Hobo Heart

## Hobo Heart by ChrisOzFulton

*Homicide Report-*

*Detective McMahon*

*Badge number : 1025*

*August 26, 2014*

*11:34 p.m.*

*544 NW Tarrant St.*

*One deceased female age 26 Large entry wound to chest. Heart removed.*

"Hey Jason, what we got this time?"

"Yeah, it's another one." the CSI officer said shaking his head "Same M.O. chest crushed ripped open heart removed. Human heart from previous deceased present at scene."

"How many does this make?" the detective asked

"Are we counting the one at the lake?" Jason inquired.

" No not yet anyway." replied Detective McMahon

"Five then, but there's no way we can deny they are at least connected." Jason said to the detective squinting his eyes.

"Yeah I hear ya, but there was no heart present. It's his calling card there's no way he'd leave out that little detail. This guys sick it's his ritual. They may be connected, but it may be a copycat. I'm not giving him the credit 'till I'm sure." The detective pulled out his lucky zippo rubbed it with his finger as he examined the apple engraving on its surface. As he lit his cigarette, he noticed the pale ring around his left ring finger. He took a deep breath ran his fingers through his hair and exhaled.

Near the woods on an old country road near the outskirts of town a car pulled to a stop about 20 yards off the road. A young teenage couple seeking seclusion from prying eyes dimmed the lights on the car. "Hey, look at least turn on some music or something before you just start grabbing around." The girl said to the teenage boy as he rolled his eyes and fumbled for the radio. "Ah come on don't be a sad sport make it romantic." She laughed.

"Oh yeah" he said sarcastically "Real romantic sneaking off with me. While your boyfriend, my friend, sits at home loving you. We're not supposed to be out here anyway with the curfew and all."

"Oh, please that girl died almost a month ago. And I didn't hear you complaining the last time or the time before that." She said as she unbuttoned her shirt.

"Come on you know that..."

*CRASH!*

The car shook violently as something slammed down upon it.

"What the hell was that?!" the boy screamed as he frantically looked around. All he could see was a single black feather floating in the air above the hood.

Then suddenly his window burst into shards as he felt two steely ice-cold hands reach through the window and grasp him. Pulling him out through the opening and then being tossed into a nearby tree. His back smashed as he wrapped around it like a rag doll. He lay there motionless as he looked on in terror as a tall lanky figure with white hair and crystal blue eyes, that almost seemed to glow, stared at him. He worn no shirt his skin was a greyish black. He had a skull on his face, the ribcage and bones to match on his chest and arms. They seemed to be painted on. He also had the bones on the outside of his hands and fingers. He wore jeans and an old pair of shoes. The boy felt the most horrible sadness come over him. He lay there helpless as the figure changed his attention from him to the girl and moved towards the car.

"Tommy!! Tommy HELP ME!!!" she screamed as the figured jumped onto the hood of the car.

The figure smashed out the windshield, reaching inside the car, grabbing the girl and slowly dragging her out onto the hood. She didn't fight back; she lay still now.  It crouched over her and looked at Tommy while lowering its head. The creature then whispered something in the girl's ear and kissed her on the forehead. The figure started pulling at something on his chest slowly and methodically. Tommy could hear disgusting sounds of blood dripping down and flesh rustling around as the creature seemed to be reaching inside his own chest. It then pulled out something from inside himself and lay it on the hood next to the girl. The figure then removed the girl's shirt.

"NOOOO Valerie NOOOO!!!" Tommy used the last of his strength to scream.

The figured grinned as he slammed his fist into her chest. He struck her repeatedly as bone crushed and popped with every strike. She violently shook and coughed up blood as he continued to hit her. Tommy lay motionless, all he could do was shed one tear. The tear rolled down his cheek as he watched the monster begin to rip and tear into her flesh with his bare hands. Finally, he reached his prize and pulled her still beating heart from inside her. He placed her heart inside the wound he had created in his own chest. Then he dug around inside his pocket and pulled something out and placed it in his mouth. The creature then began to pull the girl's hair from her head and lay the strands of her hair neatly in rows next to each other. He took the object from his mouth which appeared to be some sort of a needle and picked up a lock of hair and began to sew his wound shut.

Tommy lay silent in terror as he watched the grotesque task being executed with patience and precision. He noticed a small movement on the ground near the base of the car. He blinked his eyes to clear his vision and saw it was a small scruffy dog pouncing about wagging its tail. The figure stepped off the car knelt down and patted the dog on the head. It spun about and wagged its tail. The figure turned his attention back to Tommy, then walked over and stooped down to his knees near Tommy's head. Tommy could see the horrific details of the thing's body. The black skin, skull, and bones were apart of him not like a tattoo or painted on, but as if it were actually his skin.

Tommy could see the crude stitches holding his wound together, made from Valerie's hair. The creature looked down at Tommy and tilted his head inquisitively as it reached out it's hand and wiped away Tommy's tear. Tommy could feel nothing but a horrible hopeless sadness as he stared into the thing's bright blue eyes. The figure then softly placed his hands on either side of Tommy's face. It then leaned in closer and spoke the words "Do you value your heart?"

*CRACK!*

## Hobo Heart: Stitches by ChrisOzFulton

It was a winter afternoon. Like most winter afternoons it was overcast, cloudy with a bit of rain, the wind blew and the leaves rustled on the sidewalk as C.C. and her friend Elizabeth walked home from school.

"It was nice walking this way for a change." C.C. said as the two strode along. Elizabeth smiled "Thanks for joining me this way. I can't believe Britany didn't show again today. She didn't call or anything." C.C. rolled her eyes "She probably skipped and went to the lake with Glen."

Elizabeth laughed "You're probably right. Alright well I'll see you tomorrow."

The two parted ways and C.C. continued. She had just a few more blocks till she was home. As she walked along, she saw a small scruffy dog pawing at something in the gutter. "Hey little guy whatcha after?" she crouched down and saw a bone stuck in a crack. C.C. pried it lose and the dog snatched it up and darted away, toward the alley. The girl followed "Hey, don't I at least get to pet you?" When she turned the corner, she saw the dog chewing on the bone at the feet of a boy sitting on a milk crate. He was wearing a grey hoodie and dirty jeans. He was tall and lanky with white hair, crystal blue eyes, and a skull that seemed to be painted on his face.

"Well, hello." C.C. said a little surprised "Is he your dog?" The boy looked at C.C. with a puzzled expression. "Yes." he said. C.C. smiled. "Can I pet him?" Still confused, the boy looked at C.C. closely. "Sure...  Are you not sad?" C.C. giggled as she pet the dog. "Why would I be sad?" she asked. "I don't know, everyone I meet is sad." replied the boy.

C.C. frowned. "Well, that's horrible. Maybe if you didn't have a skull on your face people would be in a better mood around you. It's a little late for Halloween ya know."

The boy shrugged. "I can't help it. It's a part of me. I've never met anyone that's been happy before."

C.C. turned to look at the boy's face so she could inspect the skull. She reached out and placed a timid hand upon his cheek. She attempted to smear what she had thought to be paint but realized that it was his skin.  She quickly dismissed the skull when her eyes met his. They were bright blue and appeared to illuminate at certain angles. She became disoriented and had to shake her head to clear her thoughts. She fumbled and stuttered for words. "Your eyes... uhm name... yeah What's your name?"

The boy smiled. "I don't think I have a name. I'm a Gemberling."

"A what?!" she replied.

"A Gemberling. I was created to serve a purpose." replied the boy.

"What purpose?" C.C. inquired with a puzzled look.

"I don't think you'd want to know." He said as his eyes seemed to dim.

"Uuhm Oookay. So what do people call you?" C.C. asked becoming more confused.

"The only person who has ever called me anything was my creator, and he only calls me Gemberling." He said with hesitation.

"That makes me sad. You need a name..." C.C. said before being interrupted by the boy.

"NO!" as he reached out and grabbed her arm. "Never be sad! My heart couldn't take it."

C.C. was startled "Why couldn't your heart take it? You just met me."

"You're special. Your heart is special. My heart has no place to call home and you have made it feel something.... it's never felt anything before." the boy said.

"Hobo Heart!" C.C. said with a smile.

"Huh?" the boy asked confused.

"That's your name! The boy whose heart has no home. Hobo Heart." C.C. explained. "And now that you have a name, you and I can be friends."

The boy smiled "Yes. I like it, my name. Hobo Heart."

"Okay, well I have to get home. You'll be here tomorrow so I can see you right?" asked C.C.

"Yes. Of course." said Hobo Heart with a smile.

C.C. continued her walk home but not before looking over her shoulder one last time to inspect the mysterious boy. The next day C.C. came to the alley to see Hobo. When she rounded the corner he was sitting there on his milk crate. He looked up and saw her and his heartbeat began to quicken. "You actually came back?" He asked with a smile.

"Well of course I did silly. Now let's go do something besides sit in this alley." C.C. said as she blushed.

"What could we do?" Asked Hobo.

"Well, I don't know. Anything is better than sitting here." C.C. said pulling at Hobo's sleeve. "I know, let's go to the park."

Hobo followed "Will there be people there?"

"I'm sure." C.C. said laughing.

Hobo followed reluctantly as he pulled his hood closer to his face. The scruffy dog picked up a bone and chased after them. When the two arrived at the park it was full of people running about playing football, throwing frisbees and playing on the equipment. The two walked over to the swings.

"So, what's your story?" C.C. asked.

"I don't have a story. I have a purpose. It's all I know." Hobo answered.

"Well, what is this purpose you keep mentioning?" C.C. pried.

Hobo looked at the ground and kicked a rock. "I have duties I take care of to prevent something bad from happening."

"What do you mean?"  C.C. asked.

Hobo shook is head "I don't wanna talk about it."

As the two talked C.C. looked up and noticed most of the people had left the park and it was very quiet. The people that were still there were by themselves.

Hobo looked around "I need to be going."

"Wait do I get to see you tomorrow?" C.C. asked.

"No "Hobo said "There's something I have to do."

"Okay, how about the next day?" She smiled as she asked.

Hobo reached out and touched her blonde hair. "If that's what you'd like."

She took his hand and touched it to her face. "It is."

Two days passed and just as he had said he met with her. They decided to go for a walk to a nearby lake. The two spent several days like this, just talking, laughing and enjoying being in one another's company. Time seemed to slip away as the two grew closer together.

One day after school when she arrived at their usually meeting place Hobo relieved, he had a surprise for her.  He held out his hand and she took it.

"Hey, wait before we go. I want to give this to you." C.C. said as she reached into her pocket.

"Valentine's Day is coming up and I was wondering if you'd be my Valentine." She handed Hobo a small envelope.

"What is a Valentine?" Hobo asked as he opened the envelope. It was a hand drawn picture of two hearts intertwined with the words "Be Mine" above the drawing and "If you value your heart, you'll give it to me." written below.

"A Valentine is someone you care for and would be willing to give your heart to, because you know they'll protect it and care for you." she explained.

"So, on Valentine's Day... you want me to give you my heart?" Hobo asked.

C.C. smiled "Well... only if you want to... ya know."

"Deal." Hobo said as he hugged C.C. "Now let's get going. You're gonna love this."

The two headed out towards the country, near the outskirts of town and the small dog followed, as always wagging his tail. After walking awhile in the woods, Hobo made C.C. close her eyes.  He took her hand and led the way for a few minutes then stopped.

"Okay look!" he said with joy.

When she opened her eyes, before her was a massive tree on a hill. It was very old and its many branches twisted and curved in dozens of different directions. The leaves were lush and bright unlike all the trees surrounding it. The trunk was easily 15 feet in diameter it was unlike any tree she had ever seen. The roots where more exposed than normal trees, they seemed to come from different points in the ground. Almost like the tree was composed of several different trees whose roots had grown together and had become entangled and formed one massive tree.

"It's so beautiful. It seems very special, almost magical." C.C. said in wonderment as she gazed at the tree.

C.C. stepped closer to Hobo. She lifted his hood off his head and ran her fingers through his hair. His eyes widened as she moved in closer to kiss him. He pulled away.

"What's wrong haven't you ever kissed a girl before?" C.C. asked as she smiled.

"No." Hobo replied.

"Can I be your first?" she asked.

Hobo shook his head yes. She moved closer. Hobo embraced her and she kissed him. After the kiss Hobo gathered himself and pointed to the tree.

"This is my purpose, to bring nourishment to the tree." As Hobo spoke the scruffy dog ran towards the tree and disappeared into the extravagant root system.

"Your purpose?" she asked with a puzzled look.

"Yes, I live here and take care of the tree." Hobo replied.

"Then why are you always in the alley?" C.C. asked.

"I wait there to gather what the tree requires." Hobo said sharply.

"So, you actually live in the tree?" she inquired.

"Yes." He Answered.

"I want to see your home." She asked walking closer to the tree.

Hobo shook his head "No, not yet. You're not ready for that."

"Can I touch the tree?" C.C. asked with an inquisitive tone as she reached her hand out.

Hobo turned to her with a scowl and grabbed her hand away from the tree. "No, you must not touch it. You are not prepared for what it will show you."

C.C. became nervous "Well it's getting dark, and I should be heading home soon."

Hobo took her hand "Very well I'll walk you back to town."

As the two approached the small town a group of people were walking on the edge of the woods with flashlights. The group neared the couple.

"C.C. is that you?" a voiced called out.

"Yes." C.C. replied.

"It's Elizabeth where the hell have you been?" C.C.'s friend asked frantically.

C.C. stumbled for words as Hobo backed out of the light and into the shadows.

"I I.. I've been with my friend."

"You've been avoiding us at school and too preoccupied to speak to your friends. Do you realize that Britany has been missing for weeks! And now Glen's gone missing too!" Elizabeth shouted.

"What?! Are you serious? What do you mean they're missing?" she looked in the trees and shadows and couldn't see Hobo. Her head became heavy and could barely stand as she reached out for her friend to hold her up before she fell.

"Come on you can stay at my house tonight." Elizabeth said.

"Yeah okay." C.C. replied.

The two spent the next day catching up and posting fliers to help in the search for Britany and Glen. As they returned to Elizabeth's house in the afternoon C.C. became dizzy and ill again.

"I think I'm going to lie down for a while, if that's okay..." C.C. said as her head spun.

"Yeah sure, crash in my room." Elizabeth said.

"Hey, don't let me sleep too long I need to go into town and meet up with someone." C.C. said as she headed upstairs.

"Yeah yeah, lover boy I'm sure" Elizabeth said as she rolled her eyes.

Later C.C. woke up in a cold sweat. She frantically looked outside, it was nighttime. "Oh no. No no no."

She got up and ran into Elizabeth's living room. Elizabeth was lying on the couch asleep.

C.C. shook Elizabeth. "Hey, wake up. What time is it?"

"Hey. Chill out. I don't know, look at my phone." Elizabeth said half asleep.

C.C. fumbled around in the dark to find her phone. It was 11:34.

"Oh no, I need to go find him." C.C. said starting to tremble.

"Hey look whoever this guy is, he's no good for you. You've been slacking at school, when you're there. Your parents are worried. Only God knows what's happened to Britany and Glen and you didn't even care. You've totally lost yourself because of some guy. Spend a little time away from him and see how you feel." Elizabeth scolded.

C.C. hung her head "Yeah I guess you're right. Guess I got a little carried away."

As the days passed C.C. attended school and hung out with her friends. Elizabeth repeatedly bugged her about a boy named Jim that had a crush on her. C.C. finally gave in and said she would go on a date with Jim if Elizabeth and her boyfriend joined them.

The day of the date came. She met her friends at a local restaurant. Jim seemed nice enough, kind of a jock and a little more aggressive than guys she had gone on dates with before. Things went well enough. When they went outside to leave Jim offered to give her a ride home. She didn't feel comfortable with it and asked Elizabeth and her boyfriend Mike to give her a ride home.

The next day at school C.C. opened her locker and a piece of paper fell out. She picked it up and looked at it. It was the Valentine she had made for Hobo. When she touched it, flashes of Hobo and memories of time spent with him ran through her mind.  She started to panic and her palms became sweaty. She looked around frantically. How did it get there she wondered. Right then Elizabeth walked up.

"Hey, you okay?" she asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost." Elizabeth said.

"Yeah, I just need to let loose a little. I'm stressing " C.C. said as she rubbed her forehead.

"Over that guy?" Elizabeth asked "You need to quit worrying about that guy, he seems a little creepy anyway. It's Friday night and my parents are out of town. I bet Mike can get some booze and we can invite Jim over. How's that sound?"

C.C. giggled and nodded her head "Let's do it."

Later that night the four met at Elizabeth's house. Her parents left some cash for pizza. They'd had a few beers when Mike suggested a game of truth or dare. A beer or two later C.C. had loosened up, and when she was dared to make out with Jim it didn't seem like such a bad idea. Jim led her upstairs where they stared making out on Elizabeth's bed. As Jim ran his hand up C.C.'s shirt, a dog began barking outside.

"Jesus Christ what's with Elizabeth's damn dog?" Jim sighed.

"Elizabeth doesn't have a dog." C.C. replied as she peered out the window.

A chill ran up her spine as she saw the little scruffy dog that always accompanied Hobo jumping about and barking. C.C. ran downstairs and opened the door. She walked around the side of the house and the dog was gone. She scanned the yard and street and saw nothing. She went back inside a told Elizabeth she needed to call it a night.

"Ah come on stay a little while longer." Jim begged.

"No i need to get going." C.C. said.

"Alright, need me to give you a ride home?" Jim offered.

"Are you okay to drive?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I do it all the time." Jim replied with a cocky smile.

"Alright then, let's go." C.C. shrugged

On the drive home Jim was paying more attention to C.C. than the road. He grabbed at her thigh.

"Keep your eyes on the road!" She yelled as she pushed his hand away.

Jim looked back at the road, just in time to swerve and miss a parked car.

Shaken, C.C. said " That's it pull it over, I'll walk the rest of the way home."

Jim locked the brakes "Fine, be a bitch about it!"

C.C. got out of the car and slammed the door "What an asshole."

Jim sped off. As she began to walk the rest of the way home. She pulled her jacket closer as the cold night air nipped at her cheeks. A few houses from home she heard rustling in the leaves behind her. She quickened her pace. She looked over her shoulder, maybe she'd been watching too many scary movies, but it felt like someone was watching her. She reached home and quickly unlocked the door and slipped inside. Breathing heavily, she locked the door behind her. She felt a hand brush across her shoulder.

"Everything Okay honey?" Her dad asked as she jumped.

"Yeah Dad, just a long night. I'm off to bed." as she shook her head.

The next morning C.C. was awoken by Elizabeth plopping down on her bed.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" she said annoyingly.

C.C. peeked out from underneath her blankets "What time is it?"

"Time to get your ass up. We're going shopping! We have to get outfits for tonight. We're going to the movies with the guys!" Elizabeth shouted.

"I'm not going if Jim is going to be there. He almost got us killed last night! I don't want to be around him." C.C. said.

"Oh, stop he was just drunk! Get over it!" Elizabeth pleaded.

The girls got to the mall. As they went from store-to-store Elizabeth started to notice how melancholy everyone seemed. "Shouldn't everyone be in a better mood? It's Valentine's Day, Geez." Elizabeth said looking around her.

"Yeah, I noticed that too." C.C. said I as she scanned the crowd.

The two finished their shopping and headed to the parking garage. Elizabeth opened the trunk and placed their bags inside as she carried on about the plans for the night. Mid-sentence Elizabeth stopped talking. C.C. asked her what was wrong and turned to look at her. Elizabeth stood still staring at the ground as she began to sob.

"Hey, what's wrong?" C.C. asked as she grabbed her hand.

Her hand felt cold and her eyes were fixed on the ground. Elizabeth was completely unresponsive. She just stood there sobbing. Just then she felt something touch her leg. As she looked down, she saw the small scruffy dog with a bone in its mouth. She quickly looked up and Hobo was standing there.

"Have you been following me?" she asked.

"I sent him to watch over you." Hobo nodded toward the dog.

"I don't need to be watched over. What's wrong with Elizabeth, are you doing this to her?" C.C. said becoming irritated.

"I don't mean to, I told you everyone is sad." Hobo said as his shoulders sank.

"You need to go." C.C. shouted as she pushed Hobo away.

"It's your Valentine's Day, I thought I was to give you my heart?" Hobo asked.

"No, not anymore you're not like me, you can't be with me. You need to go." C.C. implored as she began to cry.

Hobo turned and walked away the dog followed. As the pair exited out of sight C.C. noticed the dog had left its bone. Upon closer inspection the bone appeared to have fresh blood on it. As C.C. knelt down to get a closer look Elizabeth startled her.

"What the hell is that? Are you ready to go or what?"

C.C. stood up and examined Elizabeth's face. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be okay?" Elizabeth asked as she chuckled and closed the trunk. "Let's go."

"Yeah okay." C.C. got into the car and glanced around one last time.

Later that night the girls arrived at the movie theater to catch a movie with Mike and Jim. As the girls pulled in C.C. saw the guys standing next to Jim's car. As C.C. exited the car Jim placed his hand on her shoulder.

"You okay? I'm sorry about last night. I shouldn't have been driving. It was stupid."

C.C. nodded her head. "Well, at least he apologized." she thought to herself.  The group went to see some cheesy horror movie. She sat with Jim. He was being a creep and kept trying to make out. She repeatedly denied his advances. After the movie ended Elizabeth and Mike walked over to C.C. and Jim.

"Hey Jim, can you give C.C. a ride home? We've got other plans and not enough room in the car." Elizabeth winked.

"Hey guys no, can't I just ride with you and you can drop me off at my place?" C.C. pleaded.

"Nope. Jim's a big boy, he can handle you." Elizabeth skipped off.

Jim chuckled. "Hey come on. I'm not so bad."

C.C. rolled her eyes. "Please just take me home."

Jim opened the car door. "Ladies First".

C.C. reluctantly got in the car she didn't talk much as they traveled along. She noticed that they had missed her turn. Jim had driven them to the park near C.C.'s neighborhood parked the car and turned off the lights.

"I don't know what you think you're doing but you need to take me home." C.C. said in disgust.

"Ah come on. Just one kiss. You didn't have a problem with it the other night." Jim said with a sinister grin. As he leaned near her. C.C. slapped Jim in the face and got out of the car and started to run. Jim chased after her. He caught up to her and tackled her. She started to scream. Jim struck her repeatedly and told her to shut up. Her lip and nose started to bleed. He then ripped her shirt and pawed and groped at her body. She closed her eyes in terror as she frantically tried to fight him off.

She heard a loud crack. Jim had stopped. She opened her eyes and saw Jim lying on the ground and a tall, lanky figure standing over her. He took his hoodie off and put it on her. Her vision was blurry, eyes swollen from being hit. His skin was a dark grey almost black and he had a skeletal system on his arms and chest to match the skull on his face. It was Hobo. He knelt down next her. She couldn't see clearly what he was doing but she could hear ripping and tearing of flesh and the horrible sound of blood splattering.

She pulled herself to her knees and called out "Hobo..."

He reached out and handed her something. She took it. She then realized it was his still beating heart pulsating in her hands. She looked up at him. He placed his hands on either side of her face tilted her head up and said "I value my heart. You can keep it. I don't need it anymore." and kissed her on the forehead. She passed out...

C.C. woke up in her bed. She got up went to her mirror. She had no injuries. She looked herself over and could see no damage from the night before. What had happened? Was she dreaming? She walked downstairs. Her mother was cooking breakfast and her father was reading the paper.

"Mom? Dad?" she asked.

Her Dad looked over "Hey you, how was last night?"

"What do you mean?" C.C. asked.

"Well Elizabeth's mom called this morning. Apparently, she didn't make it home last night after she dropped you off and we saw on the news that some more kids were missing. Didn't know if you knew anything about it. We figured it was just kids being kids. You don't know anything, do you?" her father asked looking up from his paper.

"Uh... No." C.C. replied.

C.C.'s heart sank... She ran upstairs and started looking through her room, in her closet, in her drawers. She sat down on her bed. Then she heard it, thump thump... thump thump... she looked under her bed. There was Hobo's hoodie. She pulled it out from underneath her bed and unfolded it. Inside was Hobo's heart, still beating. "Oh no!" she thought. Hobo! What has happened? I need to find him. She folded the hoodie back up, put on some shoes and ran downstairs. She told her parents she was going to check on Elizabeth and she'd be home soon.

Carrying the hoodie, she ran across town out towards the woods. The wind picked up and it started to rain. She got near the spot where Hobo made her close her eyes. She began to call out for him "Hobo... HOBO"! It was raining hard now. She looked all around. She saw Hobo's dog running through the woods. She called out to him. He looked up and saw her and darted over and began licking her. He was covered in blood.

She fell to her knees "Oh no! Hobo's hurt, take me to him." the scruffy dog jumped and twirled around.

C.C. got to her feet and followed the little dog to the tree. The tree was no longer vibrant and full of color. It was black and looked to be dying.  All the leaves had fallen off and the limbs were lifeless and low hanging.  The dog went around to the back of the hill. C.C. could see an opening. She ducked down and started to walk in. She stumbled and reached out to grab the roots to break her fall. When she touched the tree her heart was filled with great sorrow. She saw flashes in her mind of faces upon faces of lifeless people, dead people. Then six faces appeared, horrible faces, twisted and demonic.

She managed to get back to her knees and crawl into the hole. It was a circular room. It was dimly light by six braziers. The flames in the braziers were black and purple unlike any fire C.C. had seen before.  There were bones strung out across the ground. The ground itself was pooled with blood.  She frantically looked around and saw Britany, Glen, Jim, Elizabeth, and Mike entangled in the roots. She screamed and ran toward her friends, but when she approached, she retched as she realized it was far too late. It was like the roots had come to life and were squeezing the bodies, bones were crackling and breaking, their innards were spilling forth. The small dog was ripping at an opening in Elizabeth's chest, pulled a bone loose and began to shake it about like a toy as he bounced across the room.

Long stringy roots hung down above each of C.C.'s friends. Their hearts had been removed and now hung above them intertwined in the roots. It looked like the tree was almost feeding off the hearts, absorbing the life of each soul into the tree. There was a sixth cluster of roots with no body and no heart. Next to the empty cluster of roots lay Hobo. He lay lifeless and still. C.C. crawled through the horrors and carnage to get to him. She rolled him over. His chest was torn open and there was a gaping wound where he had removed his heart.  His eyes fluttered open and met hers. He blinked then his eyes got wider.

"Why...?" he asked.

C.C. began to cry "Why What? Why did you kill my friends?! How could you do this?! You're a monster!" she screamed.

Hobo struggling for life "I saved you. Protected you from these people. I told you not to touch the tree. You were special. ...shouldn't have brought my heart here... I failed my purpose..."

C.C. pounded on Hobo's chest "What purpose?! Murdering people?! Destroying lives?!"

Cryptic chanting in a foreign tongue began echoing from the walls.

"Pou mwen passe, Le'm tounnen map remesi."

"Pou mwen passe, Le'm tounnen map remesi."

"Pou mwen passe, Le'm tounnen map remesi." the voices called repeatedly.

Hobo cleared his throat as he clung to life "Must keep the six here. With six hearts. Only five gathered... saved you didn't get six.. too late..."

C.C. grabbed the hoodie "Use your heart! Give them your heart!"

She unwrapped the hoodie. Hobo's heart was barely beating. It was black and dying. Hobo looked at his heart and his rage began to build.

He looked into C.C.'s eyes. "I valued it, so I gave it to you! You were supposed to protect it!  Now you wish to destroy it?"

C.C. became enraged "You murdered my friends!"

Hobo's arm shot up and palmed C.C.'s chest. His fingers and thumb penetrating her skin.

"Do you value your heart?!"  he demanded.

He squeezed his hand into a fist, ripping her shirt and flesh from her body. She fell to the ground gasping for air. The chanting grew louder. As Hobo rose to his feet, he arched his back and large, black feathers wings extended from his body. His eyes glowed fiercely. He then used his fists to crush C.C.'s chest as he stuck her repeatedly. He then grabbed a protruding rib bone and ripped it from her body exposing her chest cavity. She lay motionless as he reached inside of her and removed her heart. The roots from the ceiling extend to receive the heart. Hobo looked up to the roots then back down at C.C.

"No..." He then placed C.C.'s heart into the opening in his own chest.

He found a small sliver of bone from the ground and took hair from C.C.'s head and began to sew himself back together.

The small blood-soaked dog whimpered at his side as he forced the crude bone in and out of his flesh. "Don't worry, it'll do for now, though it won't last. It will need to be replaced."

When he was done, he pat the dog on the head, walked over and picked up his heart and placed it on C.C.'s chest.

"You can keep it. I don't need it anymore." he knelt down a kissed her on the forehead one last time. As he stood up, he noticed something laying on the ground beside her. It was the Valentine she had made for him. He picked it up and held it to his chest then placed it in his back pocket.

Hobo then turned the six braziers over and set the room ablaze. The room was quickly engulfed in flame. The fire burned unnaturally fast as the purple and black flames reached higher. Hobo then exited the opening in the hill.

As he walked away, six skeletal figures composed of black smoke crawled up out of the roots and flames, screeching and screaming as they cackled "at last we are free..."

Hobo grinned as he walked away. The tree burning fiercely despite the rain...