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One day hopefully he’s going to realize I’m not a battle he can win.

The music is loud and my eyes wander over to the blue makeup bag I have sitting beside me. I zip it open, pulling out the small bag of white powder and empty out the remains before picking up my student ID card to create three thick lines as I lean forward to inhale them. The first line stings and I wrinkle my nose and then it hits.

Like someone flipped a switch behind my eyes. Everything around me is defined.

I can feel it.

The second line becomes easier, I don't realize that it’s temporary, I just want more of this feeling.

By the third, my body is all warm, and all I can feel and hear is my blood pounding in my ears. It spreads out, that warmth, that high I craved to feel.

I’m okay. I’m okay. I’m okay.

A laugh escapes past my lips as I start dancing to the song that is playing. Manic, stupid and reckless. All I can do is let it take over me.

A loud thud jolts me slightly out of my daze.

What the fuck?

“H-hayzel?” I call out to her but receive no reply. I take another sip of the Vodka bottle before placing it back down and slipping out into the hallway. Her door is slightly ajar, but I can’t see anything inside, it’s quite dark, and everything starts to tilt around me.

“Hayzel, I’m going to come inside, I hope you’re ready!” I say, pushing the door.

“Mireya!” She screams before my eyes can make sense of what’s happening in front of me.

Someone is on top of her. Someone is hurting her.

I don’t think twice before jumping on his back and pulling him away from her. She gets up quickly, her cheeks are red and tears have fallen down her face.

There’s a tussle between this person and I. The need to fight back and protect Hayzel consumes me but, all I can feel is his hands tightening around me, pulling around my clothing and Hayzel still screaming.

“G-Go, go…” I manage to say before trying to continue, “get Ethan,” as his hands tighten around my neck.

Air is leaving my lungs but the man is still over powering me, even when I kick him, punch him and scratch his arms. His face is blurry, I can't see clearly… fuck, the lines were such a bad idea.

I hear him laugh, and my body reacts before my mind could. I freeze automatically, but I don’t know why. He grabs the lamp sitting on Hayzel’s bedside table and crushes it on my head. My eyes fight to stay open, but I can feel the warm blood trickling down my face and onto my body.

Stay awake, Reya.

Stay awake.

His body’s weight disappears from me and all I can hear is him walking out of the room.

My eyes close, and everything turns dark.

91

Damien

Play - Wandering Star by Portishead

Don’t breathe

I line the bullets in the magazine and unload it again before repeating the process over and over again. My mind racing as I think back to what happened earlier today.

Spencer fucking Porter, and Mireya.

The bandage never left my mind since I talked to her. Neither did the way she looked at me. I think I know her too well, the way she hides pain, how she disappears when she starts drowning. Working, pretending, I can do that easily. But saving the woman who ruins me, from herself is out of my reach.