Page 68 of Nightmare

My.

Word.

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“IS THERE A DIFFERENCE?”

My voice is soft and tired, as I lay beside Western, free now of my restraints. He hasn’t left, which I was certain he would. Instead, he fell beside me and is now laying, hands behind his head, his body still blissfully naked. I haven’t bothered to get dressed either, and I’m aching all over.

“A difference?”

I turn my head, looking at him. “Between killing someone innocent and killing someone who doesn’t deserve it. Do you think there is truly a difference?”

I figure he won’t answer me, generally, he doesn’t answer the tough questions. So, I’m surprised when he does.

“There is a difference.”

“A life is a life, is it not?”

“No.”

“Care to elaborate?”

He exhales, slowly. “If you’re put on this earth and you make the choice to go and take an innocent life, then you don’t deserve to keep the gift of life for yourself.”

The way he just explained that - I’ve never heard something so powerful in all my life.

Nothing he could have said would have made his choice sink into my mind deeper than those words.

“Does it bother you?”

He doesn’t answer.

“Taking a life. Does it haunt you?”

“No.”

“Because they deserve it?”

A sharp nod.

“Western?”

His jaw ticks, and he turns his head slowly, looking at me.

“I still don’t understand how you can just let Bill walk around as if he’s done nothing.”

His expression hardens and I know right away I’ve hit a nerve.

“He pulled the trigger that day, but I’m the reason Braithe is dead. I’m just as much of a monster as he is.”

I hate that he thinks like that.

It kills me that he blames himself.

Rolling towards him, I frown. “What is it going to take for me to show you that you’re wrong. So wrong.”

“I made the choice to follow him and leave that boy on the ground. I left him to die.”

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