This went in a COMPLETELY different direction than originally intended, somewhere around halfway through. But I'm not upset about it. I kinda like the weird turn it took. Anyways, this was supposed to be an entry for one of the contests a while back, but I didn't complete it in time. Figured I'd post it anyways!

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"I am slow to anger but I toe the line when I reckon with the effects of your life on mine." I have never so related to or understood the lyrics to a song from some musical. You have taken advantage of my kindness and my patience for the last time. You have committed a crime so heinous I cannot forgive it. This hurt compounded with the hurt you have already caused me exceeds what I can in good conscience let you commit without consequence.

I suggest you pray to your god for protection as they are the only one who can save you from me now.

I was still shaking like a nude man in the Arctic even as I stood in a steaming hot shower. Fear wasn't the right word for what I felt in that moment. It was so much more than fear. I just stood there in the shower, allowing the water to cascade down my unmoving body. I hoped the water would wash it all away.

What had I done?

I was justified. Anyone would agree. I was justified... right? If they knew everything that had happened, knew every event that led up to this conclusion, they would have to agree I was justified.

There had been a list of 52 grievances, each of which I wished to wash away in the fire and water. Stealing the affection of one Miss Annabelle Harper, accepting the final seat on the Student Council without submitting an application or showing interest, taking full credit for a partner idea... the list continued. It all needed to be washed down the drain. It all needed to disappear with him.

But he had already disappeared. I'd made sure of it.

I stepped out of the shower, newly cleaned of the evidence of my actions. That's when I heard it. Still playing on repeat was Ain't No Rest For The Wicked by Cage The Elephant. It was the song he'd been playing while he worked, before I'd come in. It still played, mocking me and my actions.

Wicked. I was not wicked, I was justified. He was the wicked one. I was merely a victim of his villainous actions. I had a list, one 52 lines long, proving so. He'd stolen my place in my college of choice, openly campaigned against my father's company causing us to lose everything. He was the reason my sister died.

I still remembered it. It wasn't enough that he'd corrupted Annabelle, he had to steal my sister's heart as well. I remembered when she left the house, all dressed up in a flowing blue dress and a smile that brightened up the room. She was always so happy, so bright. She reminded me of the sky in that moment. Too bad she trusted the wrong person with her warmth and brightness. She was still wearing that blue dress, though tattered and torn, when they pulled her from the wreckage. She still looked happy, radiating warmth despite the fact that she could no longer breathe. At least he couldn't take her spirit like he took her life.

I shook thoughts of my sister from my mind and made my way to the laundry room. My clothes should've been done washing. They just needed to dry. I quickly transferred my clothes to the dryer, then made my way up to his room. I obviously wouldn't be able to fit his clothes, but I would find a way to make it work.

While I waited for my clothes to dry, I went on a walk. I needed to clear my head, remember why I was justified so I wouldn't keep having the internal debate about my actions. There was no reason to feel guilty.

I tucked my phone into my pocket, headphones connected and hanging out enough to make them easily accessible. I would have put them in immediately, but I needed to make sure I was completely aware of my surroundings, at least for a little bit.

As I made my way out his house, I made sure I locked his door. I made sure no one was giving too much attention to his house. Too much attention would mean I wasn't careful and that would be troublesome.

I walked down the sidewalk, feeling my headphones swing back and forth but knowing it wasn't yet time to put them in. Putting them in would mean blocking out some of my surroundings and I still needed to be vigilant, make sure no one was watching the house, just waiting for me to leave or maybe following me as I left. It wasn't until I got to the bridge that I allowed myself to relax.

There by the stream I always found some peace. I walked over to my normal bench and looked out across the water as I put my headphones in. I pressed the play button on the headphones and almost froze. Playing in my ears was "Ain't No Rest For The Wicked".

The universe was toying with me, toying with my nerves.

I quickly pulled my phone out of my pocket, only to find I hadn't grabbed my phone. It was his. Instead of my own phone, I had his phone in my pocket, playing his music, mocking me. How was it that he could still ruin my life even now.

I stared at the phone for a few moments, baffled by my mistake, before stuffing it back in my pocket. I ran full speed back to his house. I couldn't have his phone, couldn't be found with it. In fact, I'd need to clean it. I'd need to clean everything.

It took half the time, possibly less, to return to his house from my bench by the water. The keys almost fell from my fingers as I fumbled to get them into the lock. Once it was unlocked, I threw the door open and rushed inside. I almost forgot to close the door behind me in my haste, but I was nothing if not thorough.

I ran up the stairs to his room, the room I expected to find the mess in, but I found nothing. It was all clean already. I looked around the room, trying to find something, anything that would signal what I knew had happened.  He wasn't there, nor was the mess, nor the letter I'd sent him. All I found was a single droplet of blood running down the wall.

How?

I ran downstairs to the laundry room to find my clothes had dried. They weren't even warm anymore.  I quickly searched for my phone. I needed desperately to know the time.

3:04 AM. But two days had passed since I arrived at his house.

What had happened that I couldn't remember?