"Goddamn, handmade paper!" I threw the note down, stomping it into the ground, finishing it off. My backpack fell off of me, its contents tumbling out.
I stopped stomping; the note didn't matter, I knew its message. I just had to make sure no one else did. I looked down at Sabrina. Her chest still heaved with the steady up and down of breath. I wiped my nose, squeezing the rock in my other hand for reassurance.
Limbs still heavy with the numbness that had overtaken my entire body, I raised the rock again. This one struck her cheekbone. Another one higher – on her scalp. Bile rose in my stomach. I fought it down, striking faster now, trying to finish the job before my conscience came knocking.
I walked around the body and kicked at her face to turn her over. I started in on that side. I've killed before, I told myself. This is nothing.
But it was something. It was murder with my bare hands. Up close and personal – with no powers to do my bidding. Her face caved in. She was no longer recognizable as Sabrina the Healer.
The wind beat against us, flapping her annoying coat in my face. I tore it off her. Thunder boomed overhead every few seconds, it seemed. I continued to strike, each one landing home. My arm ached. I hit and hit and hit until a strong gust of wind blew me back against a tree. My head bounced against it, hard.
Lightning struck the tree I was against. I looked up, just in time to see a burst of electricity and huge branch, tree-sized itself, fall. I dove to the side, covering my head with my arms. The ground reverberated with the crash of wood on ground.
I peeked out, the lower half of Sabrina's body hung out from under the branch.
Get up, I told myself. Make sure it is finished.
I pushed myself to my feet, and climbed over the fallen branch. Her head was still visible. I blinked away the fuzziness and stared at my masterpiece. She looked at me, one eye open. The eye blinked. I gasped.
I jumped over the rest of the branch. My feet hit something solid and round. The Chalice.
I leaned over, and put on a glove that also came out of my bag. I picked up the Chalice with a shaky hand. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. My fingers traced the rim of the cup once, then down, closing around the stem with a solid grasp.
I opened my eyes and looked at Sabrina, raising the Chalice above my head. I gritted my teeth, met her eye, then brought the Chalice down hard. It only took one blow; her temple shattered.
I turned and doubled over, vomiting. I stayed crouched for several minutes, emptying my stomach. Finally, I stood, wiping my mouth – hands still shaking.
Trying to avoid looking at the body, I collected everything that came out of my bag. The Chalice lay near her head, splatters of her blood dotting the interior.
I felt dirty all over, itchy. I wiped my hands on my shirt, leaving dark red streaks on the white cotton. Shivers ran down my spine. I tore off my shirt, used it to wrap the Chalice and threw it and everything else in my bag. Even my naked skin felt wrong. It was pulled too tight, stretching further with every movement as if it would tear any minute.
I picked up the backpack and continued to walk through the storm, only pausing to brace myself against the stronger wind gusts. Trees and branches crashed down around me. Between the soaking wet ground, lightning, and hurricane force winds, I wasn't sure there would be a forest left come morning. I decided to let fate work its magic, expecting at any moment to be crushed by a tree or blown away by the winds. But fate brought me something different. Fate brought me a cave.
By the time I reached the entrance, I was stumbling over my own feet. I forced myself to go as far back as the shallow shelter would allow. No sign of a vicious wild animal.
Darn.
I tucked my knees into my chest and hugged them, shivering. The world outside was destroying itself. Water seeped in, creating a small pool that reached the tips of my toes. I pulled them back further. I closed my eyes, taking in deep breaths and trying to ignore the fact that I had just committed murder. I reached out for human forms around me. The storm interfered. Electrical signals bounced around.
I extended my reach and finally located two large groups. One on the river, one on land – both headed west. I went in the other direction, seeking Bee, Susan, and Alex. They were eastbound, walking slowly, their faces would be turned away from the wind. Everyone was fleeing, leaving me alone. No distractions; I had to come to terms with what I'd just done.
Still, it wasn't too late to join either group. A quick run and I could catch either of them. I just had to make a choice – which direction to run? East or west? Bee or One Less? With Bee, I would spend the rest of my life running and hiding, trying to protect her from Shawn and the storms we apparently created when we were together. With Shawn, I could face my fears, but risked never seeing my daughter again.