Dying Embers

Chapter Sixteen

    RIVER

           I heard Jessie scream. Carlene got off of me and we ran down the bank. My leg hurt already but I wasn't going to stop. Jessie screamed and she needed our help. What if it was a wild animal that was hurting her? I ran harder. I could hear my heart pounding in my chest from this running and the paranoid feeling I was having. When we made it to the cave I turned to Carlene. 

          "I have no time to jump on the rocks I need to swim across," I said very fast. 

 "Okay there isn't much of a current today anyways. Go!" She yelled. I turned around and ran desperatley into the water. There was so much friction between the water and I and it made it harder to move. Even though the current wasn't as strong as it was there was still a current and it slowed me down. I could hear Carlene splashing behind me. I tried to move faster. I was already out of breath and exhausted. I was hungry again. No doubt the people were too. I dragged my heavy body onto the other side of the river. I could still hear Carlene behind me. Good. I jumped over a log and moved vines and branches out of my way. I ran through the forest avoiding anything that could slow me down. I never heard Jessie scream again. Did the wild animal get her? I hope not. Please don't be hurt Jessie. Please. I ran along the stream but Jessie wasn't near the stream. Could she have gotten lost?  I looked down and saw footprints. I saw Jessie's leading upstream. I followed her footprints and saw that her tracks were leading away from the stream. Carlene ran towards me breathing heavily from running and swimming. 

     "Did you find her yet?" Carlene asked out of breath. I shook my head. I will find her though. Somehow. The tracks were cut off by leaves but started again when I came across mud. 

         "Jessie!" I called and no answer. 

      "Jessie!" Carlene yelled. Still no answer. Only the sound of birds singing. What they were singing didn't sound very happy. Just when I was abou to give up Carlene pointed ahead of me.

       "Look up ahead," Carlene said. I ran towards what she was pointing at. I moved through the small path of the tall grass and saw something I never thought I would see before. Tears. Actual tears rolled down my cheeks when I saw Jessie's battered body. Carlene gasped. 

        "Oh no," Carlene whispered. I fell to my knees. Why did this happen to her? She was only six! Why did this have to happen to a sweet, innocent girl? Jessie's chestnut hair was matted and some of her hair was torn out. Her skin was cold and lifeless. Her eyes..Oh God her bright greens eyes were open...I could see pure, frozen fear in her eyes. Her dress...was pulled up to her hips and her...panties were pulled down to her ankles...Oh God....I can't believe this...Tears rolled down my cheeks. I didn't care if I was a 17 year old guy crying. I...Oh God no...I pulled up her underwear and fixed her dress. Hopefully this will give her some sort of dignity....even though she was dead. 

            "No, no, no, no, no. Please, please, please just let this be a nightmare. PLEASE! How could this happen? WHY WOULD ANYBODY DO THIS?" I screamed. 

           "It..will be okay River," Carlene said weakly. 

          "NO!" I cried. I picked Jessie's lifeless body and hugged her to my chest. There were bruises around her neck and wrists that made me cry harder. I didn't even hear Carlene kneel beside me. 

       "Her mother told me to take her and protect her. I even told myself I would and I BROKE IT!" I screamed. I hugged Jessie's body tighter to me. Why? Why? Why? Why? WHY? 

      "No, please let this be a dream. A terrible, terrible dream," I begged burying my face in Jessie's hair. Carlene rubbed my back and I cried harder. I leaned onto her and cried my heart out. I cried for my father and I cried for Jessie. I sniffed and looked up. My throat hurt from crying and screaming. I couldn't breathe well either. I tried to breathe calmly but decided it wasn't worth trying. Hatred hit me now. Bill. Bill did this. I know the bastard did. I change my mind. Anybody was capable of murder. I narrowed my eyes and stood up. Jessie was still in my arms. Without a word I walked slowly to shore with revenge in my heart and hatred in my eyes. I rubbed my jaws tightly together trying to contain my screams of rage. I walked through the leaves and stepped onto the sand of the shore. 

         "Hold Jessie," I said through clenched jaws. Carlene took Jessie and looked at me confused. I ignored her and turned around walking towards Bill who was by the water. I walked fast towards him. 

      "You," I said out loud. Bill turned his head towards me. I swung my fist conecting it with his noes. I felt his warm blood on my knuckles. 

        "YOU KILLED HER!" I roared. 

       "RIVER!" Carlene screamed but I ignored her. I kicked Bill on the ground and got on top of him. I punched him again hitting his jaw and again hitting his noes again except this time I broke it. I punched his eye and then his cheekbone. Once I started I couldn't stop. I wanted him dead. I wanted him dead now.

        "DID YOU LIKE KILLING HER YOU SICK, TWISTED BITCH?" I screamed punching him blindly. I didn't pay attention now. 

        "River! Please stop!" Carlene begged. She grabbed my arm and I reacted. I turned over and pushed Carlene down angrily. I looked her dead in the eye. 

        "You stay out of this," I said coldly. Her eyes widen. Tears formed in her eyes but I didn't care. I looked over and saw a good sized rock and I looked at Bill. Bill saw what I was looking at and he gasped shaking his head.

        "No," he said spitting blood out of his mouth. I smiled coldly at him and picked up the rock that was probably bigger than a baseball. I breathed in angrily. I lifted the rock. 

        "NO!" Bill screamed but I slammed the rock into his face. Blood drowned his voice. I slammed the rock into his forehead breaking skin. Blood splattered on my face. I smacked the rock on his face again and again and again. I made one more hit to the forehead and his forehead cracked open revealing his brains and more blood. I growled in anger and shoved the rock in his mouth. I pushed it down farther breaking his teeth and jaws. I rolled off of Bill gasping for air. Blood covered my chest, hands and face. I looked down at my hands and looked at Bill's crushed in face. I lookd in horror at what I had done. I looked at Carlene. There was terror. She was scared of me. What have I done?