A Shelby Mistress

Gone

The meat cleaver was raised in the air as she looked into the eyes of her Dad, begging him to put a stop to what she was about to do. Her body was trembling and tears streamed down her cheeks onto the man pinned beneath her.
"I...don't...want..t..to..do...th..this!" She sobbed, her bottom lip trembling. Everything within her was telling her to drop the weapon and run but this was her family.
They knew what was best for her....right?

"You have to do it for the family chavi!" Her Dad demanded, his voice cold and malice dripping off his tongue.
"There has to be another way!" She protested listening to the man's cries beneath her, begging her to let him be free.
"There is no other way...you know that. Now do it!"

"Family is all that matters! Family is all that matters!" She whispered to herself over and over. Perhaps if she said it long enough she could convince herself too that it was the right thing to do.

Closing her eyes tightly, she lifted the cleaver and with unsteady fingers brought it down with an almighty thud as it connected with flesh.
"M'sorry...it's the only way" she sobbed gut wrenchingly bringing the weapon back up to strike again.
She couldn't see it, she refused to look but she could hear it.
The familiar sound of tearing flesh along with the feeling of hot blood running down her hands, imprinting it's mark on her forever. She could smell the fire, it burnt the inside of her nose and filled her senses with dread and unforgivable guilt.

"Bring me his head chavi"

"BRING ME HIS HEAD!"

"NO!" Aurora screamed opening her eyes with a strangled gasp.
Lifting her hands up to her face she inspected them with tear filled eyes. There was nothing to be seen, it was too dark in her room and the street light just outside her bedroom window only slightly peeked through her curtains.
Throwing her blanket to the side Aurora sat up and allowed her feet to gently press against the floor with a satisfied moan as the frozen air rushed through her hot clammy skin. She rested there for a moment, wishing with all her might that she still wasn't trapped in a nightmare. Her mind had recently been blurring out the lines between reality and her dreams, spinning Aurora into a vicious cycle that had no end.

Standing up, she steadily made her way over to the vanity table, her fists clenched at her sides as the sound of her steady beating heart filled her ears.
Reaching out she gripped the chair and began to fumble across the desk, feeling for the lamp and despite not being able to see through the dark, Aurora found herself closing her eyes. It always helped to keep her thoughts calm and rational, she had tried letting her mind wonder off before but it had always made the nightmares worse and more frequent.
Aurora needed to be in control, it was the only way to help herself.

Finally Aurora felt her hand brush against the lamp, almost knocking it over the edge but she had already latched on. Letting out the breath she had been holding Aurora switched on the lamp and brought her hands underneath it.
Beneath the lamp she saw her light flesh and the veins that ran from her hands up to her finger tips where the whites of her nails seemed transparent under the light.
"No blood" She whispered allowing the tension building up inside her to melt away. She was awake, this wasn't just another dream. Perhaps her mind was finally gaining control of itself once again. It was a small step forwards but a step nonetheless.

Aurora saw no reason to go back to bed, she was awake now and trying to sleep would only irritate her so allowing the light of the lamp to guide her Aurora made her way over the door. The house was still, void of all life except for hers. Aurora welcomed the quiet, it was something she had always enjoyed but it was at this particular time that she needed to hear Tommy's reassuring voice in her ear, lulling her heart into a peaceful state as his arms encircled her.
Four days had passed since she last saw him or any of the Shelby's. They were all in Birmingham by Freddie's side day and night. The poor man was clinging to his life despite the pain and it seemed yesterday they had been some hope as Freddie had perked up. There was colour to his cheeks and he had talked none stop according to Polly but that all quickly changed. It was late yesterday evening when Polly phoned again, Freddie had slipped into a state of unconsciousness and sadly the doctors informed the family that Freddie would never wake again. It was only a matter of time before he slipped away completely.