I was given a word and the challenge was to write a story with that as the theme without using the word.

Word: conflicted

If anyone has title suggestions please comment them. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Come to me."

"No don't listen to her! She only wants to hurt you!"

It's happening again. They are both arguing wanting me to do it but I can't, I don't know what to do.

"Why would I ever want to hurt you?" she says sweetly.

"Well, you never hurt me before......"

"Yes, she did! Last time she almost got you caught, remember?" he scolds. "You should never trust her, trust me."

"But you hurt me too. Janus didn't deserve it."

"She hated you. You would've been in pain for the longest time, instead of the short time. I did you a favor."

"You see what he just did? All he wants is for you to be in pain. If you follow me I will keep you safe," she says her voice venomously seductive.

"What about them? What will I do?"

"They don't matter only you do."

"She wants to make you selfish, no one likes selfish people. If you follow me you can save them. You'll be the hero and no one will get hurt," he reasons.

He was right. That would be the only way I couldn't save them all. I don't want anyone to get hurt if they don't deserve it.

"He's lying! Not everyone here deserves it," she moves closer to me almost touching me. "Look at that man over there. Don't you see the way he looks at the woman, controlling right? She flinches every time he speaks. Does he deserve it?"

I watch the man as he grips onto the girl's hand. To everyone else, it looks like an endearing thing to do, but I know better. I see the fear in her eyes instead of the love. I can see the way his muscles are straining as he squeezes her arms tighter. He doesn't deserve it not at all.

"You're right," I say softly.

"That's why you should follow me," she says confidently.

"Wouldn't it be better to teach him a lesson instead? You could go with her way but he'll never learn. You are basically letting him go just like how you told you to do with your father," he says as his eyes go soft.

I think of my father and the way he treated me. I protected myself because I was strong but it still hurt. He thought I was crazy, weird, psycho. I tried to explain it to him but h would never listen. He abused me with his words over and over again until he stopped.

"Will he change if he learns? Will it be enough?"

"If you follow my plan he will learn before it is over, you know he will be sorry."

"But with my plan you make sure. He could do it to someone else after her plan. You don't know where he will go or what he will do. This way you can make sure," he reasons.

I think it all over but I can't decide. They are both right in some aspect and each plan has its holes. I don't know how to decide which plan is better for what I should do.

"Please you don;t have to do this. I'll do whatever you want," the woman pleads.

I look at her as she pulls out wads of cash from her purse offering them up to me. I scrunch my nose in disgust. Where did she get all that money? Why would anyone have that much money on their person?

"You know why she would. This is why you should follow my plan," she says.

"She will never learn but you can teach him, choose the right path," he says confidently.

"Choose me."

"No, choose me!"

"I'm better!"

"You're trash! It'll never work your way follow me!"

I cover my ears to block out the noise but just like always they are louder. I can never drown the sounds of their voices out of my head. This happens every time. I have to make it stop, I have to make a decision.

"Stop! I have chosen his!"

He smiles confidently while she sulks in the darkest of corners.

"Y-you have chosen what? You will take the money?" the woman says with hope in her wet eyes.

I pick up the gun from the table beside me. "Have you not been listening?"

"Listening to what? No one else is here but us. That's why you should let us go. No one is even here to see and we promise we won't tell a soul," the man says nodding gripping onto the woman's waist.

I shake my head, "You are so wrong, so wrong. It's ok, though, I will teach you. Before I can start she must go."

I aim the gun and fire directly into the woman's chest. The man screams and blood splatters onto him and the bullet goes through the woman's chest and into his shoulder. I pull her away from him tossing her disgusting boy to the side and grab him by his good arm.

"Come, it's time to learn."