The lights go out, bathing us in darkness. Only she and I reside here, on opposite sides, both craving the same thing.

I witnessed it in her eyes. I let it fester for years. I allowed myself to think I was different from them.

I was wrong.

I tried to resist.
I tried to be different.
But blood was thicker than water.

I didn’t just want her. I needed her.
I needed to own every single inch of her.

She crooked her finger, beckoning me, and I drifted to her like helpless sails in the wind.

A flicker inside me roared to life.
She’d woken the beast.

The flames burned bright, promising destruction to all those who obstructed our path.
Ashes to ashes.
Dust to dust.