Wrong Direction

Chapter 33: Blood

Holy fuck!

I pushed off the bed to run but she was already there. Her hand was around my neck as she pushed me into the back of the door. It made a loud thud as my head collided with the hard timber.

"Candice?"

It was Niall! I tried to push Olivia away and yanked at her arm to release my neck, but she was strong. I gasped for air as she squeezed even harder, warning me not to make a sound.

I could feel the tears running down my face, my eyes felt like they were going to explode from their sockets, and my lungs felt like they were on fire. I needed air, I needed air now.

And then she let go. I collapsed to the ground and sucked in the oxygen, my lungs being flooded as if they had never felt full before.

I rubbed my neck, my skin red raw from where her grip had been. I remained on my hands and knees, too weak to stand.

Something then touched the side of my head.

"Say one word," her icy voice cut through the air. "And I'll pull the trigger."

My heart left my body. She had a gun, and it was pointed to my head. The tears were uncontrollably flowing now, knowing that I may very well be dead soon.

Olivia was wearing a green hospital gown, which meant that she'd obviously escaped - and I knew that it wouldn't have been any ordinary hospital, it was probably for mental patients.

Dad had been so wrong. She wasn't fine, or even the slightest bit better. Instead, she was holding a gun to my head.

"Should have told me the right room number, Candice." The way she said my name sent chills deep into my bones. "I hate nothing worse than a liar."

"I'm s-sorry," I scoffed.

"Shh!" She pressed the gun harder against my temple. "Don't you dare."

Two voices then came from just outside the room.

"Candice, it's Harry," his voice coming from only inches away from the door. "Are you okay?"

"I thought I heard a thud," Niall called then. "You're allowed out of your room you know."

"Maybe I scared her," I heard Harry say to Niall.

"Well, unscare her then." Niall laughed.

If only they knew.

"I'm sorry, Candice," Harry said then, the sincerity in his voice forcing more tears to pour out - he had no idea. "Please come out, have a cuppa with me. I was only mad because you worried me so much."

I swallowed hard, Olivia frozen like a statue as she waited for Harry to leave.

"You know, I've never had to worry about anyone really," he continued. Fuck Harry, now wasn't exactly the time. "And you're always so relaxed about everything, that I feel like I need to be more worried to make up for you being so chilled."

I heard him chuckle. I closed my eyes, willing him to walk away. If he opened the door, I couldn't even imagine what would happen.

Still on my hands and knees, my breath now back to panicked instead of dying, my brain fog starting to clear. Harry was going to leave any moment, I had to do something. I clenched my fists and got ready.

"Candice, please com-"

I pushed off the ground so fast that Olivia had no time to react before I grabbed the gun in her hand, forcing her aim away from me with a simultaneous blood-curdling scream that I never knew I had inside of me...

Everything happened as if in slow motion, yet was over so fast. As I held Olivia's gun hand away from me, her legs kicking me, winding me, my scream vibrating through the air... the door came crashing down. Harry and Niall looked at me, then at the gun that Olivia held - her aim now almost back on me as I struggled to hold her - their faces in complete shock. They didn't hesitate, they were on top of Olivia within a split second. I was thrown out of the mix onto the ground while they tried to yank the gun from her. There were limbs everywhere, Olivia being completely crushed by them.

And then... it happened.

BANG

I forced myself up as fast as I could and pushed my hair out of my face to see.
Niall then rolled over, the gun now in his hand, revealing Harry and Olivia, and a pool of blood.

"Oh my God!" I threw my hand over my mouth.

"Shit, Harry are you alright!?" Niall slid the gun across the floor and rolled Harry over.

He groaned in pain.

"Fuck!" Niall yelled, throwing his hand over Harry's stomach.

But not before I saw it, the gaping hole. Blood gushing from Harry. And Olivia, just laying there, completely limp. Her eyes were stuck open... Blood covered her green hospital gown - was she dead?
My eyes then found Harry again, realising that only one shot had been fired, what was going on, had they both been shot!?

"Candice!!! Candice!!!" Niall's voice shuddered the air.

I quickly blinked to refocus on what was happening.

"Call an ambulance!!!" Niall shouted at me.

I quickly dove for Harry's phone that had ended up on the floor and dialled triple zero. A lady picked up and I yelled at her, trying to tell her everything over the phone, my voice completely trembling barely making any sense.

The next few minutes passed like hours. Niall and I pressed on his wound and tried to stop the bleeding.

"Don't you dare give up you bastard!" Niall kept yelling.

Niall eventually took off his shirt and wrapped it around Harry's stomach. But nothing was really helping.

"Help!!" I screamed, hoping that someone could hear us. But it was just us three in the apartment, every one had left.

"Candi-iice," Harry whispered.

I leant in closer so my face was only an inch from his. "I'm here," I sobbed. This couldn't be it, this couldn't be the end.

"I think... I think I love yo-"

Harry went limp.

I was in an instant panic and cried, clutching his face to mine.

"Shit!" Niall yelled. "Candice, we can do this!"

I looked up at Niall and the determination on his face made me pull my shit together. This wasn't going to be the end. I wouldn't let it.

Niall was in tears at points as we took it in turns to give CPR, blood covering us head to toe.

Then suddenly the paramedics burst through the door and pushed us away. I didn't want to leave him, he felt cold, he needed me. And then strong arms were around me, carting me away as I screamed after Harry.

He disappeared out of sight as Weldon carted me off, the apartment now filled with everyone - everyone in shock horror as they glanced at my bloodied clothes and hands, wondering what was happening.

I looked up at Lil's face, tears welling over her rosie cheeks. And then I remembered Olivia, and her stone cold eyes. She was dead. Lil's mother was dead. And so was Harry.