Mitigation

         The dog barked and hurtled toward me as I emerged from the back door of the house. As it ran toward me, I showed no fear, though it was there, and as it lunged I gave it a swift kick to the side of the jaw; the sound breaking filled the moist air, and the dog scampered off, meekly yelping.
I exhaled smoke as I stood back on the porch and the rain poured down encompassing the back yard. The moon wasn’t visible; obscured by clouds.

         Back inside, I walked by the bedroom where the two little girls were fastened and gagged with wet ropes. They were squirming and writhing trying to get out of their binds, but nothing came of their struggle.
The mother was still lying on her bed, most of her clothes still stripped from her body, tied up, not moving, blood trickling down the side of head. I think she had given up hope: most people do. It is so traumatizing, and I do it because it’s an urge that has to be assuaged.

         My eyes drifted from the bedroom because of the sound of a door knob turning in the adjacent room. The metal glistened from the overhead lamp as the knob spun and the door creaked open. A man walked through the door, his eyes without abhorrence, without despair. A lot of thoughts ran through my head before I did this. Why? Because. But is it really necessary? Yes. What do you gain? Self-appreciation… self-satisfaction. From this? Yes. From this. Is what he did that bad? Yes. He should’ve known better.

         I then realized that it was over with. His body lay inert on the floor. I wasn’t entirely through, though. I proceeded.

         -I’m sorry, sir.
         - …
         -I said I am sorry. Answer me. I’m apologizing in advance.
         “I said that I am sorry,” I screamed at the now, half-naked body lying beneath me, but he didn’t answer me back. I swallowed and continued.

         When I was done I walked back into the daughters’ room with blood on my body: dripping from my mouth and my loins, sopping my clothes as it fell and seeped. The girls screamed the best they could with the gags in their mouths: my eyes sorrowfully drifting toward theirs.

         -I’m sorry in advance
         -We know.