I'm Only Human

Instructions

I remember what really happened more than I want to. I remember the smell of smoke. The sight of a blood red dragon, setting the city aflame. Like a fantasy story. I remember being a hero. Except this story didn't have a happy ending like it should have. I lived with my sister, Cara, back then. I remember Cara shouting my name. I jumped out of bed. Together we ran to the door. She opened it, revealing the burning city to me. The dragon flying above it was enough to get me running, and Cara followed. We ran for five miles before Cara pulled to a stop. I stepped out from behind her to see what she was looking at. A man was lying on the floor. He was breathing, but based off the pool of blood around him, he wouldn't be for long. We rushed to his side. He didn't waste any time. He didn't tell us his name, or what happened to him. "There is a pit," he forced out, "If you give it a human sacrifice, it will give you the power to defeat the dragon." We both opened our mouths to ask how he knew this, to beg for more details, but we were interrupted by a loud cough. Blood spewed from his mouth. Then he went still. Cara looked at me, her expression unreadable. "I promise I would never, ever sacrifice you," she barely whispered, "A world with a dragon in it is better than a world without you in it." I nod. "I promise I won't either." If only we could keep our promises. I don't remember much after that. For a few weeks, we foraged for food, built shelter, kept moving away from the city. Until we found the pit. How we knew it was the one, I don't know. We could just feel it. Cara grabbed my arm. It was this moment I felt the need to be a hero. 'What am I doing?' I thought, but didn't pay attention to the thought. Not until I pushed Cara into the pit. I squeezed my eyes shut before I could regret it. But I couldn't help but open my eyes. Just for a second, but long enough to see the hurt in Cara's glowing brown eyes. Long enough to know that what I've done is unforgivable. I planned to run away. To forget about it. But I couldn't help thinking of how much Cara had trusted me. How loyal she was. How she cared for me when our parents died. I barely glanced over the edge of the pit to see her broken body lying on the dark ground, her long, flowing blond hair lying beside her. I went back to the city. Killed the dragon. Became a hero. Told everyone the dragon killed Cara. Became rich and famous. Got married. Had children. I liked it when everyone was talking at once. I could focus on the noise around me, block out my thoughts. When it was silent, I was alone with my guilt. I got rid of anything that would make me think of her. Any of her things in our old house that hadn't burned. The paintings she had made and hung around the house on days when she thought about how there wasn't enough beauty in the world. But there is one thing I can't get rid of. My daughter, with her glowing brown eyes, just like Cara's. Reminding me again that I am unredeemable. Some nights, it's too quiet for me to bear. Everyone is asleep, and even the crickets have fallen silent. It's nights like these that I wonder.... Am I the villain?