𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆. [five hargreeves 𝑥 reader]

𝐬 𝐢 𝐱.

We left without another word, slightly confused by our sudden release. I rumaged through my bag as Luther closed the gate behind us. There were toiletries and random snacks, but my eyes caught sight of a small black box, tied with red ribbon. Curious, I pulled it out and untied the ribbon, before opening the box to reveal multiple tiny sandwiches.

"Hey, did you get these too?" I asked Luther, grinning at the small box. He looked through his bag, but instead of a box, he pulled out a jar labelled 'Cashew Butter'. I smiled at the strange thoughtfulness of the individual gifts.

"Psst!" A whisper echoed as Luther and I looked to each other, "Luther! Hey!"
We spotted Sloane leaning out of a window at the same time. Luther looked at me as if to ask what to do. I smiled at his love-struck face.
"I'll meet you back at the hotel." I grinned, leaving Luther alone with Sloane.

The city was dark, safe for the lights of the cars rushing by. I strolled down the sidewalk, unsure of the way back to the hotel. I decided it was best if I found something to occupy me until day, when the threat of being kidnapped again wasn't so high.
There was a slight breeze, which flowed through my hair and sent a shiver down my spine. I suddenly got the feeling I was being watched, and that was enough for me to run.

The wind caught in my throat as my cheeks burned with the cold breeze against my face. I turned into an alleyway, knowing I could find enough twists and turns to get away. I could faintly hear footsteps close behind, but I couldn't be sure that I wasn't hallucinating. My anxiety was only heightened though, when a shout from the person behind me echoed throughout the alleyway.
"Hey! Hey, girlie!" The voice was slurred and deep, "I just wanna talk to you!"

I kept running, not daring to look back, and continued through the maze of back alleys. I came to a fence, similar to the one I was so used to climbing at home. But there was no dumpster for me to climb onto, to haul myself up and over. In a desperate attempt, I tried to hold onto the wood, but it was sharp and my grip didn't last. Helpless, I turned around to face the figure.

"Relax, girlie. I just wanna talk to you." The figure was concealed in a hoodie so I couldn't see their face.
"Stay the hell away from me..." I choked over my words, my voice coming out much less confident than I'd hoped.
"Or what? You gonna hurt me?"
Somehow I managed a laugh, "Watch me."

The same tight feeling formed in my chest as the alleyway began to glow a faint blue, the light from my hands illuminating the area around us. Like at the Sparrow Academy, a wave of energy sprung from me, though this time I landed on the ground gently, instead of falling to a heap. The man laid still on the concrete.

After I was sure he wasn't about to move, I crept over to him. There was zero sign of movement, and another wave of fear washed over me. Instead of fear for my life, it was fear for his. I tried checking his pulse, but there was nothing. He wasn't breathing either. That was when I noticed the dark puddle forming around his head.

I jumped back in shock. I'd just killed a man. I hadn't meant too, but there was now a dead man lying before me, and it was my fault. Despite fearing my life because of this stranger, I felt more than just guilty. Did he deserve to die? Not really, I don't think so. I didn't mean to kill him, just to hurt him enough so that I could get away. But now I forever had this engraved in my conscience; I was a murderer.

A similar wave of energy to the one that I'd just released, swept over me and back again. And that was all I needed to know that I was in fact, hallucinating. There was no body before me, only the puddle remained. But how could I be sure it was blood, and not just mud or dirt. How could I be sure that the man had ever really existed, and my mind hadn't just been fooling me? It'd all felt so real, but it seemed easier to accept that it was just a hallucination, and that I hadn't actually killed someone.