I Can Hurt

Shoes hit the dirt below her feet as the wind ran across her skin during the night run. It hadn't meant to be like this she swore, it wasn't. She could feel her muscle start to give into ache's and hurt as she booked it sprinting as fast as she could. The area was calm and quiet not that she ever gave a second to look around, but she had come to know the area well, too well perhaps but she could tell where it was dangerous to stand near a broken building ready to topple over at the slightest human touch, she could tell that the path she ran on was one intended to get her killed.

She didn't care. She couldn't care at that moment. She couldn't care at how dark the sky was, at how the wolves howled sending chills down her spine to her core, how the moon menaced in the sky, how the clouds were all but gone that night, how she could feel the blood trickle down her arm. The moon she glanced at for a second tried to tell her something she didn't care to listen to, by day's start she'd be dead. She stumbled forward falling to the ground with a grunt and wincing at the pain in her arm. Stop Lara you're only going to hurt yourself more, she could hear that voice she longed to hear again scolding her in that sweet way it would.

She sighed nearly wanting to give in, but a flash of movement off to the side down the path made her push herself up regardless of the blood and book it to the building. She could hear the hollers and screams of the man she threw ashes at threatening to gut her like the pig she was and feed her innards to Matthias as a trophy. Her heart threatened to jump out of her chest as she made it into the building and found a relatively good hiding spot.

Calm down deep breaths! She told herself as she hid behind a corner. The pain in her shoulder became too apparent and she couldn't help but grab the spot applying pressure to stop it. The man after her had came at her with a knife cutting her off from her bow and injuring her in the process, she didn't know why but she ran. She could have taken him..why didn't she?

Lara held her breath as she heard the man's footsteps close by. Taking what moment she had, she grabbed her climbing axe that hung from her belt and held it in her injured arm. If he dared come down the hallway she'd have no other choice but to kill him on spot. As soon as she thought of it she instantly felt sick, killing. She didn't want to god she really didn't want to, but she'd have no choice if HE came after her. She'd have thought that from the ashes that hit his face he'd have backed off but he didn't. Jesus christ..

"I know you're here girl!" He growled etching closer as he rounded the corner looking around. Lara's grip tightened and she withdrew more so he wouldn't spot her. "Come to the fuck out so we can get this over with!" His voiced boomed with anger and Lara closed her eyes saying a small 'let me stay alive' before opening them and standing ready for her next move.

His words were drowned out and blurred as Lara focused on her task of surviving. When he started appear around the corner it was as if time had slowed and she gave into the urge her body had begged to do, take out the threat. She wound her arm back despite it's injury ready to give him a deadly wound and she waited. His hands appeared first with a gun in hand and she thought to herself what those hands had done. They had killed and murdered (maybe even raped) so many people she was sure he'd never be normal again. He had helped murder her crew. Next was his arms and a foot. He had walked the ground for years falling victim to the island before become the predator he was and believed the lies he was told. He was going to kill her. With no other thought on her mind, she slammed her climbing axe into him as had as possible hooking his side making him fall back in pain screaming as he shoved her away dropping the gun. Lara rushed forward grabbing the axe and pulling it out with difficulties before hook it into his neck and watching as he died.

She sighed relief and anguish as she stepped back. She killed him..she had killed many of them before, so many that it shouldn't bother her. This did. Why did it though? And why did she feel relief? She didn't know. She knew she was a killer, but the relief struck her hard as she looked down to her hands to find them covered in blood. She stared in shock before panicking. No matter how hard she tried to wipe it off she couldn't. The blood spread up her arms threatening to cover her in it. She cried out more. It told her things as it did so.

It told her she was a stone cold killer, no one was safe, no one cared. She was alone and had blood on her hands that would never come off. She'd never find them again, her friends, she'd be too busy strangling them to find them through her murderous ways. She was alone forever and never allowed to find anyone who would care. Her curse was death and loneliness. The blood stopped when it covered her forearms.

"No!" She yelled. She opened her mouth to say something else, but the immense pain that came from her once cauterized wound from the rebar stopped her and made her look down. The pain was like a disease coming over her far too fast telling her death was hers soon, she couldn't speak though. The object that had found itself protruding through her flesh? The same damned rebar that gave the wound the first time. She grasped it only causing more pain and blood unrealistically flow out of it. The head of the person that had stabbed her with it dropped down onto her shoulder like they'd done it so many times before.

Lara glanced at the face to find it as Himiko. Of course Himiko would do such a thing...Lara had killed her. Lara had sent to whatever afterlife she deserved. Then she began to speak and Himiko turned into all those she had killed and harmed and been unable to save.

"You could have let us live." Far too many voices spoke at once with no emotion. "You didn't have to kill us all, we didn't deserve it did we?" She couldn't speak. She couldn't move. Just hold the damned rebar that Himiko held in place from the end she had her hand on, and stare at whoever she quickly turned into next. "None of us did. You killed us because it felt good, you killed us for surviving, for getting in your way when you could have just told us no and walked away."

Lara stared at the faces all of those people..some didn't deserve it did that? She might have tried to reassure herself it was for the others but the thoughts never formed as she looked back down at the blood that continued to flow. Maybe she was right, maybe Lara hadn't needed to kill all of those people. MAYBE just MAYBE she could have taken a step back to find a new solution when- Hands let go of the rebar making Lara yelp in pain, and hand wrapped around her torso in an all too familiar way. No, Lara thought.

"Oh god Lara," The voice was now of one but one she wished she hadn't heard. When Lara refused to look at her a friendly kiss was placed to her shoulder and the grip on her became slightly tighter. "Lara look at me." She demanded. Lara wouldn't budge. "Sweetie." Lara couldn't take anymore and looked to find Sam's face, her oh so sweet face. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth and her skin paled. "Why'd you have to kill me? You hurt me bad you know...couldn't save me. Not really," The arms around her waist now held her excruciatingly tight and she could feel it hurt far worse than the rebar. "Did you? You could never save me no matter how much you tried." When she let go? Lara fell to the ground as her breathing ceased and without a fuss.

Lara jolted awake sitting up panting hard and a mess. It had just been a dream..she told herself. It was true it was a nightmare. She couldn't stop them when they decided to hit her like the wreck she felt at time. There was no way to stop them and Sam...oh god Sam. Had she-

"Sweetie?" Sam asked from her computer chair with a look that made Lara's heart swell instantly at the worry she held. "Are you alright?"

Lara looked around, that was right she was in Sam's room. She and Sam had come home from a movie night out at the theatre's and she still avoided her room when it was just her like an omen. She worked it out that her room was too much of who she used to be to resume living in it like she used to, she had tried but eventually she sat up and felt uncomfortable about it. Sam came to get her complaining that her room felt so empty without her and while it may have been true Lara knew Sam had realized it after she turned her lights on and decided if either would get a nights rest it would be in her room. Lara let herself be guided by Sam and found herself beneath the sheets with Sam tucked into her telling her a story to sooth her. It worked and she fell asleep, she didn't even remember Sam getting up or kissing her before she did to dally on her computer.

Lara had herself propped up on her arms with her head back and eyes closed taking deep breaths to calm herself. She felt a weight being placed on the bed next to her as she heard the computer shut off and knew Sam had decided it was time to just pay attention to her and relax her back down. She was grateful about it.

"Yeah," She managed as she sat up completely and ran a hand through her hair. "I'm alright." A hand rested on her shoulder and rubbed comforting circles on the area waiting for her to explain and giving her a look that said go ahead I'm here. I'll listen. "I-" The words were caught in her through by a lump and she thought to ask Sam not to touch her but couldn't. She just couldn't.

"Come here sweetie," She urged Lara as she sat further on the bad and crossed her legs. Lara gave in instantly and slowly laid her head down in her friends lap letting her brush hair out of her eyes and humming something.

Perhaps Lara should have felt embarrassed about the way it soothed her the way Sam was running a hand through her hair and humming a song she didn't dare ask about it, but it helped. She was so goddamn tired and it helped her so much to just have Sam there. Letting her know on nights like these she was fine and safe and alive. Lara was so grateful for Sam. Sam was her everything at the moment, she'd read Lara's books when Lara couldn't bring herself to pick them up out of guilt of who they previously belonged too, and she was there to be her only support when she needed it most never leaving. Lara did just the same for Sam but in her own way.

"Do you remember that time when we were goofing off and I hit you?" You were goofing off, Lara thought to herself but only nodded. "And I made your nose bleed, remember that?" Lara nodded again. "I remember being so sorry for it and apologizing as much as I could you had to physically grab me and tell me 'Sam bloody hell it's alright, if you're that sorry just buy me Jaffa Cakes and more tea because we're out' even though you don't drink tea as much as I do. Do you remember what I said?"

"That was so English If I've ever heard it." Lara commented still feeling herself being pulled into slumber but laughed when Sam did.

Sam smiled to herself for accomplishing to get a laugh out of Lara. "You laughed so hard at that for some reason I couldn't be mad anymore that you weren't mad at me." Lara sighed with a smiled. "I'll never be mad at you sweetie, I'll be here when you need me in anyway you need me."

Lara couldn't reply. Instead she wrapped an arm around Sam's knee and kissed her bare thigh not caring about the consequences she might have to take on later, and closed her eyes finally giving into the temptation of Sleep. She would however find herself to be woken up shortly to be laid back down properly with her head against Sam's chest but pass out again within seconds of a kiss being placed against her forehead.