Out of My Mind (COMPLETED)

Chapter Twenty-Six

Brayden's POV

In that instant, my entire world stopped.

"NO!"

This isn't real this isn't real this isn't real.

There's no way my father of thirteen years is laying on the ground in a way no body should lay. My heart is broken all over the place. There are pieces of it lodged in my throat, making it hard to breathe. There are pieces clawing at my insides, trying to get out get out get out. 

I struggle to make my way towards Dad, my body not functioning properly due to shock. This isn't real. Skyler, who has gone pale, is standing beside him with her mouth open. Is she screaming? I can't hear anything. I get to the ground, sliding Dad into my arms. Tears are spilling uncontrollably from my eyes as Dad's head lies in the crook of my arm. I don't want to find the soft spot on his neck where I can find his pulse.

I don't want to know that it's over. Wake up wake up wake up.

"No," I sob. My voice trembles with the wake of the earthquake shaking shattering splintering everything inside of me. The warmth from Dad's body is slowly fading and I can't let him slip away. I can't.

I hiccup a sob. "You can't leave me, Alastair Smith." I pause, searching his face with my eyes. "Not like this," I add in a whisper.

Dad is worth so much more than this. He deserves a better death than this one. This isn't real. This is just a silly trick he's playing on me.

"Mia," I call out, not knowing what my body is up to because my brain has packed its bags and shipped itself off to somewhere unknown.

The faint sound of soft footsteps and sniffling grows closer and closer until the footsteps stop. Another sniffle and I know it's Mia and that she's standing right behind me.  Without looking at her, I know she's a mess.

"Mia, I need you to check his pulse." What the hell am I saying? He's not gone! A twitch of his hand catches my attention and I want to scream at myself, he's not dead he's not dead he's not dead!  My eyes fall shut as another tidal wave of tears spill over my bottom lids.

I hear her footsteps again and I open my eyes. Everything is blurry, but Mia's sad, hazel orbs are searching my face. I blink a few times to clear the blurriness away and then my girl's beautiful, teary face comes into view.

"Please," I plead to her, having no control over my mouth. "Please do it for me."

Why am I making her check his pulse? I can feel his heartbeat I swear. Wait, am I feeling my heartbeat?

Mia's fingers hesitantly find that damn soft spot on the side of his neck. All of the pieces of my heart and soul are choking my windpipe. Like hands, they squeeze hard until I'm gasping for air.

When she pulls her bottom lip between her teeth and her voice breaks as she whispers, "I'm so sorry, Bray," I lose it. A deafening sob overcomes me and the pain that comes with it is devastating. I barely feel Mia wrap her arms around me from behind. I barely hear her tell me she's sorry over and over again. I barely hear her quiet sobs.

So this is what it feels like. Living, but dying, all at once.

This can't be real.

I look down at Alastair Smith, who's gone still in my arms. Most of my tears have fallen onto his paling-by-the-second face. I gently drag my hand over his face, getting rid of the wetness my tears have created. I take in his features: His parted lips, which were once a deep pink, are now pale and his eyes, which were once a blazing emerald green, are now a lifeless thunderstorm-cloud grey. And they're wide open. Wait, what?