The Life of Rue O'Day (Ch. 4)

My mother was frozen in the corner of the room like a statue. Acheros was weeping about how he didn't mean it. I held Violence close to my chest. The creature walked towards me, but then my mother gasped. Its head tilted to the side once again, sharp, ragged, and torn ears perking up like a dog's. It turned and walked towards my mother like a predator. I placed Violence down on the ground, and grabbed the fallen shard of glass. I was breathing heavily, so afraid and helpless. My mother was face to face with the creature. It put up long, skinny, sharp fingers, and then rapidly proceeded to wrap them around her throat.

I crept forward towards the creature looking at its wrinkly back. Tears ran down my cheeks twin to my mothers, except hers were because she could not breath, and mine were because I was afraid to take action. The shard shattered in my hand, and little pieces of glass stuck into my palm. I hissed and crouched down picking up a longer and sharper piece of glass from the shattered window next to my mother and the creature. I looked at my mother's face whimpering, it was red and helpless. Suddenly when I was right behind the creature with my arm raised high, and tears running down my cheeks, I heard a snap. My mother's face was soft, and looking towards the window. A silent tear ran down her cheek. Her lips were posed in a circle as if in surprise. Then she dropped to the ground. I stood there. Shell shocked. Frozen in place. She was on the floor and her neck was twisted in an unnatural fashion. I was breathing even more heavily. My blood was racing at the speed of light. My hand wrapped even tighter around the hidden piece of glass. I blacked out for a moment. I had no control.

When I came back to my senses, I was murmuring. What was it I didn't mean? What had I lost? Then I remembered. I remembered the adrenaline I had when I screamed in rage and ran towards the grey creature that was biting the neck of my mother. I stabbed it. I killed it. It was dead. So much black blood. I was cold. I was covered in it. I was covered in its blood. Its pitch black blood. My mother was dead. She was dead. I knew it. I saw her body still laying near the broken window the grey creature slumped over her body. I limped over. Glass was embedded in my leg. My stockings were ripped and bloody. I was covered in blood, you know. I fell to my knees next to my mother. I pushed the grey creature off of her, and wiped the black blood off of her pretty face. Her eyes were closed. She looked so peaceful and pretty. She was just asleep. I got up and limped towards the hallway into some of the rooms. I grabbed a white sheet, and limped back to the window room where I tugged my Mother onto the sheet, and wrapped her up like a baby. I then went over to Acheros and put Violence in his arms to hold. Hopefully he won't kill her.

I walk out into the backyard where I found a shed inside. I was still warm because of the blood, but the cold was beginning to set in. I went into the shed and found a little red wagon. I dragged it from under the other tools and went back into the house grabbing a warm blanket on my way. I took the wagon and blanket into the window room where I unwrapped my mother from the sheet and laid the sheet down on the floor of the wagon. I struggled to lay my mother inside, but when I did she was curled up with her knees and her hands laid under her head.

I then laid the white and gold blanket over her still body, so she could keep warm. I left her there and went out into the front of the house, where the car is. I opened the door that Mother always keeps open in case we need a quick escape. I grabbed all of our clothes, and little possessions in grocery bags along with our meager money and papers. I closed the door with my leg, and walked back into the open doors of the house. I went into the window room to drop off all of the things, and went back into the bedroom to look in the closets.

There I found what I was looking for. A huge black suitcase with a handle. It was still small enough to fit under the wagon though. I walked back into the window room, and packed up all of our stuff. All of our life packed away in a suitcase. I shrugged. I looked over to the grey body and sniffled, rubbing my nose with the back of my hand. I went over to the hallway were the stone angels stood there still not crying. Still looking down, and judging me for what I did. For not being brave. One of the angels even hated me. He was so tall towering over me, looking down at all of my mistakes and holding a cross. I sniffled again, and rubbed my eyes then tugged on the cross until it broke off from the statue's hand. I dragged the cross over to the grey creature and stuck it through its chest, standing right side up. Cold black blood splattered onto the white cross. I looked away. And grabbed the belt from Thgil’s waist, using it to buckle the suitcase to the bottom of the wagon. Acheros was still there in the corner of the room, holding Violence close to his chest. I walked over and took Violence from his arms, and pulled on his hand leading him over to the door. I placed Violence with Mother and left down the hallway. As I left, I thought I heard one of the angels weep.

Rue wraps up loose ends from the last chapter and began a new chapter of her life with Violence and Rue coming along with her.