Blood poured from her face as the result of a lethal outburst from her supposed best friend, the knife dug deep into tissue and bones, slicing through until only death remained. Her hands trembled at the sight of the knife, but in that moment she felt strong and in control.
Amber's dying words lingered in Raie's mind - "Fuck you bitch!" - still filling her with hatred and a sense of justice at what she had done. Raie stared at what was once a lively girl lie still on the cold floor.
"That's for my friends, you bastard!" Raie continued to stab the dead body beneath her, despite its lack of movement, screaming and wailing as she did so.
Tara moved forward in an attempt to comfort Raie, carefully wrapping her arms around the younger girl's shoulders and running her fingers soothingly through her hair, stained with the blood of what was once a living being. In that moment Tara could feel nothing but grief for those who had been taken from them.
Raie battled to keep her emotions in check, humming a tune in an attempt to calm her nerves but it barely managed to have any soothing effects. Her gaze traveled downwards towards the dark red stains that marked her hands and before she could stop herself, she was hurrying down the hallway towards the nearest bathroom, her stomach churning with severe discomfort.
Tara followed her friend swiftly, gathering Raie's long hair as she vomited into the toilet. She was powerless against the overwhelming pain that consumed her friend, desperately wanting to think of something concrete that could help reduce or soothe the anguish.
Raie got up and washed her hands, scrubbing at the stain that refused to leave. It felt like no matter how much she washed, it just wouldn't go away. With a cry of frustration, the girl scratched at her skin in an effort to get rid of the stain, but all it did was cause red marks and scratches on her already delicate skin.
Tears sprang to her eyes as she continued to scrub desperately at her hands, "It won't come off, I can't..." she choked back a sob, scrubbing harder at her skin until it was raw and destroyed. "IT WON'T COME OFF!" The words were shouted with such force that they seemed to echo in the small bathroom.
With that said, the girl finally collapsed onto the floor and began to cry uncontrollably, her hands covering her face in grief. She had tried so hard to wash away the taint of whatever it was that she had to do.
Tara reached out and tenderly cupped the girl's face in her hands, their eyes met, and a comforting smile crept across Tara's lips. "Hey hey, it's okay I got you."
They had been close friends since they were toddlers, so the level of intimacy between them seemed almost effortless. "We'll get through this together," she said reassuringly as she continued to look into her friend's eyes in a silent attempt to ease her.
"Promise?" Raie said, her voice barely audible and her hand outstretched with a tiny pinky.
"Promise."
