Collateral Damage

Prologue

I chase after him, and that led me here, to this dilapidated church. My black Mary Janes click against the cracked black pavement. I watch as he looks back, his brown eyes widening as I close in on him, before slipping through the rotted wood doors. I curse under my breath before taking to the steps, skipping two at a time. I place my small hand onto the door, hissing when the wood caught under my skin. I push open the door only to be stopped by a sharp crack.

I immediately duck away from the shot. I look up from between my arms, only to gape at the sight before me. There he stands, the one that has caused all of my suffering. He stands on the podium, his hands clasped in front of him, eyes closed and his head tilted towards the sky. Behind him stood the marble angel, a large jagged ridge splitting the beautiful face. Parts of the wings lay on the ground, fallen to the time that has warped the place. I couldn't help but compare the two beings in front of me, my hatred slowly starting to ebb away from me. However, that feeling of pity did not last long, The hatred and disdain crashed down upon with the force of a tsunami. Blocking all other emotions from escaping my heart. I took a step in front of him and my hand slowly inched towards my waist, where I knew that the brown faded teddy bear rested.

I stopped in front of him, pulled the teddy bear from where it rested, and shoved it in his face.

"Do you remember this?" The words hiss from my throat. Coated in venom and hatred I knew that it got to him. His flinch was pure pleasure for me, however I ignored the small twinge of guilt that welled up inside me at the action.

His eyes widen in horror when he finally registers my question. His hands shake as he reaches towards the bear, but I jerk it back before he can even touch the brittle tan fur.

"Don't touch it!" My voice was sharp, unrepenting even when he flinches back, his black hair covering his face as he looked down in sadness.

"Where did you find that?" His rough voice sets me on edge, the hairs on the back of my neck standing on edge. I stumble backwards as he takes a small step towards me.

"Where you left it," my voice broke half way through, my sadness choking me. "After you took my sister away from me!" My voice echoes in the rundown cathedral, making the doves that took roost in the ceiling to fly away in a flurry.

His eyes close in pain and sadness. I could feel anger rise within me like a tsunami.

"Where is she? Where did you take her?" My voice becomes hysteric with each passing second that he doesn't answer. My body reacts faster than my own mind and the next thing that I know is my body colliding with his.

Our bodies crash down to the ground in a heap, dust springy into the air in a miasma. I shake his shoulders roughly

"Answer me!" I scream with tears threatening to fall. "Please, please she's all I have!" I beg and beg with him until I dissolve into tears.