Little Did I Know (unedited)

Chapter 16

She was laying on the floor, broken, motionless, lifeless. A huge pool of blood surrounded her, flowing from her midsection.

I just stood there in shock, unable to comprehend what I saw. My mind just would not accept it. I numbly walked over to her, silently sinking to my knees, not even caring about the blood already seeping into my jeans. All I could think about was her.

A piece of her hair had fallen across her cheek. I moved it, feeling the soft strands against my fingertips. In a daze, I placed my hand on her cheek, cradling her face in my palm. I immediately jerked it back. Her cheek was cold as ice. There was no way she could be.... But she was.

And that was when I completely and utterly lost it.

Hot, angry tears forced their way down my cheek, creating searing lines where they crossed. I was furious, not thinking about my actions beforehand. I was just completely out of it.

I stalked through the dark hallway, jerking all the doors open as I went. I made my way into the living room where I saw John standing there with a smug smile on his face, like he was proud of himself. That just made it worse.

"YOU KILLED HER!" I bellowed, any traces of sanity I had leaving me now. "WHAT DID SHE EVER DO TO YOU?" "Simple," he replied. "Her parents threw my wife in jail."

"But that wasn't her! She would never hurt ANYONE!" "The sins of our fathers..." He murmured. "That's not an excuse!" I retorted. "It's not fair to be punished for something you didn't do!" "Life's not fair, boy." John said. "Neither is killing an innocent person." I growled.

"She's gone. Just like the rest of her family." He smiled. "Didn't matter anyway. She was worthless. A weak, pathetic, wimp." I yelled in rage, and without thinking, ran at John and grabbed his collar. I forced him backwards and shoved him up against the wall.

"Don't you dare say Sadie was any of those things. She was the only thing I had left that I loved. And now, because of you, I'll never see her again." "Oh, you can see her all you like, boy. Her dead body, that is." John chuckled, unafraid that he was in a bad position.

He seemed to read my mind. "Go ahead, do it. Choke me to death and get revenge for your precious Sadie." "No," I said, shaking my head. "I'm not like you." I released him and stepped back. He gave me an eerie smile. I shook it off, my anger fading as the adrenaline left my body.

I turned my back on him and, without looking back, went back into the hallway. I opened the door to the room where Sadie's body remained. I quickly entered and shut it back the way it was. Then, my eyes roamed to the middle of the floor. This time, instead of anger, I felt a different emotion as I gazed upon the body of the only person that mattered to me. I started to cry.

Unashamed, I walked over to her and knelt to the floor, taking her icy hand in mine. Why couldn't it be me? Why Sadie, who never wanted to hurt anyone in her life? I didn't know how long I stayed there in the same position, alone with my terrifying thoughts and the dead body of my best friend. But after a long time, I decided to leave.

I picked Sadie's body up out of the blood pool, ignoring the chill that spread through me, and walked out of the place without a word to John. He didn't say anything to me either, just gave me a smirking leer and let me go.

I walked in the opposite direction of the house, not even caring if I got lost anymore. Sadie's blood stained my hands, my arms, my clothes, but I couldn't care less. I was completely numb. Even when briars tore at my skin, the fresh blood on my arms mixing with hers, I felt nothing. I was only processing going home. When I got there... I didn't know what to do next. Tell my family what happened, I guess.

The sun was starting to go down as I made my way home. I had just gotten there when the colors of the sunset came out over the horizon. I glanced down at Sadie in my arms. The oranges, pinks, and yellows were turning her light blonde hair a beautiful sunset blend of all the colors. She was so beautiful; I just wished she could be here to see what I was seeing.

I wish she could be here to see what I see every day when I look at her. If she could, she would see a person practically glowing with innocence and joy and love, a person who lit up the room when she walked in, a person that made it impossible not to fall in love with her at first sight.

A lone tear slid down my cheek and onto hers below me. I literally carried my heart in my arms as I walked the familiar driveway to the house I grew up in. Once I was in, I yelled, "Mom! Dad!" No answer.

I gently laid Sadie down on the couch in the living room and walked around looking for them. A gentle tingling of alarm began to awake in me, at least it was some feeling at all. I went into one of the bedrooms, hoping maybe they'd be in there. And they were. Lying dead on the floor.