⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀It wasn't fair that they had been killed simply for being Werewolves. It wasn't fair that their lives had been taken away because of something beyond their control.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀It wasn't as if there was a cure, at least, not one that Brietta had ever known.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀However, her train of thought came to an abrupt halt as she heard a faint thud emanate from outside the backroom.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Madden?" She called out, her voice tinged with worry. 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Waiting for a response, Brietta lifted the open crate of horror DVDs and ventured out of the room. As she emerged, she spotted the ladder positioned beneath the malfunctioning beam but found no sign of Felix Madden.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Just as she was about to investigate the scene, a masculine voice sounded behind her, "Can somebody help me find The Notebook?" Brietta jumped in surprise at the unexpected noise, dropping the crate of DVDs onto the carpeted floor and instinctively placing a hand on her chest.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Once she managed to will her rapidly beating heart to slow down, Brietta turned around to see Jackson wandering around the store until he heard the noise she'd made when dropping the crate. 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Jesus, Jackson," she grumbled under her breath before kneeling down to pick up the fallen DVDs, "you can't just sneak up on people like that."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Jackson tilted his head, narrowing his eyes, and remarked, "Maybe if you had a bit more of a backbone, you wouldn't startle so easily."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Brietta shot a sharp glare at Jackson as she stood back up with the crate. "Tell me, how much did it hurt when Scott broke your arm?" she inquired with a pointed tone and a snarky smile.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Jackson's jaw clenched, and he rolled his eyes. "Just...help me find The Notebook," he pleaded with a softer tone, motioning behind him. "Lydia's waiting in the car."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Brietta peered past him and spotted Lydia taking pictures in the car. With a tired sigh, she set the DVD crate back on the ground and gestured for Jackson to follow her.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Where are dumb and dumber?" Jackson teased as they moved into an aisle, causing Brietta to bite her bottom lip. She struggled to hold back a more offensive comment and instead went with a milder version. She glanced over her shoulder at him and said, "You make it really hard for people to like you."
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Scanning the romance films, she grinned before grabbing The Notebook and passing it to the boy behind her. The corners of his mouth lifted into a sparse smile, making Brietta tilt her head.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"Where's my 'thank you'?" she teased, lightly chuckling as she wore a small grin on her rosy lips. "Don't push it, Chastener," Jackson muttered under his breath, a ghost of a smile on his lips.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀As they walked toward the register, Jackson placed a hand on Brietta's shoulder, causing her to look between him and his hand with a quirked eyebrow and an expression that read, Are you seriously touching me?
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Jackson rolled his eyes at her expression and pointed at a pair of feet on the ground. Her expression fell and she called out softly, "Felix?"
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀They began to advance slowly toward the pair of feet. Brietta kept trying to convince herself that he had simply passed out, but after knowing Felix Madden for roughly a year, she knew he never passed out. He always bragged about that.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Once they approached the pair of feet, their breaths caught in their throats at the scene. 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Glancing down at the floor, Brietta froze in pure shell-shock fear as a familiar deep red substance seeped into the fabric underneath her.