Final Girls (on hold)

2 / h a t e

C O R D E L I A (pictured)
                    
                       "She's beautiful but wicked,
                         Deadly and unforgiving,
                           Her eyes are like fire"

     Watching them makes me angry. But these days, most things do.

They laugh and laugh like they have no worries of tomorrow and they kiss like they live on the taste of each other's lips.

I'm calling bullshit.

I narrow my eyes, my annoyance spiking at yet another high-pitched laugh from the couple's direction. The sound makes me sick. How long has it been since I laughed like that?

I stand up from the rough park bench and begin to pace, pulling at the strands of my long red hair to catch my head. Memories of a smiling man flood my mind, popping up behind my eyes like some kind of sick picture show. I shake myself, hard, and yank roughly at the ends of my hair, pulling painfully at my scalp. I'm out here for a reason, not to spy on a clueless couple and torture myself over the past.

I walk off with a curse, stomping across the well-manicured lawn of the city park and onto the sidewalk. I shove my hands into the warm pockets of my coat and force my attention back to the real reason I'm outside alone this late at night. Distractions won't get me my needed result.

I slow down from an angry speed walk to a casual stroll and relax my muscles, letting my arms fall lower at my sides and my face transform into a blank stare instead of a murderous glare. I have to look approachable if I want this done right. I need this to be done right. No highway option.

The streets are empty. At least compared to during the day. There are still stragglers here and there; a homeless man blabbering to himself, a man smoking a joint against a deteriorating building, two women crossing the street quickly. But I stop looking around when I see them, because I notice immediately that their behavior is off. One woman keeps looking over her shoulder, and even from my spot a few yards away I can hear their labored breathing. My eyes travel to a group of men, possibly five, crossing the street behind them. These men are loud, their voices echoing off of our surroundings. It's obvious they are saying crude things to the fleeing women, and the fact that these men don't seem to stop even as the women run in my direction, only speed up, is a classic warning sign. I can't help but smile. Tonight, my anger can be released on this pack of predatory men. Tonight, it won't be an innocent's death on my hands.

"Hey!" I call as the women run past me, their frantic eyes stopping on mine. They grab my arm, one of them speaking fast in Spanish. I can vaguely make out the words, but I know she is telling me to run. I brush her off roughly and keep walking. They give me weird looks before they start running once more, leaving me alone with the five men. "Think it's fun to harass women? Does it make you feel manly?" I taunt, my voice carrying as it echoes off of the buildings.

"You talkin' to us, bitch?" one of them says, breaking off from the group and stalking towards me. The rest follow him, advancing forward like a pack of vicious wolves.

I smile.