WARNING

THIS CHAPTER DEALS WITH VERY TRIGGERING SUBJECTS. THERE WILL BE GORE, CUSSING, ABUSE. VERY BAD THINGS HERE. SKIP TO THE NEXT CHAPTER OR LEAVE THE BOOK ALTOGETHER IF YOU CANNOT HANDLE IT.

Chapter 10~Run

"Demon."

"Satan's child."

"Mistake."

"Killer!"

Every day, those are the words I hear. Sometimes the people like to spice things up and change them around, but they always mean the same thing.

I'm responsible.

It's my fault, all my fault.

When I was 2, the humans decided that I would be the child responsible for every human's sins. They would just pin them on me. And the humans are not happy if somebody does something to them. They take their anger out on me.

I can't hide, the people here know the layout of the town well. Even my parents are against me. It's my fault.

My fault my fault my fault my fault.

I don't even remember my name half the time, it only comes back to memory when someone shouts it at me when they want to de-stress.

And when someone does say it, they spit it out, like it's a struggle for them to utter the name. It's as if they might puke outright each time they pronounce the word.

I'm not sure if God-If there is one-Hates me, if this is supposed to happen, or I really am responsible... I'm not sure.

But it's getting overwhelming.

Each passing year, it gets worse. They say that the older I get the more I can take.

If I'm really honest, it's probably the opposite.

I'm hiding in a tree in the forest, and I flinch when I hear voices. I yelp and fall out of the tree onto the ground as a knife is thrown at me.

My oh so favorite people.

The kids my age.

They've been taught to hate me and hurt me like everybody else, but they take it to the next level. They hurt me enough as to bring me to the brink of death, but they make sure I don't actually succumb to it.

I can't die, or else people would have to blame themselves for their sins and not some child.

One of the kids steps on my arm and I squeak. I don't try to get away, it's pointless. I learned that long ago.

But it can never hurt to try and hide... Or so I think.

"Stupid little demon, trying to get away, yeah?" One of the kids asks me angrily.

"N- N- No..." I say, shaking.

"Oh, but you are." Another says. He pulls out a tree branch. It's thick, and the end was sharpened. I flinch. Before I can react he hits me in the back with it, and I yelp.

And the rest, well... Nobody needs to know but me.

When it's done, the kids leave me on the ground. I'm bleeding, aching, wanting to just fucking die already.

One of them left a knife nearby and I grab it, and I stare at my distorted reflection in the blade. Do I even look human? Or am I just a toy, a toy to take all your anger on and blame everything bad you and everyone else has done on? Or am I a demon that humans want revenge upon? Something different entirely?

Or am I just unlucky?

Doesn't matter.

I stare a bit longer.

I wonder how quickly I could die if I used it on myself.

I test it out on my arm, slitting a long cut. I flinch, and smile a little. It's sharp, the blade cutting through flesh like a hoe through dirt. It's a different pain. There's many types of pain mixed in with each other.

It's a few hours before I finally return to the town. I'm too cowardly to try and die, but I felt kind of at peace. Finally I had control over something. I'm the one in control of my pain, not the kids, not my parents, not the random strangers on the street! My arms are numb, but I don't care anymore. I don't care I don't care!

Somebody walks up to me and grabs me roughly. I still have the bloody knife in my pocket. "What did you do to yourself, you little shit?!" They ask angrily. I smile, I smile a crazed manic smile. I quickly grab the knife and spin around and stab the person in the back, grinning ear to ear. The person screams out in pain and falls to the ground.

"How does it feel?!" I ask, laughing. "How does it feel to be dying?! But this time you'll actually die! AND I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL YOU DO!" I laughed. By now the human had fallen limp. The humans around me are frozen with wide eyes. One comes over and tackles me, taking the knife away. They stab me in the leg, and my voice is too hoarse to even try and scream.

I black out a few minutes later once the other humans join in on my punishment.

I wake up nearby the mountain. I can barely stand. I look at my hands, and wonder, are these even hands? There's a puddle nearby and I look at my reflection. I'm badly bruised, my face covered in cuts. I'm still bleeding. My arms are horrible, bruised, cut up from both me and the humans. My shirt is torn, as are my pants. My hair is messy. My eyes are empty, all hope lost. I look up at the mountain.

I decide easily.

I stand up and yelp quietly in pain, and resist the urge to let my legs buckle and I fall to the ground. I set myself, and I run up the mountain. I run and run, my wounds hurting more and more and more, until suddenly, I yelp as I trip over a root.

I fall into the darkness, and I welcome it. Finally. Then I wake up and hear a voice.

"It sounds like it came from over here..."