Police sirens ruined the silence of the night. The once dark house is now covered in red and blue lights. Cars were heard screeching to a stop in front of the house and the sound of the doors flying open and shut again deepened the sense of fear and terror in my already broken soul. “Come out with your hands above your head” I heard one of the officers yell through the megaphone. This is it, I thought as I hovered over Kris’s dead body, the body I once worshiped, the man I –up until minutes ago-  loved more than anything in this world. My life is now over and I am about to be put away for good, for a crime I had to commit; for I had to choose between my life and the life of the man I loved. And I chose my life.

My hands were covered in blood. My favorite white silky shirt was now stained in deep bloody red, each stain reminding me that I just committed an unforgivable crime. The knife was laid beside him, its bloody steel mocking me because I had used it in a far gruesome and evil way than the usual vegetable massacre.

Kris. His lifeless eyes staring at me, the words he said before I stabbed him to death ringing in my ears, a reminder that I didn’t lose my mind, I killed him for a reason. He was a psychopath and I had to save my own life for I couldn’t save my family 16 years ago but history was not about to repeat itself. I could not let it repeat itself.

A soft knock on the door brought me back from the world of terror my mind created and Tao’s voice, loud, clear and terrified came as my savior.

“Mary!” Tao yelled, fear obvious in his tone. “Are you okay? Open the door.”

I wanted to yell back, I wanted to assure him I was fine, but my words got stuck in my throat refusing to get out. I couldn’t stand up either. I wanted to open the door for him, to fall into  his arms and cry until I can’t cry anymore, but my limbs refused to cooperate and I remained on my knees unable to take my eyes off of Kris’s dead body.

“Mary, open the door” Tao yelled again, this time louder and more determined. “Open the door, please”

When he didn’t get an answer he started kicking the door. I didn’t have to look over to know what he was doing, the sound of his foot kicking the door handle was loud and clear and I prayed to God he could open it and come to me, for I was too weak to do anything.

After a few failed attempts, my prayers were heard and the door finally swung open. Tao charged through, looking as every bit as anxious and terrified as I had imagined. He cased the living room and when he found no one he ran to the kitchen. I think the first thing he saw must have been blood on the floor, becaus