Anguish | Short Unsettling Stories | #Wattys2017

Wounded

    She was wounded. Her soul was made of parts of her past; parts that are dark, disturbing, but those segments made her who she is now.

Eighteen years ago, the cries of a lost, abandoned child echoed through a small town. She was unaware of why she was alone. Confused, she didn't stop crying. Where was her mommy? Where was her daddy? Her hot tears hit the concrete. She began to fall into deep slumber, until a pair of soft, loving arms picked her up and gave her a new life.

Now, she was afraid. The gun never felt heavier in her small hands. Her heart rate increased as she placed a finger on the cold trigger. A silent prayer escaped her lips before she sent another soul away from this world.

She sighed and looked away from the puddle of blood on the floor. The metallic smell of it made bile rise up her throat. She would never get used to it, no matter how many times she experienced it.

But, this was her destiny, she was meant for this.

The sound of police sirens got louder as they approached the scene. One moment later, she was already nowhere to be seen. She disappeared into the darkness and no one would ever see her again.

"Mother, I succeeded," she said after she entered the large mansion she called home. A smile of pure satisfaction appeared on the woman's face.

"Well done, my dear," she took a sip from her wine glass.

"Now," she continued, "Next one."