Elaine
We stand on the good, firm solid ground facing the large steel doors. The night high up and densely dark, easily embracing the tone of our dark clothing.
"Can someone tell me what exactly are we doing here?" I ask, looking either ways at a grinning Lee and smirking Hailey. The duo was fine when they had banters and lovely friendship going on. But when they team up on you, they were borderline creepy.
Tonight was the night, I wanted to sleep the night off earlier so that I could jump up the first chance to meet Ian and conceal the breach of any legal formalities away. Not because I was desperate. But I could finally be free as an individual to take my own decisions after that.
But the night had other plans for me. Executed in the form of Lee and Hailey who had adapted a mutual silence for now. The one who banged my door, cracking in through my Peaceful slumber and throwing certain fabric at my face earlier tonight.
I eyed the stretchy black hoodie and white jeans. Obviously frowning with sleep induced cells clogging any rational thinking.
"Wear them" Hailey commanded as I scowled deeper.
"Why?" I asked, a little alarmed.
"Because we want you to" Lee grins, but immediately goes back to his constipated stoic pose with hands behind his back.
And then I got shoved inside the washroom, hurled over the car. Which by the way was Lee's, it was again a sports car. The one I hadn't seen before. And then again Lee was a racer and what could you expect from an Asian who was on a quest to break all sorts of Asian stereotypes?
"You both are wearing same clothes as mine" I rock back and forth in the back passenger seat as they ignore my question.
Indeed they both donned the dark hoodie and jeans.
I try again. The city lights buzzes off, until he turns round the corners with much more neighboring portions and then, slow lifeless parts.
"This is unfair."
Silence.
"I have the right to know about where I am being taken to"
More ignorance.
"I want a cow"
Since they were high on there nonchalance role, might as well irritate the patience out of them.
So it went on.
I sang Mary had a little lamb in a horrific voice that I could pull off, Then diverted to playing with the seater arrangement as I kept pulling it and knocking it out.
The look on Hailey's face was priceless.
Then I told Lee that BTS rapper Suga and him would make a great pair. And yes, Riley gave me an input about the k pop band who is apparently taking over the world. And I've heard Lee at times listen to them with headphones on during lunch.
A little sneak and I am sure he had a picture of them as his wallpaper.
As predicted, Lee choked as Hailey raised a brow at him in question. Quite interrogative if you may ask.
And then I blurt out wrong lyrics to their songs. At times I felt the patriotic self of Lee pale around his knuckles by the steering wheels as he opened his mouth to correct me.
I almost smirk in victory when he yells out.
"We are here"
My shoulders falls in defeat as their squares up, proud as they both turn to face me from their respected seat at the lil ol me.
And then we got out to stand by the door.
"Go inside and you'll know, because honestly we don't know what it is either" Lee shrugs as I feel my stomach flip.
"I am not going in there without you both" I brim them with more regulation when I feel someone push me by the shoulder, gently.
"Oh no you are going in there" was the last words I hears as Mike pushes the door open and basically drags me in.
I remember screaming about his pants and fire ants and revenge in between as it barely made him flinch, where did he came from? I had no idea. But I do know the threats came from within my vocals as he left me in the darkness.
The door squeals and closes with a thud.
And then.
It was just black.
Like a Blackhole.
Blacker than the word black.
"Hello"
It echoes. Literally. Like you wail at the top of the mountain while you hear the intonation bounce back.
I call out again not knowing what else to do. I was clueless, forced and kept in dark, quite literally.
A minute, one whole minute passed and I gave up. The only sound I could hear were the taps from my boots. Dressed like a hideous criminal I reach for the mobile to aid me with its glow.
But right then when I was about to, a loud vibration coarse through air. It then gets teared up by the hiss of static.
Something lights up as I bring the back of both my hands to cover my eyes. It teased my vision which had gotten used to the blankness. But slowly I remove them to see to giant screens mounted in a slant V.
It had the number ten circled by a black ring.
And then with a shrill ring the countdown began, with each beep reducing a number on the bluish white screen.
And soon it was down to the last five digit.
Five.
This is some kind of joke.
Four.
There is no way.
Three
Its Alex what else can you expect?
Two.
I know it was a second more to mid night.
One.
The grin on my face was abnormal. I watched tongue tied as the screen lights up with
CURIOUSITY, IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY
Then the robotic voice wishes me as well. An arm circles by my waist hugging me from behind. The whiff of mint, the touch of him.
"Happy birthday Elaine" he whispers by my ears, sending the chills and shudders, they were so smooth, his words. He could talk about saliva and alligator and I would still listen to them all day long.
"You are just so-" I couldn't complete the sentence as I sigh defeated, still smiling, looking at the screen still and not turning away.
"So?" he asks, relaxing more as I rest my head on his chest.
"I don't know" I breath "I can't think straight right now"
He chuckles softly "Good thing, I don't want you to make sense tonight"
Frowning I turn, finally taking him in. Even he wore a hoodie. His appeared a tad bit on leather side, manly and rough.
"Curiosity?" a laugh hitches in my throat, but I will it to stay as I raise a brow "You plan on making it an official nick name for me huh? But of all you could choose from, curiosity?"
Alex butts his forehead with mine, a delicate dab as he smiles. The way his lights up brighter than the monitor in this humongous room.
"What's a love story without a sprinkle of cringe" he explains, we both are tolerating his moniker for me because- we need the cringe. We have been way too adult for long. As I felt he was done, he continued "Also Nope, you can't be confined with just a single vocabulary. But tonight, keeping the questions in mind that you grilled Lee and Hailey with, you are curiosity" He smirks as he saw how bad my nose wrinkled itself to that.
"Lee called up during the ride, he made me listen to the torture you were up to" rolling my eyes Instead of using my hands to facepalm, I hit my forehead against his chest as he rumbles out a laugh, I join him soon.
"What else do you have in mind?" I enquire about the stage names.
He masks up a thinking face as I narrow my eyes at him.
"For instance, you look like chipmunk when you eat skittles, you eat more than one of them at a time" he nods feeling the righteousness of his examination when I wanted to say that everyone does that but he cuts me off "you have small lips" he teases as I frown.
"I love it that way" he adds with a peck to it instantly, not that I was planning to get a lip filler. But the insecurity the teenagers have these days is crazy.
And Alex needs to stop saying and doing things like that or else I might receive tan from within my body at the amount of hot blush that coated my cheeks.
"you are sweet when you help Lee with school work. such a sweatheart" he emphasizes the last term impressed "you are sexy when you are on your computer, especially when you do something illegal" I wanted him to stop, the warmth trekking right upon my neck as he winks, obviously proud of the innuendo he made up. "And you are more of a wife when you take care of me" he adds lazily tilting his head to the side.
"Wifey" he says with squinted eyes as if tasting the sound of it. "I think I'd like saying that"
With wide eyes I push him away.
This was an official cringe marathon. And his mischievous smile narrates how fun it was for him to be so dramatic. He deserves to be young and foolish.
"I am eighteen" I say genuinely taken aback. Because at times you just can't take the words of Alex breezily.
"And I'll be right by your side like this when you turn eighty" he takes a step forward, reaching out for my hand and bringing it to his lips. Kissing it. "I know I'll"
My stomach twinges. Biting down the subtle shock I look around, his intense promising gaze too much to wing my mind on.
"Where are we? What are you planning?" I probate as my heart deflates with each conclusion I come up with and yet fail to understand what he did with the place.
It is huge.
Metal bars holding the ceiling sheets, flat smooth concrete covering the colossal area and big screen in middle.
"I wish we could stay like this for longer. Alone" he shrugs, honest dejection in his eyes as he raises a remote right above his head "But this has to be done" sighing a smile he presses a button.
Not. A. Second. More. It was all it took as the ascending beats fills the room. The bass getting heavier by the time as it seeps into the ground, slowly kissing the sole of my feet and igniting tingles all over the body.
If that was not enough, from every nook and corner that I wasn't aware of, people flooded in. Screaming, cheering and jogging.
Everyone dressed like or similar to the way I was.
Dressed Like us.
My mouth falls open as a stage rises from behind the screen with a man with headphones on. The turntables and mixer active under the boy's fingers. I don't call the Dj a man because, it wasn't a man.
It was Edmund.
And right now he manipulated Alone by marshmello. One of my favorites.
But how?
"His family has a music label under their name, he has been around the world, met the professional's, practiced with them, he knows what he's doing" It was Hailey who I failed to notice has come and stood next to me, the blinking lights intensified as he took the music up a notch.
Jumping and enjoying in his own world.
And when he spots me, he grins. Pulls out a mic and screams something which happens to grab the crowds attention as they wish me for my birthday.
Too dumb to act I mere watch the faces and I realize.
I don't even know them.
That makes sure that fact that they don't know me either.
Yet they were happy.
So they don't mind when I frown at them. They go back to dancing. And then I crack up like a lunatic, laughing as I slowly, finally realize what this was.
"This is an EDM party isn't it?" I look at Alex almost tearing up. He remembered how much I loved these kind of music and I never told him. It was just the way he would frown whenever he would unplug the earphones from one of my ears and try to listen to what I would, his brows would shoot up and then he would return them back saying,
"This is something opposite of Ed Sheeran"
And yeah, Thomas Alexander White stereotypes a girls musical choices by their universal liking towards Ed Sheeran.
"You like it?" he smiles.
"I love it" I pull him to meet my height. And the rest we did, or initiated brought out a series of
Aww's, damn's, my pure eyes and Edmund thought Alex was gay.
When we break from the bliss, we stared at Lee, because the last part was I am sure came from him. And he looked proud of that despite being so loud to make us hear of his observation, he still grinned despof the freezing glares he sustained from Alex.
"Ignore that" I turn him back to me as scowls, but then realizes we just made out, and it was me who initiated it. So he asks the most boyish thing ever to exist.
"Can we do it again?" he almost screams to level up with the music. I see Hailey roll her eyes with a smile and Mike gag by her side coldly and bored. How he could do that, was a mystery.
So I wave my hand motioning him to kick off and take a hike. They both leave, dragging Lee by the collar who wanted to see the show.
I got on my tip toes innocently smiling at an awaiting Alex, cupping my hand by his ear I holler.
"No"
He jerks away, his mouth forming an ow and forehead creasing with pain.
I laugh hopping to the beats of the music as he watches me arms crossed, a soft smile blooming as he shakes his head in almost a warning.
And then I take of running, trying to lose him in the sea of people. I could sense his movements, trying to catch up. I tip my head at few people because they screamed at my face that how awesome this was, everyone was high on rhythm.
And Alex and I were high on a game of hide and seek.
Somehow after few minutes more of chase, I run into someone.
And it turned out that I lost the game. My spirit was defeated as soon as I lifted my gaze to see Alex, my lips pulls down to like that of a sad puppy as he mouths caught you.
The tempo drops low after the first song, the lights dims as Alex tugs me close to him. Our bodies perfectly melting and mending. Flushed against him I try to remain sane.
Though the chatters and voices dominated the arena, the beat of my heart pulses through my body. And instead of the ever cold blue orbs they shone with warm and passion, raw and honest, it made my nerves ache with the similar emotion. It was contagious.
"You make me crazy" he whispers, touching my shoulder while his other hand smoothens the bangs away from my face.
I suppress a smile, but suddenly feeling shy I look sideways.
"There are so many people" I say, my shoulders tensing.
"I know, I just wanted it to be just two of us tonight" he says a little annoyed, but composed "but apparently these kind of parties requires mass crowed, for the effect" he mocks as I laugh.
"How do you know?" snaking my arms around his neck I cross my wrists.
"Know what?"
"All my favored tunes. Since I stepped inside all the songs that had been played were from my playlist" I search his face for answer, but he had that smug yet sheepish look that made me curious.
Valid name for you girl. Curiosity.
"Your dorm is right across my room, I do hear the loud electro beats when I happen to pass by. And I might have stopped to listen to them at times"
I pause to calculate his words, then I finally realize how he found out.
"That's stalkish"
"I call it homework" he shrugs as I giggle imagining Alex pressed up against the door trying to makeout the tones.
"I've never seen you do the literal one's"
"Because it never involved you"
"You are too much"
"And I love you so much" I purse my lips and open them, clearly misguided again by his words. Speechless and dumb. This was so unfair.
The music picks up, new and fresh. Filling my nerves, urging my legs to move.
The crowed goes wild as both our eyes lights up with a spark that I've never seen before. Like it begged us to let loose, let the moment carry our steps,to let the chaos lead you this night.
And so we did.
It felt as if the time lapsed slow and fast at the same times.
Our arms free for the exploring, bounce of feet, smiles so lively.
This moment was the juncture when I knew that I was alive at the most. And he made it possible, he made me feel the way that I never thought was possible.
And suddenly he stops, his hair matted to his forehead messily but so damn attractive, the crystal blue eyes trained on someone behind me.
And then he looks at me grinning slowly and mouths turn around.
Breathing heavily from the dance, I do as he says, confused.
I squint my eyes for a second to make out who it was, and when I do. I scream.
I could barely hear my own sound as Noah does the same, for others it might look like we had our jaws locked with no voice spurting out of our mouth as we hugged. A hug that felt like holding onto your insanity back again.
My first best friend.
The kid who was first to not judge me and to let me in. At the moment I knew how much Noah meant to me. I missed him so much.
"Y-YOU ARE FINALLY LEGAL TO D-DO IT!" He exclaims grinning but then dramatically wincing as I punch his gut.
"I can't believe you are here" I holler over still holding on to each other.
He points his index towards Alex who impressively watches us unfold our insane emotions like a supervisor. "He called me, y-y-your snow white invited me to this p-party. I am glad. It's s-sick. Better than N-Nathan's" he spaces out as a girl in shots passes by, her cleavage on show by the deep neck tank top as she winks at Noah.
Dreamily he raises his hand to wave as I slap it off.
"You are still a kid" I bellow out as Alex laughs.
And I wonder out the difference between Jared and Noah, same age but poles apart. Jared might go in a state of hypothermia in severe grace if he ever were to call Alex snow white, and here was Noah.
I could never understand how boys work.
"B-bra is a father of two now" my eyes goes wide as my heart tugs at the image of my baby becoming a Dad. But since Noah knows how to fracture any good feeling into a flat ground, he came up again. "I n-n-named them backless and strapless"
It took me a moment to absorb what he meant by it, and before I could hit him on head he ducked down simultaniously his eyes trained on someone behind me.
"W-wait? I-is that April?" I turn to look at her as she comes to an abrupt halt and whirls over to walk away as soon as she spots Noah. But it was too late, Noah was already on the run to catch her.
Old love never dies.
I exchange a look of amusement with Alex and shrug as I go back to him.
I don't remember how long we been at it, my feet started aching and head swayed, that's when we decided to corner ourselves from the active floor to the edge where we could find air. The music was almost faint and fading, but still fusing through, but it was perfect to feel alone.
It was more of an adjoining ware house, smaller in size and empty to the core. The lights from the party occasionally raining down the greyish walls.
"I can't believe Noah is here" I say as I hoist myself up a metal bar, my words echo as Alex helps me step up the railing, holding me by my waist.
"He was really surprised when I called him" he sits next to me, the sole of our boots balanced on the metal below us. Then I begin swinging them freely.
"I had fun" he bites his lip, his eyes almost falling in daze until he looks up at me. "I never thought I was worthy of feeling such contentment"
We then sit in silence, gazing at what was ahead of us, staring out in nothingness.
My heart falls, it could feel it's heaviness as his thoughts seep in. Alex had his insecurities and pasts too, and at times, even after he had opened up to me I could still see the fight in him. He still was hiding something.
And I being the coward never asked or confronted. Something in me pulled me back, it was a hunch, an invisible tug as if it screamed that I wasn't prepared to know what it was. I know it because I could see it in his eyes.
But it was different with him. He is prepared for what I have to say.
"Alex i-" I breath, my words quivering as I felt his gaze hot on the side of my face. His hand finds mine, the one that had been unconsciously clutching on to the cold bar as if my life depended on it. "i-I want you to_"
I look away, not that I was facing him either, I just couldn't make the words come out. It has almost been a year since we first me and to tell him that I am not even Elaine, the name he calls me with, the name which would bring my memories up if he ever thought of wasn't me.
I wished I was stoned enough to do this.
But I had no choice, I have to feel every bit of what he will go through as it'll intensify my guilt.
But before I could look at him his phone goes off.
He groans nimbly as he reaches for it, but when he sees the callers ID he goes visibly tense.
"I am sorry I have to take this" he rushes off as he slides from the bar and plants his feet to the concreate.
As soon as he presses up the phone against his hear, I could feel the tension in air. The way his lips parted slightly as if whatever it was being informed from the other side suffocated him. But he was trying to make it seem better. As if to stay strong.
I walk to stand by his side as he hung up.
"What is it? Is everything okay?" I ask as he heaves a breath, running a hand across his hair.
"I have to go" it was definitely the crack in his voice, as my toes curls with dread. "It's my aunt, she- her condition"
I place a hand on his shoulder to ease his nerves. It was the initial wise he had brought his aunt up, never once had Alex ever mentioned her to me, all I ever came to know about her were from people close to him like Edmund and Nathan who got all the information on Leonard white's family for me.
"I will come with -"
"No" he cuts me off as I blink a step back at his harsh rejection. His eyes then softens in apology as he cups my cheek. "I can't let this day end like this, please. It's your birthday, so stay"
I don't know what else to do. He was asking me for space, even though he counterfeited it, I know that's what he wanted.
"Okay" I whisper, despite how selfish it was that I was letting him go, face the situation alone while I stay. His mouth pinches down as if in thinking.
"I will find someone, I won't be alone." I assure him reading his mind "go"
"Are you sure you'll be fine?" he was torn, and I wanted to stay strong for him. From whatever he was going through. I have seen the countless numbers of bouncers and security checks by the entrance at the party, Alex was unforgiving when it came to my safety, and tonight I'll have to take my own responsibility. I can't have him worry about more then what's already on his baggage.
"I'll. I promise" I say honestly, but my heart lurched as if it knew that my words weren't honest enough.
He closes his eyes for a brief moment and then he kisses my forehead as his warmth and scent left me with hope.
Hope of what?
I don't know.
I stay glued to my spot as I watch him leave. If only I had known this was the last time he would see me the way he did.
Time goes, as the feel hollowness grows in. I understand his emergency, but it was something else that nagged me.
And then my phone vibrated, I don't bother to look at the ID, as distracted I press it to my ears.
"Hel-"
"El, it's me" it alerts up, my tranquilized senses as it picked up Nathan's voice. It did so, because it barely sounded like him. It was laced with so much pain and draining endurance. His breathing ragged and as soon as he tried to speak again, he began coughing.
"Nathan" I raise my voice my hand fisting by the side in nerves. "Nathan are you okay"
"no, I am hurt" the fits of coughs again. "Beat up, t_they knew your name El, they were looking for- for you" his voice breaks as he groans hissing.
"Nathan where are you?" I didn't realize how and when, but by now I was sauntering as I ran to back to find the one person who came onto my head first. "Send me the location" I bark over the speaker.
"I was invited to the party, I mustn't be too far" he says, his words clamped as he tried to keep his tone steady.
I jump up and down waving with both hands as soon as the head of Mike came into view. He was tall and even in the hordes of people and music I was able to spot him as quickly as I could.
Frowning he tears through the crowd and when he finally reaches me I grab him by his wrist and guide us both out. The fresh gust of air kisses my skin , it felt like life was being pumped back on me. But when the situation dawns on me, injects me with what has happened It begins to Deteriorate, even worsen.
"It's Nathan. He has been attacked." It was all it required for Mike's frown to dissolve into shock. "We need to get to him, I have his location" rambling off in hope that he would follow me I look back to see him rooted on the ground. The spot where I left him.
"What are you doing?" I throw my hands up in air "we need to get there soon, he's your friend Mike. What are you waiting for? Where Is your car?" frustrated I run my fingers through my locks scanning for his transport.
"I came here with Riley" he says suddenly snapping out of his shock. Now jogging over to where I stood.
Thank god.
But.
"How are we going to get there?" I panic.
"Is everything okay?"
At that we both snap our head in the direction, it was Lee. Standing by the same door we came out from, the song a rumble like thunder but is gets sucked out as the door creaks close behind him.
"I saw you leave. Thought I should check up on you both" he says confused as he frowns.
We ignore his concern with our own.
"Your car. Is it here?"
After that question it all happened in a blur. We made him rush towards were it was as we hopped in. Even at the highest speed we were in, Mike was composed and talked when necessary, but I remained quiet even when it was required me to talk.
One. Because I wasn't able to blurt a word out without feeling like I might puke.
Two. Mike sat shot gun and he had my phone with Nathan's location so he used his mouth to direct Lee. So it was mandatory for him to speak up. Or else I bet his throat went dry every now and then as he kept clearing them.
"Did he said anything else?" he asks.
Silence
"I am talking to you Elz- Elaine" Mike alerts me with raised voice as startled look up at him.
"He-he said" I gulp in the moister stuttering "-they asked for me. That they knew who I was"
His eyes sparks with a subtle reaction of being taken aback. Nathan doesn't even know about the whole story, but he did pacified with the fact that Ian will take care of me. Because I told him that the man decided to help me out.
That was all he was aware of and yet_
"What?" Lee speaks up, causing our attention to span up to him as he worked on wheels "What do you mean by who you are? What the hell is going on can someone explain to me?" frustrated he points out.
"Just drive fast" Mike pins up as Lee throws him a look of disbelief.
"I am going as fast as I can. Don't tell me what to do, this Is my professio-"
He wasn't able to complete the sentence as the car swivels, a loud bang that sounded much like the tiers inducing a puncture. I grip onto the leather seat as the car jerks out of control. Until Lee pulls the break, screeching to an almost halt when-
"Watch out" I scream as someone out of nowhere from the deserted street corner emerges panicked and comes in front of the car. Crashing against the hood with a thud as the vehicle come to an abrupt stop.
It was silence, no one spoke. Till Lee with his trembling hand touched the glass by the wind shield, were now a trail of smeared blood traced down.
"It was Nathan" Mike says more to himself than others as he immediately gets of the car. I do the same realizing what he meant.
I could barely find the strength on my legs as I rounded the car to see Mike was already crouched beside an unconscious Nathan, he lifts his shirt up to reveal a large gash with now dried blood.
"Shit" he mutters removing his hoodie to wrap the wound. To stop the bleeding.
"Oh god" I take a step away, my hand automatically going to my mouth to sustain the sob in. it wasn't just that, his face was beaten black and blue, bruised eyes and barely breathing Nathan groans, blinking his swollen eyes open as much as he could.
When his weak eyes spots me he opens his mouth to say something but ends up spurting out blood as he coughed.
"Take him inside the car" Mike instructs Lee who helped Mike to get him into the car, Lee calls for ambulance as he stays with him at the back passenger seat, Nathans head upon his shoulder as his shirt soaks with his blood.
"We don't have time" I say when Mike comes back to me, I hadn't realized how much I was trembling. When Mike takes my hands on his I feel the fear plunge into me. The intensity of the moment. The destruction because of me.
"Calm down, the help will be here soon" he says failing brutally in an attempt to calm me.
The headlights from the car still shone upon us brightly, and that's how my gaze falls upon the ruptured tier.
And something that glistened, stuck to it.
I crouch down immediately on one knee to inspect it.
And when I do, the breath gets knocked out from my already giving up body, my blood runs cold.
"A nail" Mike says it out loud.
"More than one. On purpose" It didn't felt like me, the voice. It was so jittery and injected with raw fear. We were out here alone, and what they did to Nathan was just a-
"Bait. It's a bait Mike" I whisper, afraid to use my own voice.
He goes stiff next to me. Not because what I told him embraced a dread within him. but because the nightmare I conjured right then, comes to become a reality as we hear a clink by the back our head.
The sound of trigger being tested and teased.
I could feel the pulse in my throat. Hot and afraid as I gaze into the similar emotion in Mike's eyes.
"Don't move" it was muffled and grainy, it was the sound of someone who enjoyed the cunningness. It comes from the same man who was holding a gun to our head.
My eyes slowly darts in the direction of Lee's car as my hand in discretion searches for my wrist, I see the terrified form of Lee watching the scene unfold from inside the car, beside an unconscious Nathan. When our eyes meet I mouth him stay inside while I press on the sos button on the tracker in my watch.
It has to reach out to Ian. That's what its purpose is for.
I forgot to breath for a second, but gasped as Mike abruptly shoved me on side and grabbed the man by his arm, knocking him low with his knee on his stomach.
Now I could clearly see the large man with dark stretchy mask covering his face. He easily takes back the lead and punches Mike, he bellows down in pain.
Acting on impulse I use his distraction and grab the intruders wrist and twist it until the gun falls off his clutch.
Mike tries to fight of another man, and acquired more merciless hits. I use my leg to push the gun back to me and before the one could get his hands on me I pick it and point the weapon at him breathing heavily.
"Leave him or I'll shoot" I growl as the other guy watches me intently, scanning loopholes in my threat. There must have been some thing so genuine about what I said as he loosens his grasp on Mikes collar. He weakly limps in my direction.
But it was when he almost makes it does his feature morphs into something frightful. Alarming as his eyes trains zero to something behind me.
Or rather someone.
And that's when I knew that there weren't just two.
I feel the hard hit before Mike screams my name.
My vision blurs entirely as I let the gun fall from my hand. From afar I could hear the blazing sirens and fading footsteps as they ran. I look at the side to see an abandoned hockey stick, its tip glazed with blood, like a reflex my hands reaches to touch the back of my head. It comes around sleek with redness.
And that's when the voices ceases out and my legs begin to give up. I fall to my knees breathing through my mouth as my lids kept getting heavier by the time.
I hear Mike curse at me, I listen to him beg me not to close them, my eyes.
I see lights.
They don't makes sense.
I feel the pain.
But they numbed when i stop trying to feel it. Mike wasn't making sense.
Sleep was better.
And I did just that, went to sleep.
***