That Ridge Would Fall
prologue
Her feet hurt and blood painted a long trail behind her, but she can't stop running out of fear that he'll catch up to her. The brush ruminated underneath the sole of her tennis shoes, the constant crunch echoed through the mountain range. Why couldn't she hear anything besides the drumming of her heart?
“Where are you, ya' little bitch? Huh? Where are you Selena?” It was almost a whisper. If she had not stopped running, she wouldn't have heard it.
Oh, how she was shaking. Like the leaves on the trees or the cold through her hair. Her hands were fastened over her mouth to silence the sound of her sobbing. She tried to breathe, but with every intake of air came a loud, blatant whimper. The girl hid behind a conifer tree, the husk scratched her neck, she could feel the blood in rivulets, running down her pongee nightgown.
She pined for a stick, but found a stone instead. Holding it in her cold hands was impossible, she quivered for the cold and for the aversion, the rock just kept falling from her grasp.
Footsteps through the coppice. Crunch, crunch, crunch. “Where are you, Selena? Where are you, baby? Come on out, baby girl.”
Selena exhaled, the tears were burning her eyes. Breathing was getting more and more difficult with each passing second, she was about ready to start running again. But he was getting closer now, she could smell him, musky, like a wild animal.
“Where are you, Selena? Baby? I just want to talk. All I want to do is talk.” She could see him. A couple of yards away, he was blurry and felt distant, but so, so close. It was like a black and white thriller, absolutely no shades of gray and no silver lining, there was nothing pretty about this scene.
Battleships, he was big and she was tiny. He knew her moves, bilking the entire game. Two games at once, battleships and cat and mouse. Who would win? “Selena, I know you're cold. You ran out so quick, didn't even have time to put on a jacket.”
She crawled on her hands and a dislocated knee. When he stopped talking, she stopped squirming and tried her hardest not to breathe. How had this even happened? I'm going to die out here tonight, Selena thought to herself, just as she fell over in a pile of leaves. Bugs were crawling on her skin and she cried out.
He grinned and slowly turned around, walking over to where she lay. “Selena, baby. Why did you run?” She threw the stone at his nose and stood up as fast as possible, limping and running away at the same time. He swallowed the blood in his mouth, a thousand pounds of tar sliding down his throat. But he was still laughing. “Why'd you have to do that? It doesn't have to be like that.”
He was chasing her now, getting closer and closer, wielding the ax in his hands. He jumped at her, landing on her back and bringing her down. The man smacked Selena across the face as he hedged her tiny, child-like waist. They rolled into the rocky stream, their clothes drenched in the cold water. She pulled at his hair and continuously punched him in the face. He brought the ax up high and in the midst of bringing it down upon her bruised face, Selena pushed his arms, the ax landing on a pile of large rocks.
The man slapped her again and brushed his lips against her ear. “You're such a feisty girl. I didn't need that anyway.” He caught hold of her fringe and smashed her head down on cobblestone. Over and over again, she cried and screamed, but those weakened until she was dead. The back of her head was reduced to a bloody curd, pieces of her skull were protruding from her and osseous matter oozed out.
He stood up, holding his head in his hands. His hair was stuck to his forehead and his clothes were pleated against his skin. “Why'd you make me do it? You stupid bitch! Why'd you make me kill you? I fucking loved you! You just say too much...” He pointed at her face, those silently closed eyes. “And you saw too much, you just saw too much.”
“Where are you, ya' little bitch? Huh? Where are you Selena?” It was almost a whisper. If she had not stopped running, she wouldn't have heard it.
Oh, how she was shaking. Like the leaves on the trees or the cold through her hair. Her hands were fastened over her mouth to silence the sound of her sobbing. She tried to breathe, but with every intake of air came a loud, blatant whimper. The girl hid behind a conifer tree, the husk scratched her neck, she could feel the blood in rivulets, running down her pongee nightgown.
She pined for a stick, but found a stone instead. Holding it in her cold hands was impossible, she quivered for the cold and for the aversion, the rock just kept falling from her grasp.
Footsteps through the coppice. Crunch, crunch, crunch. “Where are you, Selena? Where are you, baby? Come on out, baby girl.”
Selena exhaled, the tears were burning her eyes. Breathing was getting more and more difficult with each passing second, she was about ready to start running again. But he was getting closer now, she could smell him, musky, like a wild animal.
“Where are you, Selena? Baby? I just want to talk. All I want to do is talk.” She could see him. A couple of yards away, he was blurry and felt distant, but so, so close. It was like a black and white thriller, absolutely no shades of gray and no silver lining, there was nothing pretty about this scene.
Battleships, he was big and she was tiny. He knew her moves, bilking the entire game. Two games at once, battleships and cat and mouse. Who would win? “Selena, I know you're cold. You ran out so quick, didn't even have time to put on a jacket.”
She crawled on her hands and a dislocated knee. When he stopped talking, she stopped squirming and tried her hardest not to breathe. How had this even happened? I'm going to die out here tonight, Selena thought to herself, just as she fell over in a pile of leaves. Bugs were crawling on her skin and she cried out.
He grinned and slowly turned around, walking over to where she lay. “Selena, baby. Why did you run?” She threw the stone at his nose and stood up as fast as possible, limping and running away at the same time. He swallowed the blood in his mouth, a thousand pounds of tar sliding down his throat. But he was still laughing. “Why'd you have to do that? It doesn't have to be like that.”
He was chasing her now, getting closer and closer, wielding the ax in his hands. He jumped at her, landing on her back and bringing her down. The man smacked Selena across the face as he hedged her tiny, child-like waist. They rolled into the rocky stream, their clothes drenched in the cold water. She pulled at his hair and continuously punched him in the face. He brought the ax up high and in the midst of bringing it down upon her bruised face, Selena pushed his arms, the ax landing on a pile of large rocks.
The man slapped her again and brushed his lips against her ear. “You're such a feisty girl. I didn't need that anyway.” He caught hold of her fringe and smashed her head down on cobblestone. Over and over again, she cried and screamed, but those weakened until she was dead. The back of her head was reduced to a bloody curd, pieces of her skull were protruding from her and osseous matter oozed out.
He stood up, holding his head in his hands. His hair was stuck to his forehead and his clothes were pleated against his skin. “Why'd you make me do it? You stupid bitch! Why'd you make me kill you? I fucking loved you! You just say too much...” He pointed at her face, those silently closed eyes. “And you saw too much, you just saw too much.”