Page 41 of Redd

I was past the point of pulling back, I had crossed the threshold of sanity and stood in the pit of fire.

The girl held her ground, arching her neck to look up at me, her big brown eyes fluttering in the sockets. “I understand that you don't give a shit. You're probably happy about what you've done.” Her lips thinned as her jaw tensed. “I'mnotafraid of you.”

“You should be,” I growled, looming over her weak frame. I was numb from head to toe, unable to focus on anything but her face.

Her full lower lip pouted, brows knitting with her own hate. “You killed him.” Lifting a single finger to my chest, she poked my heart. “You want to keep me locked up in here, you want to treat me like a fucking slave too—then his blood is on your hands. I bet that girl is here because you force her to be. Did you kill her father too?”

I lost it.

Bull-rushing forward, I grabbed her by the throat and lifted her off the ground, carrying her clear across the room. Pressing her against the door, my eyes burned with pent up emotion and past memories.

Her body trembled as I watched the confidence she had just embrace shatter and fall to the floor. My hands buzzed, thumb stroking the lump that had formed in her throat. “Is this what you want? Do you want to die?”

The girl didn't move. Her eyes grew wider and wider, pupils turning ash gray as her lids thinned, exposing bright white orbs. Small beads of sweat burst over her forehead, her skin cool to my touch as the lump wriggled against the pad of my thumb.

“Just do it.”Her voice came out raspy and thick. “I'm not afraid to die.”

I watched her change. A slow blink erased the fear I thought I had seen, replacing it with something else. Amber colored eyes plucked at my heart, leaving me to wonder what she had really gone through.

I didn't really believe her, no one would ask for a such a harsh end.

“Lying won't save you.” Leaning in closer, I whispered the words against her cheek. “We're all afraid to die, even you.”

Veering my stare, I applied more pressure to her neck. Her pulse picked up, beating faster and faster under my touch. Drawing her tongue over her bottom lip, she pulled her eyes from mine and looked up at the ceiling.

Digging my fingers into her skin, I growled through clenched teeth. I felt her esophagus thin, I heard her breathing grow faint. Her eyes glossed over, bulging from the sockets as small red veins crawled out from the corners.

Stop this!

What are you doing, Redd!?

This isn't you! This is not who you wanted to become!

I stopped squeezing, keeping her in limbo as I struggled with myself.

Let her go, just let her go.

Her lips swelled as she swallowed hard, coaxing her throat against my palm. Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to drop her, and watched her body fall to the floor, curling up into itself.

I would do a lot of things to her. . . But taking her life wasn't one of them.

Rocking back and forth, she cradled her knees, tucking her chin between her legs as she started to weep.

Shit. What the hell did I just do?

What is wrong with me?

How could I have done that to her?You know how. . . It's built into who you are.

She didn't deserve that, she's been through fucking hell and I just held her over the flames.

My heart hurt seeing her so distraught. All the rage I felt melted away as she wilted against the wall like a dying flower.

This is my fault.

Petal after petal fell away. Her once velvet smooth skin now appeared dull and brittle from suffering. Whatever pieces of hope she had clutched to her chest, pierced the ground on raindrop shaped tears.

I shattered her.

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