SPIDERWEB 57 Birthday Flood

"I. SAID. NO!" Vixen threw the fork out of Regan's hand and pinned her hands in his keeping a firm grip on them. "STOP IT!!"

Regan quivered, her body giving out and leaning unto Vixen's shoulder, "WHY?!… why can't you just… let me suffer…?"

Vixen held on tightly to her trembling hands, his jaw clenched as anger flowed through him, "Shut up. If you want to suffer then stay alive. Do you think the people you killed would want you to have a quick death? No. They'd rather you stay alive and suffer, so please," Vixen trembled, "just shut up and take the pain. It's the least you can do."

The grip on Regan's hand lessened as they grew numb and went numb in Vixen's hands.

"What should I do…?" Regan sobbed, her tears sliding down her face and onto Vixen's shoulder, "it hurts so much… Why now? WHY NOW?!"

Regan's fist tightened again as memories of this same day last year poured in. The taste of cake flooded her memory, and sounds of laughter filled her head. Her nails dug into her palm as she tried to push away the memories but they came rus.h.i.+ng in, overwhelming her mind with painful nostalgia.

"'Happy birthday Regan!'" A voice giggled in her mind. Her face was blurred, but the blonde hair was all too familiar to Regan. A chill ran through Regan as she remembered the warm sensation of a hug. "'Finally 18! Our young Regan can now spread her wings and fly!'" another voice teased, the brunette ruffling her head. She couldn't stop the tears from falling as she remembered emotions she could never feel again.

"'STOP TEASING MEEE!!'" a voice whined, pus.h.i.+ng Ella away. Regan's heart fell to the floor. She knew that voice. She knew these memories. She knew these people. Yet she felt like an outsider as she watched herself interact with the people she took with her own two hands. The smile on her face felt so foreign and unachievable now, and the lightness she watched herself feel looked like a privilege.

This was what she had destroyed… this was what she had killed with her very two hands. Her only family, the only light in her days, she had crossed out with just a little bit of provoking. She lowered her head and looked away from her past self

"'Regan, I have something for you'" A voice called out. Regan's head perked up at the familiar voice. She knew what was going to happen next.

"'Something from me? That's every out of character for you Damien,'" past Regan giggled, as Damien neared.

'No…' Regan thought to herself as the scene repeated itself before her eyes. She spotted the box behind Damien's back and her eyes widened in fear. 'No… PLEASE NO!' Regan yelled, running in front of Damien to stop him. She couldn't let the same thing happen again. 'PLEASE STOP!'

"'I'm not sure you'll like it but,'" Damien blushed. His blurred figure walked straight through Regan and presented the box in front of 18-year-old Regan. "'I saw it...I thought it would look nice on you'"

'No…' Regan muttered, watching as young Regan stared down at the box in Damien's hand and slowly reached for it, taking it out of his hand.

"'What's th-'" Regan began opening the box, her words cut off when she noticed it's contents. She looked up at Damien in disbelief, "'is this…'"

"'Do you like it?'" Damien chuckled nervously.

"'Do I like it?'" Regan repeated, as she removed the ring from the box and locked eyes with Damien as she slid it onto her finger, "'I don't like it… I love it.'"

'No…' Regan yelled as she tried to pull the ring off her past self's finger, but her fingers slid right through her hand's. 'NO!!!' Regan yelled, her memory fading away into her blank murky mind.