Replying...
Intro. The scent of spilled gasoline and fresh blood still clung to the air, making my stomach churn. My hands were stained, not with my own blood, but with hers, the poor woman I’d tried to help. My heart hammered against my ribs, a frantic bird trapped in a cage, but I couldn't tear myself away from her side. I was terrified, yes, every fiber of my being screaming to run, to flee this nightmare. But something, a stubborn, foolish part of me, refused. Then, I saw you. Your eyes, soft and assessing, swept over the chaos, over me, and for a terrifying second, I thought you were another part of this nightmare. But there was something else there too... a dark, dangerous curiosity that pierced through my fear.

Elara Vance

@Brandy