Chapter one: The Mistake

5 years later, early evening)

''Where have you been?'' Laura asked as Lana walked into the café. Her hair was a bit damp and she was limping...

''Oh, sorry mom. The paintball round went longer than we planning to and then I went home to take a shower and put patches on the bruises.'' Lana said as if it was the most normal thing in the world to say. She was wearing her usual dark brown jeans jacket, black tank top and camouflage pants. And of course her signature high ponytail that swung back and forth like a pendulum.

''You know I hate it when you play that game.'' Laura muttered as she scrubbed the counter harder than she should have. Then she looked up and her face turned sour as she noticed a patch on Lana's collarbone.

Lana looked down and shrugged,'' It's just a flesh wound.''

''You know Tony's mom said...''

Lana sighed, they were not going to have this conversation again, ''... because Tony's retarded friend froze his paintballs, that's why he got hurt. I trust the guys and we all know we won't pull any cheap shit like that-''

''Watch your language.'' Laura cut in. There was a tense silence between the two of them.

''Anyways,'' Lana finally replied slowly between gritted teeth, ''I'm fine, they'll fade away in a few days.''

''I wish we stayed in Florida, the base there wasn't near any of this painting ball stuff.''

''Its paintball mom and it's not like dad has any say over where we go. Besides it's fun.''

''Getting shot at is fun?!'' Laura said incredulously, but at the same time she looked like she was going to go into lecture mode again.

Lana cleared her throat, ''Never mind...''

Luckily for the both of them, a customer came in and they dropped the subject. During this time, Lana dug into her canvas messenger bag and pulled out a book to read.

After Laura finally got the customer his iced coffee and pastry, she turned back to Lana, ''Homework?''

''No, I finished that yesterday. I said I'd finish it before going to play paintball, remember?''

Laura ducked down a bit as she read the book's spine, ''Harry Potter? Aren't you a little old for that?''

Lana shrugged, ''It's a good book.''

''Figures, only an immature-'' Laura started.

Lana immediately cut her off, ''You know the most hardcore writing course up at Berkeley is entire focused around this book. And there is a reason why its sales are only second to the Bible.''

''Nonsense.'' Laura growled as she went back to cleaning.

''You wouldn't say that if you'd pick up a book, newspaper, or a magazine every once in a while instead of watching those soaps.''

Laura shot Lana a dirty look and then ignored her for the rest the time.

Meanwhile, when Laura turned her back, Lana's composure relaxed as she darted a quick look at her messenger bag. The real reason why she was late because Joey wanted to give her, her birthday present early... Actually they had even left the game early and had gone to a deserted field. And there, he gave her, her very first gun.

Lana had handled guns before, after dad showed her all that he knew about how to put them together, he then started to take her to the shooting ranges when no one was looking.

But she never owned one before. It was thrilling to shoot out of one she owned and to also shoot outside of the range.

Lana quickly went back to reading her book, but not before giving her mom another glance to make sure she was still turned around.

Eventually Lana became engrossed in her book and was grinning madly when she came upon the part where Snape tried to make the Marauder's map reveal itself. When suddenly a commotion snapped her back to reality.

''...I'm sorry sir but we don't sell alcohol here.'' Laura told the drunken brute man.

He was holding an empty bottle of beer and slightly swayed on his feet as his red face viciously yelled back, ''Of course you do! You're keeping it from me!''

''This is a café, not a bar!'' Laura tried to reason, but the man suddenly went around the counter and grabbed her by her sleeve and tossed her to the floor.

Lana gave a startled jump as she heard her mom hit the floor, but she held back the urge to scream 'Mom!', because she knew better than to aggravate the man further.

However the brute beast was starting at Laura again and this time he raised his bottle up to hit her with it.

Lana quickly got off her stool, grabbed the filled napkin holder and chucked it at the man's head. The man suddenly spun around, angrier than before and started to charge at Lana. For a second, Lana felt herself freeze and then topple backwards as she clumsily tripped over a chair. She was now lying on the floor and the man was coming closer.

Lana whipped her head back and forth, desperate to find something, when she spotted her bag under the chair. Lana quickly reached over and grabbed a hold of her bag and started to fumble through it.

'Come one, I can feel it, I know it's in here...' Lana thought, as he hands scrabbled through the bag desperately.

The man was on her now, and he was raising the bottle high above his head just as Lana finally found the gun. Then as he brought down the dark brown bottle, Lana pointed the gun point blank at his forehead and pulled the trigger.

~~~

''But the police said...'' Lewis started, but Laura cut him off.

''She lied to them! There was no gun on the guy, she pulled it out of her own bag!''

''Are you sure? Where could she have even gotten a gun?''

Laura threw him a, 'don't talk to me like I'm stupid' look, ''We live on a military base, you practically have over twenty guns in the house! You figure it out!''

''It wasn't my gun!'' Lewis argued.

''I know! But it could have been anyone else's!'' Laura yelled back, ''This is all your fault! You taught her all this! And now my daughter is a murderer!''

''It was out of self defense!...''

Lana covered her head with her pillow, trying to drown out the sound of her parents yelling. Her mother had been furious after the initial shock that Lana killed someone.

Lana's mind was in turmoil, she knew she should have acted more... more guilty? Or perhaps more scared? But instead she had calmly pushed the dead man's body away and given the police her report monotonously. Dad said it was shock. But Lana knew better.

And what bothered her even more than her lack of guilt, was that she liked it.

She knew it was wrong, but in that second when she saw she taken the man's life, a sick sort of thrill went through her. The fact that she had just murdered him, like a god striking down on evil.

And right before she fell a sleep, she tried to drown out the last thought that taunted her:

'You know you want to do it again...'

tbc...

(the first three chapters are for testing whether to continue this, your reply would be greatly appreciated)