“Even if it was a mistake, even if he just got caught up in the heat of the moment, I can’t forgive him.” Sera muttered as she leaned against the railing of the iron truss bridge at the edge of town.  “What he did was unforgivable, he betrayed me.”  The evening wind blew through Sera’s dark red hair, tears streaming down from her icy blue eyes. Ever since her father left them over a decade ago, Sera had issues getting close to men, but Seth was different, or so she thought. He was the first guy she allowed within her soul since her dad died, but he betrayed her, he nearly violated her!  Sera pulled her jacket up around her, trying to shield herself from the bitter October cold. It was mere minutes before she turned sixteen, in six short hours it would be eleven years to the minute that she witnessed her dad put a gun to his head and pull the trigger. Eleven years of anger, sadness, frustration, misery. Her therapist complimented her on being so resilient despite all she’s been through, telling her how strong she has been through everything. She believed it, until Seth did what he did. Sera looked once more over the river, watching the light of the nearly full moon dance over the gentle waves of the river, before heading back home, back to her mom, Marc, and Emma. Back to the dysfunction that unwittingly directs her path. One day she’ll be free of it all. 

“The night protects.” Vix said quietly, the pond just a few yards away.
It was nearly midnight, Vix thought she was alone when E…