Page 160 of Petite Fleur

Shelby barks out a laugh, laying her head back on the back of the couch to stare up at me. “Sometimes we have to give them a little something to move things along. If they only want Sean, it's not fair for us to miss out.” She answers like it's the most obvious solution in the world just to rape people that don't want you.

I want to contain myself, stay poised, and listen to their story, but the voices don't care.

The voices in my head are screaming at me, shouting that I'm complacent if I let them live, that I'm no better than a rapist if I don't do something.

They're screaming so loud that I don't hear anything but ringing in my ears, and my vision feels cloudy until all I can see is red.

“Shut up!” I scream at the voices as I swing the bat and hear the unmistakable crunch of bones when it makes contact with Carlie’s skull.

I don’t know if she’s still awake or alive, but I keep swinging. I swing and swing, screaming as I do so until everything is silent and Carlie is lying slumped over Shelby’s corpse.

I don’t even remember hitting Shelby, but chunks of her skull and brain litter my shirt, the floor, Carlie’s corpse, and all over Sean.

I hear quiet grunting and Sean screaming, but at least I can hear again.

At least the voices have shut up for a moment.

Leon comes up and punches Sean in the face to quiet his screams, and I feel his hand on my shoulder, squeezing lightly while also taking the bat from me, but I tighten my hand around the bat.

I can’t even say anything.

I can't even fathom what I've done or if I even care…

Shelby’s head is in pieces, with her brain, blood, teeth, and hair covering the couch and the floor, as well as my outfit.

Carlie’s head is still intact, but I can see her skull caved in at the back of her head; I can see pieces of brain between the pieces of skull, still pulsing.

I wonder if that means she’s alive.

My hand shakes as I reach for Carlie to check for a pulse, but Leon stops me by gently grabbing my wrist. “How about you take Sean to the car?” He says calmly to me.

I nod, letting Leon take the bat from me as he hands me the gun.

I don’t think I want to know if Carlie is still alive, but I have the feeling that if she is, she won’t be for long.

Leon will handle that.

So, I switch my focus to Sean. “Get up, Sean. We’re going to the car.” I say sternly.

He laughs at me, rolling his eyes and shaking his head like I’m not the one with a gun pointed at him.

“Fuck you, Maeve. I was nice to you! You’re a fucking psychopath! I should have never let Carlie move you in here!” He shouts.

I open my mouth to respond, but I’m met with blood splashing on my face and the taste of copper sitting on my tongue.

A moment later, I see Sean drop to the ground and Leon standing behind him with the bat in his hands and a crazed look in his eyes.

Blood pools on the floor, soaking the carpet and slowly making its way toward me. “Step back, ma fleur.” Leon says calmly to me.

I can’t believe I just possibly killed two people, but mostly, I’m surprised that I don’t feel upset.

I startle when I feel his hand squeeze my shoulder, and my attention is forced back onto him, but at least it's quiet in my mind when I turn and smile at him.

“Go upstairs and get undressed; I will be there in a minute.” He says calmly.

I nod, feeling like I'm on autopilot as I walk upstairs and into what used to be my bathroom and strip myself naked.

It doesn't feel like I'm in control of my body; I feel like a passenger in my own body and life.

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