Blame

The Woods Again

Elizabeth was covered in blood.

"Liz."

She didn't know how, or why, but she was covered in blood, and she was in the middle of the woods, bare trees towering above her.

"Liz."

Somebody's cold hands were on the sides of her face. The feeling of them, mixed with the warmth and the stickiness that the splotches of blood left, was rather unpleasant.

"Liz."

Somebody was speaking.

"Liz. Look at me."

The words finally registered.

Elizabeth looked down.

"J-jesse?"

Jesse was pinned beneath her, her hips locked tight between Elizabeth's knees as she leaned over her.

There was blood all over her too. It was all over her arms, her face, and her clothes, which were now covered in quite a few tears and holes. 

Elizabeth's left arm was raised. 

She found herself clutching a throwing knife.

The back of her hand was stinging. 

"It's me." Jesse slowly withdrew her hands.

"I don't -- I'm n-not -- I -- I --," Elizabeth sputtered out in confusion. "I'm s-s-sorry..."

"S'okay," she breathed out. "It wasn't you."

Elizabeth hastily got off of her, dropping the knife onto the leaves.

"Lizzy Jones..."

She spun around to face a familiar inhuman figure, her breathing becoming increasingly uneven.

"Y-you. Wh-wh-what d-d --,"

"What did I do?" it finished for her. "The better question is what did you do. You've been hurting a lot of people lately..."

"N-no..."

"Yes. You hurt all of them, Lizzy... Don't you remember? You hurt Laura,"

The demon's overlarge smile got even bigger as all of its eyes began to stare at her.

Suddenly, a memory Elizabeth had no recollection of ever happening flashed before her eyes, hitting her like multiple icepicks going straight into her skull.

She was standing in front of a toolbox that a crew member had accidentally left out by one of the storage cars. She opened it, taking out a pair of work gloves that had been shoved inside. She put them on, grabbed a utility knife that had been resting underneath them, and closed the lid.

She popped the blade of the utility knife out as she began making her way towards a figure in the distance.

Laura turned around when she was only a couple of feet away from her, but it didn't matter. It was already too late.

Elizabeth swung the knife at Laura, who brought her arms up out of instinct. As a result, her forearm and hand got cut open instead of her face.

She swung again, only managing to nick her cheek.

Slightly annoyed, Elizabeth shoved the dancer to the ground as hard as she could, pinning her down.

She stabbed her a few times.

Laura tried to scream, but she couldn't. Her voice was muffled by Elizabeth's glove clad hand, which was becoming wet with tears.