They said the first casualty of war is yourself. Perhaps, that's because war doesn't only rage from the outside but within a person as well.

Alyssa smiled wickedly as her brother guided detective Howe out of her room. She knew that the poor detective wanted nothing more than to support her. Yet she couldn't find it in her heart to give in just yet. She was enjoying how their tedious existence tilted toward something other than the usual. The blandness of life which had been tearing her apart by degrees, clawing and trashing within her had found momentary reprieve.

She had lived like a zombie since the day of her birth. Her small and miserable town offered her nothing but a prosaic life. Every day she had to balance the scale of her existence, always careful not to bend it too much, fearing that she'd lose all sense and rationality. But for fuck's sake. It had been too much. The previous years were like a dark narrow, stinky passage-always the same, a circle, a cycle of nothing but lameness, stupidity, casual greetings, fake smiles, and hand waves that served nothing more than mundane confirmation of one's presence in their town-it drove her to the edge.

Boredom. Boredom was dangerous for someone like her. And now that she found something to play with, why not make the most of it, right? To gamble her life was not something for her to fear. She could overturn everything with a snap of her finger. Why couldn't she? She was up against what and who? A bunch of mindless creatures who thought life ended where their town meets the borders? A fesnyng of ferrets who thought they were birds of prey?

Alyssa took a deep breath as she watched from the window how her brother guided detective Howe towards the parking lot which was just below her hospital room. The moronic crowd was there too-with their protest cards and crocodile tears. Yes, to her, they were fake concerns. Like, really, how could they stand there and cry when they spent four years doing nothing? If they had cared, then why haven't they continued to search for the missing kids when detective Howe left their midst years ago? She chuckled then closed the curtain.

As she made her way back to her bed, she glanced to her side and smiled at the bouquet her brother had given her. It had been years since Jhon returned and somehow, she couldn't help but thank her current situation. She was burning, drowning, or so he thought, that's why he returned. She is loved dearly by her brother, and she couldn't thank him enough for that. He was the only sensible person she knew from their town. Her parents? She loves them too, but would she ever perceive them as sensible? Well, that would need a lot of thinking and weighing. She cares and wouldn't let anything happen to them but she'd be lying if she says they were above everyone else. They were as gullible as the rest of the yahoos in town. But they were important to her; in their own tedious and whimsical existence.

Sensibly, it was time to free herself from the weak and deteriorating rope the town had bound her in-something they stupidly misjudged to be steel, strong enough to tie her down. But not just yet.

There was a possibility that she'd find something to gain from her current situation, even if that something merely amounted to a little amusement to assuage her boredom.

If one would ask, was she right on that thought? Well, her brother had returned to her side, that's one gain, was it not? A smile graced her lips before she pulled her blanket over her body and closed her eyes. She needed rest because come tomorrow, she'd be facing the wolves whose fangs were strong enough to graze her-yes, just a graze, because they'd need more than what they've got if they desired to impale her.

***

Alyssa awoke to the sound of gunshots. Hurriedly, she got out of her bed and almost fell to her knees when she bumped into a wooden chair left in the middle of her room.

"Damn it," she cursed as she made her way across her chamber and toward the window. She grabbed a portion of the brown curtain and violently drew it open.

"Get out of here!"

"No, you get her out of there!"

"She doesn't deserve to be treated! Let her rot in jail with her wounds!"

Alyssa rolled her eyes when from below, she caught sight of the previous town mechanic. Previous, because Mr. Hawthorn left a few years ago. The man abandoned his wife and business in the pretense that he couldn't endure the loss of his child. But what the pathetic people of their town missed was the real reason behind his so-called pain from the loss.

Yes, Alyssa wouldn't deny that Simba did leave because of his loss but not due to his love for his daughter. Well, there was love involved, but not between a daughter and a father. Simba left because he couldn't bear the loss of his plaything. Yes, that's correct. His daughter was his toy. Alyssa knew all about it. Miranda Sanchez, the pretty blond girl who was one of the missing was Simba's daughter-biological to be exact. And she was not only his daughter, she was also his wife when his wife was not around. What churned Alyssa's insides was Miranda's willingness. She wasn't coerced or anything close to that. Initially, she thought Miranda was groomed, but no. She was willing. Disgustingly; willing. She once told Alyssa how great it was to be filled by the person she loved the most. The words were disturbing, to say the least, but perhaps, Miranda knew Alyssa didnt mind disturbing things. But hell, even she had to draw the line somewhere. And incest fell beyond that line. Even her iron-clad gate of acceptance and understanding couldn't stand such a disgusting blow.

Someone should have stepped between those two when it began, but hey, their town and its occupants were all about sunshine and daisies. Nothing could go wrong. But then again, at least, Miranda was gone. Someone did put a stop to it. Alyssa smiled as she shook her head.

"What a fucked up town, " she murmured before she looked up at the orange and red hues painting the sky. With a glance to her side, her eyes instantly caught the time from the clock hanging high above the wall. The time said 5:30.

Alyssa sighed before she drew the curtain close and walked back to her bed. It seems her brother hadn't returned since he guided detective Howe out of the hospital building. For a moment, Alyssa wondered what he did to the detective. She was aware of John's sentiments. He hated detective Howe ever since he pointed a gun at her twelve-year-old self. It was reasonable, her brother was a bit protective.

She was about to mount her bed once more but was halted from doing so when the door to her too. Burst open and in came two cops and the last man he wanted to speak with, the town's mayor, Geronimo Verano. A stout bearded man who had an excess of every possible thing. Wealth, women, respect-one which he did not deserve-and of course the trust of the community.

Alyssa mentally sighed when the mayor approached her. She was not in the mood for a discussion, debate, mind game, or dissection-which was clearly what the old geezer was there for. She need not ask, she knew. They were easy to read. When one has lived her life in boredom, one tends to watch like a hawk and listen like a greater wax moth. Everything becomes clear when there was nothing holding one back. Nothing is hidden, not even in the covers of darkness.

"Alyssa, your trial shall resume tomorrow. The people need justice."

Alyssa mentally smirked and thought to herself, what a condescending man the mayor was. Well, it went a surprise, he had always thought of himself as someone intelligent because he managed to hold on to the mayor position for fifteen long years. It was against the law to create a monarchy in local offices, but then again, it was the town of Tarika; what else could have one expected? But if the man before her thought that he could talk down to her as if he was above her, then he has nothing coming.

"Your father had been a great citizen of this town. It pains me to have his daughter suffer like this. But there are consequences to every action, Alyssa."

Of course, there are, Alyssa thought to herself. But for the words to come out from the mayor's mouth was nothing sort of comical in her ears. The man and his distant and detached demeanor when the kids first went missing was something she would never forget. The callousness of his words when fourteen parents came to his office begging him not to cease the search was appalling, it made her want to vomit right there and then.

"You need to own up to your mistakes, young one."

How dare he. Words of significance like those were not meant for a mouth like his, Alyssa thought in silence. Anger was raging inside her and it took a significant amount of mental strength to restrain the expression that wanted to burst forth from her core. If she could, even in the tiniest amount, she'd let some seep out of her face. But that option would be giving the man in front of her ammunition. No, she could never allow that. So despite her forehead near contorting, she took a deep breath and pushed that anger inside, down to her stomach, and kept a stoic face.

"Why won't you admit to it, Alyssa? Save yourself the trouble of a trial? It was probably an accident, right?"

She mentally laughed. He would want that, wouldn't he? She wanted to gape at him and ask if he was fucking serious. She wanted to shake her head in disbelief. The way the man said it sounded like his statements were reasonable. As if what he said were the best solution and the ultimate truth. Alyssa mentally smirked. Oh, how she wished she could smile and mock the man. But again, she stood like a statue.

"If you'd only plead guilty and beg for forgiveness, Alyssa. I would see to it that you get pardoned. You're being tried as an adult. It pains me to see a member of this town behind bars."

Was he kidding? How many men had he shoved inside a jail cell for the most capricious of reasons? The audacity of him to say such words to her, Alyssa thought. And since when had the mayor been interested in other people's problems and welfare?

"That is all I came here to say. As for Simba, you don't have to worry about him. We won't let him touch you."

He could try, Alyssa answered mentally.

"Well, I would take my leave. The cops will remain outside your door. Dinner will be given to you soon." After he said those words, he left, leaving Alyssa to contemplate what her next step would be. Any normal person would have been rattled at that moment, but Alyssa felt nothing of sorts. Matter of fact, she smiled as the door to her room closed and in the silence of her solitude, she took a deep breath relishing the euphoric feeling that bubbled within her.

Excitement. Her entire body trembled at the sheer thrill of having the opportunity to do everything she dreamt of doing. Her little community was about to see a show. One they would never forget. One where every person's survival shall be determined by their will and wit-things which she was certain, they lacked.

What a wonderful thing it was for the town to accuse her. Perhaps, she'd serve them something bitter. Besides, she had been brewing it for quite some time, hadn't she? The tea was set to scald and leave them with unpalatable facts, served in ways they'd never known.

Alyssa smiled as she made her way toward the window and once more, drew open the curtain. Had everyone expected that she'd capitulate to the whims of fate? One instigated by a bunch of fools?

She couldn't help but smirk. She tilted her head to the side and as her eyes lingered on the people below, flashlights on hand and banners still hanging on the trellis they'd spent so much time creating, her smirk turned wicked. It appears every player was already in town. Alyssa chuckled, shook her head then tilted it up to look at the darkened sky.

As the silver light of the moon shone on her, she thought to herself, what was the phrase to use at a moment such as that? Oh yes, game on.