Page 32 of Severance

He deserved worse.

We continue to carry Dexter deeper into the barn and slip through the doorway that leads to the room… the room where everything went to shit.

Chains still hang from the ceiling over the drain in the center of the room. We drop Dexter’s body beside the drain and Kai grabs the chains, wasting no time.

Taking a step back, I watch as he moves methodically, securing the chains to the shackles around Dexter’s ankles. Satisfied with his work, Kai walks over to the wall and begins to manually operate the hoist. He continues to roll the wheel until Dexter is suspended in the air, hanging by his ankles.

Just like Daisy.

And Gavin.

And Lilly.

Just like all the other kids who were there before.

Kai strides across the room and stops beside me as we stand in front of Dex. Reaching into his pocket, Kai pulls out his switchblade and hands it to me.

“It’s all you,bambolina.” He smiles. “Take back that power.”

Pushing up onto my toes, I kiss him softly and smile as I fall back onto my feet. Turning my attention back to Dex, I catch his eyes on us.

“A-plus for creativity,” he chuckles as I walk over to him. “Although, this looks all too familiar. Perhaps you could refresh my memory?”

“I’m not here to refresh your memory. I’m not here to let you get your last little word in or to give you some grand fucking speech. I’m here to end your fucking life.”

Before he can get another word in, I press the button on the knife and the blade slides out effortlessly. I slash it across his throat, splitting his neck open from ear to ear.

Dexter’s body jerks around as he coughs and chokes on his own blood. It begins to pool on the floor beneath him and slowly drips down into the drain. It isn’t long or drawn out. He thrashes around for a few moments and then his eyes roll back into his head.

He deserved worse.

“Dahlia,” Kai says softly, as he comes up beside me. He gently takes the knife from my hand, wiping it on Dexter’s shirt and slips it back into his pocket.His hand finds mine and he squeezes it lightly. “Let’s go,bambolina.”

I glance up at him with a surprised expression. “And leave him hanging?”

“Yes,” he declares. “We’re done here.”

Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and focus on the euphoric feeling still driving my body. I could feel the power leaving his veins and filling mine.

I’m taking back what they took from me.

And Kai is making all of this happen.

I open my eyes, focusing clearly on Kai and smile. “Let’s get out of here.”

Kai nods, with his smile matching mine and leads me back through the barn, leaving behind both vile creatures inside to rot.

Kai

Dahlia’s relaxed in the car as a calmness settles in the air around us. She’s still riding her high from the blood on her hands and the bodies we left behind.

They say pregnant women have a glow and that there’s nothing quite like that. They have never seen a queen readjust her crown, painted with the blood of her enemies as she picks herself back up.

That is a glow that you can’t replicate and it shines brighter than the stars that hang in the sky.

After the night that we left Stan with the rats, Dahlia began to evolve. She stands up a little taller, with her voice a little louder, and despite her impulsivity and impatience, she’s becoming more calculated. The end to her revenge is in sight and a certain sense of resolution and closure comes with it.

Dahlia is becoming the queen I always knew she would be.

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