Something About The Sunshine

Chapter Twenty-Three

I had run out of breath what felt like hours ago and had lost track of how long I had been running, but I continued as fast as my legs could carry me. The trees that surrounded me seemed to blur, the moon shined over me but only gave very little light to my path. I had to get out, I had to get away from him.

Suddenly a familiar voice called out to me, causing me to halt in my tracks within the dark forest.

"Grayson", I whispered softly to myself, hoping and praying he would call out again. Grayson could save me, he could be my hero.

"Leah?! Leah, I'm here", he yelled out. I immediately ran towards his voice, the sting of the leaves, rocks, and sticks under my bare feet were painful but I was steadfast to reach my destination. I jumped over logs and swerved through the trees, his frantic voice getting louder and louder with each step I took. Just the thought of being in his warm and comforting embrace seemed to urge me to run even faster.

Before I knew it I had made it to the edge of the forest where Grayson stood in a clearing. He seemed to be turning and looking for me until he saw me among the trees. His beautiful blue eyes turned from worried to relieved as he opened his arms to me.

"Let's go home little goddess", he smiled. And it was like the sun had begun to rise from behind him. The long night was over and I could now bask in the sun with the love of my life. My Grayson. I didn't think twice to run towards him as I smiled. He was here, I was saved.

I was mere feet away from him, my finger tips merely inches away from him when a loud shot was heard. I felt my stomach drop and the world seemed to be moving painfully slow as a look of shock took over Grayson's face... at the same time a dark red stain began to bleed through the abdomen of the white shirt he was wearing.

I reached him just as he began to fall to the ground and laid his head against my lap as the wound only grew bigger. Tears fell from my eyes and down my cheeks. I looked up as sobs rocked my body and saw Jordan with a gun still pointed at us at the tree line I had just emerged from.

"Maybe I'll always be the villain in your story, but now at least I know you'll never have your hero", he said void of any emotion as he turned around and walked back into the forest.

I looked back down at Grayson to see his eyes hazy as he struggled to breathe. This couldn't be happening, I couldn't lose him.

He grabbed one of my hands with his as my other hand moved his hair from his face as he began to look pale and sickly. It was like the sun itself was leaving his body.

"G-Grayson I can't go on w-without you. Please stay with m-me", I cried.

"I l-love you L-Leah", he whispered. I cried harder as I noticed the grip he had on my hand was loosening. I was loosing him.

"I love you too Grayson", I said trying to smile through my tears as
I pressed my lips to his. I wanted to freeze the moment, in a moment where he wasn't gone yet. Suddenly I felt his body go slack and I pulled back quickly only to be met with his blue eyes left lifeless. It felt like a gaping hole was inside of me. A sadness and anger I couldn't explain began to take over my body. I screamed and cried Grayson's name over and over again. I wanted the forest- no the world- to know my pain, to know my suffering. I screamed with everything I had in me, and knew that when I was done I'd go right back into the forest and make Jordan regret what he had done.

But for now I would scream, I'd scream till the world shook.

"GRAYSON!"

Then suddenly my eyes opened as I felt my body shaking and a voice calling out my name in a worried, frantic tone. Was it really?