Curse me, I sold her
The poison that runs it's course through her
Pale white skin with strawberry gashes all over
Scold me I failed her
If only I'd held on tighter to her
Pale white skin that twisted and withered away from me
Watch me lose her
It's almost like losing myself
Give her my soul
and let them take somebody else
- Strawberry Gashes by Jack Off Jill
He found her in an alley with her pale little throat slit.
The wide cut was like a strawberry kisses on her skin, and it was easier to imagine that, instead of the truth. He hadn't known this girl, but still something about how unceremoniously her body was strewn across the alleyway unsettled him.
He turned her over with gentle hands. In the dimly lit alley he could just make out the features of her face. Young, maybe 17, and pretty too, her skin a glowing anemic white that he could imagine was the same in life as in death. Her long black wig was matted with blood and falling off her bald head and the way her way too little black dress hiked up over her flowery white underwear suggested what had happened to her. It made him not want to live on this planet anymore.
How could someone do this to a little girl? He knew the answer, deep down inside. But he didn't like it.
Because the world is a sick place Graverobber, a voice in his head answered as he took out his Zydrate Gun. But you already knew that didn't you?
As the blue liquid emptied into the little glass vial, Shilo entered into the alley and came to stand beside him.
"Oh God…" she gasped, placing a hand over her trembling lips.
"Shit." He cursed, finishing the extraction sloppily and taking off his jacket. He stood to place it over her shoulders.
"Sorry Shi. I should've warned you. Go back to the dumpster. I'll be there in a minute." He smiled gently at her and she nodded and turned drawing Grave's jacket closer to her like a security blanket.
As she walked away and out of the alley, Graverobber couldn't shake the resemblance they shared, Shilo and the dead girl. It was unreal, and it was threatening to steal all the breath from his lungs as he thought of how this could have been her.
At least now he knew why he was so disturbed by the sight of her laying there, lifeless. For a moment, and he knew he was crazy for thinking this, it seemed like the dead girl was going to say something.
But only for a moment.
Sobered, more so than he'd ever been at the sight of something this grisly, he gathered the glass vial and his tools and ran to fetch Shilo who he'd, stupidly, sent away alone.
He'd never let her out of his sight again.
