Board Thread:Writer's Workshop/@comment-24184634-20140426165935

"This morning two more victims of the serial murderer commonly known as Quick Silver were found in the park at half past six by two joggers who wished to remain anonymous.

"The killer, whom still remains suspectless, has yet to change his M.O. or even try to disguse his crimes, as the two newest victims, Laura Trent, age nineteen, and her boyfriend Tate Lewis, also nineteen, were found to have been soaked in mercury, the same as the previous three victims, Lisa Marks, Taylor Dare, and Daniel Muse.

"The young couple appear to have been dumped in the park sometime during the early hours of the morning, and police estimate the time of death to be at around three this morning, but the specific cause of death has been determined.

"Investigators believe that the young couple had drowned in the mercury that they had been submersed in, as it was found in their lungs during their autopsy, though they are not sure it is the cause of death as they also found blunt force wounds to the back of each victims head. More news on this story as it develops"

Jake snapped off the TV when the newscaster finished talking, and rolled his eyes. "What a sick fuck." he mumbled to himself as he stood.

He stretched and rubbed his hands over his face "Who even comes up with that sort of thing? Drowning in mercury, Jesus Christ." he'd been following the crime spree with interest since it had began, but as it carried on Jake got more and more disgusted by the lengths this murderer took to torture his victims before they died.

"So what are they saying on the news?" Tara asked as Jake sat down at the table. She took her own seat, tucking her dark curls behind her ear. "Please tell me it's not more about that serial killer guy you've been researching"

"Can't tell you that unfortunately. They found another two victims this morning in the park." He said, trying to remain calm and stoic, he knew how frightening Tara found this whole phenomenon.

"Who were they?" she asked softly, picking at her food.

"Just a couple of teens that got reckless, were out way past when they shoulda been. God rest em." he said after a short pause.

Tara shook her head "It's such a sin, all those people, and they were all so young, the oldest was, what? Seventeen? And they've still got nothing to go on." She sighed and glanced up at Jake, looking both very sad and very nervous.

"I'm sure they'll catch him soon enough, I mean a guy drowning people in mercury isn't exactly inconspicuous." he soothed her gently, reaching out to pat her hand softly.

"I suppose you're right" she conceded softly after a moment, pushing out a heavy sigh "but that doesn't make the knowledge of what he's doing any easier"

XXX

The creak of floorboards was not something Jake wanted to hear this late at night, especially since he knew Laura had already gone to bed over an hour beforehand.

"Who's there?" he called out a little nervously, everything that he'd seen on the news had kept him very much on edge, and, upon receiving no reply, he stood from his chair and crept out into the hallway.

His brow furrowed when he met no one in the hall.

"What the ever loving fuck?" he mumbled to himself, turning round to go back into his office, hoping that it had just been the house settling.

He settled back into his computer chair and set back to working when the door began to slowly creak open.

"This isn't funny Tara, I'm trying to work" His voice was irritated as he spoke, he didn't appreciate Tara's late night strolls through the house on the best of nights, but it was especially annoying now as he was trying to finish up a report that needed to be on his boss' desk first thing in the morning.

When no one replied he sighed in exasperation and spun around in his chair, his eyes closed, and middle and forefingers pressed to his temples.

"I really haven't got the time for this Tara. Go back upstairs, I'll be up to bed as soon as I'm finished."

This time he received a reply.

"I'm not Tara..." a voice rasped, low and almost crazed, in the doorway.

Jake's eyes flew open wide, and he caught only the faintest flash of silver-on-black before his vision went dark.

XXX

Jake woke with a start in the pitch black night, his wrists pinned down to the floor of what seemed to be a concrete basin, with chains encircling both his wrists and ankles.

He let out a strangled cry of fright as his captor came into full view.

The man was tall and had and old-fashioned black silk top hat tipped low on his head, the wide brim so low that it covered most of his ghostly pale face.

"Good evening Jacob." the voice that spoke seemed to come from everywhere around him. "I am called Marcus. Marcus Lawrence. But you may know me by the name your news has given me. Quick Silver." the man spoke in a low rasp of a voice, the slightest trace of a cockney accent just audible beneath the roughness of his voice.

"You...you're h-him?" Jake gasped out after his shock had waned somewhat.

"I didn't think that you would be so slow Jacob; but yes, I am him. Now, do try to keep up and pay attention my friend, I shan't repeat myself again." his voice boomed across the seemingly empty lot, the rasp of it getting rougher with each word.

The man, Marcus...Quick Silver, approached where Jake was pinned down, and now that he was closer, Jake could see him more clearly.

Marcus was very tall and wore what seemed to be a Victorian-style suit, it consisted of a black waistcoat and trousers am a white shirt, with a red ribbon-like tie around his throat. His clothes were old and tattered, though they had obviously at one point been the height of fashion, and holes took residence in the knee of his left trouser leg and the right bicep of his shirt. The sleeves and neck of his waistcoat were stained red and ripped up to the point of ridiculousness, as were the cuffs of his shirt, and the bottom of his right trouser leg, and the entirety of his clothes had splotches of mercury interspersed upon the fabric.

He swept his hat from his head and grinned manically as he crouched down next to Jake, his unkempt, silvery hair hanging in his face, one large pale eye staring down at him through the curtain of hair, bloodshot and full of crazed malice.

"Now Jacob, my friend, knowing my reputation as you do, I'm sure you know why I've brought you here." Marcus said softly, though his voice still rang in Jake's ears.

Jake watched him with attentive horror as the Quick Silver stood and retrieved a somewhat large container, and dipped his fingers into it.

"You see, when I was young I was taken from my family by a so called friend of my father, and I was forced into a job at a very young age. But, as it was the early eighteen hundreds...Perhaps only as late as eighteen-twenty, though I can no longer remember exactly how long ago it was, it wasn't so odd of a thing to be working at a young age. But I was young even to be working, only fourteen years of age." Quick Silver removed his hand from the container, and it came away covered in a silvery liquid that shone in the moonlight.

"I was kidnapped and forced to work as a hatter. And one of our mediums at that time for making hats was what has become my favourite element. Mercury." He grinned down at Jake and let the mercury coating his hand slide in shimmering droplets down his wrist, further staining the cuff of his shirt.

"I worked for the man I was taken by for fifteen years before my demise. After twelve years of working for that man I was certifiably insane due to the mercury poisoning me from the hat making process. My master cared little and made me work until I finally found the merciful release of death." Marcus lowered his hand and flicked the mercury pooling in his palm onto Jake's clothes.

"Do you know what that man's name was Jacob? I believe you may." Marcus set down the container and settled himself down onto the floor near Jake's head. "You see, that man was your oh, eight-times great grandfather. His name was also Jacob, though he bore a different family name than you."

"Why are you doing this to me? I didn't do anything to you! I'm not my family's past sins!" Jake gasped out in terror and shock "I never knew my family had done that, I'm so sorry" he spoke quickly and softly, his eyes frightened and pleading. "Please let me go!"

"I can't do that, Jacob my dear friend. You see, on the night I died and my spirit rose from my body I vowed to enact my revenge upon the families of my masters. And I have done so, every few generations since the day I made that vow, and I will continue to do so until this earth no longer exists, or the family lines of those men who had enslaved me are wiped out entirely. You're a good man Jacob, and Tara and your friends and family will mourn you dearly, but I must maintain my vow. I swore to myself and whatever god is up there." Marcus' voice had softened by the time he'd finished speaking, though it was still rough and angry. "I must carry out my vow."

Jake was crying as Marcus stood from the ground and seemingly floated towards the edge of the small basin, where he began to tip his mode of murder from large buckets into the basin itself.

"I am truly sorry Jacob, I do hope you understand." Quick Silver's voice rang through the night as the final container of the liquid metal was poured into the basin, completely immersing Jake's body as it slowly began to shut down as he breathed the mercury into his lungs.

"You are my only regret, my friend." 