Endings and Beginnings

Katie slumped to the couch, her pounding heartbeat reverberating loudly in her ears. Her hands were covered in hot, sticky crimson.

But it wasn't her fault! He had tried to kill her!

She turned and blinked, staring blankly at the cracked screen of her phone, two very different images of her face reflecting in its damaged surface.

Sucking in a deep breath, she attempted to calm herself. It was okay. The police would understand.

Had she called them yet?

No, she didn't think so.

Should she?

Probably.

She stared at the split screen of her phone, unmoving.

Someone else would have called, wouldn't they? They would have heard screaming. Surely, they could do that much. She didn't need to do that too. She had done the important part. She had stabbed him.

Katie continued to stare. Suddenly, her blinking ceased, his hazel eyes glassy. Hard. Not with emotion, however. He didn't have emotions.

He looked down. He was bleeding! The knife was protruding from his stomach.

That bitch!

The attacker's brows furrowed, his eyes blazing with sudden anger. How had that pathetic, whimpering girl managed to stab him? This was an absolute disgrace. She was a mewling kitten. Not capable of something like this. Was she?

No.

Maybe it had been someone else? But who? Why? Katie was the one he'd been trying to kill. She alone stood in his way. She had to pay for that.

But if she were so weak, then how had she...?

Katie stared at the split screen of her phone. Her eyelashes fluttered, tears welling.

She shifted, sharp daggers of pain lancing through her abdomen. She smiled with trembling lips, grabbing the handle of the knife and twisted it. Searing pain rippled through her rapidly weakening body.

She had to finish the job. Heaven only knew what he would do with full control of their house, without her to stop him.

Her hand fell away from the hilt of the knife, slapping her lap with a lifeless thump.

It wouldn't be long now. It was nearly done. All that was left was the waiting.

Her smile faded. Her tears stopped flowing. Her head lolled.

She could relax. She had ended his evil. She could begin her own afterlife, finally unchained from his dark thoughts and hideous desires. She could be free.

As the life left her eyes, she felt herself growing heavy. Impossibly so. She dropped. Through the floor. Through the earth. Everything fell away, leaving just her.

Then, she felt heat. Torrid. Dry. Painful. Had she still a tongue, she would have licked her cracking lips. But she didn't. Not anymore.

She was here. She'd been afraid of that. Suicide and all. But at least she was free. It was worth it.

Cuffs clanged as they clapped to her wrists and ankles, chains jingling.

Still, she was free.

Then, she heard a voice. His voice.

She turned.

At the end of the chains stood her enemy, fire in his furious eyes.

He smiled.

500 words