Page 118 of Heathens

Iron on the tongue.

What...?

There’s so much sound, and the brightest light burns my eyes as the room comes into focus with an earth-shaking roar.

Thrashing shapes.

And the screams. They’re all around me.

My whole body is hollowed out and raw, desperately broken.

Is this what he promised me?

A violent shape slams into the wall, and another follows quickly after.

I know them. Him.

He’s screaming.

He needs help.

And I don’t care.

Every part of me is wailing, screaming for something so much louder than he ever could. I can’t stop it.

The air is full of blood and sweat, and I’m starving.

The new hunger creeps through every inch of my bones. My skin bristles; my jaw hangs slack. In the brief moments when my eyes can stay focused, I see one shape crash into the other again and again.

Rene is killing him.

And still, I don’t care.

Across the room, another shape lies crumpled against the wall.

Blood and sweat, but not just in the air.

It’s all over her. Dripping red.

Ruby.

I’m already halfway across the room before I know it. Dragging myself. Clawing at the floor.

New, sharp sounds.

A different kind of violence.

Brilliantly cruel.

I strain my neck to the side to meet the sound as I pull myself towards her. Teeth smile back at me.

Rene.

Panic takes over as I claw my way toward the edge of the room, but he only gives me one quick glance and some words before he goes back to work.

Dominic crumples further under each strike.

And I just can’t seem to care.

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