Kill Me, My Love

Chapter 43

"Susie"

– Lina! Lina, where are you? – Sam exclaimed, not understanding where the girl had disappeared.

Lina sat still. It felt as if she had just been hit on the head with the flat of a blade. Her own mother had made a choice that she didn’t want to believe. A question tingled on her tongue: "why?" She wanted to say that it was a foolish prank, that she had asked to be sure that Lilith loved her and didn't want her dead.

No matter what kind of woman she was, a child would always be the most precious. Even when the whole world was at stake. However, reality was somewhat different. Lilith had made her choice, so there was no point in continuing the conversation.

The girl quietly got up, took one last look at the silent stone door, and headed towards Samael's voice.

– Finally found you! – the man exclaimed with relief, spotting the delicate figure that had appeared around the corner. – Where have you been? Why didn’t you answer?

– Just out for a walk, – Lina shrugged, trying not to reveal her true emotions. – Should I have stuck around while that bitch enjoys your company?

She continued to play the jealous one, and the dark one didn’t even suspect that the girl was troubled. In truth, her thoughts were solely on her mother. Perhaps she was calling her now, wanting to talk. Or maybe she had changed her mind, reversed her impulsive decision... But, unfortunately, it was too late; the girl would never know.

– Stop it, you know that nothing happened between us. We just discussed some unfinished business, so everything is fine now, we can head to the land.

The man looked into the girl's eyes, trying to comfort and reassure her. Then he gently kissed her on the cheek, pulled her close, and said:

– Let’s get out of this shithole. Sursum.

A black whirlwind enveloped their bodies, swiftly moving upwards. Their ears popped from the speed of movement, and thousands of shades fluttered around them. Lina closed her eyes to avoid losing touch with reality. Such a sudden change in space made her stomach jump. To avoid catastrophe, she needed to find her inner balance and clench her teeth tightly. Fortunately, it worked. In less than a minute, the movement was complete.

Lina and Samael found themselves standing in the middle of a broken road, near a huge abandoned house. The gloomy building was surrounded by withered trees, tools carelessly thrown about, and trash that no one planned to take away.

– Where are we? – Lina asked, looking around in surprise.

– I don’t know, – the dark one looked just as puzzled as the girl.

He probably hadn’t intended to end up in this forgotten place...

– So you don’t know? Didn’t you control the movement?

– I did, and I expected we’d appear near New York, at an acquaintance's apartment. However, something went wrong...

– Fantastic, – Lina said, stepping back from the man and taking a few steps toward the house.

There were no street signs or house numbers in sight, which complicated the task significantly. Only trees surrounded them. Perhaps this was the ranger’s hut, and the forest was nearby. Maybe they were on the outskirts of some provincial town. Perhaps they were even in a neighboring country, or worse – on a neighboring continent.

– We could try to move again. But every use of the word’s power is traced, so I would hold off on that...

But Lina didn’t have time to respond to this suggestion before she heard a piercing child’s wail.

The sound came directly from the hut.

– Help!!! Save me! – the child pleaded.

Before she could gather her thoughts, the girl jumped over a rotten, crooked fence and ran across the yard toward the sounds of a child’s hysteria. She understood that something terrible was happening. Right now, here and now, a crime was taking place, and she couldn't stand aside.

– Lina, where are you going? – Sam shouted, rushing after her.

But she didn’t hear him, focused, driven by subconscious instinct. To protect, to save, to help. She threw herself against the entrance door like a tigress, kicking them open with a powerful strike.

Inside was dirty and dark. Piles of empty alcohol bottles, leftovers, some boxes, and battered items long out of use littered the floor. It seemed that the owner of the house brought things from the dump every week, creating a foul-smelling labyrinth out of his home.

The screams didn’t die down; the child continued to wail for help:

– Save me, help!

– I’m coming now, little one, – Lina whispered, slowly advancing through the hallway.

Now she could really use a flashlight because one could easily trip and split their head open in this darkness. She heard Samael’s heavy footsteps behind her. Her lover hurried to help, but this time she was quicker. Finally, having crossed the last obstacle, she reached the living room and froze in horror.

In front of her on a metal bed lay a girl, looking about nine years old. She was completely naked, tied with ropes at her hands and feet, as if someone had planned to quarter her. Nearby, on a nightstand, lay some drugs and syringes, the floor strewn with empty bottles, dirty bloodstained sheets, and a strange suitcase in a sickly green color.

Regaining her composure, the girl rushed over to the bed and began to untie the little one.

The child was terrified to death. Her brown eyes were filled with tears and fear, her curly, long hair dirty and hopelessly tangled, a large bruise spread across her cheek, and a bloody cut on her belly had scabbed over, as if someone had deliberately inflicted it with surgical precision.

– I will help you, everything will be alright, – Lina whispered, tugging at the rope.

But it was no use – it wouldn’t budge.

– Help! – she said to Sam, who had just burst into the room, quickly assessing the situation.

Without further words, the man tore apart all the ropes with his hands. Finally, the girl was freed. Lina shrugged off her sweater and wrapped it around the little one.

– What happened to you? – she asked, holding her close.

But before the child could answer, the sound of a car approaching came from outside. The girl began to cry even louder, huddling in Lina’s arms like a small, battered kitten:

– It’s him! Him! We have to run! Please! Don’t leave me with him.

The next dialogue happened without words; it was enough for Lina and Sam to share a direct gaze. The dark one seemed to say: “Stay here, I’ll handle everything,” and Lina agreed. In her eyes burned such rage that the thought behind it became obvious: “Take revenge on this bastard.”

The man slowly and threateningly moved into the hallway, the one who had just exited the car slammed the doors loudly and had no idea what surprise awaited him at the door.

The monster tormenting the innocent child began shouting right in the yard:

– My little princess, I’m already home. Did you miss your daddy?? Now we’re going to have a good time, sweetheart.

The girl flinched at every word, while Lina felt as if her soul was being torn apart. She was stroking the child's back, trying to calm and comfort her. The little one was so thin. She could feel every bone through the sweater effortlessly.

– What’s your name? – she asked, using her voice to distract the child from what was happening outside.

– Susie, – the girl sobbed in reply.

– And how old are you?

– Almost eleven.

There was loud swearing and a few strong knocks in the hallway.

– You know everything will be okay now, we’ll help you, – Lina smiled gently. – No one will hurt you again.

– Really?

– Really! – she confirmed.

– And my mom and stepdad too?

– No one and never, Susie, do you hear? I will protect you, no matter what it costs me.

The girl looked at Lina very seriously. Her eyes held so much depth and maturity that the girl felt a chill. If a ten-year-old child can look like that, what has she had to endure in her short life? Fury burned in her heart. She wanted to tear apart everyone who made this innocent soul suffer. Monsters.

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