Brandon didn't lift his boot immediately after the stomp.
He kept it there, letting the sole press the side of Alyssa's face deeper into the sand.
Grains stuck to the fresh blood on her cheek and lip as every shallow breath she took dragged more grit into the split skin.
The arena had fallen into a strange, pulsing hush as the audience was caught between horror and morbid fascination.
The holo-board lingered on the close-up showing her wide, glassy eyes as tears cut clean tracks through blood and dust, with her mouth pinned half-open under his boot.
A choked, wet sound escaped around the pressure on her mouth as she tried to speak.
Brandon tilted his head "Are you trying to say something?"
He lifted his foot at last giving her one clear second to drag in air.
She did.
And immediately tried to scream it:
"I YI-"
CRACK.
He kicked her again, and her head snapped sideways as a fresh spray of blood arced through the air.
