Blood Juniper A Vampire Tale - Volume 1 Chapter 25 The Other Side Of Us Part 3

“Wait, June, hold on a second!”

She’s fast. I try to catch up to the whirling dress waving above the grass. Her long, loose hair swirling, riding the current like some kind of flying black dragon. Her pale bare feet barely making contact off the ground, sending her rocketing forward with each light step.

“Juniper, Stop!”

She disappears into thick shrubs, melting into them like a ghost.

I run full speed toward the two kissing bushes, pressing and leaning upon each other. The plants entangled like clinging fingers fused together. How the hell did she even get through that so easily?

I keep running head on for the bushes, lowering myself as I sprint to prepare for the hurdle.

‘Wow, that’s high!’ gravity be damned, I’m soaring over the shrubs like I was made to fly. Weightless, it feels good. Feels right.

Maybe, this *is* fate.

The foliage welcomes my descent, cradling the balls of my feet. My movements follows, flowing into one another like a well oiled machine. I don’t have to think about it, my body just responds to minimize impact as if I’d done it a thousand times. Like a small hop playing hopscotch rather than an Evel Knievel lunge.

I keep my momentum, focusing on the problem at hand, racking my brain with alternatives to keep that ugly future from happening. Trouble is, I have no clue what will provoke Juniper to go homicidal in the first place.

Damn, lost her. My hair slaps me in the face as I twist my head in search of her. I spit out the annoying strands trying to sneak into my mouth.

“June?” I call out.

“You’re a bit conspicuous, I prefer the quieter approach.”

‘JEEZ!’ I skid to a stop, dry sticks snap and scrap under my boots, dead leaves crumble and spray upward in a half hearted confetti throw.

My wide eyes flick over to meet her nearly mocking ones. June is drifting at my side as if connected by the hip. Her stop is more fluid than mine. I swear she actually is floating sometimes, hovering.

I pretend like she didn’t spook the hell out of me, *again*! I’m pretty sure it will only encourage her to do it more often, especially feeling that palpable amus.e.m.e.nt rolling off of her. She must get a kick out of toying with people. Quite the asshole.

June tilts her head with a questioning remark, “Why so hesitant, petite. Isn’t this what you wanted?”

I want to bite out something snarky but remember why I was trying to catch her in the first place. I scramble for the words, playing chess in my head with different moves to sway the future.

I hear the man’s fragile neck bones grind and snap in a loop. Sometimes I hear his scream before it’s gobbled down by ferocious jaws. June’s tongue licking her chops as red spills out. Occasionally, I’m the one taking a bite out of the victim, I shudder. Make it stop!

No good, no matter how I alter my intentions, it doesn’t seem to have any effect on saving the victim’s life. The future will become the present in a few moments time.

His heart is pounding, we’re close. That aroma sailing into my nose, making it hard to think through options. I don’t want to witness a murder, it’s already bad enough as a premonition.

“You’re concerned,” June tries to pacify, sensing my disturbance, her emotional tendrils reaching to embrace and comfort, “This is all necessary, Ashlen. Don’t be afraid.”

Necessary? I frown and my eyebrows constrict, slapping away the emotional wave of comfort without consciously trying to.

June moves her head to the side obviously taken back by my cold shoulder to our connection. I feel a hint of confusion and skepticism waft off of her as she scans me like x ray imaging.

“It’s actually not necessary,” her eyebrow raises at my rebuttal, “I already ate my fill. Maybe we can do this another time.”

Stalling, buying time. Did it work? I try to focus on if my efforts changed anything but the man’s pulse sings a most distracting song. I should have gotten enough earlier but I still want him. Damn it!

‘We’re losing him, don’t let it escape.’ Something almost seems to whisper to me inside, I don’t even know if it’s a voice but this feeling of loss vocalizes just that. It claws at my insides, I want to chase. I need the hunt. I desire his life.

I try to shake these dominanating urges creeping over my better judgement. ‘I’m full, I’m not hungry anymore!’ I argue with this animal-like thing rearing its hideous head in the back of my mind.

I catch movement and refocus on Juniper. A smirk crawling over her mouth and eyes thinning as she moves a bit closer to me. The heart beats a lovely soft tone in the distance. What was I trying to change again?

“You’re full, you say?” the delicate words slither through the dark trees.

June’s grin widens and her irises are faintly backlit, “Nonsense.”

Can she sense my craving for his blood, how I want to run over to that man right now? I blink a few times before I reply, “What do you mean? I’m not lying, I had,” I breathe out, I can’t believe I’m about to actually discuss this, “I *drank* from a man before I came back to the cabin and a woman before that,” so weird to say that out loud.

“So, you have no desire for another?”

“I don’t need anymore, I’m satisfied,” I lie with as much conviction as I can muster, “Let’s do this another night.”

‘*Crrackk-sskerk!*’ A future memory of his neck breaking again. I’m failing make a difference.

“Satisfied,” she gives a dark chuckle, “I. Doubt. That,” she enunciates each word individually, lingering on the last.

“It doesn’t matter what you doubt!” I bark, letting the agitation and conflicting desire get the better of me, “I said I’m not hungry, I don’t want to do this right now.”

She’s unmoved by my sudden temper, calmly replying after a short pause, “Acceptance,” she let’s the word ripen before finishing, “This is necessary, you must accept it.”

She’s off, pursuing the strong rhythm before I can get another word in.

I chase her down again but she’s so much faster than I. The speed I’m going makes the world around me blurred yet clear all at once, like my surroundings are unstable and radioactive but it’s flying by in slow motion.

Everytime I pick up the pace June seems to do the same. Always keeping the exact distance ahead of me. Like I’m on a treadmill and she’s tied on a string, dangling out in front of my face to taunt.

I holler, “Come back here!”

Blue rings flash inside her sockets as she eyes me over her shoulder. Her hair kicks up like a murder of crows fanning out and taking flight in mass. She barely spares me a glance before zooming away, stealthy and graceful as ever.

“Damn it, don’t do this!” I bellow in frustration.

Ba-dah Ba-Dah BA-Dah BA-DAH!

He’s onto us now, I’m sure my yelling tipped us off. His racing heart sounds amazing, piercing the darkness like a lighthouse. I’ve already drank from two people tonight, why do I still yearn for more? He’s a deathtrap lighthouse, planted in the center of jagged cliffs and sheer drops. I’m going to crash land on his spiky beaches.

Limp in my arm, dead. He’s a corpse. A future memory of the man’s dead eyes staring into nothing. Blood, there’s blood all over, but mostly on my mouth and sliding down my throat. It feels so perfect to have that liquid flowing down my insides.

A sharp inhale sucks into my mouth, I falter as my boots grind over rocks and plants. I try to jolt the disturbing future from my brain. It seems this guy is a dead man walking! No matter what angle I come at the problem he’s always wiped out by Juniper or by My own hand.

‘There’s no way I’m going to be the one to kill him and I’m not letting Juniper, either! The future is not set, I *will* fix this!’ determination sets in my curling fists and I wonder if June will lose interest if I leave.

Blood at the cabin, red smeared in the doorway, blood covering her mouth and hands. His body crashes on the doorstep.

That’s not going to work, she’ll just bring him back to the cabin. Why is she doing this! What is so ‘necessary’ about all of this?

I go after her in slower strides, focusing on myself, I need to make sure I’m in control.

The doomed stranger’s melody plays rapidly in the forest. Knocking viciously at the door of my desires. How I wish I could invite him in for a small drink but I don’t think I have the strength to close off the floodgates. He’ll be swept away as I devour the last drop.

“What do you want from me!” a raucous voice sounds off from a few paces away.

I let the escalated heart rate and heavy breathing lead me to the hubbub.

The man’s rough tone slices through the area again, “You’d better back off!”

I spy the man from my premonition, he’s alive, fists clenched defensively as his anxious eyes dart around.

Juniper startles me as she seems to appear out of nowhere. Gliding behind the man on the lonely trail, pushing him slightly as she passes, he stumbles forward arms waving about.

“Ah!” He chokes, almost face planting into beaten path.

He rebalances and rips a pocket knife out of his jeans, flipping it open. He circles dragging his feet backing up, threatening the dark with his puny weapon.

I locate June standing just off the road by three twisty trees in the shadows. I can make out her out perfectly.

The lace on her loose sleeves blowing softly in the breeze and the split of her dress flowing from the waist line down reveals a heavily patterned layer, rippling like a river.

Her irises have an accursed glow like a swimming pool lit for a nighttime dip, she flashes me a devilish smile when our eyes meet.

I shake my head mouthing the word, “Don’t.”

Her grin widens and I show my disapproval.

“What! Now your running scared? Come out coward!” the man roars, he may as well be beating his chest. That idiot, he doesn’t have a clue of who he’s egging on.

My eyes flick back to June who is now standing on the trail in clear view, less than a yard behind the aggravated man.

I hiss through my teeth only loud enough for her to hear, “June!”

I flick my hand, gesturing for her to hide back in the trees. She continues staring at the back of the guy’s head, although a smirk spreads along her face. She’s totally ignoring me!

The guy slowly spins around, scanning with each step. His jaw drops when he spots June. Jumping to attention and pointing the knife in at her.

“Wha- What the! Who the hell are you?”

Juniper makes a small chuckle to herself and bats her lids lazily at him.

He tilts his head and aims the knife at her like a warning as he takes one step forward, “Were you the one screwing with me?”

June just stands there as dry leaves bounce in the wind, rustling across the ground as they roll.

My gazes yo-yos between the two of them anxiously observing.

The guy’s shoulders dip as he sighs, flipping the knife closed and slipping it back in his pocket. He warily eyes Juniper as he begins to walk over to her, too roiled to be enchanted by her unearthly presence, “What is your problem lady!”

She eyes him silently, flashing him a mischievous grin.

The lines on his forehead deepen, looking a little intimidated before angrily thrusting his chest out demanding, “What’s wrong with you, are you sick! Are you f.u.c.k.i.e.d in the head or something?”

She disregards him completely, turning her face toward me. I shrink back, she’s compromising me!

“Show me, Ashlen,” she commands, “Take him.”

I gawk at her in disbelief and my head vibrates. I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop, it’s hard enough not to get caught up in the hotblooded man with fluid sloshing through his veins like that. It’ll be worse when I taste it, delightfully worse.

The guy shoots a confused glance in my direction, obviously not able to see me. He squints for a few seconds then gives up, turning back to June.

June keeps her attention on me, her eyes narrow with a smirk.

“Take him,” the words slither out of her lips like a temptress.

The man loses his cool, hunching over as he lashes out, “Who are you talking to! There are more of you trying to jump me?”

He makes a move to grab her by the arm, she pays no mind to his frothing at the mouth. I watch the muscles of his arm flex, his fingers curved to fit over her upper arm. It’s swooping in slow motion but I just gape like an idiot.

His hand never connects with her arm. His wrist is snatched by a hand. Juniper’s hand. She is completely still as her hand lashes out, grabbing his aggressing arm in mind air. Her eyes project onto me like a spot light.

The man’s eyebrows almost disappears into his hairline from the shock. He takes a step back, trying to pull away but is jerked forward when his arm isn’t released. June doesn’t budge an inch. He’s caught like a rat snapping in a mouse trap.

June’s head rotates toward him as if possessed like the Exorcist. Freaky, I’m so glad I’m not that guy, I’d definitely pee myself.

The man’s anger turns to madness as it really sinks in how screwed he is, he shrieks, “Shit! Who are you? What are you! Let go! Let me go!”

Her eyes scorch him like blue hellfire and his bottom jaw quakes in disbelief.

He panics trying to yank away. She denies his escape a second time so he swings his free fist in desperation.

The fist pops in June’s other hand as she catches the livewire punch like a fly ball. She snarls, exposing her fangs and slender fingers encloses around his meaty hand. She doesn’t stop, continuing to press her finger into his hand until it bulges and deforms. His face distorts into a silent scream.

I wince as the sound of tires rolling over sharp rocks and gravel crunch in my ears, followed by a deafening screech. I duck my head down to look away. There are no cars for miles, that’s not a pretty sight.

A yowl of agony blaires, his heart races out of control. She lets him take the mangled mess of a hand back as he falls to the floor, fingers bent every which way.

My eyes roll back into my head from that heavenly smell. Damn her! She broke skin.

She watches him writhe and scream on the ground, a sadistic smile crossing her lips. Fiery eyes honing in like a magnifying glass that should have set him a blaze.

‘What the hell!’ I pound my fist against the tree at my back, it quakes hardly withstanding the shockwave.

I shout at her, “Stop it!”

My face darkens as my nostrils flare.

Plat-plat-plat

The deep red rolls like a stream from his jumbled disaster of a hand, slapping the ground unapologetically.

My tense fist, gripping the fresh dent in the trunk. Nails digging into the damp wood.

Juniper turns her head to me slightly, her black swamp of hair obscuring her face like an evil girl in a horror movie. Eyes shining from under her bangs gives me involuntary chills.

A blue eyed devil.

I try to speak but only a pathetic squeak comes out. I slam my jaw shut with a scowl. Shaking my head vigorously.

Those blue beams shift around behind her dark strands examining every inch of me, robotic and calculating.

That blood connection is an overwhelming heat spreading like a mist. It’s very similar to anger or hatred, but I’ve never felt an anger of that intensity myself. Her energy is so strong I’m starting to feel ill.

The crumpled body on the ground doesn’t help this sickness welling in my stomach. The sharp huffs and detectable winces grate on my composure. His shattered hand is tucked into his chest and the heavy exhales disturb the loose dusty particles as he eats the dirt.

He grunts when June yanks him up, I’m surprised she didn’t pop his arm out of the socket. She pulls him close, her chest to his back as she tucks her chin into his neck, peering at me with one demonic eye.

My gaze wanders down from disoriented man’s stubbled chin, his flushed neck looks ripe for the taking.

My teeth rapidly shift as I begin to salivate. I can’t take my eyes off the pulse on his neck, like a finger tapping on the inside of his skin.

He recoils, sucking air through the gaps in his teeth as Juniper’s long nails stroke his cheek. He twitches as she breathes him in, pressing her face into the crook of his neck as her lids lower. Her arm slides across his chest, hooking him close.

I gulp, how very Appetizing. A haze of sweet aroma and the call of warm skin beg for me to come close.

‘Just a sip, a lick.’ I release my fingers from the tree, taking a graceful step forward.

His bloodshot crazed eyes make me hesitate, obviously stunned by my appearance,

“Back..back,” he shudders with instability and fearfulness.

Juniper’s pointed teeth glitter as a sly mouth stretches to accommodate, “You want him, take him.”

The massive whites of his eyeballs grow and he fidgets likely praying for escape. She tightens in response, coiling him like a boa constrictor.

His horror, his heat, his beautiful song. My lips part, letting the smells and sounds roll on my tongue.

“No,” I glower, clenching my teeth together.

I growl through my teeth, “I said not tonight and I meant it.”

Her eyes narrow as she adjusts her grip on his stiff stance, “Why do you continue to deny what you are?”

“I’m not a killer!”

“We all are,” she responds curtly, “We’re all slowly eating each other alive.”

The man hyperventilates, physically rocking and convulsing, “Crazy,” he sputters, “You’re both crazy!”

He takes a foot thrusting it backwards, the shoe gets lost in the loose dress but doesn’t make contact on anything solid.

“You bitches are insane!” he bellows with a dip, throwing his elbow back for a jab. He catches himself from a stumble as his elbows swipes through the air, missing June’s ribs outright.

His good hand thrusts into his pocket, flipping out the knife and slashing it, zig zagging like a mad man.

I hiss, ready to snatch his arm as it comes slicing my way.

Like someone taking a stalk of celery and ringing then breaking it in half, his neck snaps again in my head.

‘Don’t touch him!’

My eyes widen, and I leap backwards.

The lunatic whirls around when I retreat, taking a blind stab a June.

He misses with every swipe and she avoids each attack with the slightest movement, her amus.e.m.e.nt dwindling.

Her hair swirls around her, a sleight of hand, she swipes the knife mid swing. He doesn’t even realize he’s been disarmed.

She teases him with the weapon waving around before throwing it at him, his face goes pale.

She hums as she chucks the metal. It whizzes past his head in a deadly spin.

Air sucks audibly through teeth.

The blade slices his ear as it passes and a clump of hair falls.

A hand flies up to the side of his face, his head flips around to follow the knife as it cleanly punctures a branch.

He turns just in time to see Juniper’s demonic face as she tackles him, chomping down on his ear.

A cry of pure terror, fear pouring from his face, the chemical fumes of horror clouding the air.

I want to taste that

I inch closer, reaching out intent on grabbing his flailing wrist and pulling it to my fangs.

Several punches are thrown at the small woman pinning him down. Useless. Her neck cranes to rip off his ear. He thrashes about, the screams absorb all thoughts. Her nails draw blood, clawing apart skin and the horrendous sound intensifies.

His eyes suddenly pierce, pleading. An arm reaches out. He doesn’t say anything but his face begs the words, ‘Help me’.

But his wrist, his wrist.

‘Drink.’

His skin is so ample, so warm. Nothing could taste so divine unless it’s meant to be there. The way it pours out and prances on my tongue. A little, a lick, one bite.

His eyes. My imagination is running away without me, I freeze. Down on one knee, I have his palm bent forward so his wrist is raised. The heat of it teasing my lips, slipping between the space like a forbidden kiss. His eyes are all wrong. I can’t, I won’t.

I drop his wrist and throw myself backwards and stumbling to my feet as realization punches me right in the gut, hitting that human part of me. He’s going to die, I have to do something.

I’m having a hard time forming intelligible words with all these fragrances and beats and liquid Fear.

I croak, “Nuh-Junwne.”

Her throat is moving to chug the blood down in large gulps. The man is yanking a fist of her hair, groaning with clenched teeth to pull her off. Her jaws are anchored too deeply, she probably doesn’t even notice.

I clear my throat, shaking my head and try again, “June, Stop! No more!”

To my surprise she freezes, fingers wrap around each of his wrists and she thrusts to pin the delirious guy.

She lifts her head from his neck and dark liquid pools over her hostile bottom lip, dripping from her chin.

Mesmerizing, I shouldn’t keep looking at the waterfall of desire flowing off her face. I lift my gaze up to her eye and make a loud gasp.

The whites of her eyes are non existent, gone. Only an inky void where the whites should be, her irises glare blindly from the black pools of her eyes. A terrifying ice blue.

Her feral lips vibrate as a husky growl surfaces from her chest, blood bubbles and gushes around her bared teeth. I stay perfectly still, ignoring my instinct to cower back. Her overpowering energy nearly blows me over.

An aura of true black. It’s a frightening, ruthless thunder cloud.

If I’m not careful she might take a chunk out of me, too.

“D-don’t kill him,” I stutter uncontrollably, “We d-d -it doesn’t have to be this way!”

A horrible creature, a monster under the bed, lurking in your closet. A snarling carnivore. She’s scarier than all of those.

I flinch when she leaps, crouched and landing on all fours behind his head. She aggressively drags the poor guy by the hood of his jacket.

She stands, forcing him to his feet. He has trouble keeping his head upright so she grabs his face, plunging her inhuman eyes into his.

His heart stops then palpitates.

“God have mercy Sat-t…Satan,” he stammers.

His watering bulging eyes roll to me, the face of someone who knows they’re going to die.

He implores in a hoarse voice, reaching out, “Don’t let me die.”

“Ah…I…I..,” I can’t do anything. My eyes crinkle, I’ve failed.

Juniper’s lips move in a whisper against his good ear, but the tone is distorted and forgien, “She can’t help you.”

My lids fling wide as I scream, “Wait, WAIT!”

It’s much more disturbing than I envisioned.

Each pop as the neck twists makes me want to hurl. Each crunch more severe than the last as the head twists backwards. Dead eyes, entirely white. Legs like jelly, arms slide limp to his sides. The earth is unmerciful as he collides.

Dead. Gone. The end.

“Grraaahhhh!”

I lose my mind, lurching for Juniper. Hands clawed to nab her.

I swing my arms to catch her but end up hugging myself instead.

A grisly snarl in my ear sends goose bumps through my spine. Fingers wrap around the back of my neck.

A thrust forward sends me stumbling.

She murdered him, right in front of my eyes! She’s a devil, she’s evil. Anger heats up my face and I swipe my arms blindly around in a fury.

A dress whirls in my prefereals but it’s gone when I focus in. Something wh.i.p.s past, shoving me to my side then the other, ping ponging me.

I balance myself. Hands on my knees as I hunch over. My tears stain the soil and I scream at the ground, “He didn’t need to die, what was the purpose of this?”

Tears sting, blurring my vision as I stare at two rocks in the dirt. I focus on those stones, pushing the image of death out. Stones, rocks, a nightmare nothing more. No more, no more.

A hand curls under my chin. A strong but nonviolent lift of my face exposes a piercing gaze.

The ‘whites’ of June’s eyes begin to wash an actual white again. Her expression less sinister even with that bloodstained mouth and chin. Her eyes search me.

I whisper, “Why, June, why?”

“You fret over our nature. You’re not like them anymore.”

“He didn’t want to die! He didn’t deserve it!”

“It’s not about what he deserves, it’s the way things are.”

I shake my head in refusal, “No, No! It doesn’t have to be this way! We don’t have to kill. You said it yourself!”

She tilts her head with a retort, calm and unremorseful, “Is it wrong for the fox to feast on a hen, the bear on a salmon?”

“We’re not animals, June! We’re more evolved than that!”

She throws her head back in a hearty cackle, “But we *are* animals. Mortals thinking they’re so civilized and orderly is a common delusion made to fit *you*,” she pokes me in the chest at the use of a general ‘you’, “into place like a simple cog.”

“Why do you act so cruel?”

“Cruelty? It’s about survival, appreciation, *necessity*. He drew his blade and I came out on top. One day I too will be overcome and perish,” she almost seems pleased, two elegant fingers wipe the spill from her chin, pressing them to her mouth. It was reminiscent of the high-class eating a cube of cheese, rather than something nasty.

We stare at each other in silence, how can she be so unfeeling? She knows as well as I do that guy was no threat to her ‘survival’ and what the hell does ‘appreciation’ have to do with slaughter? She was the one who started that fight! Is she incapable of empathy? What caused her to be this way!

“He may have not meant anything to you, but someone cared about him. Does killing mean so little to you! Isn’t there someone you care about, don’t you love someone, Juniper?”

Her demeanor changes drastically, it’s like she’s a completely different person. There’s empathy tucked away somewhere inside her after all. She’s not as frigid as she likes to appear.

She hesitates before uttering her standard vagueness, “Don’t we all have someone we love?”

I trap her in that response, “You seemed to feel nothing when you murdered him,” I jab a finger at the lifeless body, “but what if he was the person you loved? Would it be so easy then!”

That little human piece of her is swallowed up instantly, she gives me a cold stare, “Anyone who becomes an obstacle in my path will be destroyed, regardless of my feelings for them. It is simply the way of it.”

I can’t stand being near her or the new corpse any longer. His heart beats even in death but it’s all wrong. It’s horrible and erratic, no steady rhythm or strength, though the fresh wound on his neck gushes to entice.

‘No, I’ll have no part of this.’ I turn to leave her with the mess she created.

I’m angry, disgusted, disturbed and… I’m confused? I look back at June, her eyes are fixed on me as I walk away. It’s her, the confusion belongs to her.

“You valued his life? I didn’t sense anything extraordinary about him,” she remarks.

“You don’t seem to get it, Juniper,” I huff out a breath as I speak to her over my shoulder, “It doesn’t matter if he was the most unremarkable person on the damn planet.”

She tilts her head listening intently as I continue, “But I don’t feel like it’s my right or *right* at all to take someone’s life. Regardless of my desires *or* my needs,” I eye her aggressively as my resolve is absolute, “And I’ll always fight that urge, no matter what.”

Thoroughly engaged, she refutes, “Then you’ll be exploited for your voluntary weakness and die.”

“Better than living alone and dying alone,” I spit.

I bite my tongue, making a face. That was very cutting, I shouldn’t say things like that. I look at her regretfully but she doesn’t seem hurt or upset by what I said. Rather, she looks surprised and a little intrigued.

I should say sorry, but I don’t. I leave her Alone. And for some reason, I feel bad about it.

I speed back to the cabin, the smell of human blood finally clearing from my head and I start to puzzle everything over.

Juniper is dangerous. Unpredictable, unremorseful and downright brutal. I should pack my things and leave this cabin for good, I’m basically bunking with a serial killer.

I should go, but I won’t.

She’s done bad things, terrible things but is that what makes a bad person? We’ve all done bad things, but when is “past the point of no return”?

I remember that blue butterfly-like emotion I felt from June.

I reach the front porch, running my hands along face and sighing out in frustration. What is it that makes us care about the people we do? It’s a mystery, but I guess there’s no way to sugarcoat it, I find myself caring about June. Maybe that makes me a bad person, associating with a murder.

I slam the front door, hustling to my bedroom. Stewing about my predicament as I rush down the hall.

Is it pity? As far as I can tell, June is alone and has been for a long time. Maybe her isolation has made her lose touch, it’s made her feral.

I sprawl on the bed sticking my thumbs into my eyes. She must be so lonely, or maybe she doesn’t give a damn.

I circle and circle the issue, where could I even go if I did leave? Will June turn on me, murder me like the ‘other’ one she turned? She probably kills frequently, will I be able to stomach that? That man, he’s gone… Gone! This is all so screwed up.

I continue obsessing while blasting music shoved in my ears as a distraction. It doesn’t distract me. My thoughts continue this way for seven or eight songs.

I smell something that does distract me suddenly. I rip the buds out of my ears and creep off the bed to listen.

It smells like him, the dead guy.

I crouch by my bedroom door, putting an ear to the seal. I hear the latch undo from the front door as the smell comes bursting through the cracks.

No heartbeat, just blood.

I feel the quiet emotions flow from June, maybe she’s covered in the remains of him. I shudder at the thought.

I listen hard, the creak of another large door swings ajar.

I wait squinting my eyes as if the action will aid my ears in hearing things that are soundless.

*Thurrwamp*

I jump inwardly as a sudden crash agitates the foundation of the spacious house. It sounded in a far off room, something falling several yards and clattering to the floor, perhaps thrown. It was big like furniture but didn’t sound like scattering pieces more like a gigantic sack of potatoes.

I want to poke my head out of the bedroom to take a quick peek but resist my trying curiosity. Instead, pressing my ear to the cracks in the frame, remaining completely silent.

After a brief moment, a large door’s hinges squeak again. It locks quietly, but I don’t hear footsteps or anything more as it closes.

The smell of blood fades. I keep my crouched pose, absolutely still for a few more minutes of detecting nothing.

I slowly straighten out and tiptoe back to bed, sliding over the comforter with a sloppy dive. I keep my face down, smothered in the fluffy covering, sighing heavily.

I thought I had a good sense of judgment, a strong sense of morals. I’m not so sure anymore.