a stranger's heart // isaac + violet, day 3

A sanity-splitting crack exploded in her grip, spattering corpse’s blood into a snowy canvas. Lukewarm droplets dampened her hands, but this was not how she imagined human blood to feel. Something about it felt wrong – perhaps because she knew it wasn’t reality. She could acknowledge that this monster was real, but it was not human. It was not Ansel. He had a mighty hand capable of shattering her bones to pieces, yet she had melted his skull like snow beneath an afternoon sun. The blood on her hands was false.

There was no victory, only confusion and horror.

Revolted, she wiped her hands against the fabric of her pants. This trick played by the gamemakers was not amusing, so without another glance at the disrespected tribute she set off to find her allies again. Back to the footprints she wandered, uncertain of which path to follow. She could still hear commotion echoing between the trees, whispers within the hot spring’s rising steam. Utterly frustrated, she selected a random path and began to trek carefully.

After a minute, she couldn’t swallow the paranoia. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure Ansel’s memory did not return. Bloodied and broken, it remained motionless in the snow. She sighed and clutched her valuable new weapon close to her chest, prepared for someone or something to jump out from behind the trees.

Violet did not expect to walk into Isaac, who was standing over the body of Cynthia Rose Delgado. She blinked quickly. This time she had to be hallucinating or dreaming, but what were the odds? Two familiar faces returning from the grave? Her own imagination wasn’t that creative.

Keeping her distance, she called out to him. ”Isaac?” She tested the waters; taking him by surprise would be dangerous. They were very very alone, and she was vulnerable. ”Was that…Cynthia..?”

Before he could answer, she stammered the rest of her thoughts. ”Because I – I ran into Ansel Kiev.”