~Emily's POV
"Mom, you ... .you killed him," Ava said, shaking and I stood up.
It felt like I just came to realize everything.
I just killed a man in my kitchen.
My eyes were locked in Ava's eyes. Ava's eyes welled up with tears and I could see disappointment in the way she looked at me.
She looked at me like she couldn't bring herself to understand what her mother had become. She gazed at me like I am a monster that one should be afraid of.
"Ava," I called weakly, trying to reach out to her but she stepped away like she was allergic to my touch.
My daughter didn't even want me to touch her.
What have I become?
"Don't touch me," Ava said. Her voice was deep and her words were simple but it held a lot of emotions.
Ava has never looked at me like she did before.
"Ava…." I called again.
I didn't even know what to say.
"Take a look at what you have done," Ava said to me, with her voice trembling.
What have I done?
What did I do?
I looked back at David and my whole body stiffened. The knife fell off my hand and the sight of his body was…. terrifying.
That terrible smell of blood ran through my nose. The whole house was filled with the smell of a man's blood.
His eyes were smashed and out. His face was swollen and I didn't even know that I had stabbed his head. His forehead was open, rushing out blood like a stream.
His whole body was stabbed repeatedly…and I did it.
I held my breath and when I looked back, Ava was gone.
"Ava," I called and I ran out of the kitchen as well.
I walked into the living room and Ava was standing in front of Sam's body.
The child's body was burnt.
She looked like an animal.
Her mouth was open, revealing her teeth. Her eyes were swollen and shut. Her lips had shrunk and her cheek bone was barely covered with flesh.
Looking down at her body, her burnt flesh was mixed with the remains of her dress. Her organs were out and I just couldn't look anymore.
I turned away and…..
"Why didn't you let him stop the fire?" Ava asked and I turned back to look at her. "I couldn't because of you," I answered.
That was the truth. Ava doesn't deserve this kind of life.
I did it for my daughter.
I did it for Ava.
"Lies!" Ava screamed and my heart wrecked.
It still broke my heart even though I had already seen it coming. I already knew she would call me a liar.
"You watched her getting burnt and you claim that it's because of me?" Ava yelled at me. Her eyes were burning with flames of anger and disappointment.
"I did it because I want us to be free!" I yelled back.
I just wanted her to listen to me. Even if it's just once.
"You…. you killed him. You stabbed him countless times. Did you see what you did to his body?" Ava asked me, pointing her hand towards the kitchen and I fell to the ground.
"Ava, please, forgive me. I don't know what came over me. I was driven by my emotions and I let it control me. I was scared of Tharros coming back. I was very scared, Ava. Believe me," I cried.
Ava looked directly into my eyes. "You were scared and you killed a man?" She asked me.
"But look now, Ava. Everything will be fine now. We'll both live like every other family. We'll be happy, Ava. We'll sleep peacefully," I said to her, hoping that the disappointment in her eyes would fade away, but…..it didn't.
Instead, it worsened. "Cleaned the mess you made before you get both of us arrested. The police wouldn't care if there's a demon," Ava said to me and she walked back into her room.
I flinched at the sound of her door being slammed.
I suddenly became short of breath for a while. I took a while to catch my breath and I just, I just smiled.
At least everything will get back to normal.
Tharros is gone.
And, Ava will definitely grow to forgive me.
I stood up, grabbed a trash bag and I walked towards Sam's body.
I turned it over and her flesh peeled off. It was stuck to the ground and I had to peel it off the tile with my hands.
I kept her body in the trash bag; it just didn't fit. I tried bending it over but her hand or head or leg would still find its way out of the trash bag.
I give up.
I left Sam's body, half way into the trash bag. I sighed and I laid on the ground, somewhere next to the body.
The smell of blood and meat and smoke and my own sweat ran through my nose.
I sighed and I gently closed my eyes.
Even with a body next to me, as long as Tharros is gone, I have peace.
*****
Later, I woke up and sniffled. I lazily stood up, looked out the window and it was dark already. I walked into the kitchen and Daniel's body was still there. Dried blood all over.
I walked out of the kitchen and Ava's room was still locked.
I walked towards Sam's body and after several deep sighs, I carried the body and I went out of my eyes. The lights were off. I doubt that anyone saw me.
I kept her in the back seat, beneath the seat before I went into the car.
I drove down the silent street after lightning a cigar. With smoke sipping out of my nose and mouth, the music was loud and ear piercing, when suddenly, something hit my wind screen, splashing blood all over the glass.
I hit the breaks and stepped out of the car. The cigarette fell to the ground and when I went to check. It was a deer. It's eyes were out. It's head was, broken, it's brain was all out but I couldn't clearly see it.
I pushed it off my windscreen and some part of it was left. I had to handpick it.
But…where did it come from?
I was so caught up, thinking of where it could come from and I didn't even remember that the music had stopped.
I got back into the car and I kept pushing the button, but it wouldn't respond.
I felt a hand over my shoulder. The finger went straight into my wound.
"Why did you kill me?" Her little voice asked.