Where the Shadows Grow Long

Chapter 1

"I'm going to kill her."

At one time those words were an empty threat, sparked by betrayal and anger. As time passed they became a deeply rooted promise. He lived every moment with his pulsating hatred. His focus became her, finding her, and killing her. Every lie and persistent denial was another thrust of the blade piercing her treachery.

Now, standing over her bleeding body, the weapon felt foreign in his hand, but he couldn't release it. He was vaguely aware of the saturating blood giving into gravity and running down the glistening blade. Collecting into pooling drops.

Her chest heaved with fading gasps. With each shallow breath, his once acute rage simmered to a minimal point of clarity and disappointment. He had not found relief or closure in completing his vision. She had not admitted to her deception, and now was losing the chance for the truth he needed to hear.

Echoing screams and crashing sounds brought his internal focus outward. Rushing past him was one of the twins. Abigail, he thought, but realized it didn't matter, he had promised he wouldn't hurt them, they were just kids. He kept his promises.

He turned away to leave, not caring about the continued cries he was walking away from. The closer he got to the door, the faster he moved. He was almost in a full sprint by the time he tore through the screen. Halting his forward momentum was the sudden collision with another moving figure. Intertwined, they tumbled down the stairs and onto the compacted dirt.

He twisted away but couldn't break visual contact with her. He had fought his deceptive mind when he looked at the girls. They were a perfect carbon copy of their mother. His once subdued anger began to resurface. She tried to move away but he grabbed her by her shoulders to keep her still.

"Candace," he growled.

"Who?" she studdered and continued to squirm from his tight hold. "I'm Avery."

"Say it!" he demanded.

She flinched by his proximity and violent energy. "Say what?"

"Her name!" He dug his fingers deeper and yanked her towards him. "Your mother's name!"

His action only caused her to shake more and release begging tears.

"Emily," she offered, fear icing her answer.

Her resistance to redeem her mother only added to his growing ire.

"Truth has consequences. Don't let your mother pull you down with hers."

Her whispered response became drowned out by the sirens, yelling, and demands filling their peripheral. He didn't move, not because he was being told to, but because it became clear the twins would betray him as their mother had.

Forced to release his grip, he felt himself floating before violently meeting the ground face down. A heavy knee in his back made it hard to breathe and kept him from attempting to move. The cuffs pinched his wrists. He heard the words directed at him and knew he was being escorted, but he could only focus on Avery. A new promise dominated his thoughts. One day, the twins would face his truth.