Page 37 of Haunting Goats

I come up behind Jake, slamming him into the wall and busting his nose. Blood pours down his face, leaving bright red streaks on the wall. It gushes down his chin and onto the filthy floor where he falls.

He didn’t just hurt my Strawberry Girl; he killed her. Torturing him is the least I can do on behalf of my princess.

For now.

I grab him by the hair and slam his face into the floor. I can hear more crunching of his nose, and it makes me smile. This guy is a worthless piece of shit and my girl needs justice.

Taking it upon myself probably isn’t the best decision, but I hope if she’s mad, that Lyric will forgive me and understand why I had to do this. I mash his nose into the floor until he’s limp and unconscious.

Cocksucker.

I feel better.

While I admit to anger issues, my problem stems from people’s stupidity. I want to take his miserable life, but I really think Lyric should do it—if she wants to. I don’t think she’d forgive me if I took that option away from her.

I’m bored now and I don’t want Lyric to wake up with me gone. Her anxiety is so bad, I fear it’ll send her spiraling. At that point, it’ll be nearly impossible to stabilize her. I leave as quickly as I came, already making plans to return. Next time, with my girl.

I was only gone for half an hour. She didn’t even notice I had left. Thank God. I climb into bed and place Lyric’s head in my lap. I stroke her hair as I leer down at her, taking in every luscious curve, every inch of her perfect spirit.

I just want the best for her; I have from the moment I laid eyes on her. My soul aches with the need to protect her. I yearn to save her from her past and give her a future beyond the Veil—something that makes all of this worth it. It really just depends on if she’ll let me.

I lean down and plant a kiss on her forehead, and she stirs.

Wake up, princess. I have news.

I’m still trying to figure out how she’ll react, but I don’t overthink it any longer. What’s done is done. Lyr peers at me through one half-open eye.

“It’s so bright. Can you shut the curtain, please?” She looks so annoyed, and it makes me giggle.

“It’s 8:30 in the morning, princess. You don’t need sleep. Remember?” I say, amused.

Honestly, I don’t actually care if she sleeps or not. I just can’t stand to be away from my girl, and I’m ready to tell her about what I’ve done. Regardless of the consequences.

“Maybe you don’t sleep, but some of us are still trying to maintain our beauty even from beyond the dead.”

She pulls the blanket over her head and curls in on herself.

“Nuh-uh, little girl. Time to wake up. I’ve got something to tell you.” I reply a little more firmly.

She seems intrigued when she yanks the blanket away from her face and basically gives herself whiplash when she looks at me, or maybe she’s just being dramatic.

She quirks an eyebrow, and the tone in her voice changes ever so slightly.

“Do tell.” She responds with glee and curiosity.

Not sure how to confess my delightful sin, I just come out with it.

“I beat the shit out of Jake.”

Lyric bolts upright and whirls to look at me again.

“You what?”

I’m not sure if she genuinely didn’t hear me or if she’s about to freak out, but either way she’s making me nervous.

“I said, I beat the shit out of Jake.” She rolls off the bed as if she’s on fire and almost topples to the floor when she realizes she’s twisted inside the comforter. I reach forward and catch her, pulling her into me and seizing her in a dancer’s dip.

She’s stunning. I spin her around as if we’re on a ballroom floor until the blanket is no longer tangled around her. The unraveled blanket bunches on the carpet before I even realize my Strawberry Girl has vanished.