I
Why? Why live? If I can just end it all? I rounded the street corner. I climbed a set of stairs up to the top of the building. 5 stories tall. A well-executed jump could kill me. It would be easier with a sword. I suck in a breath. I walk to the edge of the building and sit down on the ledge. Looking at the sunset I draw my legs to my chest. I don’t think this will work. I’ll stop myself. It’s not going to work. I stand and look over the looming edge.
“Wait!” A man’s voice says.
“Too late,” I say with sweet malice as I walk over the ledge. I fall for 2 seconds before my brain says no. My wings sprout. I’m lifted in one swift motion. My wings flap, sending gusts of angry wind behind me. I laugh out loud. Then I yell with frustration. I knew it wouldn’t work. Should have tried a sword. I tug at my hair, angry. I should try water next time.
I touch down. Just then a black sack is tied over my head. I don’t scream. Nobody in The Bottom would care. They would just be annoyed. I just retract my wings before they notice and let them drag me away.
This is why I tried to kill myself. So the Wanted wouldn’t find me and claim me as a weapon. At only 17 I’m being hunted down by the Wanted. I laugh like a maniac. A high scary laugh. The two men dragging me tighten their grip. As if they were worried I would do something to them. I would if I hadn’t just tried to kill myself. Now they get to do the dirty work.
I look into their minds. The one on the left... Why did I get assigned the manic? The should have had another five men come with us. She seems dangerous. We don’t know what she can do. Now I have a chance to scare them.
“No, you don’t know what I can do. And I am dangerous.” My voice is full of venom as I finish the statement. I give another laugh and they shift uncertainly. I look into the other one. This girl is giving me the creeps. She’s not struggling, which is unusual. She’s being strange. I guess she thinks that we will take care of her. She seems like she could be a sweet girl.
“I really couldn’t. Oh, and you’re doing me a favor by taking me away. You’re just going do what I just failed to do to myself. To kill me.” I sprout my wings, sliding my fangs out as well. The second man whimpers when he sees the fangs pierce the fabric.
I send a drip of dark purple venom out of it and the man yells a scrambled sentence to the other one. I smile. I’m having too much fun. The liquid deteriorates the fabric, so I send out jets.
Once the front of the sack is completely gone, I look at the men. They are wearing their Wanted masks, so I can only see their eyes. They have no emotions showing on the outside, but I can feel the fear radiating off of them. I grab their wrists and they scream in terror. I let go and they both run off to the Wanted truck, probably calling backup. I yank the sack off my head, ruining my hair.
I just sit there like a crazy person. When they come back I tilt my head and stare at them. I let a little venom slide down my chin. Giving them a smile and I flap wings. They grab stunners out of their belts and hold them in front of themselves.
I laugh again. They decide to try and stun me. I forgot to tell them that nothing they have can hurt me. So I just giggle like it’s funny once they keep trying to shock me. It really is funny to see grown men scrambling around a girl in a dark alley.
I pat the dagger sheathed on my shin. I neatly slide it out and let it glow in the moonlight. The Wanted run to the walls. I move it slowly into the air above my head, with my mind of course. I stand from my sitting position and use my mind to move the dagger past each of the thirteenth men’s throats.
I give another laugh, I’m having tons of fun.
I contemplate. Maybe killing them would be a waste. Maybe I didn’t have to. Maybe-
“Wait!” My thoughts are cut off as a Wanted pushes himself off the trash bin he was pressed up against. He walks towards me, stopping just feet away.
“We won’t hurt you. We just want to take you with us. We will give you food and new clothes, and a place to call home.” He pleads like he thinks I’m going to change my mind about something I wasn’t thinking of, to begin with. I snap. Sparing these under-educated rats should be a major crime. They deserve a painful end. They deserve a fraction of my suffering. They deserve to be left in The Bottom to rot. And we should rot together.
Or.....
No. No mercy.
“Oh, I want you to hurt me. I want to die." He stepped toward me. I summon the knife back into my hand. I look at it. This could end it all. This could end them. This could end me.
I give a low growl and lunge at him, knife outstretched. It sinks deep into his stomach. Blood covers me as I yank the knife back out. I lick my lips, wishing he had put up a fight. That would have been interesting. My tongue circles my fangs as I think. That was too easy.
My turn. If I just turn it around. Just stab me too. I stop my thoughts. When did I go crazy? When did I start crave killing so much? When did I fall and crumble? I go limp and fall to the ground. Oh.. right now. I’m so angry at myself. I hold out my wrists.
“I’m crazy. Go ahead.” I look up my eyes pleading the man in front of me, “But promise to kill me once it’s done.” I do what they want with me, and then they kill me. Everyone wins. Everyone gets what they want. Except for the rest of them. Except for the rest of The Bottom. They die of hunger and murders every day. They suffer while The Top has too much.
“I’m not sure-” He responds.
“Promise,” I yell at him. They can’t have me If I can’t have myself. The man nods.
“Okay, that’s settled. Let’s go.”
