Re: Never Alone. (Shiori)

[Spritz]

"Just..."
Unfortunatly, Eric's voice immedietly cracked. He had been trying to keep his roiling emotions hidden, but now they had decided to rear their ugly heads. His stomach twisted and clenched, face pale and pain shooting up his injured arm. Never the less, he continued to hold her, his embrace firm around her shoulders. Leah was shaking with dry sobs, having cried for quite a while. To be truthful, Eric wasn't sure what he was expected to do, but he was here for her, here to hold and comfort her despite their differences.
"Just know that.. even with what happened between us,"
Eric paused, taking a quick moment to think out his next words. There was a short silence, but it wasn't overly awkward.
"I'm here for you. Sometimes everybody needs somebody to listen."

His voice was quiet, soft and caring. Seconds passed, Leah's tears starting to dry, little by little.
"Leah!"
Eric suddenly straightened, taking her shoulders in his strong hands and pulling her away from him. His dark t-shirt was wet on the front from her tears- something he seemed to be used to by now. "Look at me!" Gazing intently into her eyes with a firey stare of his own, Eric shook his head. "I'm always going to be your friend; even if you dont think it's possible. I'm not angry at you;" Pausing, he leaned closer and set his jaw tightly. "And I will never, never let Matthew lay his dirty hands on you again! I'm not going to let your father punish you for doing what you felt was right, and there is no way I'm about to let you go. I'm responsible for you, I'm the one that has to take care of you. This is something I want to do, something I need to do."

It took all of Eric's willpower to refrain from kissing her right there, sealing his words with a promise that he wouldn't break. He kept his distance however, stayed strong and steady, but let his heart give a nervous flutter as he waited for his words to sink in. She needed to sense the urgency of his tone, needed to understand that he wouldn't give up easily. And even if she no longer loved him, he realized that way deep down, there was a special spot in his broken, bruised heart that only she could fill.

He ached to kiss her, ached to run his fingers through her soft hair, wished he could whisper in her ear how much he loved and missed her. But now was not the time, and even if he had been forward enough to do such a thing, the moment was ruined by the church doors being swung open, noisily squeeking on thier rusty hinges as Jason made his way outside, made his way towards Leah.

(A little short, but you get the overall effect (: <3 )

[Guest]

[ No, it’s fine! <3 I love it. Mine are a bit short, too. Sorry! ]

Leah ignored it when his voice cracked as he began to speak again. He stopped for a moment, and she felt a change in him for a split second, and it took her a moment to realize it was his arm that was bugging him. Suddenly feeling guilty, Leah was about to pull back when he grabbed her by the shoulders. Leah squeaked slightly, her eyes widening as she stared at the desperate determination in Eric’s eyes. She relaxed a bit when he began to talk, but she was still surprised at the sudden actions.

Staring at him as he talked, she blinked a few times in disbelief. The traces of the boyish teenager she’d known what seemed like an eternity ago was gone. His words were filled with a sense of longing, as well as the same desperation he’d talked with before. She could tell, if nothing else, he was being sincere. When he commented on Matthew, she instinctively shuddered, trying to push the thoughts out of her mind as quickly as she possibly could. She didn’t want him to touch her ever again. Not ever. She also didn’t want him to touch Eric again. She only hoped now that he saw and understood her reasoning for leaving him so abruptly. She… she honestly still loved him. She’d never stopped loving him.

When she noticed how close he was to her she felt her face flame up, and she was forced to avert her eyes from his stare. She remembered those eyes so well… she remembered everything about him: his touch, his kiss, the whispered words at night when they would fall asleep in the bed on the second floor of the ice cream parlor. She remembered the laughter he’d caused, the smiles he’d created, and the fun he’d invented. There was nothing more she could ever have asked for. And she’d thrown it away, but she still didn’t find it wrong that she left. Even now, when she regretted leaving, Leah stood firm to her reasons.

Leah opened her mouth, about to say those three little words that could change a person in an instant, when the church doors opened. The noise was annoying; the grating of hinges as the doors were pushed outward. Curious, Leah shifted slightly, pulling herself out of Eric’s grasp to see who was coming. When she saw who it was, she was rather dumbfounded. What was Jason doing here? And, more importantly, why was he headed straight for her? Scrambling to her feet, Leah stared at Jason.

“Uh, Jason? What are you doing out here?” Leah could already feel a creeping sense of dread fill her. Jason was walking with a fortitude that reminded her a tad bit of Matthew. Jason and Matthew both had the character trait of a strong-willed man who was used to getting mostly whatever they wanted. And now, after what was inevitably going to be the loss of her virginity to that bastard Matthew, she was utterly afraid of people who walked like that—especially men.

Leah glanced over at Eric, still on the ground, and instinctively moved closer to him; not to seek protection, but to give it, if need be.

[Spritz]

It was too late, the whole moment was ruined. If Eric had ever had a great time to kiss Leah, that would have been it, when his, and hopefully her emotions were strong enough to speak the pure truth; in a gentle touch, the softest comfort, yet the strongest love one could have felt. It didn't matter though, the time had passed and now Eric had to deal with Jason- somebody he had not expected, nor wanted to see any time soon. Though he wouldn't admit it to himself, Eric found the perfect looking, politley tempered teenage boy a threat, both to him and to Leah. Even as he watched Jason approach, Eric could tell there was more to that innocent blue eyed gaze that met the eye- and he would rather not find out what it was. His body became stiff, muscles tight and ready to leap up off of the ground in case something went wrong. He hoped nothing would, at the moment it probably wouldn't be best to get into a fist fight, especially in his condition.

There was no way now he would let Leah go, no way he would let this Jason step into buisness that wasn't his to begin with. The pastors son slowly came closer, his hands slipped into his pockets, stride lengthened and hair falling into his eyes. In truth, Eric found him to be bothersome, rather annoying and all too perfect. But again, he wasn't a girl, and the dark eyed teenager did realize that the two genders felt different about people like this. He just hoped Leah hadn't already taken a liking to this boy- because if she had, it would complicate everything.

Leah spoke, once again sounding soft and timid. She turned sparkling eyes on Eric, who also gave her a look before wrapping his arm around her shoulders; as if that would help give the fortitude that was needed to deter Jason from even looking at Leah in the wrong way. Even with the little Eric had seen of the teenager, it was obvious he had taken a liking to her. The way he glanced at her face, the way he smiled, the way he talked, it was all plain and obvious for Eric. He had done the same thing when first meeting Leah, and now he realized how stupid it must have looked. Either way, his eyes were dark and foreboding; chin raised in a tireless posture.

"What are you doing here? Is there a reason you needed us? From the looks of it, you probably would have seen that we were talking, if that makes any difference to you?" Shaking his head, Eric narrowed his eyes and frowned as Jason moved forward. The boy gave a shrug, looking blankly at Eric before turning baby blue, all too innocent eyes on Leah.
Eric immedietly stiffened.
"I just wanted to make sure everything was alright, you seemed.. off."

Yes, of course. You only noticed that after I came out here and comforted her.
Eric stayed still, yet he wished to say quite a few things to this boy. He kept quiet, but only for Leah's sake.
"Everything is fine now, you can go." The dark eyed teen was quiet, his voice steady and unwavering. It was a silent threat, plain and clear. If Jason refused to stop poking his nose in other peoples buisness, Eric wouldn't have a problem knocking sense into that hard skull of his.

[Guest]

Leah smiled inwardly as she felt Eric’s arm around her shoulders. It made her feel…safe. Come to think of it, he’d always made her feel safe. Even when there was nothing to be afraid of, he’d been there, and she’d felt like nothing in the world could ever harm them. Nothing could sever the undeniable love that they’d found in each other. Before Eric, Leah hadn’t believed in true love. After Eric? She’d found out that true love was more than real. It was something that only two people could share; and Leah knew that she and Eric were the two mismatched pieces to a grand puzzle; two pieces that fit perfectly, edge-to-edge.

She heard the tone in Eric’s voice and suddenly become somewhat wary. He sounded…angry. Was he jealous? Of Jason? What was there to be jealous about? Leah knew that Eric probably wasn’t aware of the fact that Leah felt completely wrong when she’d had ice cream with Jason, and when they’d talked, and when they’d walked back to the church together. She’d felt like those things were only supposed to be shared with Eric. She couldn’t stop thinking about him when they ate the ice cream, either. It was vexing, in all sincerity, but Leah didn’t mind it. She knew that, once Jason was gone, she had to tell Eric she still felt the same way about him.

Leah stared uncomfortably into the dazzling blue orbs that looked so incredibly innocent (much like the adorable innocence in the eyes of a puppy). Smiling rather awkwardly, Leah commented, “I’m fine now, thanks to Eric.” Leah felt suddenly aware of the fact that might come off as offensive, and the last thing she wanted to do was offend another male into the brink of molesting her. “But thank you for… err…caring.” Leah edged closer to Eric, but made sure she was not hurting or pressing against any of his wounds.

“It does bug me, though,” Leah murmured, pretty much only to herself, “That after a half an hour of being out here, you just decided to show up… Shows how much you care.” Wrapping her arms instinctively around Eric’s waist, she could tell the teen wanted to blurt something, that would probably be very rude, towards Jason, but for some reason he held his tongue. Now that wasn’t like the old Eric. Suddenly a thought hit her.

Jealousy could—and would—drive a man mad. So, the only thought that occurred to her to answer her prior statement (to herself) is that he only came out due to pure jealousy. What’d he think they were doing? Kissing (not that Leah would’ve minded that)? But as much as she liked to dwell on the fact she had a guy flocking around her, Leah knew that she’d never—and could never—fall for another guy. Eric was the only one for her, whether he knew that yet or not. She’d have to tell him. But the longer that Jason stared at her with those baby blues, the more unsure of herself she became. It was an odd sensation. There was no doubt in her mind that Jason was incredibly attractive, but then again, so was Eric. Being caught in between two teenage boys was not something Leah originally would’ve intended on doing. But yet, look now. Here she was, feeling astoundingly awkward with Eric glaring at Jason, and Jason looking at her. It was a triangle of mixed emotions. And it wasn’t exactly inviting.

[Spritz]

And now this was just awkward.
Eric was extremley tense, his movements rigid and jaw stiff. He hated this, hated that he had no control over the situation. Right now, he wouldn't trust anyone. And even if this was the pastors son, that didn't make him any less of a threat for both him and Leah. After where they had been landed after Matthew, he wasn't ready to see Leah hurt again; he would never be ready to see Leah hurt. And if this boy was trouble, it was best to stay away from him. It might be better to leave this place all together.

Eric's heart was pounding, a headache starting up as he clenched his jaw even tighter. Dark eyes unreadable, he gazed at Jason with a cool expression, yet didn't make any move to speak. Not yet, not until Leah had the chance too. Who knew, maybe it would be better from now on to keep his big mouth shut. But he hadn't been pushed away, after talking to Leah a little while he felt alot better about this situation. At least the two of them were no longer awkward like they were before. That hadn't been fun.

Leah spoke, noting how she was fine now, thanks to him. Though in a fowl mood, the corners of Eric's lips twitched into a half grin, raising an eyebrow and turning his gaze onto Leah. She looked nervous, as if she didn't want to offend Jason. It was clear she didn't like that he was here however, she was shifting uncomfortably and the all too familar expression was cast across her features. He covered his laugh with a thick, poorly disquised cough, realizing the humor of the situation. Though Eric didn't even realize it, he could tell what she was feeling, what she was thinking by reading her every look, the tone of her voice, the way she looked at somebody. Leah seemed to creep closer to Eric, her body now pressed gently against his. That simple movement made the boy's heart leap enthusiasticly, something that startled him.

Jason looked at Eric cooly, his blue gaze unwavering as it met it's rival's darker one. The intensity in Eric's eyes would un-nerve most people, but he didn't seem to be phased. In turn, Jason seemed haughty, as if he thought very much of himself and wasn't ready to be turned away from anything he wanted. "I didn't want to inturupt you two," Jason started explaining, but Eric quickly cut him off. "Actually, you just did." Giving him a forced smile, the boy picked himself up off of the grassy ground and started towards him.
"You can go. Really, you're not needed here."

Jason took a few moments to respond, reluctantly turning and heading back towards the dark mouth of the church. He definatly got on Eric's nerves- but there was something more that seemed to give him a sense of cautiousness around this pastor's son.

(Muse is starting to slowly leave me. ): )

[Guest]

Leah was nervous about the look on Jason’s face. It seemed to be a mixture between vexation and an undying will to get Eric out of the picture. Leah wouldn’t know what to do if Eric was pushed out of the picture… She’d just fit him back in the frame, and she wasn’t about to let him go again. She got up to her feet, very slowly, after Eric did, telling Jason away with his words. When she heard Jason’s words, they made her feel… slutty. It was just the way he said it.

“What’s that supposed to mean!?” Leah snapped, crossing her arms over her chest as Jason left, going back through the doors of the church. Suddenly, a grin broke out on her face, and she started laughing. After a moment the laughter subsided, she ran a hand through her hair, which was quite knotty. “You never cease to amaze me.” Leah walked over to Eric and gave him a hug, resting her head on his chest, vaguely aware of how her heartbeat started getting faster with his closeness.

She rested her chin on his chest and looked up into his eyes, her own conflicting with the emotions that were stirring within her. She wished she could say what was on her mind… She just wanted to tell him that she loved him. That she’d always loved him, and always would love him. In her head, those words were way too easy to say… but now that they were alone and in (relative) privacy she found herself tongue-tied.

“You know, Eric,” Leah mumbled, just loud enough for him, “Despite all this… I…” Leah frowned momentarily. Why was it whenever she needed to say something of importance, she always got tripped up? It was ridiculous! She hated herself for it. “Despite all this, I still love you. It dawned on me when I was walking back here with Jason… It just felt so wrong. I’m not saying that you’re my rebound. Jason was my rebound. He wasn’t even big enough to be called a ‘rebound.’

“I just wanted you to know that… I still love you. I always will. Whatever happens, even if you don’t love me anymore—which I would completely understand, after all the pain I’ve caused you—I always will love you, and I’ll be here for you, like you said you’d be here for me.” Leah’s eyes sparkled slightly as she looked up at Eric. Despite the cuts and bruises that littered his body, he still looked like the most handsome angel she’d ever seen. She had the strongest urge to reach up and place a kiss on his lips, but she was afraid that he didn’t love her. All she needed was his conformation. Maybe…

Maybe things would go back to normal. To hell with Jason. She had Eric. And even if they weren’t “together,” all she needed was him by her side for the rest of her life. Even if all they ever had was a friendship that refused to blossom into something else. She knew now that she loved him, and only him. And that’s the way it was always going to be.


[ it's fine. Mine kinda sucked too. XD sorry! ]

[Spritz]

After Jason had slowly left the two of them, he had headed back towards the church doors. There was no sign that he had actually entered the building however, the heavy doors were still wide open; something that partially confused Eric. He frowned, before shaking his head and realizing that it probably didn't matter where Jason was anyway. Maybe then the boy would actually take his advice and stay away from Leah, long enough for Eric to heal up and be able to leave the church. Something about it was starting to make him feel uneasy, even with Mark here and the safety it provided, but a nagging feeling was urging him to get out of there as soon as possible. Eric's gut feelings were usually right, and now he gave the church one last glance before turning to Leah.

She looked pissed, arms crossed over her chest and a harsh frown settling across her features. Glaring in the direction Jason had gone, she suddenly grinned, laughing slightly and shaking her head. The scene had been rather comical, now that Eric had the time to think about it. At least it hadn't gotten serious- he had been able to keep his anger under control for the time being. She turned and wrapped her arms around him, giving him a gentle hug and resting her head on his chest.
The simple movement made Eric's stomach suddenly twist with nervousness, a faint pink blush appearing on his cheeks and his smile faltering ever so slightly. He remembered times like this, times when a simple hug would be enough to carry the weight of the world. They had had eachother; and they had been happy too. That was all he wanted back, but would it be impossible?

Who knew what Leah thought of him. Who knew what she felt anymore? It was clear what he felt for her, but would it be matched? Asking her was out of the question- if she said no- Eric's heart would no doubt break once again. He would never be the same person. Without Leah, his life was incomplete and worthless, as if she was the only one who could make it whole.
Leah looked up at him, her wide blue eyes holding a mixture of emotions. It was hard to sort out one from the other, Eric finding himself captivated in her stare. His own dark gaze was uncommonly intense, watching her with his arms around her waist.

His heart skipped a beat.
Then another.
Then possibly another.

Eric would never remember what he had done in those few seconds after she had voiced her opinion, never remember what was running through his mind. It was if every second had gained weight and value, sticking around longer than the moment usually would. Leah's words echoed through his head, his face becoming blank and taught. It was all he could do to stand there and listen, wait until his turn to tell her openly how he felt for her, tell her how much he missed and loved her.

The moment had nearly came; before a round of gunshots filled the air. And they were coming from the inside of the church.

[Guest]

Leah felt herself flush slightly when he returned the gesture by putting his arms around her waist; a feeling that’d long since left her, but a feeling that seemed so…right. She looked up at him rather expectantly, even though she wasn’t expecting anything at all—her miniature speech had quite clearly stated that. If he no longer loved her… He no longer loved her, and that was that. She would understand his sentiments if he didn’t love her anymore. She couldn’t take her gaze away from his, and from what she could tell, he couldn’t take his away from hers. That had to be a good thing, right?

However, just when Leah’s heart had raised slightly, thinking Eric was going to return the feelings, there was a loud and awful cracking sound… That, which could only be taken as the sound of a gunshot. The abruptness of it made Leah jump, and she took her arms away from Eric, looking towards the doors of the church. She was hesitant to go inside; she’d already seen so much blood and misery that she wasn’t sure she could handle anymore. In fact, she wouldn’t be surprised if she threw up the next time she saw a miserable and awfully heartbreaking thing… What if Mark got shot? What if Jason got shot? What if… well… anyone got shot? And killed, in the worst of situations? Leah took a wary step towards the door before stopping. She wanted to go in there and stop whoever was shooting. She wanted to go into the church and make sure that everybody was safe.

But she was scared, and she hated herself for it. “Eric…” Leah said quietly, turning back to Eric and searching him over a moment. He was bruised and battered to the bone, and she could tell that just by giving him one simple look. “You’re in no shape to do anything… Please stay out here.” Leah realized how idiotic she sounded, what a stupid request that was. Suddenly changing her mind, she shook her head, “Never mind. Come inside if you must…” Leah skipped up the church stairs two at a time before stopping on the platform. She took in a centering breath and looked inside.

Leah peered inside warily, her breath hitching in her throat as she that someone had indeed gotten shot. Whoever shot the gun was going to pay, in Leah’s mind. Even if it was Jason. She’d kick their ass so hard and chew them out until their ears bled. Rushing over to the wounded, Leah moved to a supportive position, glaring over the body for the bullet wound. As soon as she located it, she pressed her hand over it, bringing her hand back, a familiar red liquid coating her fingers. “Shit,” Leah murmured.

She was too preoccupied with stopping any bleeding at the moment to care who had the gun, and if they’d shoot her or somebody else. Ripping off a piece of her shirt, Leah wrapped it tightly over the wound. “I… We’ll need to get you to a hospital to get the bullet removed. The lead will damage you if it’s not taken out soon enough; or if the wound closes in over it.” Leah stared at the wound again, a small dot of blood seeping through the yellow of her shirt. “Gah… what happened?”

[Spritz]

It had been the right time; Eric couldn't think of anywhere, anytime better. He had just been about to tell Leah what he had been thinking, recite the thoughts that were racing through his head, relieve the tension and stress he had been holding so long; when the feirce crack of three sharp gunshots split through the air. The noise was sudden, but within a few seconds it was over. Eric hadn't had enough time to react, except his eyes had widened and his jaw had slackened. His grip around Leah faltered, before he clamped his hand around her arm, holding her back and trying to recover from the shock. What had just happened!? Who had the gun!? Whoever it was was obviously inside of the church, judging from the yelling and screaming that was erupting from the doors.

She pulled her arm away from him however, taking a step towards the church, then pausing. Eric was directly on her heels, attempting to grab her arm again and keep her from going inside. Instead, she turned around and began to speak. Eric let his arm drop to his side, but all he was thinking of was running and getting both him and Leah away from this place, away from any more danger. He shifted anxiously on his feet, his jaw tense and eyes glancing this way and that with every passing second.

Leah turned away from him, before running up to the church stairs and taking them two at a time. "Leah! No! Get back here!" It was already too late, she had reached the doors and slipped inside, the dark interior swallowing her body. "No!" Eric broke into a sprint, dodging the crowd of people that were flooding out of the building. The noise was intense, so loud that he felt like his head was about to explode. He was bumped and jostled, the crowd of desperate people flooding out of the church doors. Eric hadn't really realized how many were in there, and he kept anxiously glancing around for Mark, hoping he had made it out in time.

Once he slipped inside the church, he was forced to blink a few times to get used to the dim light. All of his nerves were on fire, and he felt slightly dizzy for a moment. Pausing, he desperatly looked for Leah, trying to find her in the cluttered mess. Cots were flipped over, blankets were strewn aside, and a few pillows had exploded; feathers drifting to the ground.
Then he saw her, bent down over a limp body and furiously trying to attempt something; Eric wasn't sure what he was doing. He ran over her the best he could, falling onto his knees right beside her. The teenage boy felt like a sitting duck, knowing that if they didn't get into hiding they could be the next ones shot at.

"Leah!"
He hissed out her name, before the injured man gave a gasp and a small groan of pain. Eric's heart was already beating faster than it ever had before, but when he realized who he was staring at it seemed to stop all together. "Noo.. Oh god no!" Mark feebly tried to sit up, but collapsed onto the floor once again. Eric's hands shot out in an instant, catching his body, but also getting coated with a warm, sticky fluid... Mark's blood. A pool of it was seeping out from underneith him, soaking through his thin t-shirt.

Suddenly, another thick shot rang through the air, and a nearby lightbulb exploded. The glass shards rained down, scattering over the floor and nearly showering Leah and Eric. It was like he was seeing everything in slow motion, his head whipping to the side; seeing the shadowed form of the shooter raise his handgun for another shot- pointed directly at the three people left in the nearly empty church.

"Hide!"
Eric lept up, grabbing Leah's arm and dragging her away from Mark. Either they left him where he was, or one of them ended up in the same condition. Eric dove behind a nearby piano, the only thing in the room that provided anything close to a shelter from the bullets that were no doubt coming. Pushing Leah onto the ground, the broken teenager had just thrown his body over hers when three more shots split through the air. The bullets tore through the silence, hitting the wall above and behind the hiding pair.

[Guest]

Leah heard Eric yelling desperately at her, but she couldn’t stand idly by and let more people die. She’d just managed to slip inside and bend down by the slowly-familiarizing features of Mark before the rest of the church had rushed to the doors. Leah couldn’t see Eric, and she eventually turned her back on the door, starting to tear off another bit of her shirt to pad the wound. “Please,” Leah whispered urgently, “Please hang in there! We…I’ll get you out of here…please don’t die on us…” Leah had just finished speaking to the badly injured man when Eric plopped himself down beside her. When Mark tried sitting up, Leah flinched towards him, attempting to keep her makeshift bandaging over the wounds. “Stop it, Er—” Leah froze when she saw the pool of blood that had reached her knees now.

When the lightbulb nearby exploded, Leah didn’t even move when the glass shards shattered down. She felt like her heart had stopped. She wanted to scream at Eric, at Mark, at anyone who was close enough to hear her. She wanted to scream at them, “Why is everybody dying!?” but her lips, as well as her limbs, refused to move. It felt like, ever so slowly, an icy covering was spreading through her, making it impossible for her to do anything besides breath; no, not even blink. Even as glass still fell down, everything seemed to go by slower than it should have gone. She’d told herself…she wouldn’t let anyone else get hurt…she’d go madly insane if she saw another drop of blood. Yet now that she was faced in this moment, with both of those things happening, neither of her thoughts were coming true. All that was coming true was the inability to cry, even though she wanted to.

Leah couldn’t bring herself out of the trancelike state, even when Eric grabbed her arm and dragged her away. Her eyes were glued to the red on the floor, Mark’s chest still moving up and down, though the movements seemed to be getting slower and slower…shorter and shorter. Suddenly, Leah shouted at Eric, “Stop it! We can’t just leave him there!” Leah heard her own voice crack as she yelled, tears welling up behind her eyes as she struggled back up to her feet so she wasn’t completely dragged across the floor. No…Mark couldn’t die… Leah wouldn’t let him die! The first person, besides Eric and the nicest woman she’d met at the ice cream shop, to ever be nice to her. To treat her and see her like an individual. Since there were only 3 people she knew that accepted her, losing one of them was a big deal to her. Leah couldn’t let Mark die. She’d sooner let herself be shot than let Mark lye there, with his death ensured.

He hadn’t even done anything wrong! Leah cursed herself when she felt hot tears running down her cheeks. Warm liquid…just like blood. Leah yelped suddenly when she was pushed onto the ground, the abrupt movement winding her, and she gasped for air. She didn’t have enough time to get air into her lungs before she felt Eric on top of her, seemingly shielding her from the bullets that she heard come next, only seconds after Eric had dropped onto her. Covering her head instinctively, Leah gasped for breath, her stomach aching each time she took a deep breath in—or, at least, tried to.

The tears had momentarily stopped flowing, giving her a chance to regulate her breathing. However, when she cast her glance back over to where Mark’s body still lay, blood beginning to pool farther around him, the yellow of the strips of her shirt stained mahogany, Leah shook her head, tears spilling over the sides of her eyes again. In her position, Leah couldn’t even bring her arms up to wipe off the tears. “Eric…” Leah choked between sobs. “Eric…all I see is red. Why is everybody dying!?” Her own words only made her cry harder, clenching her eyes shut, despite the position and situation they were in. Whoever had the gun was mad! Completely loopy! Whoever it was was trying to kill Eric and herself. She wouldn’t be able to bear it if they went over and shot Mark, to the point Leah would know the older man was dead. Leah’s throat constricted as she took in all the fear and grief that was swirling around in her heart, and all of it only made it even harder for her to breathe.

Shifting slightly, Leah allowed herself a quick glance at Eric before impulsively wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his chest. She’d only been this scared when she was chained to the bed where Matt had been, and being in that vulnerable position again only made her that much more afraid. Leah couldn’t stand anymore of this! It was driving her to the brink. Leah couldn’t estimate how much more of this she could take, but her body shook with both the overload of tears and shivering from fear. “All I see is red…” Leah murmured again. “Make it go away!”

[Spritz]

Sadness... it was everywhere. Eric sensed it in everything around him, and he couldn't help but wonder if it was his fault. Everyone he loved was being hurt; but for what the teen had no idea. Maybe he did deserve to live the way he had been, maybe that was the only choice. Taking Leah with him to the city had seemed like a great idea at the time, seemed like a great escape that would only bring them happiness later on. Unfortunatly, it hadn't gone that way. It had completley gone awry, thanks to Eric's planning and the enemies they seemed to have collected over these last few weeks. He couldn't help but shudder just thinking about what had nearly happened to Leah; and how he was powerless to stop it. With every day, his strength and hope was growing weaker, starting to trickle off into nothing. He was now in the right mindset to just return home, return to his old life filled with remorse.

The room was eerily silent, the throbbing sound of Eric's heartbeat filling his head. His strong body was still draped over Leah, but he was shivering and convulsing as silent sobs filled his throat. Leah had also started to cry; her shimmering tears rolling down her cheeks in pure horror of what had happened. And Eric couldn't do anything to comfort her. He had nothing to say that would make anything better, he himself was lost and didn't know what to do.

A hurried set of footsteps echoed throughout the building, then everything fell quiet once again. Mark's labored breathing caught Eric's attention, and immedietly he pushed himself up and away from Leah; who in turn was trying to seek comfort herself. He pryed her arms from around his neck, nostrils flaring as he tried to keep back tears. That would need to come later, Eric didn't have enough time for both of them. Crawling out from behind the piano, the teenager squinted and tried his best to see in the dark room. From what he saw, it looked like they were the only ones left in it, the shooter gone. He could only hope. Scrambling over to the gasping, writhing Mark, Eric swore under his breath and pulled his dark colored tee over his head, kneeling beside the dying man. The bleeding was profuse, a thick blossom of red liquid seeping out from under Mark's body.

"Come on, stay with me! Mark!" His voice quavered, catching in a soft sob. The older man's chest was rising and falling rapidly, eyes wide and lips parted. His face was deathly pale, and though Eric tried to stop himself from thinking it he knew that his friend's time was almost up. "No, no! Someone call 911! Please!" He balled up his tee shirt, pressing it over Mark's wide bullet would with growing horror. The man coughed, blood spilling over his lips and flooding down his chin. Eric slipped his arm under Mark's head,
"Eric-" The voice was a rasp, hardly loud enough to be heard. The teenager turned his eyes onto Mark, trying his best not to cry.
A few moments later, Mark's body fell limp. His eyes rolled back in his head, chest ceacing to rise and fall and heart beat slowly fading away.

Eric's shoulders hunched, dark eyes closing and body shaking with sobs. Tears streamed down his dirty cheeks, his hands soaked with Mark's warm blood. The older man lie there, his head cradled in Eric's arm, eyes staring distantly at the teen's face.

It was too late. Mark was dead.

[Guest]

Leah curled back into herself when Eric pushed her away. Was this all her fault? If they hadn’t fallen in love… if she didn’t love him so desperately… if she hadn’t left that damned ice cream parlor! None of this would’ve ever happened! She wouldn’t have nearly gotten raped by Matthew, Mark wouldn’t be dead, and Eric would be safe! Why?! Why was everything going red?! Why was the whole world a bloody mess?! Leah suddenly surged to her feet and stared daggers at Mark’s dead body. “My fault,” she murmured. “I...it’s my fault!” Leah wiped the tears off of her cheeks, the light abruptly disappearing from her eyes.

“So much red, Eric,” Leah said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. “It’s all I see anymore. How do I know I’m not in hell? Am I in hell? Are we in hell? Did I die? Did Matt…” Leah choked on her words. “Did… did he…. Did he finish? Am I dead? If I’m not dead…I sure as hell want to be.” Leah stumbled forward a few steps, a result of her being indecisive on whether to run or not. I want to ask him… I want to ask him to kill me now. I want to ask him to put me out of my suffering. I want to ask him….I want to tell him I’ve given up completely. I want to tell him that if he doesn’t kill me… I’ll find another way to die. I’ll go find Matthew and beg him to put me out of my misery… I’ll beg him to kill me!

Leah clenched her fists until her nails dug into her palms. “I’m sorry, Eric…I’m sorry all of this happened!” Leah turned on her heel and rushed out of the building, pushing her way through the people, not caring about the fact that she was being rude. Leah ran across the streets, nearly getting hit by a semi-truck once. Leah ran until she collapsed. She had no idea where she was…nor did she care anymore. Leah plopped down onto the ground and clutched at a huge cramp in her side. She’d run for at least half an hour…and by now, she could be anywhere. But why did it matter anymore? She was done…she was done with all the mindless suffering and mindless death. But how was she supposed to end her suffering in the middle of nowhere?

Leah looked around, eyes scanning the area for something she could use to permanently ender her suffering. Leah attempted to get to her feet, but her legs felt like jello, and she fell again. After a few more attempts to get to her feet that all ended in failure, Leah curled up into a ball. She wanted to cry so very badly… she wanted to shed tears until she’d cried herself dry. But no matter how much she wanted to cry, no tears came to her eyes. Leah took a shaky breath and relaxed, laying down on the ground, arms close to her chest and legs unfurled slightly. Maybe the best way to die was just to go in her sleep… Dying of being frozen was the only option she had at the moment.

“I’m sorry Eric,” Leah murmured, “I’m so sorry… I love you…I’m sorry, I’m sorry… why wouldn’t you believe me when I said I left to protect you…?” Leah was quiet a few more moments before crying out, “Do you believe me now?!” Leah finally felt a few tears trickle down her cheeks, but by now she was too tired to care, and she’d given up. She was finished. She was through! Leah found no meaning in life when everyone else around her was getting their lives taken from them without meaning! Leah closed her eyes and slowed her breathing. I’m done, she thought. Done.

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