In a murderous time, the heart breaks and breaks, and lives by breaking.

Clair puts both hands on her cheeks because she's so excited. "Okay now we're going to spend all of Preston's money."

Finally, the fight is drawing to a close. Preston has Karen backed against a wall, knife against her neck. "So."

Karen is still standing like she could fight for another hour, with her chin high and chest puffed. However, her she's breathing heavily bc she's exhausted okay. "You could end it right now."

Jessie is standing a few steps behind Preston.

"I could." Preston refuses to break eye contact with Karen. He needs to make sure she feels the full force of his hatred. "And it would feel so wonderful. Your blood running through my hands."

Jessie's eyebrows draw together with a tiny little bit of concern. But she trusts Preston. He wouldn't do anything too drastic. Not anymore.

Karen holds Preston's eye contact, still feeling like she could win this. "You tried to kill me once before. What makes you think you'll succeed this time?"

"Your eyes." Preston presses the knife tighter against Karen's throat. He makes a small cut; it begins to bleed. "You're afraid. I can tell."

Karen's body stays tense, but her eyes begin to redden with tears. She opens her mouth to say something sassy. However, her words are caught in her through. She mumble a wimpy "Do it."

Jessie takes a small step forward. She is beginning to see the person in Karen, not just a monster. And she's seeing less of a person in Preston.

Preston laughs a hollow, cruel laugh. "Oh my God. You're _crying_. You're crying!" He motions around the room, grinning just a little too wide. "Ladies and gentlemen, here is your fearless vampire hunter. Behold, her courage and the fire in her eyes."

Karen's hands begin to tremble a little bit. Not only is she afraid, but she's ashamed. She did all she could, yet it still wasn't enough. She continues to stare forward as Preston gestures and a tear spills down her cheek. Her voice cracks. "Just do it already." It's less of a threat, and more of a plea.

Jessie steps forward again and timidly places a hand on Preston's shoulder. She doesn't know what to say, and she pulls her hand back.

Preston pushes the knife in just a little bit further, but certainly not enough to do any real damage. "But I don't want to kill you, Karen." He pulls the knife from her neck and, with the edge, slowly traces a line along her chin. The crimson of the blood is striking against the paleness of Karen's skin. "Ah, red and white. My favorite colors."

Karen shivers as the icy blade traces her chin and a red hot line burns on her neck. She finally breaks the eye contact and shuts her eyes tight, like she could wake up from this nightmare and be a child again. When she opens her eyes, another tear falls. "What are you going to do, then?" Her voice is hardly audible.

"Oh dear, what a loaded question." Preston leans forward and gently pulls a strand of hair away from her face, tucking it behind her. "Well, I'm going to start nice and easy, of course. Warm touches. Little cuts. Since your skin is so bare, I'm going to paint it like a beautiful, bloody landscape." Still mere inches from her face, he moves the knife up and makes a tiny cut in her cheek.

Karens sucks in a short cold breath and looks up. She feels the blood rush to the surface of the cut and form tiny bubbles of red on her skin. She keeps her eyes on the ceiling but her face forward, like she's searching for any sort of escape. The lump in her throat has grown to large to allow for any sort of rebuttal.

Preston smiles. With the hand not holding the knife, he caresses the side of her face. "There there," he whispers. "This isn't so bad, is it?" He places the blade on her cheek again and makes another cut. This time, however, it's much deeper.

Karen lets out a quite cry, a sudden release of the energy swelling in her throat. She pulls her face away from the blade and turns her head, no longer holding confrontational stance. Her eyes are shuts, but that doesn't stop the tears from rolling down and blending with her blood.

Jessie reaches out like she wants to help, but her hand folds in on itself and falls to her side. Her voice is soft behind him. "Preston..."

Preston ignores Jessie; he's so into this, the way blood and tears feel in his hands, that he can't really see or feel anything but Karen. "Remember when you thought you could kill me?" He makes another deep cut in Karen's cheek. "Doesn't that seem funny now? Like a joke?"

Karen cries out again, but louder this time. Her scream melts in to a sob, followed by a broken breath in. She has finally lost control. She feels the blood drip down her cheek, on to her quivering lips. It's much darker than the supposedly blood-red color she had painted on. The color seems weak in comparison.

Jessie reaches out again and grabs Preston's shoulder, pulling him back. "Preston!" Her other hand is trembling. It's been so long since she's seen him like this. But this time she feels like she can help him.

Finally Preston steps back from Karen. His eyes widen and his head pops up, as though he's been in a daze. Looking down at his hands, seeing the blood--seeing Karen in front of him--, he drops the knife. "Oh no. Oh no. Jessie. Oh no."

Karen falls to her knees in front of Preston, shaking uncontrobly. She wipes a mix of blood and tears from her cheeks.

Jessie pulls her hand back, letting it again rest at her side. She looks at Preston, unable to recognize him for a moment. She wants to grabs his hands and hold him in her arms, assure him that every thing is going to be alright. But his hands are stained with blood like the paws of some animal. Instinctively, she takes a step back, keeping her eyes locked on his face.

Preston puts his head in his hands. "I thought..I thought I had changed. Jessie, I'm so sorry, I thought I had changed. I thought you changed me."

Jessie's hands begin to tremble again, a wave of assorted emotions flooding her mind - an unhealthy balance of regret for the past month or so and overwhelming desire to forget Preston lost his mind for a minute. "Yeah... Yeah, me too." Her voice is so soft that only he could hear her, but it doesn't falter.

Preston falls to his knees. "I lost control again. Like I used to. Like I always did."

Jessie watches Preston for a moment. Seeing him so vulnerable tugs at something inside of her. She knew he wasn't a monster, obviously. But there would always be that part of him. And then this part of him. She hesitates, then steps forward and kneels down. However, she is in front of Karen. "Hey... Come on." She holds out a hand to her. All her motions are gentle.

Karen looks up at Jessie, and her shaking stops.

Preston shakes his head and swats at her hand. "I don't deserve you."

(Preston wallows in self pity instead)

Karen takes Jessie's hand, and she helps her get to her feet. She wipes her cheek once more, not standing nearly as confident as before. It is clear she has been knocked off her pedestal.

Jessie brushes her (own) hair from her face, ignoring the blood on her hands. She sighs a little. "Alright... Now what?"