I continued gazing into a face extinguished of life for immeasurable minutes, my heart seemingly ripped out lying in the mist of so much blood. I couldn’t seem to move, to alert anyone to what had happened, not even flee a scene I had unwittingly caused to come to pass. I just felt… empty, numb. Liquid still ran unnoticed down my cheeks, my body completely deplete of its former invigorating strength. With a single slash to the throat I felt as if I had died along with Abby… or maybe it’s just that I wished I had.

The slam of the kitchen door behind me finally halted my bizarre actions of brushing Abby’s crusted strands back from her colorless features, my form too weak to even attempt to defend myself. My curls glided over one shoulder as I twisted to see my assailant only to glimpse Gabe’s beaten body leaning exhaustedly against its frame. Blood splattered his clothes, dirt lined what little skin that was not covered in bruises, and his curls stood on end. His beautiful eyes met mine and held, his sight not yet noticing who lay before me.

“Anna, I got to you as fast as I could,” he began only to lapse into silence as he stumbled towards me finally noticing the massive amount of blood, the ruined furniture… and the tips of Abby’s feet. “Abigail?”

His anguished whisper did nothing to halt my emotions from resurfacing, if anything watching Gabe; my strong warrior fall apart only seemed to unravel my composure even farther. He walked slowly towards me, his sight frozen on what was left of his little sister, tears trickling from his chin until broken he fell to his knees beside her.

“Abby,” he whispered, his fingers replacing my own, his tears adding to the blood covered floor. I slowly backed away from such unguarded emotions feeling no better than an interloper. Such expressed sorrow for a slain sibling felt too private, and I certainly had no right to intrude. I, like death itself snuck its way into this dwelling and allowed an angel to be brutally ripped from this earth.

“I am so so-sorry Gabriel,” I finally managed over the lump in my throat. “I-.”

His bleak reddened gaze met mine, “what happened? How did she-,” his voice trailed into silence as his despondent lenses fell back to his sister’s body.

My lips trembled, my voice hoarse, “they came out of nowhere. We separated.” My head fell in defeat while trying to make sense of the illogical. “I told her to remain hidden because,” I paused as my voice broke, “I thought not being near me would keep her safe. I didn’t think they would find her, that they would use her to get to me.”

His hand was shaky as it brushed against Abby’s cold cheek before he admitted, “I felt your fear.”

“I tried to reach you or Andrea-.”

His arm rose to wipe the tears from his eyes while unknowingly smearing his cheeks with blood, “they planned this from the start. The moment I made it to campus they attacked me. I barely made it back here a-,” his voice stumbled over the word as he stared upon what used to be his sister, “alive. They wanted your guardians occupied-.”

“So that they could capture me without interference,” I finished for him, my voice deadened of emotion. “I never should have come here, tonight.”

He shook his head in denial, his expression dejected and yet rational even in the wake of such tragedy, “you shouldn’t blame yourself.”

“Well someone sure as hell should. Look at my house!”

We froze in the wake of such fury thrown at us from the front entrance as Gabe gazed horrified up at his mother standing just inside the doorway. “Mom?”

Motionless I watched in silence, my mouth agape as she took in all the chaos surrounding us while knowing inwardly Abby’s body still remained hidden; the overturned couch blocking most of her form, and yet internally dreading the horrid moment when their mother’s eyes would fall upon her deceased daughter, for I knew the instant brown eyes gazed upon Abby’s damaged throat all hell would break loose.

“Gabriel, what is all of this? I put you in charge for one night-,”

“Mom, don’t come this way,” Gabe warned, his blood stained palm rising to halt her movements. His intentions noble in his quest not to have Abby’s slaughtered image imprinted forever in his mother’s mind, and yet the sight of blood on his palm only drew her that much closer.

“Gabe, what is going-,” her voice drifted into dismayed silence as her eyes finally saw that thick trail of blood covering the floor. It remained in massive puddles along the carpet and tile while one immense scarlet lining lingered before her like a hellish crimson brick pathway leading her to her worse nightmares. Her pace remained slow and yet determined as she made her way around the couch towards us, only to cease all movement at the sight of Abby’s blood soaked shoes.

“Abby?” she murmured as she moved unsteadily closer, her view finally unobstructed; the sight of Abby’s pale skin, her immobile form, her scarlet covered shape, her ripped open throat now lay unconcealed to her eyes. Her purse fell harshly onto the ground, its contents spilling across the floor and yet her gaze never left Abby’s form. She appeared trapped in between disbelief and the beginnings of total devastation as I literally watched despondency creep into her features. Her skin lost its color, its appearance drawn and suddenly gaunt as if youth was slowly being withdrawn from her features and the harshness of life had superseded it. Her lips trembled as she placed both hands over her heart as if it continued to shatter right before our eyes, and sorrow’s liquid fell from anguished lenses already appearing as if the hidden light inside their gaze had been extinguished.

“Oh… my,” she managed as her body swayed dangerously before us. “Oh… my,” she repeated as Gabe rose to reach her side in fear that she would topple. His arms came around her catching her form as she crumpled, her breathing labored as if her lungs found it impossible to catch up with the emotions consuming her before at last she devastatingly belted, “Oh my god, no!”

Gabe hold was weakened as the barrier holding in his sorrow snapped in mist of his mother’s pain as they both collapsed at Abby’s feet. Suddenly as if possessed his mother began to struggle within his embrace. “Mom,” he begged as she tore from within his arms, desperation guiding her limbs as she reached her daughter’s side, blood seeping uncaringly into her long skirt.

Grabbing up Abby’s unresponsive body into her arms as if she was nothing more than an infant she began rocking continuously, that look of complete desolation still locked into her features. “Baby… Honey, speak to me?” she begged Abby. “Mommy’s here, Mommy’s here now.”

I watched as Gabe moved closer, his expression similar to his mother’s as he placed a hand on her shaking shoulders, “Mom-.”

Her head began to shake in denial frantically, her soft dark tresses swinging around her tragic features, “no, Gabe we ne-need to call someone. We need to call 911!”

As much as it ripped him apart to admit it, he responded, “Mom, she’s gone.”

The tears now fell in abundance down her face, “No, no… she’ll be fine. It’s her birthday,” she reasoned irrationally. “We- we just need to get her to the hospital.”

Gabe bent down slowly towards her before countering softly, “There’s nothing they can do for her.”

Dark hair swirled around furious features so swiftly as she snapped back towards Gabriel with so much malice in her eyes that even I unintentionally gasped. Her body froze; those hateful orbs finally acknowledging my immobile form opposite her before every ounce of abhorrence burrowing beneath her skin hurled its way towards me.

“You,” she said simply as she rose onto unsteady feet, her arms unkindly allowing Abby’s body to fall back against the blood soaked carpet.

“I never meant for this to happen,” I hurriedly confessed, anything to take that vehement look out of her eyes.

She took a step towards me, those vicious orbs zeroing in on the guilt that seemed to consume my heart, “I knew you were death just waiting to happen!” She crossed over her murdered daughter barely noticing the cherry red fluid that now sunk deeply into the fabric of her shoes. “I knew to have you anywhere near my children would be inviting the devil himself into this house!”

“Mom-“, Gabriel began only for his mother to completely ignore his plea as she focused solely on getting closer to me. Every footstep she took I crawled further away for never had I seen such hatred festering inside the living.

“I told you never to come here!” she shrieked, her grief making her blind to reason.

Tears surpassed my view, “I – I would never hurt Abigail. I was her friend.”

She halted at the mere notion of my words, “friend, friend?” Her eyes widened as if delirious at even the idea, as if friendship was a foreign word she couldn’t quite grasp before misery quickly transformed into anger as she mercilessly raged, “My daughter is dead!”

“She’s dead!” Her son caught her arms as if to hold her back just as she began to thrash, twist, and buck within his grasp yelling, “She’s gone! Do you see what your so called friendship cost her?” She gestured wildly back towards the lifeless body before jerking back towards me, “what it cost this family!”

Stunned by the infinite amount of loathing devouring her gaze I stammered, “I didn’t mean for her to die.”

Her body stilled.

“You didn’t mean-, you didn’t mean for her to-,” she mockingly repeated to herself before bitterness interlaced every word within her response. “Well, your theoretical good intentions won’t bring her back, now will it?”

My eyes fell back to Abby’s lethargic features wondering how a person could feel such a vast amount of guilt as I felt compiling my shoulders and still function.

A piece of broken wood harshly hurled smacked my shoulder causing my eyes to clash back with their mother’s incensed figure still looming over me, now free of her son’s hold.

“Will it!” she viciously repeated.

“No,” I reluctantly admitted.

Droplets plummeted from long dark lashes as brown irises bore deep holes into my apologetic expression, “she was innocent. She was sweet. A good natured girl whose only fault was giving a second chance to a monster like you!”

“Mom, please-,” Gabe begged only to have his mother callously turn back to him.

“Mom, please what? What Gabriel? How will you spin this one?” she cruelly mocked, uncaring of the pain her words caused. “Explain to me of how everything will be okay? Of how none of this is her fault as you stand at the sight of your sister’s slaughter!” Tears streaked her cheeks, her breathing labored as if grief was attempting to choke the life from her form. “Explain to me how you can defend a monster that could,” her voice caught before she forced herself to continue, “who could slice Abby open like that!”

Obviously heartbroken Gabe still defended, “Mom, Anna didn’t do-.”

Her hand rose to silence him, her eyes falling back to the sight of her daughter while appearing seemingly calm. “Yeah, she didn’t do anything. Just like she did nothing to her little sister.” She slowly turned back to me, her face blank of all emotions as she soullessly continued, “You never were convicted for your true crimes. You never truly paid for what you did to your own family. Had you ever been truly punished … this,” she gestures to the wreckage that had become her living room, “never would have happened.”

She snorted humorlessly, her eyes dead as she took another step closer, “No, it’s never your fault that everyone around you dies. And you’ll never pay for your sins…” Walking slowly towards the smashed coffee table she continues to whisper manically, “she’ll never pay for the pain we’ve suffered… unless…”

Her hand reached out so swiftly, her actions ruled by sorrow, that neither Gabe nor I realized the true unhinging of her thoughts. Her arm swung out in a perfect arc causing me to swiftly falter back in fear of sharp edges slicing me open before enraged she simply dived towards my stunned figure. It wasn’t until I found myself beneath the lunacy of the deranged attempting to slice me open with a shard of broken glass that we recognized the true extent of her mind’s unraveling. Shock widened the size of my eyes as I gazed up at their mother’s hell bent form pinning me to the floor as desperate and yet weakened palms struggled to stop the chuck of glass from penetrating my skull.

I listened to her shrieks of madness, the glass slicing uncaringly into the palms of her hands, droplets of scarlet hitting my cheeks, and yet still she remained intent to reach my jugular.

Urgent arms captured her waist pulling her forcibly from my stomach as the bloody shard was at last ripped from her clutch and tossed across the room, the glass shattering upon impact. The sound of distant sirens interrupted her disturbed wails as Gabe continued to wrestle his crazed mother to the ground. His gaze clashed with mine even as his arms struggled to contain her before he harshly yelled over the chaos, “Anna leave!”

Stunned I froze, my panicked eyes darting around the room, the sound of sirens growing louder.

“Anna, get the hell out of here!”

Rising hastily from my daze I ran swiftly towards the kitchen, my leg slipping on the blood coated floor. Falling on bended knee, my fingers soaked within the liquid, my curls shielding my view, my eyes froze upon the unexpected sight of Rachael’s immobile form. Hidden in the small wedge of space in the corner of the living room behind the thick fall of curtains, her expression locked in fear telling of her misfortune of witnessing it all, her skin ghostly sat my emotionless nemesis. All foolish thoughts of her being an unforeseen ally died instantly as my eyes finally found hers, seeing those monotonous green lenses as vacant as the blue irises of Nurse Holly. Holly now forever trapped beyond the walls of the institution.

“Anna, go!” I heard Gabe break into my desolate thoughts as I picked myself up and dismissed yet another unfortunate soul now doomed by my contact. Racing through the kitchen’s door I now ignored the cheery yellow paint, the pictures hanging on the walls, no longer was this space a shelter of warmth protecting me from harm. My sneakers slipped along the floor as I attempted to halt myself at the sight of Abby’s friends all huddled by the basement’s entrance crying uncontrollably. Casey stood directly in front, her hand clutching the cell phone in her palm, her body shaking.

I took a step towards them, “Casey-.”

Instantly the crowd backed away from me as once kind eyes now held an untold fear while beneath such unfathomable emotion I glimpsed an extreme dislike simmering just below the surface. Abhorrence similar to that of Abby’s mother.

“Casey,” I whispered as I took another step closer, my mirror image finally coming into view against the stainless steel hanging pots and pans. What reflected back to me was that of Stephen King’s Carrie. Blood covered every inch of me, despair drowning in my gaze, bruises discoloring the few inches of skin that blood did not coat.

“The police will be here any minute now,” Casey threateningly warned. “Just leave us alone!”

My emotions clogged my throat making responding impossible.

There would be no compassion found within these walls, no defender found amongst the crowd.

Turning back towards freedom, the loud screams and sirens growing deafeningly strident I sprinted for the back door. My footsteps were silent as I raced out into the night, the rain pelting my skin while instantly drenching my clothes; molding them to my shape. Crimson washed off onto the earth as I openly embraced darkness, my suppressed bellows finally released into nature’s hold. Allowing darkness to envelop my soul I let it cover my limbs until I vanished completely, welcoming the agonizing throb its contact triggered just as red and blue lights surrounded this condemned house; its inhabitants forever wounded by death’s cruel embrace.

………………………………………………………………………

Appearing at the foot of my bed, blood splattered, tears integrating within the torrent of nature’s down pour streaming down my face forced a bruised Andrea to rush towards me. My room appeared as if a war had transpired in my absence and yet I barely noticed the disarray as I concentrated on the simple and yet seemingly impossible feat of breathing.

The shadows slowly began to unravel from around my form as Andrea reached my side, “thank god, you’re okay.” Stretching out to brush back a damp curl from my traumatized expression she at last saw a glimpse of all the blood coating my figure, the tragic look etched into my features. “Anna? Anna, look at me.”

My sightless gaze remained glued to the carpet, tears falling from my chin.

Frantic blue eyes searched my figure for answers, “Marie, you’re scaring me. Tell me what happened; tell me why you’re covered in blood?”

At my continued silence frenzied fingers pulled at my clothing searching my naked skin for a puncture, “Anna, I’m not seeing a wound. You’re fucking covered in blood but I can’t find an injury.”

Calmly I retorted numbly, “that’s because it’s not mine.”

Gentle hands froze before slowly falling away, her fingertips now red as she stepped back, her features broken, “Gabe?”

“He couldn’t make it to my side in time.”

Liquid gathered behind the rim of her big blue eyes, “then who?” Her eyebrows furrowed in disbelief, “you didn’t-, tell me you didn’t hurt-.”

The dam inside finally broke as my gaze met my reflection seeing the crimson tint of lives taken staining my skin. Running for the bathroom I ripped off the soiled clothing from my form as I ran. Turning the shower at full strength I forced myself under its burning spray trying and yet failing to wash away the memory of tonight. Andrea remained at my side watching in dazed confusion as I vigorously scrubbed my skin raw.

“Please Marie, just talk to me.”

My sight followed the red tinted trail as it disappeared down the drain, my limbs still too numb to acknowledge the burning touch of the spray, “I should have stayed home.” My face crumpled as buried emotions finally surfaced, “you were right. I should have stayed home.”

Andrea shook her head frantically in denial as I stepped out, manically drying my trembling form. “No Marie, being here would have been a mistake. They came for you… I could barely escape them myself.”

My tear filled reflection met my mirror image seeing such tragedy within hazel irises. “Being anywhere seems to be a mistake.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

Stalking towards my closet with newfound purpose I shoved my body into the first pair of jeans I could grasp before pulling a black tee over my head. “It means I should have died that night right along with you and Daddy.”

An unbreakable force took hold of my arm roughly yanking me back towards a livid blue gaze, “I never want to hear you say that again!”

Snatching my arm from within her reach I screamed, “Why not? It’s true! Everyone would be happier and safer if I never existed!”

Pushing past her Andrea watched in silence as I slid my feet into a pair of sneakers, “what has gotten into you? What the hell happened tonight?”

I snorted humorlessly, “you’re the wannabe psychic, you tell me?” Snatching my curls up callously before shoving them into a messy ponytail, my eyes met hers in the mirror before at last I admitted, “It’s more like what didn’t happen to me.”

Coldly I blurted out, “Abby’s dead.”

Pink tinted lips fell ajar as tears mixed with confusion lined Andrea’s face, “what? How… I mean she-.”

“She allowed me to enter her life and as usual everyone dies around me,” I uttered, essentially repeating Abby’s mother’s words in verbatim.

My sister numbly sunk onto the edge of the bed as I furiously shoved my arms into a clean hoodie while trying to erase the image of Abby’s neck being ripped open from my mind. The brutality replaying before my eyes hardening my heart, causing me to be cruel.

“What I don’t understand is why you look so shocked,” I spat out bitterly. “You’re the one who told me horrible things would happen tonight. You’re the one who tried to talk Gabe out of letting me go. You’re the one who begged me to stay home, but I wouldn’t listen!” Pain and regret hit me from all sides. “I had to play normal! I had to be an average teen for at least one night! And it was my selfish decision that got her killed!”

Panting as the world seemed to spin, my fingers gripped my pounding skull, “I killed her!”

Strong fingers stopped mine from pulling at my curls, her gaze forcing mine to connect to her teary cerulean orbs, “you didn’t kill anyone. Demons have been in existence long before you arrived on this earth and they will be here long after you leave it. Their need to cause pain and spread corruption is not your fault.”

I shook my head in denial, “I never should have gon-.”

“You didn’t know this would happen. You,” her hand moved to gently stroke my cheek when a startling flash of evil soulless eyes took over my vision forcing the strength from my limbs as I collapsed to the ground.

Concern filled blue depths as Andrea hurriedly reached down towards me, “Anna?”

Backing away frightened and confused I yelled, “Stay away from me!”

“Anna, what the hell are you-.”

“I see them,” I admitted tearfully, “I see them when you touch me! Why do I see darkness within your contact?”

Stepping warily closer, her hands extended towards me she whispered easily, “Anna, you’ve been through hell tonight. We all have. You’re just-.”

Glaring up at a face as familiar as my own I screamed, “Don’t pacify me!”

“Anna-.”

“No, I’m tired of the lies! Everybody is always lying to me!” Rising back to my feet I furiously wiped my display of weakness from my cheeks before taking a step towards her, “I want the truth and I want it now.”

Calmness ruled my sisters features even while faced with my livid expression, “the truth is… everything I do I do for you.”

My chin wobbled in its need to suppress my emotions, “and what exactly did you do?”

Blue eyes held mine before that impenetrable shield dropped down in front of her emotions and I instantly knew she would say no more. “Is this your way of showing that alleged gratitude you spoke of earlier?”

I knew this was her standard method of withholding the information I yearned to learn, as always when cornered Andrea went into defense mode, but this time I refused to let it end as it typically did. “No, Andrea.”

I allowed rage to consume me, the feeling of ravenous pain erupting throughout my form as inky black smoke crept quickly around my limbs until I disappeared entirely. I watched as Drea peered around the room cautiously before I allowed only my lips to appear beside her ear, whispering, “This is the way I force you into honesty, this is the way you no longer conceal the truth.”

Before she could react my hand slithered out from within shadows taking hold of her bare arm while allowing my collective power surge to sweep over our bodies, all-encompassing us like that of a tidal wave, tumbling us compulsorily back into memories…

Panting heavily, my palm slowly withdrew from Andrea’s body, my eyes searching the darkness for answers. Confusion plagued my every thought, “where are we?”

“How would I know? You’re the one who brought us here,” Andrea whispered breathlessly into the silence. Silence so heavy it seemed to consume the air around us.

My sight finally adjusted to the dim lighting as it once had whilst Abby and I was forced into hiding, horrid recollections I’d rather not relive. In fear of this being the memory of tonight in repeat my gaze glanced around wildly; frantically searching for the shelves of food surrounding the walls, the swinging white cord dangling between us, or those damning footsteps from above. I found myself openly heaving a sigh of obvious relief at finding neither of those things present. What I did discover with panicked orbs was a basically bare and narrow space, our feet sinking into plush carpeting. There was a darkened closed doorway behind us while another remained directly ahead. A dim strip of light infiltrated the darkness slightly through the slender opening at the door’s edge, and I found myself pursuing it like a girl possessed. My hand rose slowly towards the knob’s golden surface, feeling the coolness of its touch within my palm, and just as I gripped it to twist it open desperate fingers yanked my grasp away from its surface.

Turning swiftly towards my sister’s alarmed expression I snatched my arm from within her hold before hissing hatefully, “It’s a little too late to halt me from finding out the truth now.”

Glaring at my apparent anger she whispered urgently, “Anna, think back to what you can recall. Do you even remember being in this room?”

My mind scrambled for answers, “my recollections really aren’t reliable enough to answer that, now are they?”

“And your powers are even less consistent.”

Snorting in contempt, “do you really think I’m naive enough to believe this isn’t our home?”

Blond hair swung around her pleading features as she tried ardently for me to understand. “I never said that it wasn’t. Just that-.”

“Just that, what?” I impatiently countered.

“Just that,” she paused her eyes warily eyeing that door, “I really don’t think that this is the past.”

Doubt began to seep into the crevices of my mind even as I shook my head vigorously in denial, my curls slapping against my cheek, “You’re lying! You would say anything to keep me in the dark!”

Her hand quickly clamped over my mouth, her fingers hasty in its need to signal me into silence. “I’m not lying to you,” she distraughtly murmured. “Open your pretty brown eyes, Anna. This is not the living room. It’s not your bedroom, or even the bathroom the police claimed they found you in.” Her lips trembled, her eyes closing as she struggled to regain her composure before she continued, “this is the private entryway that leads to Rick’s home office.”

Her palm fell away from my lips as my brain anxiously searched my memories for falsehoods in her words before simply I asked, “And how would you know that?”

Her jaw visibly clenched before indignantly she remarked, “because my bedroom wasn’t the only place I was forced to play his sordid games.”

A lone tear slipped from my lashes as I tired to stop envisioning a frightened younger Andrea being forcibly dragged within these walls.

“That door behind us,” she points at the darkened entrance, “leads to the master bedroom. He always had a thing for touching me when he knew she was near. He lived for the knowledge of defiling innocence within mere inches of our dear Mother catching him.” She turned tear filled eyes back to me, “now how’s that for fucking depraved?”

Silence ensued after her confession before confusion caused my brows to furrow as I finally voiced my inner thoughts, “but… but she told me when I was ready I’d be able to see the truth for myself.”

Andrea snorted contemptuously at even the mention of my darker half, “Well then maybe you’re not as ready as you thought you were, or maybe SHE’S not as trustworthy as you assumed.”

A loud noise erupted beyond the door in front of us immobilizing our forms into silence. With my eyes fixated on the entrance I whispered, “There has to be a reason we were brought here.”

Staring upon me intensely for several breathtaking moments Andrea finally allowed her own palm to clutch the door knob before retorting, “Then I guess it’s about time we find out what that reason is…”

We crouched anxiously in darkness, the door gaped open only a fracture. Andrea leaned carefully over my bent form to glance out into the dimly lit room. The walls appeared to be painted in dark reds, the furniture a mix of black leather, and glass. A huge crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling’s center; its illumination muted as if its lighting was for that of vampires than demons. Thick black curtains shielded the floor length windows, while massive encased artwork lined the walls. My gaze fixated upon the golden framed images; pictures appearing nothing more than swirls of vibrant colors until I regarded the illustrations more meticulously until horrifyingly Rick’s victims cleverly painted within its heavy strokes became obvious; its atrocious depiction appearing as if they were forever drowning in pain.

“I thought I said no interruptions?” Rick’s impatient voice cut into the stillness while blessedly distracting my eyes from the hellish décor.

“She insisted,” a timid voice mumbled from the doorway.

My stepfather sat lounging idly behind his massive oak wood desk. His body appeared unperturbed, and yet I could sense without having glimpsed his features that truly he lied in wait in quiet anticipation of decimating whoever found themselves misfortunate enough to ever linger in opposition to his wishes. Unknown minions cloaked in human form, body reeking of decay stood at attention directly behind each of his shoulders while the fiend that had replaced Andrew sat poised and alert in a chair to his right. We watched as two more underlings came forth stopping directly opposite his desk, guns in hand as Adriana happily trailed behind their somber figures. Clad in only a black lace mini dress, its small amount of material had the ability to cover as little as a napkin. She giggled in the face of such tension in the air while eccentrically swirling seductively before a captive audience, her loose golden curls swinging around her curvy form as she twirled playfully around Rick’s armed protection. Her body inappropriately brushed against their stationary figures, her fingertips only slightly stroking the barrels of their guns.

We watched as her delicate fingers rose to slowly sway within the gentle breeze, her dress rising dangerously high on tanned thighs. She moistened full cherry tinted lips only to finally halt directly at Rick’s side as if silently her imaginary tune at last had come to its conclusion.

His head turned slowly towards her, his expression only mildly tolerant to her antics, “and you intrude into my office because?”

Delight tugged at the corners of her mouth as she easily swung a slender leg over his lap, her form straddling his while her fingers rose to caress the fine blond hairs at the nape of his neck, amber colored irises intent to hold emerald. “Didn’t you miss me?”

Contempt forced lines to appear along the edges of his grimace, “I do not have the time or the patience to deal with your childish need for attention right now, Adriana.”

A small twinge of pain entered her gaze before it was quickly smothered, her body leaning in closer against his. “Come now Daddy,” she whispered, her lips softly brushing against the curve of his sculpted jaw line. “Are you sure…” she murmured as she placed gentle kisses along his neck, her disgusting form slowly shifting against his lap before stilling once more, her tongue wandering along his collar bone, “… there isn’t anything I could do to keep you happy?”

A painfully startled gasp fell from her agape lips as callous hands took hold of her silken strands roughly forcing her head back up to meet ominous eyes, “does this look like the time and place to engage in… those forms of recreation?”

Her breathing appeared panicked, her chest rising and falling but not with fear as I had assumed but to my revulsion with incongruous excitement as a sadistic grin stole over her lips. “You know that I live to serve you, and only you. Anything you ask of me will be freely given, my Liege.”

His expression was that of fierce aggravation as he physically tossed her from his side with such force that she toppled disastrously to the ground, her body sliding harshly into the wooden end table. Her figure stilled, her hair hiding her expression. In silence we watched waiting for the moment when she’d cower or even rush from the room only to observe her simply rise to her feet pathetically awaiting command, eager for his next form of abuse.

“I gave you clear instructions,” he continued emotionlessly in the face of her pitifully beseeching gaze. “Where is she?”

I could see the heartbreak within her arduous determination to keep her features neutral, pain transforming into blind fury and obvious disgust as she flounced lividly into the chair opposite his desk, uncaring of the amount of skin her dress exposed. “Whoever do you mean?” she dangerously taunted.

Green eyes held hers easily until every ounce of insecurity surfaced within brown depths, until tanned skin paled, and fright withered away all traces of anger. My palm rose to cover my gasp as golden brown curls fell backwards over tense shoulders and an invisible hold took control of Adriana’s windpipe. Her fingers frantically clawed at the surface of her neck to no avail as white turned red, her body struggling to inhale air suddenly denied to her burning lungs.

His chair was soundless as his powerful frame eased further within its cushions, his eyes idly watching her progression towards asphyxiation, “To toy with me is to wish for death itself. I allow you to get away with a lot, my dear Adriana.”

Her gasping became more pronounced, tears trickling down the corners of her eyes.

He calmly observed her struggle, his fingers shifting to linger along the edge of his desk before his attention wandered back towards her, “Do you really think that you, a mere immaterial subordinate can’t be disposed of?”

Her body clearly alarmed by its lack of oxygen tumbled weakly from her chair before collapsing to the ground, her tragic gaze still glued to his indifferent lenses before at last that imperceptible force mercifully relented. Adriana feebly twisted in fetal position gulping oxygen greedily into her deprived lungs. It took several moments before she could resume sitting, her voice hoarse as she sedately situated her pale figure on the edge of her chair staring up at him through her shield of feral disheveled curls. “I did… as you requested.”

Rick shifted leisurely within his chair finally allowing me a glimpse of the shadows slithering venomously over his hostile expression, deforming his natural beauty into something even I feared. His voice deepened with only a twinge of his hidden power, “had you did exactly as I requested Anna Marie would be here right now.”

Encountering such seemingly endless authority I watched as Adriana at last visibly cringed, “I,” she stuttered, “I sent several to distract Gabe and Andrea. I ordered no harm come to Anna. I even told them to sacrifice the humans to lure her out.”

Rage only seemed to amplify his tone as the caged demon beneath such outwardly charming features struggled to remain disguised, his skin glowing with the vibrancy of a radiant scarlet hue before reverting back to its natural shade. He rose to his impressive height; his expensive slacks falling flawlessly into place, those long powerful fingers brushing along the surface of polished wood, his Italian loafers soundless as he sauntered around his desk.

A small trickle of sweat slithered from Adriana’s brow, her eyes never removing from his gradual progression, her pallor a sick pasty green as he halted directly before her. His body was unhurried in its quest to bend over her recoiling figure, that sinister grin upon his lips that captivated so many now appeared that of what nightmares are made of while the only thing to remain between them was the tangible scent of her fear and that dangling… fucking …red tie.

His hand rose; fingers outstretched until his palm brushed the curve of her cheek, skin burning and blistering beneath his touch as he remarked, “you displease me, Adriana.”

“I- I never meant to-.”

His fingers dug deeper into skin, blood now accumulating out around his nail, the surrounding surface now reddened and charred, “do you know what happens to a minion who no longer holds any true significance in my life?”

Tears like traitors to her façade of strength tumbled boundlessly down her ravaged cheek, her exquisiteness now nonexistent as flesh literally detached melting away from exposed tissue. “I’m so-sorr-.”

He easily dismissed her inconsequential request for forgiveness while seemingly gentle hands brushed away a stray tear while unsympathetically scorching the other side of her face in the process. He beamed ecstatically in the sight of her agony while replying simply, “I do not want worthless words of apology. I want results.”

He moved closer, his palm falling to her exposed thigh, his power to enflame abruptly disabled. His sight fell to such unmarked skin, lust all but consuming the anger in his gaze as his hand rose higher along her hem line before he whispered, “I just want…”

Adriana even in misery allowed her optimistic orbs to linger upon his, wandering fingers teasingly brushing at the edge of her short skirt just as desire sadistically distorted into loathing, and the surface of his palm viciously branded her thigh. Small twinges of smoke actually drifted from damaged skin, the pain at last so severe that it forced her to cry out. Minions around them stirred in excitement, their desire to feed on her anguish laid naked for all to see.

“I just want her,” Rick brutally finished completely indifferent to her whimpers as the temperature of his hand only seemed to rise that much higher.

“Rick, please,” Adriana openly begged, her head sluggishly peering up at him, the blood and sweat now covering the front of her dress, a puddle of her spilled fluids gathering onto the floor.

Our Stepfather grinned cruelly at such an obvious display of weakness before his unforgiving touch lifted as he rose back to his full height, his hand reaching into his pocket for a handkerchief before calmly wiping the blood from his palm. His form suddenly blocked all view of his controlled victim so it wasn’t until he strode untroubled back to his seat that we realized that what now sat before him was none other than my stepsister completely unharmed.

No scars lingered upon her cheeks, no blood tainted her skin… hell even her dress remained unsoiled.

Adriana’s fingers diligently checked her face for burns clearly stunned by the crazed expression upon her gorgeous features, her amber colored lenses still searching the floor for imaginary droplets of blood.

Resuming his place in power their gaze held, arrogance hugged his features like a coat altered to perfection. With his voice reverting back to its natural tone he ordered simply and yet irrefutably final, “I want Anna Marie at my side. Please do not make me reiterate that to you again. Trust me; it will not be pleasant…for you.”

“Of course,” Adriana appeased as she rose like that of a timid dog beaten. Her stature appeared shaky, and yet her voice oddly strong after enduring such awfulness. “I will not let you down.”

“Somehow, I know this is true,” he paused before grinning animatedly. “Then again you don’t really have the luxury to repeat past mistakes.”

As quickly as it formed his smile vanished as his vicious green orbs dismissed her presence no longer caring at the speed in which Adriana hurried from the room without an ounce of joy she had twirled her way in with.

“He’s fucking crazy,” I whispered from my crouched position.

“No,” Andrea countered causing me to gaze bewildered up towards her impassive expression. “Not crazy, just simply evil,” she corrected.

“I think I’ve seen enough,” I admitted while inwardly wondering why it was I felt compelled to witness this at all.

“Wait,” Drea muttered, her palm pulling me back into position. “I think our reason for being here just walked in the door.”

The distinctive scent of flowers lingered in the air wafting from bronzed tinted skin, her Jimmy Choo pumps silent as they glided confidently into the room. Her black linen slacks floated out against the slight breeze as she walked as did her long ebony colored tresses which streamed down the back of her matching jacket. Graceful bejeweled fingers rose to remove her Christian Dior sunglasses, her wedding ring almost blinding even in the absence of bright light. Placing her glasses into her Birkin hand bag I watched our mother halt directly in what used to be a puddle of Adriana’s blood.

Rick’s amusement reached new heights in the abrupt emergence of his beloved wife, contempt disfiguring the appearance of his smile. “And to what do I owe the honor of your presence?”

The tightening around pink lips was the only sign of her displeasure before Carmen responded, “Mockery does not become you, dear husband.”

A brow rose over green eyes, “Nor does self righteous indignation exactly suit a woman who sold herself to me for the luxuries my position could award her.”

I could see the anger shimmering beneath the surface of such ingrained elegance, her beautiful lenses so similar to my own blazing with untold fury. “Would it be too much of a hardship to allow us the privacy of speaking without your callous cavalry?”

He openly laughed at her request, “since when has our farce of a marriage been something hidden from my inner circle? There is nothing to conceal amongst them.”

Our mother swallowed with difficulty, her skin slightly paling under his scrutiny before she remarked bitterly, “only the need to hide it from the public.”

His grin quickly vanished from his features as unrestrained rage caused flicks of scarlet to easily smother the emerald tint of his irises before quickly reverting back to their customary shade, “speak freely my sweet, for my amused nature grows weary within your company.’

Her gaze faltered to the surface of the now spotless carpet, a tiny trickle of moisture slipping silently down the curve of her flawless cheek, “I … I need to know.”

“Need to know what exactly?”

“How,” she paused as if unable to continue, her shoulders straightening as if gathering up much needed courage. “How long I’ve been married to a disgusting pervert?”

He chuckled heartily at her passionate outburst as if her insult was nothing more than humorous banter. “Does it matter? I thought your only concern was with cocktail parties, the latest designer clothes, and beautiful jewels. Never once have you truly shown an interest in who warms my bed.”

Another droplet of quiet shame hit the floor. “Never did I realize your taste went to such revolting yearnings as someone as young as… Adriana?”

His expression remained unchanged; its appearance still vaguely sardonically amused even with the obvious accusation still lingering in the air as I held my breath in anticipation of his reaction before he admitted frankly, “Adriana knows ways of pleasing me.”

Carmen visibly retched at his admission as he rose to slowly stalk unhurriedly towards her ashen complexion like prey circles the weak. He paused to pick up the silver framed photo of their wedding day, his fingers tracing along the glass, “we’ve been married a number of years now…”

He leaned his muscled form casually along the front edge of his desk, “you appeared so happy back then.” His eyes rose to confront the barely concealed nausea plaguing her form upon his confession. “I guess I’m not only the only one who plays his role well.”

Rick repositioned the photo back upon his desk but this time face down so that the sight of their false happily ever after was no longer presented. “Let me ask you something, my dear sweet bride. Did you really think that after all this time Adriana and my relationship was that of only a father and daughter?”

He disdainfully smirked at her silence, “Such a naïve notion, Carmen. Would I have had to take her atop the dinning room table for you to notice something amiss?”

Our mother’s chin trembled as tears now streamed unrestrained from her long lashes, “then she was right?”

“Who was right?”

Confronting the face that caused us such heartache our mother boldly stated, “Andrea was right. You were to… touching my daughter right under my nose?”

Rick’s sneer impatience told of his exasperation of this topic, as his lips tightened, his jaw hardening, “Women. So… foolish in your undying faith in the good nature of those you supposedly fall in love with. What can I say, my dear? I gave you everything you could ever dream of. A rich and powerful husband, the gorgeous house, the glamorous parties, and in exchange… you unknowingly gave me your daughter.”

He shrugged so nonchalantly sadistically watching the color slowly drain from my mother’s appalled features as he continued, “Is it my fault you chose to ignore everything around you?” Gradually our stepfather resumed his saunter around her stunned form, his grin a mockery of her pain. “I mean can you honestly tell me that you didn’t notice the changes in her? The way Andrea flinched at my touch, her sudden withdrawal from the ones she loved, her unexplainable anger towards you for never noticing the truth?”

Curls brushed my shoulder as I twisted to glance up at my big sister watching as the pain dripped effortlessly down her face. I quickly allowed my fingers to slip into hers.

“How could you-,” my mother uttered incoherently as if in an attempt to understand such blatant iniquity.

“How could I not? Such innocence…” He licked his lips at the mere memory. “Such supple skin,” he taunted as he stopped directly before her, “and the beauty of it all... the most intoxicating moment I have ever experienced within our sham of a marriage was the instant fear took hold of Andrea’s decision to sacrifice herself to protect her little sister.”

Rick mirth at Andrea’s torture only intensified my revulsion of him. He unraveled the very fabric of my family just for his own fucking amusement, toying with people like a person moves a chess piece. His minions joined him in his displayed merriment as he lazily paced his way back to the front of his desk.

Facing his wife, those hateful green eyes obscured with obvious lust he continued to rub salt into wounds. “You see there’s a huge difference between Adriana and Andrea. Adriana never could measure up and she never will no matter how much she desperately tries. There was never really any contest. I mean the moment I laid within Andrea’s sheets and felt her no longer dutifully compliant but at last ruthlessly struggling beneath me, distraughtly trying to remove me from her bed made marrying an insignificant piece of shit like you totally worth it.”

Panting with the obvious struggle to contain her fury our mother exclaimed, “You’ll go to hell for what you’ve done! You’re a fucking monster!”

“And you’re a lousy excuse for a mother.” Emotionlessly watching as his words ripped her apart he continued, “you were so busy getting drunk that night it was all but easy to happily defile Daddy’s little princess not more than a meager hand full of footsteps away.”

He shifted to reach for his crystal decanter of brandy calmly pouring himself a glass before bothering to confront Carmen’s distraught features once again. “Did you know that she cried your name? Begged for Mommy every time the pain became too much for her? Guess beneath her hardened shell Andrea was always waiting for you to come to her rescue.” He lifted his glass in mocking salute, its brown liquid glowing in the light, “Now that’s a laugh!”

Swallowing back a healthy amount of the glass’s contents, those green eyes forever watchful I noticed the severe tightened clutch our mom had on her purse.

Taking a deep breath she declared courageously, “I may have failed one daughter but I damn sure will not fail the other.”

Snorting contemptuously over the rim of his glass, “what the hell is that sup-.”

My mother’s palm quickly slid into her handbag, the gun extended within suddenly steady fingers as before Rick could get the question off his tongue the bang of the weapon firing sounded within the air. I felt Andrea jump along with me as its loud tone vibrated off the walls, the bullet slicing its path into Rick’s chest, burrowing brutally beneath ravaged skin, blood splashing comingling with alcoholic dewdrops now covering the floor. My hands covered my mouth to silence my scream as instantly his body jerked from the impact, scarlet overtaking the ivory tint of his starched button down shirt, cherry droplets forever tainting the surface of that fucking red tie before my stepfather fell harshly to the ground.

Several guards instantly ran to his side while others easily captured our unresisting mother.

My anxious eyes clashed with Andrea’s tearful gaze, “Drea, we have to do something. We have to-.”

“No, Anna look,” Andrea whispered in dismayed wonder as I turned to join her as we gazed in horror as Rick calmly got back to his feet.

He ran unshakable fingers through his blond mane before straightening his blood splattered tie. His eyes fell irately towards the bloody hole now damaging his once pristine shirt, his skin where the bullet once penetrated now unblemished. “Well my Dear, that was not a very civilized way to end an argument, now was it?”

Two guards still held onto my mother’s now struggling form as her mouth fell open in unmitigated terror, “what… are you?”

Full lips extended over pearly white teeth as they slowly elongated into sharpened points, shadows resumed its need to crawl over his quickly deforming features making him almost unrecognizable. Scarlet conquered green as his voice deepened with every footstep that drew him closer to her. “I’m everything your mother warned you about.”

I couldn’t shake this dreadful feeling that something was wrong, that something horrible was about to transpire. “Drea, we have to-,” I desperately murmured to my older sister just as Rick’s callous hands snuck around our mother’s neck before effortlessly snapping it.

My gaze rounded in disbelief, shock consuming every inch of my soul as suddenly limp our mother’s body fell inertly to the floor. Beautiful silken strands exactly the color of mine spread out against the carpet surrounding bronzed golden skin, her pink full lips agape, and those eyes a replica of my own gazed out blindly towards me. Our mother’s beautiful irises for once no longer seeing through me but lifelessly at last seeing nothing at all.

All rational thought seemed to desert me; all sense of danger no longer existed within my heart as despondently I belted out a scream of sheer agony.

Everyone around me froze at the sound before Andrea forever my protector ferociously yanked my listless form from my position at the door, physically dragging me down the narrow hall as the sound of hurrying footsteps along with the sudden eruption of claws slicing along plaster filled the space as they hurried to retrieve me. Within our struggle my head fell back; my curls brushing the floor as I glimpsed such blatant fear inside cerulean lenses as Andrea gazed upon so many now intent to snatch me from within her clutch. Somewhere deep inside me I felt this fierce need to fight, to guide us to safety but I couldn’t seem to obtain it. No matter how much I yearned to seize it, it just seemed considerably beyond my reach.

Dazedly while being ruthlessly dragged by the back of my hood I watched them grow closer as my sister unyieldingly lugged my heavy form further from their fervent contact. Rubble tumbled dangerously behind us as if we were forced into the mouth of a cavern while a cave-in commenced, dust filling the air from the destroyed hall’s fortifications. I felt a hand touch my shoulder, my sight still transfixed to the horrific spectacle of so much ravenous hunger before white light blinded my view and then blessedly all I saw was glorious nothingness…

……………………………………………………………………….

(Did you see that coming?)

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