The Broken Girl

“This is it-the final one”!

They took over our town a long time ago, but now they’ll be gone for good. This is the first demon I have to kill and it will be my last. My sister always took care of them so I wouldn’t have to, but that was before they killed her in front of the whole town. Now it’s up to me to get rid of it for Aggie.

I walked into the room that the held demon. As I circled the trap she taunted me: “You know you sister deserves to get rid of me. She is the one that started the fight, not you.” That was the only poison dart that got into my head, mostly because the monster was right. my sister should be finishing this. I felt my fear getting darker inside of me making me want to cage up my words, but I didn’t let it pull me into the dark.
I spoke to her with no dismay. Now, as pain gripped my hart and anger ran through my mind I said, “This is going to be the last face you’ll ever see.” The rage started to burn in my eyes as she snarled back, “Give it your best shot, half pint.” Infuriating me more I said, “I will, you ugly troll;” I quickly grabbed my knife that hung to my belt buckle, then swiftly sliced her chest.

The last word my sister ever told me started to echo in my head: “courage is both brave and kind.” I never understood it, I stormed out of the room angry, as it felt like heat was rushing to my head. Now that she is gone and the fight just, about over I finally had a chance to look outside, but this did not feel right.

I still remember the first time the demons came to town- they were slaughtering everyone. My sister was the only one at the time who would stand up to them, as they terrorized the town. I remember when our town was loud and lively, but now since they have killed almost everyone, a few of our friends. I miss the giggling of the girls and the talking of people in the community, but like all good things it ended. The giggles turned to screams of murder and crying of mourning parents.

This was it though. after this I didn’t know what to do with my life, but I promised my sister I would move on after the war was over. I looked over the deserted town. it was like a forgotten wasteland.

Now that I am calmer I walk back into the room and looked at the demon. “you know my sister always told me to make sure you give them a quick death, but I think I’ll give you the honor of a slow death.

“Peyton, right?” the demon said, like she knew me. Who was this heathen, thinking she knew me? She doesn’t know anything about me! How dare she? I took a deep breath then said, “Yeah, that’s me.” I thought I sounded calm as she said, “I know how to bother you, like how I know your name. You think you sound calm, but you aren’t.” That made me even more enraged. “You think you know me punk. You don’t know anything about me.” As I was yelling I lost total control of myself; I felt as though I was a puppet to my anger. Finally, I took back control of my body only to see I killed the freak of nature.

I fell to my knees as tears streamed down my face. I dropped the knife from my hand, then covered my face with my hands like I had to hide my tears from someone other than the ghosts of my past. I felt the warmth drip down my face down to the blood that now stained the cement floor.

I wanted my sister to come back and comfort me, but I was on my own. it was official now. In the back of my mind I couldn’t get the images of the murders that my sister tried to hide from me out of my head. I saw the demons kill my parents and laugh like it was a joke, my friend who was beheaded in the middle of the town square. The one that hit me the hardest was my sister’s death. I saw my sister beg not for her life but for mine, I hated that idea.

I yelled at the top of my lungs, “now what?” I murmured under my breath, “I’m a mess.” I repeated it as if it meant something. My life was consumed by this town, this mess that my sister’s courage tried so hard to stop.

I heard a noise behind me. I quickly turned around to see a puppy. I got up and swiped a tear from my eye. I saw the only thing that was left in this town an innocent a pup and me, the broken girl. I called her Gi.

Gi ran over to me and licked all over my face. I thought to myself, this is my second chance to rebuild my courage and have both parts and not just one. I walked out of the room, feeling like my past was left in that room.

Now I am free of my past and my broken courage with my new family. For the first time in my life I saw what my sister meant when she said there two parts of courage: kindness and bravery. Aggie made me promise her to move on, which would be the hardest and bravest thing I’ve done, but is the kindest thing I could do for myself and Gi.
0

You might also like…

Short Fiction

Mirror, Mirror

AJ Rocca

There once was a glassblower who lived by the sea. In the daring years of his youth, the glassblower would pull all kinds of strange and wonderful shapes from out of colored glass. He blew neon spires ... [+]

Short Fiction

Venom

Allison Midgett

How does one god kill another? I contemplate this as I sit perched on my web, tucked beneath the shadow of the birdbath. He makes his rounds, scrupulously inspecting each row of tulips before moving ... [+]