How to Survive to 18

Happy Birthday Nina

I see Ezmour's face above mine, he is moving to get on top of me. As he pulls his legs over either side of mine, I manage to grasp a little breath of air. It smells like new cologne mixed with sweat. The sun is way gone, and the moon is out, giving a slight glow of blue to my room. They say this color calms one's mind, but it doesn't help in the slightest. All it does is make me even more afraid. I feel his hand again, closing deeper and deeper, I cannot breath at all now and try to stay calm, to save the little air I have left in my lungs. 

My eyes are tired, they have been for days, I haven't gotten proper sleep, calm sleep, in too long. All the muscles in my face loosen up, and I can't see anything properly, it's blurred. I catch a glimmer of the moonlight reflecting behind Ezmour, who's secure on me. My necklace, my pendant, my only memory of what life could have been like. I see it come closer, and a soft hand presses itself on Ezmour's wrist.

"Stop! Dont kill her, you're going too far Ez!" It's Rebecca's voice, and she's still wearing my pendant, but why? Why wear something like that?

"C'mon, can't a man have a little fun?" I hear Ezmour chuckle as he tightens around my neck even more.

"NO! I need her, and she needs me! We need each other!" 

"Arghh, has anyone told you how much of a party blower you are Becca?"

"Well at least I'm not on the run from some stupid child trafficking you were so proud to be a part of!"

"Hey! It's not my fault that I missed the stupid 'twins' sign when I took the baby!" I see arms flailing around, "It's not my fault I didn't know, they shouldn't have kicked me out for something like that."

I groan and then gasp, and feeling air rush in my lungs, wow, oxygen has never tasted so good. Rebecca pushes Ezmour of me and holds her palms on my face, comforting. She hand gestures to Ezmour and he hands her the knife, then locks my door. "Shhhhhh..." Rebecca, kissing my forehead, says. I try to twist away from her but I'm way too weak. Then, all of a sudden, something cold and sharp is tracing my right arm, from my wrist to my shoulder. There isn't much force so it doesn't hurt, but it doesn't feel pleasant. 

What is she planning?

We make eye contact, her eyes piercing into me, just like the knife that she's now stabbing me with. 

I feel every bit, first my bicep, then my forearm, just above my hip and then my thigh. I feel the sharp blade touching my skin with the tip, then go right through and into my flesh, my muscle, right to the bone. In my thigh and side it stopped at the bone, but my bicep and forearm are stabbed right through. My brain is firing adrenaline at an alarming rate, I feel like I just mixed all the drugs in the world together. My body feels warms with the blood rushing in and out, mainly out, of its veins. I try to scream out of agony, I try to call for help, but I can't, Rebecca won't let me. 

She hold my mouth shut, and I am left to screaming in my mind. My eyes are hot with tears, and my skin feels wet with sweat. As I twist in my bed I feel sloshing on the bed, I feel my blood seeping into the mattress and I hear it too. I hear everything. My flesh ripping and Rebecca grunting. It's the most horrid thing, the most dreadful sound. If I survive, these sounds will never leave me. Wait, do I even want to survive? How can I live with this? I don't want to live with this, I want to die, right here and right now. I'm done. 

I hear footsteps coming to the bed, it has to be Ezmour. At this point my eyes are blank, I can't see, all I can do is listen. 

"Now, hand me the knife, let me finish her, finish my job." Ezmour sounds certain, calculated, cold. Like there is deep anger within his words. 

"No, not allowed! I love her too much. Can't you just pretend you killed her and let me run off with her. Let us love?"

"Becca, there are people who want me dead. All because I didn't kill both twins, just the one."