LEARNING TO FORGIVE YOU

1.

Alex played with a rock on the ground as she exhaled the smoke from her joint through her nostrils. Leaning back on her left arm, she allowed her head to fall back, preparing herself for the task ahead.

Glancing beside her, she grabbed the crowbar that had been lying next to her on the curb. She then extinguished her joint on the concrete before standing up walking toward the school.

She slipped in through an open window on the first floor, moving silently through the hallways towards the evidence locker. She prayed that the police hadn't already come to collect the pills.

Upon reaching the room, she paused for a few minutes to listen for any approaching footsteps. before breaking the window with her elbow and reached in her hand to unlock the door. With the door now open, she approached the locker and used the crowbar to pry it open.

She positioned the crowbar between the two locker doors, but before she could start prying, she heard a voice call out her name.

She swiftly spun around, concealing the crowbar behind her back, fearing it might be the school principal or even the police. To her surprise, it was none other than Nick's mother.

"What are you doing here?" Madison asked, her face filled with urgency.

"Nick texted me." the light-skinned girl answered truthfully. "He said he couldn't go cold turkey, so I needed to get him some pills." she added, her shoulders relaxing as she realized she wasn't in any trouble.

Madison eyed the girl up and down. "And for you?" The older woman asked, taking in the younger womans clean-cut appearance. It was a big difference from the last time she had seen Alex."I'm clean." Alex replied. "Have been for a year. Only, he doesn't know since he didn't want any of my help back then. But i just can't watch him suffer any longer. I want to help him, just like you do. because that's the reason why you're here, isn't it?" Alex asked the older woman.

Madison nodded, with a sad look on her face. Without exchanging another word Alex went back to trying to pry the locker open. As the door began to bend outward, she reached in and pulled out multiple bags of contraband. Eventually, she retrieved a bag containing a bottle of OxyContin and handed it to Madison.

The older woman accepted the bag gratefully and headed towards the door. "Can I get a ride?" Alex asked just as Madison was about to leave the room, causing her to turn back to the younger girl. "Things are getting pretty rough out there, and I don't have a car, so..."

Madison sighed, seemingly weighing he options. Eventually, the older woman agreed to give the girl a ride and the two began making their way back to the 1st floor of the school building.When they reached the stairs, Alex spotted her old principal standing further down the hallway with his back turned to her and Madison. The older woman quickly shoved the pills into Alex's jacket pocket before approaching the man, making Alex raise her eyebrow slightly at the woman. 

"Artie." Madison called out to the man. He turned around for a moment, but Alex noticed the bloodstains on his shirt and heard his raspy breathing.

"Shit, Madison, we need to go." Alex urged, keeping her eyes fixed on the approaching man.

"Artie, can you hear me?" Madison asked, seemingly oblivious to Alex's urgency.

"Madison, come on, you know he can't hear you. We have to go." Alex said, slowly backing away as Artie drew nearer.

"We'll get you help, Artie." Madison insisted as the man continued to approach her.

"Madison, look at his fucking eyes! He's no goddamn human no more." Alex exclaimed, her voice tinged with frustration and fear.

Ignoring Alex's warning, Madison stepped closer to Artie. Suddenly, he emitted a guttural gnarling noise and grabbed her by the shoulders. Madison attempted to retreat, but he pushed her against the stair railing and lunged at her, attempting to bite.

Alex sprang into action, delivering a punch to the man's jaw. His head snapped to the side, but it didn't deter him. Without hesitation, she retrieved the crowbar from her jacket and struck him across the head with it. Fortunately, this forced him to release Madison, who stumbled back. Alex quickly pushed her forward, urging her to move. Seizing the opportunity while Artie was momentarily turned away, Madison sprinted past him, with Alex close on her heels.

As the two reached the stairs, Alex felt hands grab her shoulders and yank her backward. She spun around, nearly falling into the man before swinging her fist at his face. Unfazed, he continued to advance, pushing her backward. Despite Alex's efforts to resist, she found herself teetering at the edge of the stairs. Suddenly, she lost her footing and they both tumbled down the stairs.

During their fall, Alex felt her ribs scrape against the edges of the stairs, causing abrasions on her upper body. Upon landing, she felt something pop in her shoulder, sending a sharp pain through her.

Groaning and crying out in pain and fear, tears welled up in Alex's eyes as she struggled to hold the man back from biting her neck with just one arm. She screamed for Madison's help as the man's mouth drew closer to her neck, emitting gnarling and biting sounds, with saliva dripping from his mouth onto her face.

Madison stormed down the stairs with a fire extinguisher in hand. Reaching the bottom, she swung it at Artie's head, causing him to release his grip on Alex. Groaning and holding her injured shoulder, Alex began to scoot backward, trying to distance herself from the man.

However, Artie managed to grab Madison's foot, pulling her down to the ground. Ignoring the pain in her shoulder, Alex quickly rose to her feet and moved towards the fire extinguisher lying beside the two grappling figures.

Using her good arm, Alex swung the fire extinguisher as hard as she could across the man's head. Knowing that a single blow wouldn't be sufficient, she pulled the extinguisher back again and slammed his head into the floor. Despite his groaning and attempts to rise, she continued her assault, repeatedly striking him on the head with the extinguisher. She kept at it until the man fell silent and his body went limp.

She felt nauseated at the gruesome sight of his bashed-in head, with his brains scattered on the floor and his blood staining her clothes. Unprepared for this outcome, she had worn a white shirt, making the blood even more conspicuous—a stark reminder of the horrific act she had just committed.

In shock and overwhelmed with guilt, she frantically began wiping her hands on anything she could find in an attempt to clean them, all while starting to hyperventilate.

A gentle hand on her shoulder pulled her attention away from the horrific scene. Turning to Madison, her hands trembling uncontrollably, Alex stammered, "I—Fuck. Oh my god, what did I do? No, no, no. I—I'm so sorry, I..." Tears streamed down her cheeks as she struggled to form coherent words.

"Sssh, come here, it's okay." Madison said soothingly, enveloping the trembling girl in a comforting embrace. "Come on, we have to go." she continued, gently stroking Alex's hair.

Alex nodded gently against Madison's chest, closing her eyes tightly. She turned her head towards the door, unable to bear looking at what she had done to the man.

The two quickly fled the school, making their way to Madison's car. Upon reaching it, Alex jumped into the car, letting out a cry of pain as the car seat pressed against her injured shoulder and her shirt adhered to the abrasions on her abdomen.

"What is it? Are you bitten?" Madison asked frantically, turning as if she was about to inspect Alex for bite marks.

Alex shook her head, holding her injured shoulder as she pressed her head into the car seat. "No, when we fell down the stairs, I grazed my ribs against them and felt something pop in my shoulder when we landed." she answered, nodding towards her left shoulder.

"Travis's ex-wife is coming to our house, she'll help you." Madison said, starting the car. "You most likely just dislocated your shoulder." she added, reversing out of the parking spot.

Alex nodded. "I'm guessing i'm not going back to my place?" 

(1375)