Bitten by Fate

ded in my ears as realization crept over me like ice water.

re locked around his waist as he thrust into her. Their gr

he sound, my elbow clipping the edge of the hall

. Her mouth formed a surprised 'O'. I should have run, but

ivia's head lolled to the side, strands of blonde hair

ed, arms scrambling

entangled himself, grabbing blindly for h

s the front door slammed against the wall behind me with a hollow boom.

efore I finally managed to remote unlock. I fumbled with the keys, finally wrenching the driver's side open.

pedal into the floorboards, the town limits sign a green blur in the rearvie

every direction. Anyone I knew would eventually have to ans

verything except the twin beams of my high beams. She lived in the bordering neutral territory between our p

inting under the moonlight. I cut the engine,

s. Even in the dim glow, she recognized the devastation etched on my features. The pruners slippe

Olivia's vanilla scent still clung to me like a cruel joke. Shirley murmured

to the kitchen briefly. When she returned, a mug o

was gentle. "Now talk to me,

n my mate and best friend. Shirley's expression twisted with

emently when I finished. "And that two-fac

s much as the blonde had betrayed me, she'd

entled her tone. "You don't deserve their de

racked whisper. "I have to leave the pa

esome clarity. I doubled over, pressing the heels o

ulling me against her side. "Shh...you've g

its place. A cold sweat beaded across my bro

od..." Shirley's voice was d

nd I spiraled down

_

ore through the inky blackness of the forest. Branches whipped against my f

- the inexorable approach of whatever fresh hell was hunting me tonight. Harsh pan

y lungs in a whooping gasp as I slammed into the loamy earth. I scrambled

ugh the dense trunks. A preternatural awareness pr

e trees in a ghostly chorus, as sweet an

ng my throat. The whispers grew louder, more insi

.Alexa..

The forest seemed to inhale a collective breath,

ac

on my butt and palms, pulse thundering in my ears. The voic

, barreling straight towards me. I dug my heels

sharp angles and rigid bones. It skidded to a halt mere inches

lips pulled back in a deranged, mocking leer. Blank sockets stared

d wide as it caged me against the ground. Rancid, dec

?" Each malformed word was d

to simply open up and swallow me whole. My limbs were f

sunken pits of its eye sockets split into open, oozing geysers. Blood and rank gray matter poured over

hinging its jaw with a sickening pop. It leaned clos

urgled, fetid spittle splattering

*