1. Chapter One

Tasteless is a fictional psychological thriller novel, which follows serial killers and their mindsets.

Warning: Chapter Contains Mature Content, Including But Not Limited To; Murder, Mild Blood/Gore, Disturbing Character Thoughts and Actions, and Themes That May Disturb Or Upset A Sensitive Reader.

-Frey-

I've never been much of a religious type, but to this day I'm sure if there's a hell �" I belong there and I ain't looking for salvation. I don't even think I have a soul to be cleansed. I've looked for it, and I found nothing... Nothing, but a monster inside me. A monster that only longed for chaos and destruction.

Hunger. It pounded in my chest louder than the sound of the rain pouring on the pavement and the booming lightening that cracks the sky above me. The bloodlust rang so loud in my ears, the monster was the only thing that felt real to me in this confusing world. It wanted more. It always wanted more.

And I was more than happy to obey.

I sat there in that alleyway, shivering my soaking wet clothes while I dug through the stranger's backpack. I glanced back at the man sitting against the wall next to me. His eyes seemed to stare at me, empty and hollow.

"What? Ya ain't gonna be needin' none of this..." I mumbled under my breath with a smirk as I pulled a wrinkled pack of smokes out of the bag. I put the cigarette in my mouth, struggling to light it in the rain.

It was getting so cold, and I knew this winter would be a harsh one. It was early into the season, but already felt worse than the last two. This world always felt cold to me though, no matter what the weather... I hated it.

I hated everything about this world. I hated the buildings and busy roads. I hated the wooded areas and quiet streets. I hated the people here, both the glassy eyed ones that seemed to pity me and the stone-faced ones that ignored me. I f****n' hated them all. From the loudmouthed teenagers to the uptight rich folks. I hated the religious types who offered shelter at churches and the police who told me where I wasn't allowed to sleep. I found them disgusting.

Before three years ago, I lived as long as I could remember never seeing the outside world and I didn't know exactly what I expected once I was finally free to walk the streets, but the world I found was much different than anything I could imagine. I only knew pain, death, and hell, so I expected pain, death, and hell. I expected more suffering and I was met with something I was completely unfamiliar with... Happiness, peace, love...

It disgusted me.

"Can I tell you a secret?" I asked the stranger beside me. "You ain't gonna be tellin' nobody right?"

When I got no answer, I leaned back against the brick my eyes staring up at the lightening as it broke the sky. "I kill people."

His eyes just stared at me like a bottomless void, as if they were looking through me.

"Don't look at me like that," I snapped, "You just don't understand. It's all I've ever known, pretty much the only thing I'm good at... It's how I survive in your useless world. I got nothin' else." I took a long drag from the cigarette between my fingers, exhaling slowly. "It makes me feel whole. Almost... It's a release for me... I'd say it makes me happy, but I don't even know what that feels like... And I hear you people throw that word around so much, I doubt it even has a f****n' meaning no more."

I chuckled to myself. This stranger would never understand. He just didn't know... No one did. Murder was all I had now. No name. No history. No memory of who I was or where I came from before I became this... This shell of a person. Murder was the only thing that felt familiar to me.

I glanced back over at him, his face still expressionless and vacant. "You ain't gonna tell nobody, right?" I watched for a reaction, but his eyes only got more clouded and skin paled even whiter. I smirked to myself, "Course not... You're dead."

I fell back laughing. I laughed so hard it hurt. I don't know why it was so funny at the time... It just was. I couldn't help myself.

"Are you done fooling around, Frey?" The Monster asked, It's tone tight with annoyance.

I sat up, shaking myself out of my hysterical fit. "Just wanted somebody to talk to..."I muttered.

"You're going to freeze out in the open like this. Get rid of the body and return to the bridge."

I listened, returning to the drifter spot under the bridge after I disposed of the corpse. I was already starting to get bored of this town, and beginning to think above moving on again. I didn't like becoming too familiar in one area, or leaving too many bodies in one town. I knew I was pretty much a ghost when it came to records and identifying me, but I didn't want to take any chances.

Finding targets was easy in this city, as I usually went for people nobody would miss or care to go looking for - drug addicts, hookers, drifters, thugs �" The ones that would go down as unindenified John and Jane Does and cases would go cold. It made it easier for me to kill as many as I could before I had to move on.

This city was dirty and depressing. Full of people who were either useless parts of society like myself or high paid business people. There was no in between and the upper class never seemed to give a s**t about the lower class.

I found a place to sleep away from the other drifters under that bridge, ignoring the chatter around me as I stared at the burning barrel a few yards away from me. I was drenched and shivering from the cold, but the warmth from the fire was beginning to help me warm myself. I was hungry, and even the canned goods the other homeless people were eating looked tempting, but I didn't bother making a move to steal some. I was used to hunger and cold. It was nothing new. I lived like this long before I became a drifter.

I felt myself nodding off again, the lack of sleep beginning to wear me down. I fought it off, feeling the monster still awake inside me. I didn't want it to win and let myself fall asleep where it could have control over my mind. I didn't want it pulling up memories and nightmares just to remind me of what I'm supposed to be grateful for. I had gone four days so far without sleep, and I'd prefer to never sleep again.

When I slept, I was forced to go into the deepest, darkest corners of my mind. This physical world around me was useless and empty, but I would rather be there than inside my head. Unlike this meaningless world, my brain was full. It was full of nothing but blood, pain, and darkness that I couldn't ever escape. And in the middle of all that was the Monster, waiting for me.

//

-Rema-

I didn't want to die.

To be honest, I was afraid of many things, but I was terrified of death. Not just any death, I was afraid of a slow painful death. I was afraid of being a victim to one of these strangers and dying by their hand. Of all the things I was afraid of, death scared me the most.

This world was ugly and the people were hateful and sadistic. The types of people who would tear someone else apart just to make themselves whole. The types of people who would hurt someone just to heal their own pain. I knew it personally. I had seen it myself and I had been torn apart by hands that wanted to be whole. I swore I would never be someone's release again. I wouldn't die by someone else's hands.

As I walked down the city streets, my heeled shoes echoing footsteps as loud as my heartbeat, I saw inside every strangers eyes. I saw nothing but hate and anger. I only saw their dark desires and hurtful impulses. I swore one day one of these people would take everything from me and leave me empty and lifeless. Every stranger was a threat, because everyone had a piece of the devil inside of them... And I did too.

A second set of footprints joined mine, I could feel the eyes on my back. Peering over my shoulder, I saw a man. The hair stood up on the back of my neck and I knew, I just knew, he was following me... Watching me like a tiger about to jump on helpless prey, ready to tear me limb from limb and rip my heart from my chest.

Step. Step. Step.

My heart pounded even louder in my chest, blaring into my ear drums. My breath picked up as my chest inflated and deflated. I couldn't suck in enough air, I couldn't walk fast enough, and that man was still following me.

Visions flashed over my eyes, angry lips screaming in my face, rough hands gripping my arms. I remembered it so clearly, like it was happening all over again. It had been over a year since I was a victim, but it feels like it happens every single day, over and over, inside my head.

I heard the footsteps coming closer and I stepped into a back alley, pulling a knife from my jeans pocket and flipping the blade open. As soon as the man walked into my sights, I yanked him into the alley and shoved the knife into his gut.

Hands clawed at my arms, reminding me of long healed bruises. I saw fear in his eyes, but the realization did not occur to me until much later. Blood gushed out of the wound as I yanked the knife out and shoved it back in, feeling the warmth, thick liquid coat my hand.

"Never again." I whispered. "I won't be a toy. I'm not a victim. I'm not weak. I'm not."

Confusion slowly faded in the brown eyes as his life left his body. Blood dripped from my knife as I yanked it out again, hitting the ground and gathering in a small puddle. The man just didn't understand, I could see it. Maybe he wasn't trying to hurt me, or maybe he just wasn't expecting me to hurt him first.

Fear. Fear drives me. I'm terrified of dying, so much so that I will kill to survive. I've seen these people, I've seen the devils inside of them. Everyone in this world is a monster, and I fought off so many demons that I've become one. I've become the very thing I fear.

I just don't wanna die, so I have to kill.

Author's Note

This is the Rewrite of Tasteless, Volume One. However, this story has been turned into a single Novel, instead of a series. Things will be rather different from the original story, as well, so those who read the original - You will be in for some surprises.

Tasteless is a fictional Psychological Thriller/Psychological Horror Novel, which focuses on two serial killers and their mindsets and paths of life, Rema and Frey. The two end up crossing paths, and delving into a deep and toxic sort of relationship with one another, falling down a rabbit hole together as their demons come to light.
This story is expected to be around thirty chapters long, but is subject to change in length.
This also has some very mature and disturbing content in it, including but not limited to Murder, Blood/Gore, Graphic Torture and Mutilation of living people as well as corpses, Sexual Assault/Rape (including sexual abuse and molestation), Physical and Psychological Abuse, Implied/Mentions of Past Domestic Violence and Child Abuse, Descriptions of Mental Illnesses, Descriptions of addiction within characters (such as Alcoholism, Drug Abuse, and Self Harm), Suicidal Idealization/Attempts/Actual Character Suicide, Major and Minor Character Deaths, and much more disturbing content that may upset, offend, or trigger people. It's about serial killers, it ain't gonna be puppies and sunshine, people.

Any Feedback is welcome and I am very grateful for opinions, corrections, and ideas. I often struggle with grammar and spelling mistakes (Dyslexic and tend to miss things while editing) so please don't be afraid to point these out. Thank ya!

Reviews

[Mohamed Rahim Iqbal]

Oh yeah I read out your note.
You did Best.
I'm going to read second chapter.
All the best for you.
Thanks

[Sinbulvinter]

Thanks for reading and reviewing!

[Emperor Pius Dei]

(Author's note) Duly noted! Now onward to chapter two! Chaaaaaaaaaaaaaarge!

[Sinbulvinter]

Thank you for taking the time to check it out! I appreciate it!

[Emperor Pius Dei]

My pleasure!

[Dr. YumnaKay]

I agree with what Kesha says about this rewrite looking more professional. I noticed too that you use fewer words now to describe a scene, which is a good thing. This is certainly different but so refreshing to read and the amount of effort you put on it shows through the well thought of scenarios and I abs love the way you write the thoughts of the characters! In this chapter, Rema's ;) though I still don't like her haha :p
Would be reading onwards the chapters soon. Good work, Nerissa (:

[Sinbulvinter]

Thanks for reading and reviewing! I'm glad that it came out looking more professional, I was aiming for that. Same with words, I wanted the lines to be more intense and punchy and try to avoid too many words to describe things so the reader can just fill in the blanks.
The thoughts of the characters are fun, especially when looking at them in a different light like I've been trying to do.
Rema is... hopefully going to be a bit more likable in this verson, as i'm trying to keep her from being too weak-minded and emotional while still holding contrast to Frey's unemotional and aggressive personality. I've done some changes to Rema to hopefully make her a bit of a better character, but I'm pretty sure Frey's always gonna be the character everyone seems to like better, despite him being a complete jerk in the early chapters. hah.
Thanks again for reading! I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

[Dr. YumnaKay]

Hahah then I'll hold my judgement for Rema until later ;) and yeah I like Frey, he's cool ;P
You're welcome! You know I love your work!

[ThyFilthyNoob]

Wow! That's amazing emotion you put into the characters! When Rema talks about her fear of death I feel like i could easily relate to it.

[Sinbulvinter]

Thank you for reading and reviewing. I'm glad you feel you can relate to the characters and their emotions.

[Kesha]

Wow I really loved the rewrite! It's almost like being a beta reader or something ;) I loved how different it was from the original first chapter (went back and looked), I loved that the font is smaller, a bit more professional feeling/looking ;) I like that you also included Rema in the first chapter! Happy to be reading something of yours again :)

[Sinbulvinter]

I'm really glad you liked the rewrite! I tried to do things a bit differently, yet still stick to the similarities in the original version. The first two chapters of the original felt rather short, so I mashed the two together and I think having both character's povs seemed to flow better than splitting them up. It's gonna be a lot of work to rewrite the whole thing, but I'm enjoying it so far.
I'm happy to get your feedback again. I always strive to improve myself, and it's good to have someone who's already read the original to help with the rewrite.
Thanks for reading and reviewing. Plan to have the next chapter up soon. I'm taking much more time to write and perfect each chapter, so it takes longer for me to upload

[Kesha]

I love it so far! It's awesome :) I see the next chapter is up, if I get time later today I will def give it a read and my opinion ;) I'm glad you're enjoying rewriting it :)

[Sinbulvinter]

I'm glad you're liking it so far. Lemme know what you think of the next chapter when you get the chance to read. =) I'm surely having fun rewriting it and changing some things, even though ive rewritten it five times now. haha. It does get a bit stressful though, its the starting of it that gets annoying hah