A Home Among the Stars (EDITING NEW VERSION TO BE POSTED)

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

3 years later…

The ropes dug into my wrists as I tried to pull them off.

“So you thought you could be a leader?” A voice came from the doorway. Erik walked into the room, gun clutched in his hand and a smirk on his lips. “With this by your side?” He lifted Brian’s head with the end of the gun, making my breathing stop. When Erik cocked the gun, panic rose in my chest.

“Don’t hurt him!” I cried out. Erik raised his eyebrows.

“He really means that much to you? How sweet. Too bad I can’t let him live.”

“No! Erik, please! He hasn’t done anything to you!”

“That is true, but he matters to you. If I hurt him, bit by bit, it breaks you.” He smirked again. I realized he wasn’t joking. Seventeen years old and he was willing to kill someone because they were associated with me.  He was really going to kill Brian if I didn’t do something fast. “So Brian, any last words?” Erik asked, letting Brian’s head fall. He slowly looked up at me, eyes dull; as if he had already accepted the fact he wasn’t going to see the sunrise. When he spoke, his voice was solemn.

“Val, I love you. Always did. You had that spark of life I didn’t think was possible after my parents. You were the bright light at the end of the tunnel. I don’t know what I would have done without you. You made my last days amazing and I’m glad I got to spend them with you. I have no idea what I would do if the roles were reversed. I’m not sure I could even survive without you. But I know that I want you to move on, protect the gang and the ones that depend on you.”

“Brian, please, stop talking like you’re going to die. Please,” I choked out, the tears streaming freely down my face. With every word he was saying, cracks were spreading throughout my heart.

“Val, I know what is coming. There is no stopping it now. I love you and I wish we could have more time, but I would do it all again exactly the same if I was given another chance. I wouldn’t change a thing.”

“Brian…” I sobbed.

“Think of me when you look at the stars,” with that, he looked at Erik, as if giving him the signal.

“Well, that was touching. Really, beautiful, Brain.”

“Erik! Please! I’ll do anything! Just let him live! Please!” I cried, desperate at this point.

Erik froze and stared at me, his eyes questioning. For an amazing moment, I thought he would let him live.

“Sorry. No can do.” I opened my mouth to plead more, but the bang of the gun going off silenced me. I quickly looked over at Brian,

Just in time to see his limp form drop to the ground. I screamed and retched myself from the guard’s arms. I pulled my hands from the ropes, twisting my wrist painfully in the process.

Quickly, I knelt down beside Brian and stared into his dull, dead eyes.

“No…no!” I sobbed, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. He was gone. My Brian was gone. The guard grabbed me and pulled back as another dragged Brian’s body out of the room. I collapsed to the floor, crying harder than I ever had in my life.

“Well, that was actually quicker that I expected,” Erik said, a happy tone in his voice. He looked at me and smirked. I looked at him.

My look promised hate.

My look promised anger.

But most of all,

My look promised revenge.

**********

The guard threw my tired body into the sand. I didn’t move from the spot where I landed. The truck they brought me here in drove away and I was left in the dark silence of the night.

In what little comfort the sand provided, I cried. And cried. And cried. I sobbed gently into the night, wallowing in the pain that comes with loosing someone that you love.

Eventually, the tears stopped coming and I rolled over to look up at the stars. I thought about Brain’s last words.

Think of me when you look at the stars.

         I would have done so even if he hadn’t said that. The stars twinkle, just like Brian’s eyes when he was happy. I would have remembered that forever.

But what wouldn’t I give to see those blue eyes again.

Another tear escaped my eye as a car pulled up on the sand. I heard the doors click open and scared voices.

“Oh my god. Is she…” I heard Robyn’s voice say. My second in command couldn’t even finish the sentence. Faces appeared over mine, blocking my view of the night sky. I saw Zach’s, Robyn’s, Chris’s and even Katie’s faces hovering above mine. I closed my eyes, wanting to look at the stars again.

“No, she’s alive,” Zach said.

“Val… are you okay?” Katie asked, her small voice ringing clear in the cool air. I didn’t reply, and kept my eyes closed.

“What happened?” Chris demanded, obviously getting frustrated.

“He’s gone,” I whisper. Everyone hears me though. Their silence is a sure sign of that. No one speaks as someone picks me up and gently lays me in the car. The ride back to the apartments is a quiet one. The only sound penetrating my ears being the sound of the road beneath the car. I didn’t react when someone picked me up again and carried me to my apartment, laying me on my bed. My tears returned and soon, my pillow was soaked.

I fell asleep wishing the bed didn’t have a cold, empty space in it.