Page 203 of Shhh…It’s A Killer Story

Who...the fuck...are you...

I blinked slowly until the room decided to stop spinning. The man standing over me was breathing harder than I was. Interesting.

"My name..." I smiled, tasting blood between my teeth.

"...is Seraphina Calloway."

CRACK.

Another strike.

"You're very repetitive."

"What the fuck did you tell Detective Elias Reed?"

I frowned.

"...Who?"

The fourth hit landed before the sentence finished. Honestly. People became terribly predictable when they were angry. Inside my head Gerald sighed the sigh of someone watching a train derail in slow motion.

"You're antagonising the inventory again."

I've noticed. I replied in my head.

"Your skull has suffered significant structural compromise."

I've also noticed.

Frank cleared his throat dramatically.

"Personally, I think she's doing marvellously considering she's currently leaking."

"Frank."

"What?"

"She's concussed."

"Yes, but she's being funny."

"She's being punched."

"Both can be true."

I smiled despite myself.

Ow.

Don't do that again. Smiling apparently required muscles I'd recently donated to the cause. Instead, I looked past the man. Past the warehouse. Past the yellow light. Past everything. Straight at you.

Yes.

You.

You're still here. Good. May I offer a small piece of author advice? People always tell you bravery means never being afraid. That's adorable. They are entirely different creatures. Bravery feels the weight of the dark and walks into the clearing anyway because it has a destination. Bravery is being terrified and refusing to move. Stupidity...stupidity is looking your kidnapper directly in the eyes after the third concussion and asking whether that's really the best swing he has. Stupidity pokes the bear with a short stick simply because it looks bored on the page.

I regret to inform you...I'm currently somewhere in the middle.