To Cut Blood Ties

Chapter 32: Drowning

October 30, 2016

Paradise Valley, Arizona

3:45am

"Mommy?" Little Alice walked over to where her mom sat, an empty bottle of wine next to her, a half drunk glass in front. Her hair, which had been smooth earlier was now sticking up in odd places, frozen from her running her hands through it repeatedly. The makeup that had made her eyes large and beautiful was now stained against her skin, making it look bruised. To most, her red eyes would be terrifying to look at, but Alice loved those red eyes because they belonged to her mother. And now as she looked into them, they were full of heavy-hearted sadness. A big word that tickled the tip of Alice's tongue sprang to mind of what she looked like, but just because she didn't know the big word, didn't mean that she couldn't understand the feelings.

Her mother looked like she had lost something.

Alice came closer, her head barely reaching the top of the table. Her stubby hands grabbed the edge of it. She peered over it to look at her mother, her eyes wide. "Mommy? Why are you crying?"

It was an unspoken rule that children were not patient, but Alice waited as her mother painstakingly took her hands away from her face. Grabbing the glass of wine and bringing it to her mouth. Nearly half of the wine was gone by the time the glass clipped the table. She inhaled deeply, running her hand over her mouth as if to wipe away the excess wine. She then looked at Alice, and for the first time, Alice felt afraid. Her mother's eyes held no sadness, no affection, nothing that she was used to seeing in them. The red orbs were blank, as if there were no emotion. A blank piece of paper. Alice stepped back as her mother leaned forward.

"Mommy?" Alice asked timidly.

Marie finally spoke, "You are not my daughter."

The hand that was on her cheek was torn away violently, her nails scraping Alice's skin. She jerked finding herself facing Marjorie who was talking to her though she couldn't hear what she was saying. Alice blinked and shook her head to clear it finally hearing Marjorie asking, "Alice? Are you okay?"

"Yeah," her voice broke, she cleared it and said, "Yes, I'm fine."

She got to her feet, staggering slightly but quickly steadying herself. She turned to look see who had pulled Marie away from her; Tom was on top of her. His claws glinting in the barely there light as he slashed at her. She was managing to withhold his attacks but he had managed to get her side. Her magic glowed, spinning and using her own blood to create a solid weapon. Alice yelled but it was too late, Marie twitched her hand and a blade of blood formed to pierce Tom's shoulder. He howled and threw himself back and away from her. Before she could attack him again, there was a piercing bang and Marie jerked when the bullet hit her hip. Sam was leaning heavily against the wall, gun in her hand.

Alice didn't have time to double check that Sam was okay, she reached down and grabbed her scythe, running forward and swinging it in a wide ark. Marie waved her hand, using her magic to collect her blood to form a shield. Alice's scythe clanged against it, agony stole her breath as her shoulder protested. Her grip on the weapon was so incredibly weak that it was useless, she couldn't fight like this. Alice staggered backwards, sweating pouring down her face and causing her eyes to burn. Tom slashed at Marie again, but her shield blocked his blow, with a thrust of her hands forward, the shield collided into him and sent him into the wall. Sam ran forward, throwing a knife that missed Marie, clattering to the ground. But she paused and aimed her gun, firing three more shots.

Marie managed to dodge all but one, one that managed to scrape the side of her neck. It was a barely there touch, but blood pooled from the wound. Marie staggered backwards, her red eyes flickering with rage. She aimed her palm at Sam and magic and blood flashed towards Sam, all pointed and ready to pierce. Alice felt her heart thud, and she ran forward, picking up the forgotten knife on the floor. Tom was running too, his claws clicking against the floor. He skidded and brought his paw across her back, digging his claws into the flesh. Claw against bone could be heard as he hit her spine, and her legs instantly buckled, the blood that was spilling out of that wound rising in an attempt to attack him. It was all the distraction that she needed; Alice dove forward and hauled the knife into her mother's chest with a sickening crunch. The red magic instantly flickered, Marie's eyes turning to look at Alice in shock. Blood was built up around her lips; the strain of using her magic so much had caused her nose to bleed as well.

Her lips parted and a gurgled whisper managed to break through, "Y-you are not.... not...you are not as weak as I thought."

Alice yanked the knife back, watching as more blood spilled from the wound, hitting Alice as well. It was hot, and it caused her clothes to melt into her skin, it felt as though it was spilling into her pores and infecting her entire soul. She wanted to throw herself back, run out of the building. Run away. But she couldn't stop staring, couldn't look away from her mother's slowly fading eyes. Couldn't escape the drowning sensation that was enveloping her. It felt like hours before the last of the magic vanished and the red irises became blank, and there was a thump as a limp body hit the ground. It was no longer her mother, because the soul was now gone. And Alice had been the one to cast it out. She didn't see Marjorie going over to Sam and checking on her wounds, didn't notice the way Tom knelt down next to her, his body shaking from his own injuries, his blue eyes still kind and searching. Alice didn't see any of this; there was only the world of water around her, and no air to breathe.