Candied Heart

“Rain again.” she said, watching the red puddle form before the doorstep. Moonlight reflected in the thick fluid. She stepped outside, feeling the warm liquid slide down her skin. Her limbs trembled as she made her steps. Her chest bulged as her lungs pressed against the flesh. Her ribs felt cold.

The body was an instrument. In the best of times it made no noise, but unless it was dead, it will always play a song. The soft rubbed against the hard. Movement, as the sinews pulled the hide and bone. The heart, diligent, lubricating the flesh where it’s been torn open. Tears from the protruding bone. Curious branches that yet refuse to escape their host. Wires, tight, from one end of the instrument to the other. The string that brings the orchestra to a unified whole. The skin read the notes of thorns, poking out from the inside or in from the outside.

Twisted Spike made it to the marketplace. The air weighed down on her, preventing her from moving her head up to see the sun, or whatever else was up there. It would be hidden behind clouds anyway.

“Now who are you?” the being sprung around her, like a butterfly before it was fastened with a pin. In fact, the pins, the needles and screws were what made this instrument play in the first place.
“I am Twisted Spike.” the creature produced the sound of the living.
The restless contraption smiled effortlessly in response. Hooks and wires performed the action for weary muscle tissue. “That you are. I’m Piercing Pins & Needles.” That much was evident. A song artificially forced into its reprise. The acapella swan song. “Let’s be friends, you and I.”
“What would the point be?” Twisted Spike attempted to leave the situation, but the animated nuisance followed with ease.
“There you go again, asking about points and reason. You silly goose.” Pierce placed emphasis on the last strum of her vocal cords. Twist suspected that was purely to confuse her. She had a tendency to stop and overthink such random acts. It’s how this imp trapped her in conversation. Really, it felt like she had done this countless times before, this stranger.
“We are friends, forever and ever!”
Twisted Spike had already lost track of her plans out in the world. She barely noticed the downpour had stopped, though the sun had yet to show. How much time had passed exactly?

There was a puddle she found before her. It reflected her face back to her and she in turn tried to reflect it. Over time, she began to resemble her mirror image. She looked up and found herself no longer in the marketplace. The loud fool still jumped around her, having found her harmony. She was no longer a stranger. But how long until she would once again be?

Tommy tried to shake the fog from her mind. It was damp and heavy. She felt like collapsing. “Where the fuck…?” she muttered faintly before her body gave in.

“What’s wrong, Twist?” Page asked. She knelt down, worry fighting to straighten her smile.
“Something’s wrong… Page, what happened?”

Page exhaled and then refused to take in another breath. Tommy got the idea she asked the wrong question. And this person was a stranger after all.
“It’s Piercing Pins & Needles now, Twist.”
“What happened?”
“Once more, off the top. You were just about to leave for the marketplace. Get it right this time. We do not go here anymore. Why are you so difficult? You always were.” Page’s smile returned in full force. “Just… just let me have this. Have you here with me.”
“Page, something’s wrong here.” Tommy begged her to understand. She didn’t know what, but all those noises were wrong. This body was wrong. This world was wrong. Her friend was wrong.
“I know.” Page said. “So don’t come back here. I made for us a world that is right. Where we are friends forever. Just let it happen Twist. You always question. Don’t worry about the past. I took care of it.”
“What did you do?”
“I don’t remember. You are the only one who refuses to forget and you break it over and over. My heart can’t take it, Twist. Please. Will you make an effort?”
“I need to understand.”
“Understand that tomorrow will be the best day ever.”

All was removed. Tommy felt the sensation of falling and nothing else. No sight, no smell. The noise came in later. She remembered it one last time. The metal screaming as it was torn apart, as its bloodless veins snapped and its brain was impaled on its shattered bones. As it’s organs were shredded, pressed out between wounds, knocked against its broken skeleton and twisted by invisible forces until all life was wrung and beaten out of it.

Then there was silence. Soothing, until it was once again disturbed by a needle being placed at the outer edge of the spiral once more. Sound was once again scratched into her vision. The sensation of an instrument behind her hands. The orchestra awoke to play for the rotting audience of old memories. Only the players left to hear the final note that’ll never come. For the conductor refused to rest the needle in her hands. Five living beings were forced to play to its whims, for the song was too beautiful to ever end.