He saw her as she’d always been in his mind, a little girl – full of life, curious about everything, brilliant. But somewhere, hidden deep behind all that was a monster. When had it started? Her mind breaking down slowly over the years, falling into a black fog of panic and hatred.

She started screaming again, swinging the knife at the terrified hostages.

Raising the gun back up, he stepped forward.

“Jess! Put it down!”

She paused for a second and stared at him, then her face dissolved into a mask of rage.

“Stay away from me! I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you, kill you!”

She lunged towards a screaming woman crouched nearby.

The bullet shattered her skull, blowing a hole in the back of her head as it exited.

He gently ran a finger over the photograph. Her smiling face – that’s what he’d always remember. Before her mind turned on itself. If only they’d been able to see it sooner, maybe…

Standing, he placed the flowers on her grave.

“Sorry sis… I wish I could have saved you…”