Kaia took a walk in the park yesterday. Her parents were arguing again. It’s hard to stay when she knows they are hurting each other. Blood on the walls and shattered bones hurting each other. In the end, she decided to go.
When she got to the park, she saw many things. From dogs attacking cats with their tiny dog paws to cats scratching back with their adorably scary cat claws.
“Looks like everyone’s fighting now, aren’t they,” she thought.
Eventually, she heard a bitter murmur, which hadn’t been the words of another, but the whispers of the wind. The beautiful weather had succumbed to the murky gray clouds that looked as unpleasant as the rain felt. The clear blue hue of the sky had become black, almost absent, more ominous than anything else. It had been mid-winter season, though it wasn’t cold enough to snow. The rain poured down onto her oversized, black hoodie. Her short, dyed-red hair covered by her beanie. This clearly wasn’t the best time to have ridden over on her bike, Kaia being 20 minutes away from home with constant rain and cloudiness. The glasses she wore became clouded, and the wetness and wind made them slip off her face. While momentarily blinded, she scrambled around to find her glasses. She took a step, crushing the glass under her weight. Sheer terror spread across her face as she comprehended what she’d done. Disappointed, she went to pick up her bike and start home.
“I shouldn’t have taken this lovely stroll on my bike. It doesn’t matter, though, I made a choice and I have to stick with that choice,” she thought. She picked up her bike, ready to go home, and hopped on. She remembered what she concluded right before she fled her home.
“Dang, I don’t think riding over here on my bike is the best idea. But if I take the car… they’ll know, they’ll find me. Their anger at each other… They’ll make me their toy, and they’ll hurt me if they find that I’ve gone. So I’ll go, but I won’t come back. It’ll be too late when they notice I’ve left on the bike, maybe they won’t even care. I hope they won’t care.”
Moments later the rain became difficult to handle, a sort of thick, like steam. It felt like she lost her vision completely. Everything seemed blurred. Only seconds later, she took a whacking dip off the curb and straight into a puddle. The fall broke the rear tire. Further crippling her chances of getting away from this place. This park was secluded, which wasn’t hard to get around on a bike. That meant that just walking home wasn’t the most attractive option here.
She gazed out into the field where the children played just minutes ago. Its lack of life left her sitting there, alone, just waiting. Trying to figure out how she was going to get somewhere in this rain. She thought about walking, but it would be impossible. It was freezing, her hands and feet felt as if they’d been put on ice. She could barely move. Instead of pushing through the pain, she sat there, waiting for an answer. Lonely and Stuck, a single tear rolled down her face, which she then buried in her hands. She waited for about an hour until she got a tap on the shoulder.
“D-Do you need some help getting home? I’ll give you a ride,” grinned the middle-aged, timid man in a trench coat.
“Not home, anywhere but home. Who are you?” Kaia asked, her thoughts clouded by the desire to flee somewhere, anywhere.
“My name’s David, I’m just a guy trying to help,” David smiled.
“I’m Kaia. Can you take my bike, too?” she proposed. With a nod and a reassuring smile, she then hopped into his car, and they drove off.
“Why are you helping me?” she wondered, “You don’t owe me anything, why are you being so nice?”
“Well,” David answered, “It’s not because of you. Someone special would’ve wanted me to,”
“But-”
“Let’s leave it at that,” David interrupted with a frown on his face.
“Sorry,” Kaia said, embarrassed.
After the two arrived at David’s house, Kaia observed the unusual object he carried in his pocket and his hands quivering on the steering wheel. Kaia started worrying.
“David, sir,” she smiles nervously, “You’re shaking.”
“Don’t worry, I’m fine, but you won’t be,” he chuckled, reaching one hand into his pocket, the other brushing back his balding, graying hair. With the car doors locked and her seatbelt in, there was nowhere for Kaia to run this time. Before he could take his hand out of his pocket, she jerked, assumably toward her seatbelt, but her efforts were useless. David struggled but shortly found her neck tight in his grasp. He squeezed, pressure held on her lower neck. As the squeezing continued, her body then went limp, and only her vision remained. Her eye’s stayed slightly opened, her will to live on compelling her eyelids.
David carried Kaia firmly by the back of the neck and legs and brought her carefully up the driveway. Once in the house, David positioned her comfortably on the floor and left the room, presumably to grab something to deal with the girl, almost certain that she had been strangled to death. He was mistaken. Kaia looked around wearily, analyzing the room for the best escape she could make. Her eyes fell upon a memorial. Pictures of a little girl, usually next to a woman. The woman’s face had a bitter look in every picture. But the little girl, she looked happy, always happy. Her features were similar to those of Kaia. She shifted her head slowly and noticed David, praying and crying.
“It’s my fault, isn’t it, Jess? Rosie, Daddy made another mistake, I’m very sorry.”
Desperately, Kaia still stood and attempted to sneak out of the door, but to her demise, she couldn’t escape. David saw her subtle movements and snatched Kaia back just enough to lock eyes for a moment.
“You can’t leave, sweetie. You’ll tell,” he panted. She could only imagine the pain behind his teary eyes. The wrinkles and bags under his eyes bear traces of stress. He could only see the pain and the hurt he caused as he held his newly equipped knife above his head, and, numb with anguish, launched it into Kaia’s throat and stomach.
“I’m pathetic,” he whispered. At the moment of impact, Kaia left choking, doomed to die in minutes. Though it seemed like the end for her, it had just begun. Her soul wasn’t prepared to die; it fought, it lusted for revenge.
“David,” her soul begged, “David, it wasn’t worth it. I know it’s not easy, but you’ve got to understand, David. That was a mistake, and it’s all your fault!” she accused, David on his knees, tears flowing from his bloodshot eyes.
“I’m sorry! I didn’t want to hurt her, I didn’t mean it! I swear, I didn’t mean it!” he sobbed.
“You must pay for your unholy spirit. Where is your gun, David? Pull the trigger and the nightmare stops,” the spirit went on as David rose to his feet and into his garage.
“I’ve done wrong, so I must pay. The spirit tells me I must pay,” David repeated in his head, “I deserve this,” he cried, gun raised to his head.
“Once a man, always a monster. A freak you are, and a freak you’ll remain,” the vengeful spirit whispered as the remorseful, yet seemingly triumphant murderer strengthened his grip on the weapon. “I win, David. Sorry, not sorry,” at the shot of a pistol, David breathed his last breath. The plague of death had befallen him.
“Mom…” Kaia’s soul began, “Dad…” whimpering tears could be heard throughout the corner of the room at which she sat, “Is this what you guys wanted from me? I’m a monster now, just like you!” her spirit forced a smile, “Can I come home now?”
