The Devil You Know

[Charlotte]

"MONSTER! Stay away!”

He stands before me, his fist dripping with the blood of another. Wiping off his hands he reaches for me, and I scoot away. I don’t want him to touch me. I don’t want any of that blood near me.

What if he hurts me?

My mind begins to clear and I realize who my defender is. "Micah?"

His voice is soothing as he bends down, kneeling on the ground. But I can’t see him, all I see is blood. So much blood. The world is red and black and white under the harsh light of the streetlamp. There are men on the ground, their bodies mangled lying in unnatural positions. I cannot tell if they are breathing.

Pulling the edges of my sweater back around my nakedness, I see nothing but blood, splattered all over my front, my legs.

Crying, I start to pull off my sweater and the now useless shirt comes off as well. My bra is still intact and thankfully clean. I pull my knees in to cover myself, shivering in the dark. “Monsters…all of them…monsters…”

“Shhhh, Charlotte