The red mark of guilt

A/N: After all the positive feedback I got on Forbidden for a Reason, I started writing this tory. It was an idea that brew in my mind for quite a while.

I looked to my hand. The blood was still there, smeared across my hand like a red mark of guilt. I had killed her. With this hand I had struck her.

I had been warned. I was told they were here. I was told to put up the nets and zip my tent closed every night before I went to sleep. I forgot, and she came. She slipped into my tent and had her way with me. She misused my body in every way she fancied.

And I had killed her.

An owl's hoot yanked me out of my ponderings. I looked down to the floor of my tent. She was still there. Her one leg was bent oddly behind her, probably broken. I shuddered. Did I really hit her that hard? I knew I hit her more than once, I was frustrated. But how many hits, I do not know.

I still had the mark on me. I looked down to my leg. She bit me. I had to hide the mark when I was around other people. It was as if my own stupidity was tattooed on me, glowing.

He didn't put up the nets…
He didn't zip his tent closed…
He might as well have invited her in…

The next night I put up the net, I zipped my tent closed. But it was all for nothing.
She was already there, waiting.

I looked back to the body. She probably has children. That's why they do what they do, for the children. Was it bad that I killed her? Even though her children would grow up to be just like her, going through the forests finding their next victim, was it wrong of me to kill her?

I had to get rid of the body, I decided. I can think about all this later. Right now I had to take the body as far into the woods as possible. I took the leg that was awkwardly behind her and took her outside. I went into the forest as far as possible, and dropped her on a patch of sand on the ground.

When I turned around, I saw her stir from the corner of my eye.

I turned to her and saw she was moving. She was still alive! She was there one second, and then she was gone.

I forgot her kind was so fast. I cussed at the ground and headed for my tent. All that trouble; hiding the bite-mark, the blood, the body… And she goes free.

I returned to my tent, muttering.
"Damn mosquito."

A/N: Please don't give away the surprise ending in the reviews or even mention that there is one, in case someone reads the review before the story. And please review: if you do I'll go to your profile, read one of your stories and review them as well. It's a win-win! Terms and Conditions: if you say anything about the ending this agreement is void.