The sky was dark, but that didn’t stop him. His little legs always walked in the same direction, going to the dirty park that hardly any kids played at anymore.
This time, no kids were there when he arrived, too late at night, only some sketchy people who were huddled under blankets by some torn-down fencing.
Little Cassius took a seat on the swing, always wishing someone would push him to help get him started. Instead, he always ended just sitting there, not using the swing for its purpose.
The stars and the moon were the only light he had, but he could see the eight-legged creature running on the ground underneath him.
Without even thinking, his little shoe came down carefully, smashing only half of the spider.
Cassius stared down at it, watching four of its legs continue to move for several minutes… enjoying it. He turned only when the jingle of the swing beside him could be heard.
He thought it might’ve been Dominic at first, but quickly he learned it wasn’t.
The stranger took a seat beside him. “Hello.”
Cassius stared at the guy, unafraid. He wasn’t scared of anything, really, not even strangers. “Hi.”
“What’s your name?”
Everyone always seemed to know who he was in the neighborhood, but he had never seen this man before, and he felt like he would have remembered him, since he didn’t look like anyone around here. “Cassius.”
Swinging slightly, he smiled at the boy. “It’s nice to meet you, Cassius.”
Little Cassius went back to looking at the spider that was still trying to move.
“What are you doing out here so late?”
He told the stranger why he always came out here all alone. “My father is trying hurt Kat again.”
“Who’s Kat?” he asked, looking down to see what the boy was staring at.
“My sister.”
“Oh.” The stranger stood then, going in front of the little boy before he crouched down, so Cassius would look at him. “I like to hurt things too.”
“You do?” Cassius moved his eyes away from the tortured spider to look at the stranger who seemed to be somewhere around his brother Dominic’s age. He was either not yet an adult or barely one at all.
“Yes.” His intense blue-green eyes shifted between the two colors in the moonlight. “But…” The young stranger stood up, squashing the spider, so it could meet his death. “…they must deserve it.”
“Why?” Cassius asked, unable to look away from him anymore.
“Because if we’re not careful, we will end up hurting people like your sister.”
The little boy shook his head, becoming worried. “I don’t want to hurt Kat.”
“I won’t let you,” the stranger assured him. “I can help you.”
“Okay.” Cassius smiled up at his new friend. “What’s your name?”
Going behind the swing, he started pushing the little boy. “You can call me… Luke.”…
…“I didn’t know it was him, Kat.” Cassius shook his head angrily. “I didn’t know my friend was fuckin Lucca the whole time….”
Katarina’s body and mind were numb, still in shock over what her brother had told her.
“…Not till he walked in our front door that day.”
Forty
The Day Katarina Was Chosen
“You promised me!” Katarina screamed at her brother, uncaring of the many women who stood in their living room. “You promised me I wouldn’t have to go back down there ever again!”
“I know,” Dominic told her painfully and regretfully. “But, please, it’s only for a little bit.”
Kat shook her head strongly, trying not to cry. “No.”
“They’re here,” Matthais yelled from the window, seeing the black Cadillacs pull up.
“He will choose you if he sees you, I know it.” Dominic’s voice started to break. “There will be nothing I can do. They’ll kill Angel if I don’t let them have you.”
Tears started to fall down her cheeks one after the other.
“Please, Kat, I can’t lose you.” He cried, taking her into his arms.
Taking a breath, she nodded into his chest.
“Hurry,” Dominic told her, opening the door. “Keep all the lights off, and as soon as they leave, I’ll come down to get you.”
With each step down those godforsaken steps, she cried more and more. It took her back to a time and place she’d felt weak. Like she was still living under Lucifer’s roof, still under his control. It was like the months since his death of becoming the strong and smart woman she was meant to be hadn’t even happened.
Kat ran to the only part of the basement that felt safe, sitting down on the pink fuzzy carpet Dominic had brought home to her when she was young. She placed her back on her old bed as she held her knees to her chest, silently waiting for her brother to come down here and free her once again.
“Meow.” Shadow rubbed his black fur against her, making loud purring sounds to get her to pet him. “Meow.”
She ran a hand along his back, distracting herself from the dark basement the more she petted him. She didn’t know how long she had been down there when the door at the top of the steps opened, bringing light into the basement.