Minnie shakes as I approach her.
And I can't even tell her that it's going to be okay, because it's not. I am going to kill her, or I will be the next on the list of people who died around Vinnie. And I can't let that happen. I won't let that happen. I have to do this.
"It's not that hard, you know," Habit says. "Here, I'll even let you use my blade." He hands me a sizable blade. "Just a simple stab here or a slash there."
I stare down at the blade. It is long and the handle is midnight blue. It looks like it could cut me without even trying. It probably could and would.
"Habit, don't make her - " Vinnie begins.
"Shut the fuck up, Vin. It's not your choice to make," Habit snarls. He walks over to Minnie and rips the gag off and leans down to her eye level. "You are not going to scream. You're not going to do anything but sit there and be yourself."
She spits in Habit's face.
"Well," he says, leaning back and wiping his face. "That wasn't very nice, now was it?" His voice gets so deep it's soul-shaking.
"Go to hell!" she screams.
He laughs. "Bitch, I'm already there."
I don't move, I just watch the scene unfolding before me, not moving, even though my brain is screaming at me to run. I just stare at him and Minnie. She shakes all over like she's cold, and I turn away, and Vinny wraps his arm around me reassuringly.
"Who are you? Why me?" Minnie asks.
"Why you? Uh, let me think ... Probably because you bullied y/n! Probably because you and people like you disgust me," Habit snarls.
"People like me? What the hell does that even mean?"
"Did I fucking stutter?" He leans towards her. "My name is Habit, and you are going nowhere. Y/ n! Get your ass over here!"
Fear grips my heart and I walk slowly toward them. Habit steps back and grins at me. He puts an arm around me and we look at Minnie. She is crying.
"Time to kill you" he says.
I draw out the knife and walk over to her, and she looks up at me with tears in her eyes. She's somebody's kid, and here I am, about to kill her. About to end her life over some words that she said to me. What kind of person would I be if I actually did this? A monster. That's what I'd be, no better than Habit.
"No," I whisper.
"No? No what?" Habit says.
"I'm not going to do this, I can't kill her," I stammer. "I can't. I - I won't."
Habit walks over to us and I don't flinch away from him. His green eyes bore into my soul. He looks at Minnie.
"Okay," he says. "Alright." He takes the knife from my shaking hands.
"I'm s - sorry," I whisper, voice shaking.
"It's alright," he says, sounding satisfied. "It's fine, y/ n. I'm not mad at you." He snaps his fingers and the bindings come off Minnie. "Go ahead, go."
She staggers to an upright position and rushes into the woods.
And then Habit runs after her and stabs her in the back.
