Melissa - Page 310

That bastard deserves to die... No one speaks to me that way.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS!" you yell at him. He squirms and pushed his way backward, but he can't get a good grip on the stone floor and stumbles. You press the point of the spear to his chest and he whimpers.

"Melissa..." he sobs violently. "I'm sorry..."

"Sorry isn't good enough." Why did I ever like this prick?

You press the spear down harder and the front of his shirt rips. With a determined grin, you heave the spear back and thrust. Darren dies with a weak gurgle of blood.

You step back and let the weapon fall from your grasp. "My god..." you mutter, drowning in a sudden wave of clarity. "What the fuck did I do?" You rush to his side and place a hand over the wound in his chest, but it is far too late.

"What the fuck did I do!" you scream into the air, not caring if the bird people hear you.

A ragged breath escapes Darren's body, but it is just the last bit of air slithering from his punctured lung. You hang your head over his corpse and tears flow freely from your eyes. 

"What have I become? What's happened to me?" Your mind swirls and your stomach lurches, making you wretch bits of roasted human flesh onto the cave floor. 

Your mind flashes back to the cave and the bird people.... Is that what they wanted? To turn me into... what? "A monster. I've become a monster." You can't remember a time when you let your anger overwhelm you so fully. Your eyes flit back to Darren's corpse. You've never killed anyone... You've never wanted to kill anyone! Not seriously, at least.

Something rumbles deep inside your body. Something primal. It wells within your spirit until it rages just below the surface, ready to explode at any moment. Faster than you'd like to think possible, you push your guilt far from your mind and turn back to Darren's corpse like a hungry animal.

*****

Several minutes later, you emerge from the cave as a new woman. You're face is covered in gore and your stomach is satisfyingly full. You've stripped down to your bra and undergarments, covering the rest of your skin with blood and sinew.

"I know my place," you mutter. Your chest heaves with excitement. You think of the bird people and you know you can find their trail once more. The thought brings a smile to your face. "I am not one of you," you say calmly. "I will be your queen!"

Turn to page 544.