Shadow of the Beast (Twisted Dark #2)

Chapter Fifteen: Paid in Full: Part Two

My heart cracked beneath my ribs, seeping bitter pain into my chest at her callous words. "But-"

She shoved her hand over my mouth, squeezing my jaw and my cheeks tightly. "You will say nothing and when Irma comes to pick you up you will tell her you wandered off and that we had nothing to do with your escape." She shoved me away and I blinked back tears as I looked at the woman I should have called mother.

"Why are you so horrible?" I asked it quietly, unable to look at her face and not utterly break down and cry.

"Horrible? You think I'm horrible?" She gave a short and cruel laugh. "Horrible is being tied to that bitch. I did my time."

Anger rose up swift and sharp within me at her words. "And forced the rest onto your very own flesh and blood. Some fucking mother you are." I looked at her, glowering at her darkly as a strange feeling of feral rage rose up in me. "I hope it was worth the price you paid because when you die, you will be judged by the creation for what you have done and you will reap it back tenfold you stupid, horrible cunt." The words flowed through me and she didn't even flinch, just held up her chin and looked down upon me. "Thanks for the gift of life to be forced to clean up your fucking mess." I couldn't believe it. Out of every cruel and heinous thing to do, I was born simply to pay off a debt. Give Irma a new toy to play with so that she could go on with her life with some human.

"You have no idea what I went through with her." She hissed the words at me, her eye narrowing and it was my turn to give a cold bark of laughter.

"I don't? I have only spent the last twenty six years with her, having her experiment on me, torment me, and brutalize me, but you are right. I have no fucking idea what she could have possibly done to you. Absolutely none." I couldn't fucking believe her. Here was the woman who had grown me within herself, had nurtured me within herself, and birthed me and she was telling me that I had no clue what Irma was like after she left me with the cruel witch. She was fucking delusional.

"So fucking dramatic." She crossed her arms over her chest and gave a flippant gesture at me. "I had a life before I was sent to Coven Thirteen, you have never known life without her."

I inhaled sharply at that, rage roaring through me. "And that makes it okay?" My loud voice echoed through the kitchen. "Do you know what I have had to endure in her care? Do you?" At her silence I looked around, spying a knife block. Thar feral rage guided me to show her exactly what horrors Irma inflicted upon me. "Let me fucking show you." I stormed over to the knife block and grabbed the butcher's knife before whirling around and pressing it to where my heart beat in my rib cage. Its beat was hard and heavy with the anger that coursed through me, thar hazed my mind. I couldn't believe her.

Her arms fell from her chest and she looked at the knife warily. "What are you doing?"

"Do you know what it's like to die?" I shoved the knife in deep, piercing my heart dead on as I slide the blade between my two ribs. The pain was fleeting, the rage burning it away. "Because I fucking do." I gritted the words as she gave a horrified sound, covering her mouth with her hands. The rage that flowed though me dulled the pain more as I yanked the knife out. The feeling of knife scraping bone making me shudder. Blood immediately started pouring from the wound and my vision flickered rapidly. Weakness encased my limbs and the knife dropped from limp fingers as I collapsed onto the floor.

I was faintly aware of frantic voices as I faded so quickly. I liked this death, it didn't hurt me as much. Didn't make me feel as cold. I was simply... gone.

~~~

I wasn't sure how long I was out before I inhaled sharply, coughing viciously as my lungs started working, gulping in air greedily. Someone was holding me and a loud voice thundered in my sensitive ears. I shoved at the person, blinking rapidly as my vision slowly came into focus. My body felt funny and off but not nearly as badly as my previously brutal deaths. I preferred it. At least I went down on my own terms.