The Black Veil Bride To Be

Andy’s POV

I made breakfast for the both of us; bacon was the best cure for a hangover, I don’t know about pancakes though. I just knew I was really craving a good hearty breakfast. Amelie seemed to be enjoying it quite abit.


“So, do you have to go back to school or anything?” I asked,
“No, I called in,”
“Okay, so did you want to do anything else reckless and relentless?”
She sat there quietly for a moment to contemplate.
“Well, you have a car don’t you?”
“Yeah,” I said,
“We could drive around, go eat, go see a movie maybe at Twentieth Century?”
“Or...we could go explore underground caverns and get lost?” I chuckled,
A sickly beautiful smile spread across her face, “sounds amazing,”
It was agreed.


Amelie’s POV

We snuck back to my house after our brunch so I could shower and get a change of clothes, I felt all grimey and awful. I told Andy to make himself comfortable; my mom was at work and wouldn’t be home till around eight or nine at night. When I came back from my shower, I peaked behind the door to see him just sitting on the floor petting my cat, Figaro.

Slipping through the walking in closet, I got changed in there before coming back to find him now rolling on the floor with Figaro. My outfit of choice was a jean skirt with chains on the pockets and black leggings with converse along with low cut red V-neck shirt and a leather jacket. I was ready to raise some hell. It felt good to rebel and not have to wear a suffocating black turtle neck sweater and pencil skirt.


Emerging from the closet, he looked up and saw me, “wow,” he smiled, “leather suits you,” I blushed,
“Thanks,”
“So, cavern adventures?”
“Yes,” I agreed, now when we say “caverns,” they’re not really caves like bat caves, they’re more like abandoned, unused sewer set ups from the 1920’s during Prohibition; thanks to a lot of us hellians, we managed to turn it into an underground skate park and venue for local bands.


We got into his car and drove to an abandoned parking lot by what use to be a glass factory; it was old and falling into the ground but that was the gateway to the caverns.


Andy parked in the small patch of foliage behind the building as to not be seen by the fuzz.
We climbed up through a window on the second story thanks to an old, rusty fire escape; being a gentleman that Andy was, he went in first to make sure the foundation was sturdy enough for us and then helped me in.


The inside was cold and murky and probably full of black mold, “oh God,” I coughed into the bend of my arm, “it smells like the Industrial Revolution died in here,”
“Here,” said Andy giving me a black handkerchief from his pocket, “just breathe into this,”
“What about you?” I asked,
“You forget, I have smoker lungs; this stuff doesn’t phase me,”


I smiled and put the handkerchief up to my mouth and nose and followed him down the stairs to the main floor; taking deep breathes, I could smell his cologne; it smelt like him and it was almost intoxicating; or maybe that was just the black mold finally getting to me.


“Hang in there,” he said, “we’re almost there,”
We finally reached a gloomy looking maintenance closet and in the floor was a hatch that lead to under the factory and below that was another hatch that lead to the caverns.
After reaching the cavern, we stumbled around in the dark for a bit, “stay close,” he warned taking my hand.


Oh no, he’s holding my hand.
He released my hand briefly and fumbled around on the cold, concrete floor till he found a broken piece of wood and a half empty gas can with just enough on the bottom, “at least the can is still here, I thought some other punks would’ve found it; can I see that cloth I gave you?” I lowered my hand from my mouth and nose and gave it to him reluctantly as he wrapped it around the stick and poured the leftover gas on the cloth before taking his zippo and lighting it


“And Andy said, let there be light,” I chuckled, he turned to look at me smiling; his eyes shined so brightly by flame. He reached and took my hand again, “let’s go, not too much farther now,” his hands were soft and warm, firm but gentle in grasp.


Within fifteen or so feet we reached the caverns, the aqueducts (the stuff that controlled and held all the icky water) that lead through the mainstream of the system were drained dry, probably because this sewer system was no longer in use. The only time it ever got any water is when it rained…a lot.


He went around and lit some other stick-and-cloth torches perked on the corners of the ducts to give us some light. Sunlight trying to beam through the holes in the manhole above our heads. There was a sort of hidden beauty about this place; a dirty beauty that enticed you and made you feel safe.


“I use to love coming down here all the time,” I smiled,
“I run here whenever school gets me down,” he replied,
“I hear that,” I looked at him sitting on the curb of the duct and glancing at the sunbeams in the center,


“what’cha thinkin’?” I asked seating myself beside him.
“Nothing, my mind tends to wander at times; ADD really,” I laughed,
“What?” he asked,
“That’s cute,” I smiled,
“Mental illness is admirable to you?” he chuckled back,
“You get what I mean,” I rolled my eyes,
“No, I don’t,” he teased, “elaborate?” he scooted closer,
My cheeks flushed a bright pink at his closeness; “I wish I knew how,” I smiled modestly,
“Then I’ll just tickle it out of you,”


“Don’t you even,” I warned, before I could say anything, his fingers feverishly ran up and down my sides, I couldn’t contain my laughter; I dropped to my arms and laid on the cold concrete with him above me, looking down. Then he stopped tickling but he didn’t move,
“What is it?” he shook his head solemnly,
“What?” I repeated, a smile spread across his face,


“You’re beautiful you know that,” he brushed a piece of hair from my face; he leaned down closer, his breath on my cheeks and then his lips on mine. I didn’t fight back, I was paralyzed by the electric currents running through my arteries. Is this as close to heaven as I’m going to get? I’d like to think so.

Notes

Song(s) for This Chapter:

Maybe - Lily Kershaw