Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 61532 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 246(@250wpm)___ 205(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61532 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 308(@200wpm)___ 246(@250wpm)___ 205(@300wpm)
Wrong words.
Wrong words.
My hand is moving faster than I can comprehend. The knife I carry with me flies through the air and lands in the guy’s neck.
Did you know if you slice someone’s throat, they don’t die fast like they do in the movies? No, it’s long, it’s painful, and even then they aren’t guaranteed to die unless you cut deep enough.
This is the reason why the knife that’s currently in his throat didn’t slice him open. It’s embedded, making it impossible for him to speak.
He tries to stand then falls to his knees, his hands clutching the knife’s handle.
“I wouldn’t do that if I was you, leaving it in there is keeping you alive right now.” His eyes go wide. “The minute it’s out, there will be blood everywhere.” He goes to move away from me as I climb up the stairs, but he has nowhere to go. The end of the porch is behind him, and I’m blocking the way for him to move or go inside. “That little blue-headed woman you speak of, yeah… that was where you fucked up. See, everything in that club is mine, her included. So, you just succeeded in pissing me off even more.” He tries to make a sound but it comes out as a blood-curdling gurgle, so I lean down, getting close to his ear. “What did you say?”
“You…” And that’s all he can say.
I stand back up. “You see, I’ve had an annoying day. And you’ve just made it worse. So, because I want to get home as soon as possible I’m going to do this…”
He goes to back away, but I pull the knife from his neck. Blood spurts out everywhere. His hands try to cover it to stop the flow of blood, but it doesn’t help. His eyes look everywhere for something to help him, or even someone. When they land back on me, all I see is desperation in them. But I don’t really care.
“Goodnight.” I insert the knife in his neck again, this time not missing a major artery. “I just cut your carotid artery. Now this… most people bleed out before help can arrive, and even then, if help did arrive in time, you would need an operation to fix it. The artery supplies ninety percent of your brain’s blood, so since you’re out in the woods and can’t speak… I guess this is where I leave.” I wait a few seconds to see what he’ll do, and when he starts to fall, I know it won’t be long until he’s dead.
And somehow all I can think about is a girl with blue hair, instead of a man dying at my feet.
Life.
20
Olympia
“You’ll always be my baby, always.” My father strokes my hair as I lay my head on his shoulder.
“Love you, Papa.” He’s been staying at home with me for the last few days. I called Creed today to let him know I will need extra time off. He basically grunted then said yes, and that I should call Darby, so I grunted back.
“You can always move home,” he says as I sit up in the rocking chair out the front, watching the sun set. The beautiful colors that light the sky are truly magical. Especially the pink and purple as the sun goes down. I turn to observe him, the wrinkles under his eyes reveal his age, but that’s it. You wouldn’t guess he’s old enough to have two full-grown children. He’s lucky, age hasn’t affected his appearance.
“This is yours and Barren’s life, not my life,” I whisper.
“I’ll change. Barren said—”
I shake my head. “I know your views, and I don’t want you to change them. I’m happy, I am. I’m better.” I tell him the truth, because I am better.
“But a bar, Olympia, you’re better than a bar. You have multiple degrees. You’re one of the smartest people I know, and trust me, I know a lot of smart people.”
“I have multiple degrees because I couldn’t make up my mind and kept switching, and you kept paying.” I roll my eyes.
“That’s because it made you happy. I would buy you the university if that’s what you needed,” he says in return, being honest.
“I am happy. It’s not the career of my dreams, but I actually like what I do. I like the people I work for and with. It’s settling me for now.”
He runs his hand through my hair again. “And the man?”
I pull away and look out to where Barren is pacing the dirt driveway, speaking on his phone. “It’s… well…” I don’t even know what to call what Darby and I have together. “…It’s complicated.” That’s definitely the word I needed to find and get out.
He pats my chest. “Guard this from anyone who doesn’t want to love it, it can’t take any more pain.”