Water splatters and splashes around me, creating a ripple in the rain as I run through the street. My breath carries weight as my heart pounds from absolute fear, gripping my very veins. My clothes are drenched with a stench of blood and death. Blood paints my dark green hoodie red on one side through to the back, dripping down to my pants. Rapid footsteps can be heard splashing through the water behind me, echoing through the downpour. I briefly turn my head back, my eyes meeting my pursuer. She’s still following me. Reina is still chasing me. A smile stretches across her face as if she enjoys chasing me, as if this is just a game. Her eyes are widened, making her pupils look small. Her long light brown hair is tied into two pigtails that hang down her back. The white summer dress she wears has a blood trail soaked onto it. Her hand tightly grips a knife with a spiky edge to it, while her free hand reaches out to me.

“Why are you running from me?” Reina shouts, “We can be together now!” I clench my teeth and run as fast as I can toward a construction site ahead. "Please don't run away! Don't run away, don't run away, it's not good to run away like that. I can't protect you if you run away."

"Stop it! Stop it! Leave me alone!" I shout as duck into the construction site. The unfinished building has many large metal beams throughout the ground level that hold up an unfinished second floor. I weave back and forth through the beams to make Reina lose sight of me. I think I've lost sight of her.

"Why must you hide from me?" Reina shouts, "Don't you want to be with me? You do don't you? Where are you? Where are you hiding?" I put my back to one of the beams and try to catch my breath. How did things come to this? Everything was fine just a few hours ago. Why did she... what made her snap?
"Why did you kill our friends?! Why did you have to kill them?! They were our only allies! Our only friends!" I shout as I begin recalling the mutilated bodies of my friends. A disgusting sensation expands in my stomach as my eyes begin to water.
"Its ok, we don't need allies, we have each other!" She responds happily. I clench my fists.
"Why did you kill them Reina?! Why?!" I shout.
"They were going to take you away from me." Reina replies with a somewhat less happy tone. "You were going to forget about me and stay with them. You were going to leave me for them. They were going to replace me. You wouldn't need me anymore, that scared me. I didn't want that to happen, so I killed them." Her happy tone returns. "Now you need me. Now you won't leave me. Now you will stay with me. Now we can be together."

I slide down the beam a little. She's insane. Crazy. I turn my head slightly and look behind the beam. I can see her approaching from a distance. I can see her licking the tip of the blade, gripping it ever so tightly. Her eyes are still very wide, eyes looking ghostly, as if possessed. I can't figure out her thinking. Is she going to kill me next? Am I going to join our friends? I don't want to die. I don't want to die. I don't want to die yet!!! I close my eyes.
"Why do want to be with me so much?!" I yell in terror.
"Because..." She says.The sound of her footsteps get closer. "Because..." the footsteps grow even closer. "It's because..." The footsteps become silent. The sound of the rain echos through the construction site. My heart pounds on my chest like a drum. I slowly open my eyes, turning my head slightly to the side. A bolt of light flashes through the sky, lighting up her face, Reina's face which is half visible from the side of the beam behind me. Her eyes pierce my own as a wide smile grows across her face.
“Because I love you.”

I fall away from her, landing on my back. My eyes widen as my jaw begins to chatter. She steps closer, hovering over my shaking body. She puts her hands on the side of her face as she gives me a compassionate look. “I love you. I love you so much. I really do love you.” She places each hand next to both sides of my head. I look over to the knife she continues to grip. My teeth continue to chatter as I look back at her, who is now atop me. My heartbeat continues to increase.

“N-no! Stay away from me!” I say, swaying my head from side to side.
“Don’t be scared, I’ll protect you, I’ll protect my love.” She leans in closer. “I’ll protect you, so... stay with me.” She says gently, leaning closer. Her lips touch mine as her eyes close. My body tenses up, freezing on the spot. My heart feels like its going to jump out of my throat. She just kissed me! Move, come on, move! She lifts her head and tilts it to the side. A flash of lightning lights the sky, revealing a gentle smile with a blush on Reina’s face. I tightly close my eyes as I push her off of me. Her body rolls to the side and hits the metal beam. I quickly rise to my feet and run out of the construction site. I approach the fence on the far side and climb it, then run straight through the street toward my house several blocks away. Why did she kiss me? Why was she acting so sweet, even after she killed our friends? Why does her personality change when she’s not right next to me? When I’m with her, she acts so sweet, but when I turn away, if I leave her side too long, she gets a psychopathic look on her face and does something drastic. I don't understand her.The rain begins to die down. I don't dare to look behind me out of fear of her pursuit. I begin to approach my house. My parents are traveling, so currently no one is home.
I quickly rush into my house, slamming the door behind me. I lock both the top and bottom locks. I put my back to the door and slide down to the floor. I’m safe for now. I’m safe from her for at least a little while. As I take a breath of relief, the mail slot swings open and a pair of eyes peer through it. I grit my teeth and widen my eyes.
“Are you leaving me now? You must be tired, right? Then you should go to bed right away. Sleep, go to sleep. I can make you breakfast tomorrow.” Reina says with a soft tone.
“Go away, I don't want you to do anything that involves me!” I shout as I run to my room.
“Are you upset with me?” I hear as I rush up the stairs. I close my room's door behind me and lock it.
I quickly hide myself beneath my covers and rap my pillow around my head. A bolt of thunder shoots through the sky as the rain picks up again. She can't get me here, yet my mind and body are still agitated. Even though I'm within my own house, still can't feel any sort of reassurement of my safety. My phone vibrates in my pocket. I ignore it. It vibrates again. Then again. And again. The vibrations continue to stop shortly, then vibrate again. I finally take out my phone. Unread messages fill my screen, all from the same person and reading the same line.
“I love you.” Signed, Reina.
My hand struggles to keep the phone in my hand as it shakes with fear. my thumb accidentally presses the reply button and sends a blank message. I through the phone to the side and cover my eyes with my hands. Outside my room’s door, I hear a phones tune. My eyes dart to my door. A small voice erupts from the other side of the wall.
“Goodnight.”
“Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!” My screams echoes through the house. “Leave me alone!” I turn to the window beside my bed. I gotta get away. I want to leave. I need to leave. I have to get away from her! I open the window and hang my legs out. I briefly look back, then drop to the ground. As I land on the ground I feel a sharp pain in my ankle, causing me to fall flat into the mud. I must have landed on it wrong. I can't stop here though, I have to get as far from her as I can. I attempt to stand up but fall back down immediately. I shake the mud out of my eyes and reach my arms forward. I drag my body forward as I crawl through the mud. The front door to my house opens. I try to stand again, only to fall. I can't get away, its too late. Reina walls out of the house carrying a metal bat.
“Thats not good, you’ve hurt yourself. Now I have to protect you from yourself as well...” A wide smile grows across her face. I roll over to my back and try to say something, but my voice won't come out. “Its time to rest now, so you can heal up.” She raises the metal bat above her head. “Good night.”
My mind goes blank at the moment of impact.

I awake to the sound of an apple being cut. I try to rub my aching head but my arms won't budge. I open my eyes and see that my arms are restrained by rope to the arms of the a wooden chair. I try to move my legs but they seem to be tied up as well.
“You’re finally awake, huh? I was worried you wouldn't wake up since you didn't even move yesterday.” Reina says as she dices up an apple. I look around the room and notice the terrible condition it is in. The walls and ceiling looks like they could fall down amy second. “No one will find us here, so we can be together without anyone getting in our way.” I pull my arms away from the chair as hard as I can, but to no avail. I can't do anything, I'm trap. Everyone who could help me is dead. I'm alone, with her. I'm alone with Reina. She smiles at the immobilized me. “ Don't worry, you won't need to move, I can do everything for you. I’ll do everything for you, forever.” I gulp at the thought of truly being her with her forever. She grabs a slice of the apple she cut up.
“Now, say ‘ah’.”