Hermosa Asesina - Beautiful Assassin

one

Metal. Metal. Metal.

The taste fills my mouth.

I spit it out, watching as the red liquid drops onto the floor and feeling as it drips down my chin.

A fist falls onto my jaw, once again causing me to spit out even more blood. If I want in, this is the pain I'll have to endure.

"C'mon Madeline! If you can't handle this imagine what's gonna happen to you out there, without us." Nathaniel yells.

All I can feel is feet hitting my back, stomping on me. I cough up more and more blood begging the air to let me grasp it. My eyes get heavier and heavier, but I refuse to let them close. The only thought going through my head is Tatum's face.

Do it for Tatum.

What would he do without me? One or two weeks of pain will be worth it as long as we have the money for his hospital bills. My life may be ruined but I will not let his end.

A foot collides with my head causing ringing to fill my ears. My mouth leaks blood all over the floor covering Nathaniel's boots.

I finally hear Nathaniel call for them to stop.

"Stop, a little longer she'll die." he huffs and crouches. "You're lucky Madeline. Go clean yourself up and go home, you'll hear from us tomorrow." I gasp, getting a good amount of air. They leave the concrete built room and drop a towel next to my aching body. My hands shake to the cloth and pull it to my mouth.

I inch my body to the concrete wall and lay my back against it. My head is pounding and for a second I close my eyes. I flash them open realizing now isn't the appropriate  time to fall asleep.

I let myself take a big breath and access the cuts on me, seeing which ones are the deepest ones.

I look on my thigh and find it. I apply the most pressure to it making me wince in pain.

I almost want to sob with the amount of pain I'm in, but I don't. I need to get home.

________________________

A cool breeze flashes me awake.

My head.

My head pounds as if its trying to escape my skull. I get up slowly and limp my way to the bathroom.

I look into Tatum's room as he sleeps. He's been getting sick more and more recently. His insulin is getting lower and all I see is needles and empty vials all around his room. It makes my heart break but I'm trying, I'm doing all I can.

I walk into the bathroom looking in the mirror. The bandages I gave myself when I got home turned from a snow white to a lava red. I replace them and sit on the toilet giving myself time to breath.

As I walk into the room I'm greeted to the sound of my ringtone.

"Nathaniel Is Calling..."

I don't want to hear his voice, it'll only bring me back to the terrors of last night. But, I need to see if there is any updates.

"Yes." I croak.

"Madeline, how are you?" I can't tell if he's joking or not.

"As well as someone who almost died yesterday could be."

"Maddie-"

"Don't call me that."

"Madeline," he pauses. "You knew what was going to happen if you wanted to join, there was no other option. You cannot hold a grudge for something you wanted to do." His voice sound irritated.

"I never said anything about a grudge, not once. You don't wake up everyday to the person who contributed to beating you bloody and yelling at you for half and hour asking if you were 'okay'." My voice monotone, showing no emotion.

"Madeline I refuse to argue with you. I called simply to inform you about your current situation with your brother." My fists start to bawl as I hear him mention Tatum. I hate him knowing how vulnerable I am. "I had insulin sent over, it's enough to last him a month. I will keep the shipments going if you keep your promise and prove yourself to us, otherwise, you and your brothers life isn't gonna last that long." I try and swallow something but I feel is the recurring taste of metal. "Goodbye Madeline." Before I could grasp what happened my feet force me to run to the bathroom and throw up a copious amount of the red liquid.

I sit on the bathroom floor as once again blood travels down my chin. A part of me is grateful for Nathaniels package of insulin and another part of me is dying inside realizing it's all not free. Nothing is free.

"Maddie?" I hear my brother raspy voice call. "Maddie what happened?" He came running to me, grabbing me by the jaw.

"I'm fine Tatum, some dudes came after when I got off of work and tried to rob me, it was kinda funny when they realized I had nothing on me." I smirked. Tatum didn't seem to find anything funny and pulled a packet of cotton swabs and alcohol out of the sink cabinet. I sighed realizing what's about to happen but clench my jaw to prepare for the pain.

"Ahh.." My body lets out without my consent.

"It's okay sissy just breath." He applied a dab of alcohol to the biggest cut on my face making me grunt in pain.

"I- There's a package outside." I push out. "It's for you, get it when you're done with this."

"Okay, boss lady." His sentence earns him a smile from me before he gets another wince of pain out of my throat.

Before I know it he's putting the supplies back in the cabinet and helping me limp up to the living room. As he walks to the front door I admire the picture frames and award certificates hanging above out TV stand.

"United States Army Certificate of Graduation. To Madeline Victoria Saint."

I look around the wall to see all the pictures of me while I was serving. My eyes roam until I come across a picture of me and Nathaniel. He was standing next to me holding a MAS FR-F2. Two best snipers in our class most people would say. I hated the title. There was no doubt Nathanial was an amazing sniper, but me, I was better. I was the best, and nobody could compete.

Tatum walks back into my view frame and places the box on the table.

"How did you get enough money for this?" He huffs, almost angry.

"I've been saving up. You need it." I sat up from the couch holding my stomach that was begging for food.

"Maddie," he says walking to me. "You need to stop wasting money on and focusing on yourself, I could have bought this myself." Tatum states. I laugh, sometimes this kid could be really unbelievable.

"Tatum, there is no way on eight dollars and hour you would be able to buy yourself enough to live for a week, that has enough to last you a month."

"Maddie I'm an adult! I can take care of myself." I lift my eyes up leaving my head behind. I scoff, now starting to take offense to what he is saying.

"Tate, to be frank, you are a college student with barely any clothes, food or any other bare necessities! You need this insulin. And instead of yelling at me for buying something that will help you maybe you should be thanking me you might be able to see another month!" I stood up in disbelief. "Tate, I am your sister, we have nobody but each other and if I have to go a lifetime without you then nothing would have been worth it. Take the insulin." I tried to yell but that pain my body is experiencing it cause it to be more at talking level. I limped back to the room ignoring whatever left he had to say.