I reach down to carefully free my dress from the bramble that'd caught it, we don’t have the money to be replacing dresses because of my carelessness or impatience. Besides, I have the time since I finished early at the market, the days stock already gone, and for a good price too. I smile, quite pleased with myself, and laugh as a bird explodes from the bushes ahead of me. They're flowering prettily so as I pass I pick one of the flowers and tuck it behind my ear. I open the garden gate quietly still straining to catch the birdsong, as I reach the door though I catch something else interspersed with the birds. A pair of voices rising and falling from the inside, someone laughs and I frown.
The house should be empty, odd. Curiosity gets the better of me as I silently ease the door open, step in, and gently shut it behind me. The voices are clearer now, Tysea's and a woman's, he chuckles and she admonishes him. Some tiny voice in my head begs me to turn and leave, not to look. But I don’t pay any attention, I'm already walking towards the living room door and pushing it open quietly, though what I see inside stops me dead. Tysea and Kammy, both naked and curled together in front of the fire, as I feel the door slipping from my fingertips he gently kisses her shoulder. They both startle as the door clicks smartly behind me, twin looks of horror form as they see me stood, arm still stretched where I’d held the door open. Tysea's horrifies expression melts into one of embarrassment.
HE'S EMBARESSED!? He stands up and takes a step towards me, hands extended trying to placate me. He's talking but I don’t hear his words, I don't need to. I know they're not words of love or apology, they're words of fear. Fear of the coming change for -him-, -his- reputation, -his- life, -not- mine, there is no love for me here. I realise he's looking at me questioningly and as I follow his gaze I notice that I seem to be holding the poker. My eyes flick up to his and find his fear showing in his expression, Kammy's scuttled back to the corner clutching the rug to her chest
"Salera?" Tysea's voice, so uncertain, pulls my attention back to him. He's backing away towards the window.
Oh no you don’t, and in that moment I know what I have to do. As I leap at him his eyes widen and he cries out,
"Salera!" I swing the poker, cracking it against his arm, he howls and grabs my hand, yanking it across causing the poker to fly across the room and embed itself in the wall. My hand zooms back slapping him, he tries to land a punch but years of dancing have made me light on my feet and I dodge it easily. Pirouetting I drop my weight, front foot back, back foot slamming a side kick into his knee, it cracks. He falls sideways, head slamming into the floor as his broken arm can’t break the fall. Pouncing on him I grab his head and slam it into the floor repeatedly. When he stops moving my hands are covered in blood and I'm panting. I glance to Kammy, she hasn't moved the entire time. Now though she pales under my gaze and tries to bolt, but I'm faster. I catch her arm and swing her round across the room, she slides across the floor into the wall. Sitting on her I wrap my hands around her neck and squeeze.
She bucks and tries to throw me off,
but I just squeeze harder.
She digs her nails into my arms,
but I just squeeze harder.
Her oesophagus cracks,
but I just squeeze harder...