“ I’ m so sorry, Zoë.” Craig kept shaking his head. His eyes were rimmed red and his breath stank like sour whisky.“ I’ m so sorry.” The absence inside me, a deep black hole. Cassandra, my baby. You never stood a chance.
* My hopeful future had disappeared into a box. Craig moved to pick up the mobile of animals and heat kindled in my chest.“ Stop it!” I screamed. Craig whipped around.“ She’ s dead, Zoë. Let her go.”“ You killed her,” I said, my voice low. He advanced, closing the space in two strides. His hands gripped tight around my neck and he propelled me against the wall. My teeth rattled as my head smacked the door frame. I gasped for breath, clawing at Craig’ s fingers, inhaling air laced with the scent of alcohol.
He shook me, fuming.“ You’ ve pushed me too far, Zoë.” His grip tightened. Craig’ s silhouette took on a fuzzy edge.
I fumbled for the opening in my hoodie. My fingers grasped the solid, biting shard and wrapped around it, slippery with sweat.
* Afterwards, I ran into the hallway and emptied my stomach. I’ d never imagined it would happen like this, but I had kept my vow – he would never hurt me again. Me or Cassandra. I supported myself with one trembling hand against the wall. My fingers were stained with splotches of blood.
A long, howling sob drowned out my fluttering heartbeat. It took me a moment to realize the sound emitted from my own throat, coming up and out of me from some place deep inside. I let it out and when I collected myself, I dragged myself downstairs and out into the night.
Cool air flowed around me – life flourished everywhere. Coyotes in the distance, cries of owls in the trees, cacti mice scurrying in the dark, avoiding the jaws of desert snakes coiled in the sands, scales still warm from baking in the day’ s heat. The house behind me was silent, heavy lids shut over tired eyes. Lackluster shafts of light glowed through drawn curtains. A brighter moon glowed overhead, fighting through small whiffs of clouds.
I took a deep breath, inhaling all the life that surrounded me. All the possibilities. Where I could possibly go now, what I could possibly do.
28 Cauldron Anthology