Hostage

22: Done

I wake up the next morning and hear Billie in the shower. Although I love her, I don't feel like I can do anything anymore. For the past two weeks, I've been horribly depressed. Billie and Finneas have noticed and have tried to cheer me up, but nothing worked. I fell into a 50-foot hole and can't get out. There's only one way to escape the guilt of the world: death.

I grab a slip of paper and a pen, sitting down, and begin to write my note to Billie, explaining my situation as much as I possibly can.

To Billie

This is the last thing you would want to find from me. Or from anyone, for that matter. By the time you find this note, the deed may be done. If I haven't done the deed by the time you read this, it'll be too late. There's no saving me. I love you so much. Thank you for everything you've done for me. Even though you kidnapped me and ran over my parents, I'm grateful that I was able to spend time with you. You've been helping me for several years with my troubles, but I feel like I can't be helped anymore. I feel like I'm drowning. I'll miss you so much, but I'll see you whenever you die.

-Aubrey

"Yeah," I whisper. "Yeah, it's good enough." 

I place the note on the bed and sneak downstairs. Finneas is on the couch watching some TV. I open the kitchen drawer silently and pull out a steak knife. Unfortunately, the utensils click against each other. He looks at me. 

"Aubrey? What're you doing he asks?"

"I saw a group of people outside," I lie. "They looked kind of angry. They went around the side of the house as I saw from my window. So I'm going to chase them away and make sure they don't come back."

He smiles. "Go get them, tiger!"

I open the front door and wander out in the yard in view of his perspective through the window. I look around acting clueless for a few moments. He looks at me. I shrug. I take a deep breath and raise the steak knife to my heart. His eyes widen in horror as he scrambles up and lunges for the front door, throwing it open and rushing towards me.

But he's too late.

The deed's been done.

I hear him beginning to scream for Billie as my vision begins to fade as a searing pain shoots through my body, particularly my heart. I hear it slow down until it stops completely. I fall to the ground. The last thing I see is a familiar pair of ocean eyes staring down at me, tears dripping onto my skin.

The last words I hear are from the person with the ocean eyes.

"I love you."

Everything goes black as the world stops around me.