“NO! MOM!” I yelled as I get by her side. I felt her pulse. Her heartbeats faintly. Thank god. I examined her thigh where I saw she was shot. There was a hole with blood spurting out to the cadence of the heart. I quickly pulled off my shirt. It was too wet from the blood. Could cause infection later. I took her bag and pulled the strap off. Fortunately for me. Impenetrable force is very strong no matter how physically weak it is, so it broke off. I created a tourniquet which I applied above her thigh, tightly. *Ding*

I closed my eyes for a second to catch my new skill:

Medic level 1: The ability to apply first aid to yourself or to another individual. Is activated when treating an injury.

I glanced around me, everyone was just staring at me. I took my phone out. “FUCK!” I barked to myself. The damn thing was broken. I wonder if Juno will lend me a new one. Fortunately for me, I made damn sure to memorize that bunny boy’s phone number. I looked at the nearest person, “You!” I pointed, “Call 9-1-1 and tell them we need an ambulance.” She stared at me like a deer in the headlights, “ASAP!” She snapped out of it and called. I slid over to the mother. Dead. I grimaced. I called, “Is there a doctor or something here?”

A young man said shakenly, “I’m studying to be a nurse.”

I sighed, “Good enough, work on .” I gulped, “I’m going to see if that little girl is okay.” I really hope she’s breathing or maybe it’s better if she died so that she can’t suffer the mental anguish of seeing her mother die and being brutally raped. No time to play ethics.

I ran into the bathroom. The room smell of disgusting semen and rape. Something I’ve smelled before. The little girl was laying there, beaten and broken in more ways than one. Her eyes were closed and her chest rising. She’s stable, physically at least.

I carefully and gently plucked her up and laid her on a desk. I caressed her cheek and comforted her. She couldn’t be older than Suzy, which made it much worse. What if she was Suzy? That thought scared me alone.

Her eyes fluttered as a terrified expression washed over her face like hot oil. “Sssshhh,” I said delicately. “You’re safe. Relax. You’ll hurt yourself if you don’t.”

“A-a kitty girl?” She asked. “Where am I?” Oh god, don’t tell me she repressed her memories. The tears were welling up. The adrenal crash began to set. I looked around the bank. Blood and brain matter. Everywhere. I stared at the group that was captured. They only looked at me in contempt. My heart began to beat fast as I could feel another panic attack setting in. I puked in a trashcan as the dam couldn’t be held any longer. I wailing of my cries penetrate the room, “Why kitty girl *sniffle* Why are you crying?” The little girl asked.

I couldn’t answer all I could do was cry as my body rolled up into the fetal position.

Everything became a blur or black or both. At some point, I was lifted and placed somewhere. I don’t know where. I don’t care anymore. After what I did. I deserve whatever comes next.

No, no, no, I can’t think like that. What would Dad say in a situation like this, ‘Panicking is what gets you killed.’ Right and I’m having a panic attack. I forget I have Serenity.

I took a deep breath. The world slowly became focused again. I took another deep breath and the world become focused.

I found myself upside down with only candlelight being my only light source. *Ding*

Fortunately for me, I have night vision.

“Um, hello?” I called out to the darkness. A man in a roman soldier looking outfit came into the light.

“So you’re awake.”

“Yeah, so why am I tied upside down? Also, where’s my mom?”

“Oh, you’ll see her soon. In time, first, we have some questions.” He grinned viciously. I knew that type of grin. The same one I could almost see inside clown man’s mask.

“Sure, not like I can go anywhere,” I stated.

“Can you tell me why you decided to rob a bank and kill six innocent people?”

Oh, I see where this is going, “You mean five bank robbers. The sixth was unconscious the last time I saw him.

“DON’T FUCKIN’ LIE TO ME! We know you did it. Just say so and it’ll all go away.”

“Nah, I don’t like telling lies,” I said in spite.

The roman dressed man nodded before two of his buddies put a bag over my head and poured water into it. I didn’t say anything as I was thirsty and drank all the water.

They took the bag my head and I grinned, “Thanks for the drink. I was thirsty.” A punch smacked into my stomach. I felt the impact, but not the pain. Must’ve been my endurance. I closed my eyes to get see my skills:

Serenity max level 10: The ability to keep one’s mind calm in the face of great adversity. When taking a deep breath, your mental bar is regenerated by 100.
Persuasion level 1: Based on their intelligence stat, your charisma stat, and the objective you want to achieve. You can persuade a person of anything. +10 to charisma when persuading.
Liar, liar pants on fire level 1: Based on the target’s intelligence stat, your cunning stat, and the objective you want to lie about. You can make the target believe in a lie. +10 to cunning when formulating a lie.
Sneaky Kitty level 1: When crouching, you can remain unseen based on your cunning stat and a person’s perception stat. +15 to cunning when in sneak. This ability drains 1 point per step of stamina.
Strategist level 1: Enhances your strategizing capabilities. +10 to intelligence when strategizing.
Improvised melee level 2: Equipping an unconventional melee weapon gives you +20 to strength.
Rifleman level 2: Equipping an unscoped rifle gives you +20 to dexterity.
Pitcher level 1: Based on the average of your dexterity and strength, you can throw stuff faster and stronger. +10 dexterity when pitching.
Fortitude level 1: Body can take more damage. +10 endurance when getting hit with an attack.
Medic level 1: The ability to apply first aid to yourself or to another individual. Is activated when treating an injury.

I know what I’m grinding today.