Beating hearts

Chapter 21

The whited air blew cold on her face, the trodden grass crunched under her black laced boots. She felt ordinary and gleeful as she made her way to a lonely park bench. She sat content, enjoying her surroundings of nature.
She watched as a little blonde-haired girl, around the age of 12, ran in the grass catching snow fairies with her tongue. Also drawing her attention was a small grey squirrel, she watched as it scurried up a pine tree and disappeared into the snow-covered limbs.
She smiled. She was in an extra good mood today, her and Zac had the whole day to themselves. He had been working so much lately at his new hardware job, they haven't been able to spend a lot of time together. She was overly excited to have some quality time with him.
He was running a bit late, she didn't mind, in fact she hadn't really noticed. She was happily distracted with her surroundings and the normal flow of life.

The little girl that was catching snowflakes with her tongue, was now picking up a long pointy stick and writing a name in the lightly covered snow on the side walk.

S.. I..

"Sorry, I'm late," Zac says approaching Her.
She smiles as she stands up and throws her purse strap over her shoulder.

"No worries," she locks arms with Zac, and smiles as she looks back over her shoulder at the little girl playing in the snow. The girl stops and waves at her, And Ara now realizes, the girl looks oddly familiar.

"Wait,"

She unhooks her arm from Zacs and takes a step closer to the child.

"That little girl, she looks like..." A staggered look appears on her face.

"Me."

Zac looks up to see where her eyes are gazing.

"That's me," Ara says quietly.

"What's you?" He says looking at her confused.

"The little girl over there! She looks, like me," she spoke in a louder voice pointing a finger at the girl.

He gazes around in every direction.

"What little girl?"

His words sent shivers down her spine and throughout her whole body.
She looked at Zac with crooked eyebrows.

"There's no little girl over there," he continues.

She looks back in the girl's direction. She stands there smiling at Ara, her hands folded behind her back. Ara starts to walk toward her, taking big strides.

The smile fades from the girl's face, she takes her hand and slowly digs it into the middle of her chest, blood flowed from the sides, dripping down onto her white dress. It's sizzles as it hit the white cotton fabric. Ara stoppes dead in her tracks, shock froze on her face.

The girl, still digging her hand in her chest, dug deeper and deeper, giving Ara a crooked smile, revealing her gooey red covered teeth, blood slowly running out of her mouth and down her chin.
She stops forcing her hand to go any further and gives a quick tug, ripping her heart from her small chest. She grips it in both hands, holding it out toward Ara.

She stumbles backwards landing on the hard cold ground. Zac rushes to her side, picking her up.
She was widely confused, as the girl disappeared from sight.