage, and had up to that point heard nothing from anymore gangsters.
Or from Psycho.

He had made friends in the city, and did well for himsef. He really felt like he had landed on his feet.
One day when he checked his mail, he found a letter. It was signed by Psycho. Inside the envelope was a single airplane ticket to Paris. And a letter from Psycho:

Dear Sweetie,
Remember that favour you owed me? The time has come to cash that in...