"It's all my fault" echoed, reverberating through the closet room. Looking up from the file he held delicately in his hands, the officer studied me with almost somber eyes. "What's your fault kid? The bruises on your arms or the scars? How about the burn marks on your thighs?!" a tear tore down my face as I fought against the golf ball in my throat. "I-I could have stopped it. I was the only one...she was my responsibility to protect...I'm sorry." It's a full-on sob now. What is wrong with me? The only thing I ever loved in the world, the only person who truly loved me, and I let her go. I didn't save her. I let her die.
"Kid, breathe. Look at me, start from the beginning ok?" His eyes pools deep enough to drown the demons suffocating the little soul remaining.