Black Dawn

Early the next morning, Todd shuffles through the kitchen on his way to grab a much-needed cup of coffee – When his foot catches on something wet. He lets out a groan of disgust as he extracts his foot to find that his slipper is covered in off-white goop: he just stepped in a pair of Jason's discarded sweatpants, filled to the brim with pre-cum.

Goddamnfuckingfuckit. Todd is getting pretty tired of their house guest leaving his stuff lying around, like an animal marking its territory. Clothes, snacks, all that new fucking FURNITURE even... He just spreads his junk wherever, like he owns the place! Why can't he be a normal guest? You're just supposed to bring the usual shit: clothes on your back, toiletries, medication, and...

... Wait. Medication. In a moment of unusual clarity, Todd has a revelation. He said there was a "mix-up back in the OZ," and that's why he needs to constantly empty his... B-but... What if he's doing it on purpose? What if he's STILL TAKING whatever fucked-up **** they peddle in those depraved hellholes?

Determination in his eyes, Todd begins to search the house. First Jason's coats, hanging in the hall... Then the cabinets in the pantry, where Jason is stashing his favorite snacks... But after finding nothing there, he knows he has to move upstairs.

I'll have to be quiet... If I wake him up, or even my parents, I'll miss my chance.

Unfortunately for Todd, that's not a concern. The moment he reaches the top of the stairs, he hears a glrk, glrk, glrk coming from his parents' bedroom. It's wet, rhythmic, and getting louder every second.

Taking a deep breath, Todd pushes it from his mind and perseveres. His next stop is the upstairs bathroom, and it doesn't take long for him to find Jason's toiletry bag. There's a bottle of pills inside, and for a moment Todd's heart soars –

But unfortunately, it's just over-the-counter ****. No crazy warnings, no obscene MILF-decorated label: just regular ol' painkillers.

Todd scratches his head. The all-too-recent scene of his mother carrying a mug full of piping-hot semen is still burned into his retinas. There's no way Jason's doing all this without some serious chemical assistance, he surmises.

Todd lifts the bottle to his ear and gives it a shake. Do painkillers usually sound that heavy? Did Jason smuggle in restricted OZ ****, disguised as generic medicine?

Well played, kiddo... But you've met your match.

Hope rekindled, Todd looks down at the nondescript pill bottle. I gotta get rid of them. Without... Whatever these are... Jason's gonna run out of steam in no time. His balls won't need draining anymore, and everything'll go back to normal. The spell will break, my family will come to their senses, and the first thing they'll do is kick his manipulative little ass to the curb.

Treading softly, Todd carries the offending bottle over to the toilet and unscrews it.

Should I really be doing this? Isn't this stealing?

A rhythmic thump penetrates the walls, steeling his resolve.

No. I HAVE to do this. If I stop now, my family will... He'll...

Todd pauses.

... And what if he finds out it's me? No... No. He won't. He leaves his stuff all over the place, anyway – He'll just think he lost them, or that Mom chucked 'em by mistake.

The thumps are now punctuated by a quiet, distressed groan.

Or dad.

And from the other wall of the bathroom, a gentle snore.

Or even Brook.

Todd clenches his hands and throws the lid aside. His heartbeat is loud in his ears as he pours the pills into the toilet, then flushes –

"Shit," Todd hisses, hurrying to throw away the pill bottle before the loud noise wakes anyone up... But just after chucking the plastic container in the garbage, he reconsiders and fishes it back out.

A quick run outside later, the evidence is safely stashed in a neighbour's trashcan. For the first time in a while, there's a smile on Todd's face: I got away with it... The perfect crime.

One that will never, ever come back to haunt him.