SCP 1471 [An anomalous life]

VII

Blood was beginning to stain the sleeve of my coat.

-Q-Quentin?!
-I'm sorr--
-I'm so sorry I didn't mean to--

-We should leave. -I said pulling the anomaly's arm with more force than necessary.

I needed to get away from this place as fast as possible, I didn't want to cause a bigger scene than we had made.

The sound of my heartbeat in my ears was so loud, I could barely hear the people near me and Mal0 over them.

-Quentin, I didn't mean to--
-I swear I--

-It's okay Mal0. -I quickly replied to shut her up, as I struggled to find our way back to the train station.

-NO, IT'S NOT OKAY!
-YOU'RE BLEEDING, QUENTIN!
-AND IT'S MY FAULT!

-...

We stopped to catch our breath, we had run in the opposite direction to the convention, so much so that we couldn't find our way back.

Mal0's entire body was shaking , like a scared animal.
She had closed both hands tightly, so that her claws would not come near me again.

People all around were watching us out of the corner of their eyes, judging us by the commotion we were making.

-I-I didn't mean to yell at you...
-I-I-I--
-I'll-I'll get back on the phone, I'm so sorry...

-No!
-You can't do that, not here. -I interrupted her.

Mal0 looked on the verge of tears, and the searing pain in my cheek was starting to get worse.

-Let's just...
-Let's go home, okay? -I said, trying to put on a smile.

-...

-I want to lie down and forget all this ever happened.

_________________________________________

The rest of the trip was completely silent.

The sky was completely cloudy, and it was threatening to rain at any moment.

Mal0 was looking out the window at the gray landscape, absorbed in her own thoughts.

Her tail hung low, and her ears were flattened against her skull.
Occasionally she would glance in my direction, but quickly avert her gaze.

Using the bottle of water Mal0 had brought me earlier, I cleaned the wound a bit in a nearby alley, but I still hadn't managed to close it with anything.

Not like could I walk into a pharmacy with a cut like that and expect them to ask no questions.

I had to travel with my face resting on my arm, so that no one would suspect anything.

I was starting to feel tired, either from the panic attack I had earlier, the loss of blood, or a combination of the two.

I barely heard the voice on the speakers announce our stop.
We hurried to get off with Mal0 and almost ran the way back home.

I just wanted to get home and go to bed.

As soon as we walked through the front hall door, Mal0 got back into the cell phone, she didn't say a word.

After struggling with the lock, I opened the door and closed it behind me.
I breathed a sigh of relief and threw my coat on the couch.

The right sleeve was completely sticky, its blue color turning dark, from the absorbed liquid. I glanced at myself in the living room mirror and wished I hadn't done it.