The Writers Lounge: The Blood Rain

The rain drops splatter on my face hard as I run like a blind girl.

"Emily…Emilyyyy. Stop! It’s not what you think." I hear Richard scream after me.

‘No, you do not stop if you want to live.’ My mind screams at me. I am drenched completely.

I run with the last ounce of my strength – flailing around looking for a place to hide. There! I see a barn towards my left, but if I enter, it would be a dead end and I would be caught. And then, he will kill me. But I have to take this one last chance for my survival.

I run till I reach the barn and push the huge wooden doors and enter quickly, closing the heavy doors behind me. I am still strong. Good. I do not stop and crouch behind a large mound of hay stack. I can hear Richard shout my name over and over again. I am scared. I have never been so afraid in my life. I have been a strong girl always – my father’s hunting skills in the forests everyday had ensured that I was a tough woman. And at that – no one, man or animal could beat me. But here I was, hiding in a musty smelling barn. Why was I scared?

Because Richard, my husband, can seriously hurt me. He is a strong man too. Stronger than anyone I have ever known. Can I fight him back? Yes. Do I have the courage? No. What should I do? I can feel the dusk starting to wrap around the barn. It’s getting dark in here. Very dark. My heart is beating fast. Rain is pouring down in steady torrents. Richard hasn’t come here yet. Is it safe to go out? I get up from my crouching position and wobble – feeling very weak and disoriented. There’s nothing around, so I decide to get out of the barn. Possibly Richard has already gotten tired of waiting for me and left.

I get out quietly. My off-white corset dress is clinging to my body like second skin. Danger! My mind screams. I turn around, sensing eyes on me. Is Richard still out there? My breath comes out in uneven gasps. I feel defenseless. Was that a fire flickering at the edge of the forest? What was that orange light? He is coming here to burn me. My heart suddenly realizes.

I try to move away from the place. Night has already fallen and I can hear the skittering of insects. I wipe my face and push away my brown straight hair obstructing my vision. I am a fighter. There is no point in being afraid. I go around the barn towards the edge of the forests to see if Richard is there. I will confront him.

“Richard! Come out you stinking jerk!” I shout in the general direction of the flickering fire at the distance. My voice makes an owl fly away, scared. Yes, they know me, the animals. I had been a good hunter.

“Richard! Richard!” I scream for good again, as the rain carries away my voice. Crunch! There he is. Arising from behind a sodden oak tree.

“Emily…” He whispers holding a flame burning dangerously. The rain is now a drizzle surprisingly, as if it wants me to die too.

“You are here to kill me.” I say, surprisingly calm.

“No, Em... I love you. Why will I kill you? Even if you are a monster.” He says the last word through gritted teeth – mocking me. I realize I love him too but I do not want him to live either.

I look up at the clouded moon and feel a joyous burning in my veins. I am dangerous. I need to hunt. And I cannot let anyone harm me. I may not die ever, but Richard is an open threat to me. I give him a warning growl. I cannot believe I can still growl. I learnt it from my father, to warn the more dangerous animals like jaguars and panthers. Richard takes a step back. Triumph! My mind cheers me.

“Go away Richard before I kill you.”

Idiot. He sways the fire towards me. I crouch and give a howl…he throws away the flame and turns around to run. I feel my incisors lengthen as I leap and dig them into his throat. His life blood pours into my mouth, energizing me and healing my wounds. The warmth thaws the ice in my heart as I drink from him, heartily.