The Dawn Of Abnega

Chapter 9

The once unfamiliar feeling of blood trickles down my hand, warm and thick. I can feel it slither down my arm and soak into the sleeve of my dress. My heart pounds louder than it ever had before and my breathing catches with a force that makes my chest ache. The body above me sags as it goes limp and any air left within me is forced from my lungs at the weight. I want to push the body from me, but I am so struck with shock and fear that I can barely move.

It takes everything in me to move my hands to the hairy chest of the man on top of me and shove him away. I'm not strong and he is heavy, so I only manage to get his upper half off of me before I wiggle my legs out from under him. I scramble from the body, abandoning my blade that is stuck in his abdomen. The man's eyes—Elder James's eyes—are still open but void of life as he lays beside me. Blood pools around his gut and I scurry even further away. If I get another drop of his warm blood on me, I may hurl.

Maybe it is just the incident I endured that is making me want to hurl. Or the fact that I have just murdered the man. I don't know. I'm so full of a rattling panic that I can't think straight. My head feels fuzzy, my limps feel heavy, and my body aches. The place between my legs feels especially painful. I'm not even surprised when I look down at my dress and see spots of blood nowhere near where Elder James's blood has stained my dress. I've bled as well. I can feel it on my thighs.

The next moments are a blur. Someone bursts into the room and blanches at the sight of Elder James laying dead in his blood. It's his son, Timothy, who grabs me by the arm and pull me from the room with fury in his eyes. I want to fight him but my limbs feel stiff and heavy with shock. I try to cry, but my sobs come out broken and words seem impossible to form. I can barely breathe and I ache. I can tell Timothy doesn't seem to care for my troubles by his tight grip.

Outside of Elder James's home, I'm tossed into the dirt road. I land on my hands and knees and I can't seem to tear my eyes away from the dirt that clings to the blood coating my fingers. That's Elder James's blood. I killed him.

I killed him.

"My father is dead!" Timothy shouts into the streets from above me. I think I hear gasps but I don't look up to see the faces of those hearing the news. "This wretched little creature murdered him only moments ago! His blood coats her hands and dress, still! She's a criminal! She's a demon! Someone find me a knight! She must be dealt with!"

Again, my mind is a blur. Timothy grabs me again and drags me through the town. As I look around the village, I see people stare in shock and then follow in our wake. I try to search for my family in the blur of our movements, but I don't see any of them. I don't see my parents or my siblings. I search the faces for my friends, but they are not there either. All I see are eyes filled with shock and anger and fear. They shout my crime as we walk, alerting the entire village to what has just happened. I can hear them.

I killed Elder James.

It is true and I know I am in trouble for it, but the urge to defend myself is burning within me. I did a horrible thing, I know, but I was suffering. It was self defense. I'm not a monster. I'm a victim.

I'm thrown into the dirt again, but the scene is different this time. I am the middle of the market with a crowd all around me. They stare and they whisper and they circle me like I am some rabid beast they must not go near, lest they get bit. I look around for my family again, but I hear the voice of my father before I see him.