The Drowning Girl

sixteen

I stood slowly, my hands shaking as I stared directly at him. Trying to memorize every little detail, every colour of his eyes. He tipped the gun to the door, my bare feet moving quicker than I thought possible. I cried out the moment I stepped out of the door, stepping on tiny pieces of glass. I whimpered as he pushed me foreword, tears streaming down my face as I hobbled the best I could.

Down a flight of stairs, a bare house with nothing in the center except a single chair. He walked me passed it, outside into a black van with no windows. The door was open in the back, my face turning to glance back at him before I got in slowly. He shut the door, the sound of a lock making my heart race before I glanced to the front.

A piece of clear plastic was between me and the drivers seat. He was protected, I was stuck in the back. I glanced around, desperate to find something to protect myself. Anything.

All I got was a small piece of metal, sharped to a point. I grasped it tightly, palming it as I stared at the front, watching him get into the seat. He started the engine, my eyes glancing at our surroundings the best I could.

It didn't help me much, seeing trees and open fields. He drove me for over an hour, at least. I knew I was exhausted, if not worse, because my body kept wanting to shut down. I kept wanting to sleep, to shut my eyes and let myself fall again.

He finally stopped, the light gone outside of the van. I held my breath as he got out, listening to the gravel crunch beneath his feet as he came around to open the door. I stared at him, his gun pointing at me.

"Where are we?" I whispered, the cock of his gun spurring me into action. I fell onto the gravel, whimpering at the gravel hitting my knees. He unlocked his gun as I struggled standing, the metal biting against my skin as I walked. I stopped half way around the van, my eyes wide as I looked at the building in front of me.

Brandon's bike shop, I remember seeing photos of the building. The big garage door was open, lights on five chairs in front of me. I could barely breathe at the sight, all five of my boys sitting calmly in folding chairs with two men behind them, holding shot guns.

"What?"

"Move." His voice sounded automated, computerized almost. I walked forward, the only indication my boys saw me being the straightening of their bodies.

I stood directly in front of Axel, maybe seven or eight feet in front of them. Tears fell down my cheeks, almost sluggish, like they knew they didn't have much water to give.

"Let her go, we've given you what you want." Axel sounded different, stronger, but it all felt fake. Like he was terrified but was desperate not to show it.

I winced at the shot gun moving, one pointing to Raven, one pointing to Marc. I turned my head slightly, looking to Volto where he stood behind me.

"What do you want?" I asked, my heart hurting within my chest as I stared at him. His head cocked to the side, and I almost felt his grin behind his mask.

"Their pain."

The gun cocking was quick, but I was desperate. The metal within my palm stabbed his neck the same moment his gun went off. I could hear the scuffle behind me, thankfully no more gun shots, but all I could see were those dark eyes staring at me as the blood splattered across my face.

I collapsed, taking his body weight with me. I couldn't breathe, my eyes staring up at the bright light above the garage. It was a big fluorescent light, illuminating the sign to the garage. I couldn't breathe, the feeling of blood within my lungs practically bubbling up.

I heard ringing in my ears, before the worst sound I think I had ever heard in my life. It was an anguished scream, Corey's voice penetrating the haze I was stuck within.

His eyes were that pretty blue, staring at me. But right now, they looked worse than Brandon's eyes. His screams were so loud, tears falling like I hadn't seen before from him. Corey, Corey was my happy sunshine. He was my joy, my sun, he was what kept me together.

The body moved off of me as Axel lifted me into his arms. I had a million questions, how the hell did they get those guys with the shot guns so fast? How did he get taken, yet alone all of them?

But I wanted to sleep. I want to shut my eyes and let that take me. It was easy, it was simple.

And it's what I did.