Shattered

Chapter 28 Kristin

"Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls. The massive characters are seared with scars." Khalil Gibran

Kristin dropped to her knees before falling face forward on the stone patio. She grabbed her neck with both hands, the warm liquid flowing over them at an alarming rate. She turned her head, glancing up at the boy trying to kill her. The drops of blood splashed on the stones from the end of the knife. His head was tilted to the side, probably trying to decide if she was going to die from the vicious wound he inflicted on her.

The taste of copper filled her mouth and she gagged on the hot metal taste. This was it, she was going to die. She blinked her eyes several times, the tears falling faster, the air starting to feel impossible to breathe. He must have seen it too, because he turned on his heels and walked away from her.

The left side of her neck was flowing heavier, so she tried to apply greater pressure there. The only sound coming out of her mouth was the gagging of blood as she tried to call for her brother. Tears started flowing from her eyes as she grinded against the bricks trying to inch her way towards the house.

The thought of dying a monster in her sister's eyes was unbearable. Sure, she was a bully, even the worst sister imaginable. But, she was not a murderer. She didn't have malice or homicidal tendencies and no matter how much she hated Bradley at times, she would have never tried to eliminate her for good.

Kristin tried to push up on her knees but it was useless. Her body was shutting down and she knew she'd never make it to the house in time. She wheezed and coughed up some more blood, feeling it mix with her saliva as it dripped out of her mouth on the stones under her. Feeling out of all other options, she yanked at the straps of her cotton bralette, finally pulling it over her head. She rolled on her back and wrapped the clothing around her neck twice with the elastic. Swallowing had become as difficult as breathing and she could feel her hair sticking in some of the blood on her neck.

She wondered if Cassie would have known she was in trouble and if so, would she have tried to help. It was no secret Cassie hated Kristin. It wasn't as though Kristin ever treated Cassie poorly, but Cassie and Bradley had an unbreakable bond and Cassie knew Kristin could be relentless in her pursuit to torture her older sister. But why? Because Bradley was different? Bradley didn't care about being popular, or even noticed. Bradley simply wanted to exist and for that Kristin had unleashed her inner bully on her.

Kristin coughed up more blood and tried to hold the bralette tighter. Despite her firm grip, the bleeding didn't seem to be lessening. The kitchen light was on and she wondered what Connor was doing. As of late, they hadn't been seeing eye to eye, mostly because of the way she bullied Bradley. But, Conner had been right, as he usually was. And, now because of the choices she had made, Bradley believed she was responsible for her attempted murder.

She never talked to Bradley about that night, what it was like for her sister being paralyzed in the lake. Did Bradley know what was going on? Did she think she was going to die? Her eyes began to sting wondering once again how Bradley believed Kristin was responsible for almost killing her.

The wind picked up, sending chills throughout her now cold body. Yet, the sky seemed suddenly calm, as her breathing started to slow, the struggle started to subside. She refocused her eyes, blinking away the tears, the stars unusually bright this evening.

Suddenly realizing her body might not be found until the next day, Kristin now desperate to clear her name in her sister's eyes, dipped her finger in the pool of blood next to her head. She slowly moved her pointer finger across the stones writing her last message to the world. It was too late to erase all the bad things she had done in her life, the cruel treatment she bestowed upon her older sister, a girl that was strange and misunderstood, a girl that Kristin now wished she had spent more time getting to know.

For some reason, everyone that encountered Bradley was drawn to her. All this time Kristin saw Bradley's weakness, but that weakness was her own doing. When Kristin wasn't around, Bradley was strong and she only treated others with kindness. "I never gave you the benefit of the doubt," she mouthed in silence. "I don't deserve your forgiveness. But, you're better than me, so please forgive me." And, just like that, everything faded to black.