Paper Birds

Chapter Fifteen ; Edge Of The City

I felt Harry jerk out of my grasp while Dylan kept running. I was being torn apart. 

I tightened my grip on Dylan's hand and yanked him back so I was close to his ear. 

"Run to the end of the street," I hissed, heart pounding. "Don't stop. Don't look back." 

He didn't give me a second glance as he took off, the echoes leaving his feet one of the only sounds in the night.

Really the only thing I could think about at that moment was the song "Oh, Love" by Green Day. Yes, when I'm saving a kid who's being hunted down by a killer I think of Green Day. Don't judge me.

I narrowed my eyes at Harry, irritated that he stopped. 

"Aye, I remember you," Talon smirked, a really creepy smug look plastered on his face. "You're the little guy in the alley." He leaned over to the side, staring directly into my soul. "With the Coligan kid." 

What was so appeasing about my last name that everybody called me by it?

"Yeah, where I kicked all of your asses," Harry growled. 

Talon laughed, a deep throaty laugh. "Ah, kid, I had laesic eye surgery that day, eh? I was friggin' blind. No wonder you kicked our asses."

"And where did you get the money for that?" I asked, placing my hand on my hip, "Robbing a bank? Gas station?"

"I'm not the only good gambler around 'ere, Coligan."

"Why are you here?" 

"For the other kid. The one who just ran away like a little mouse." He paused, but only for a moment. "But now that you two are here, maybe Coligan and I can work out a little something."

"There's no way I'm making another bet you with you."

He laughed, again. "I don't wanna bet. I want money and I want it now. I know you have your old man's credit card with you right now, don't you? All of the Coligan kids get a fair share."

Harry stomped closer to Talon, his breath growing ragged with anger. "You lay a finger on her-"

Talon gripped Harry's head and shoved him to the side, marching towards me. I gasped when I heard Harry's neck crack. I cursed under my breath every swear word I could think of and dodged Talon's attempt to grab me, rushing over to Harry's side. He jerked his neck up and it cracked again, the whites of his eyes no longer white. 

Talon whirled around. One of his eyes twitched as he reached for me, grabbing my bad wrist and yanking me forward. I yelped as he tored one of the sleeves to my sweatshirt, grabbing the hood and wrapping tightly around my neck so I wasn't able to scream. Or breathe. 

"I'm going to tear everything off of you until I get every last penny you own-" 

His voice was cut off, though I could see what was happening. Talon pushed me aside so I hit the front of a building, hard. I coughed over and over, swearing my lungs would burst, when Harry threw a punch at Talon's face. Talon caught it and threw his arm down, though Harry was too quick. He sent a kick directly into Talon's gut, knocking out his breath for only a second. Bam, bam, bam! Three more hits to the side of Talon's face. I tored off the rest of my hoodie to prevent him from choking me again with it in the future, getting up off of the wall and high-kicking Talon's jaw. I heard it snap just before Harry was elbowed in the face, knocked over onto the pavement. His body went limp and Talon kicked him. Rage burst into a burning fire in my chest. I dug my nails into Talon's head.

"Don't you touch him you filthy son of a-"

Talon gripped my neck and shoved me up against the wall. I felt my feet leave the ground as he squeezed my neck harder, just as I heard footsteps coming down on the cement.

"Claire!" 

I glanced to the side, flailing every limb I owned, to see Dylan. He tossed me his shotgun and I just barely caught it, jamming the barrel into Talon's side. He let go of my neck, almost allowing me to be free, until he smashed my head into the bricks and the whole world went dark. 

-----

White.

She was being bathed in white. There was nothing around her. Everything was white.

She blinked but once, now having company. Green eyed and curly haired to her right, hazel eyed and straight haired to her left. 

She blinked again. More. One to the front, one to the back, both of which she recognized. Both brown-eyed. Like hers. Family. 

Bang.

Green eyes held the gun. She looked down, blood starting to bleed through her white dress.

Bang.

Hazel eyes held the gun. She looked down, a second spot bleeding through her chest.

Bang.

Bang.

The brown eyes held guns. She crumpled to the ground.

Like paper. 

 My eyes burst open. Stars. Stars in the night, the dark blue sky having blaring stars. It was too bright.

The floor I was laying on was cold. It was rough. Must be cement. I hoisted myself off of the ground, taking in my surroundings. Everything was blurry and shaking. 

There was a boy with green eyes, standing over a body. Standing over Talon. He was holding a gun.

"Claire, I'm sorry. I-I had to. He was going to kill you. I h-had to shoot him." 

Tears were streaming down his face, but they didn't fool me. He'd shoot me too. Just like he did before. 

The gun fell to the ground. I raced for it, gripping it with both of my hands and aiming at the green eyed boy's face.

"Now I'm not going to let you shoot me, too." I didn't recognize my own voice. The boy's eyes widened and pure horror filled his face. More tears.

"Clarissa, what are you doing? Why are you pointing a gun at me?" 

"I'm not going to let you kill me again."

"What are you talking about?" He was crying. Sobbing, more like it. 

"Claire, what're you pointing a gun at 'im for?" 

I whipped around, pointing the gun at the next face. Hazel eyes. 

"I'm not going to let you kill me either." 

Hazel Eyes threw his hands up. "What the hell-"

Brown Eyes would show up too, soon, both of them. 

"I'm not going to let you kill me!" I screamed, turning around and pointing the gun at Green Eyes again. Hot liquid streamed down my face and fell to the floor.

"I'm not, I'm not..." 

Suddenly the pavement rushed up very quickly to meet me. I let myself fall into oblivion and dreamt of white.