Silent Emily

Anne

I wanted to scream but it was stuck in my throat.

Axel's smile widened as he looked down at me. Ethan and Felix both had their hands knitted together behind their backs, side by side. Their eyes were deep, their expression empty of emotion as they looked down at Anne's crumpled body.

"You killed her?" I cried out when the sound stuck in my throat finally released. "She delivered Beth, she saved us and you murder her? What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Axel's grin disappeared as he reared his hand back. His knuckles connected with my face as pain ripped across my nose. A warm trickle made its way down my face and into my open mouth. The taste of metal filled my tongue as I brought my hands over my nose.

"I've told you multiple times to not talk to me like that Emily. I told you you could keep the dog but I didn't expect you to slut it up with it either. She's nothing but a disgrace to this family."

His words were cunning and sharp, slicing through the air as Ethan, Felix and I turned our eyes up to him. The muscles in his arms flexed as he looked down at his knuckles. They were bruised from my face, sweet bruises of blue and purple already filling in the skin.

"Please." I begged.

I didn't even know what I was begging for, the blood that pooled underneath her was evidence enough that she was gone.

"She's done for Emily. Go back inside if you don't want to watch." Axel stated.

His look was stern and unforgiving as he dropped his hand down and knelt by Anne's head. His fingers tied in a knot in her hair as he pulled her head up. Anne's eyes were rolling around in their sockets, fighting to land on one object. Blood dripped from her open lips and nose.

"E-Emily?"

Her words spooked me for a second before I dropped to my knees by her. I ignored the pain that was on my face as I pushed Axel's hand out of her hair. Her head fell into my lap and she turned herself onto her back with a sorrowful groan.

"I'm here Anne. I'm right here."

Axel didn't fight me as I pushed him away. He stood up, stepping behind us. He must have directed Felix and Ethan to do the same because they moved around us to stand by him. I ran a hand over Anne's face, pushing the hair that was now wet with her blood out of her face. It ran down her back, tickling my knees as my hands filled with the red that came from her wounds.

"Don't leave me okay?" She asked. She stuttered with her words, coughing as more blood filled her mouth. She struggled to spit it out, pulling herself up with and leaning to the side. The crimson colored the floor of the back house as she spit it out. Droplets lined the skin of my thighs. I pulled her hair back, trying to avoid more of her bodily fluids getting into it. The knotted mess felt comfortable in my hands.

"I wont leave you, I promise."

I said the words and hoped that I would be able to keep them. I doubted it but I forced the last little bit of confidence I had to push them through to her. Anne smiled as she adjusted her head back against my knees.

"I'm really hurt Emily." She said. Her eyes finally focused for a second, staring into mine as a light smile played on her mouth. Her once white teeth were bloodied, the enamel broken off revealing the bone underneath.

"I know Anne. Shhh." I shushed her, running my fingers through her hair with one hand and her face with the other. She was beautiful, even lying here broken was a portrait worthy painting.

"Ethan," Axel ordered from behind us. "Go grab the ax."

I snapped my head back to him and the wistful smile he had latched to his cheeks sent shivers down my back.