432.5 White Dragon (Short)

Inez sat in the corner of the basement, wrapped in a blanket.

With her hands clasped around her knees, she stared blankly at the wall.

A hand holding a glass of water stretched out from behind her left side.

Nellie tilted her head and said,

"Would you like some water?"

Inez numbingly took the glass:

"I'm sorry."

Nellie said,

"It's not your fault."

Inez didn't argue.

She knew it was her fault:

"It's my nature."

Evil is always evil.

Nellie took a sip of her orange:

"We are humans, and we control our animal instincts."

Inez said,

"It's not animal instincts, but something equivalent to human nature. It's not a part of me, but whole. My problem is that I can't overcome it with reason."

Nellie said,

"You weren't always like this. The blood of the White Dragon changed you. That's not the real you."

Inez tightened the grip on her blanket:

"How do you know?"

Nellie said,

"Aren't you calm now? Don't you feel remorse and guilt for your actions just now? Don't you?"