If Only

Chapter 26 - The Line

"Please," I mumbled pathetically, wishing I was strong enough to face the animal, knowing I wasn't.

But it was as if the words that had leaked from me somehow snapped something in the animal, and it suddenly bowed its head in submission. I could only stare, watch with confusion as the animal that had just torn a man to shreds in front of me now turned docile and tame. My breath was still coming in shallow pants, and when the animal slowly looked up towards me, my breath caught in my throat.

Forest green eyes stared at me, unwavering and confident as ever.

This couldn't be real. It couldn't be.

Greyson was just here. Right here. And now there was only an animal staring at me with all too familiar eyes.

Heavy footsteps entered the room quickly, and I quickly jerked my head up to find Will, Zane, Lizzy and Paige looking at the room with momentary shock before their attention was directed at me. I shot up to my feet, my entire body unsteady as I quickly made my way towards them.

"Leave! We need to go!" I yelled at them, but their faces remained unchanged, stoic even. As if the huge animal in my living room didn't phase them in the slightest.

They didn't understand what this beast had just done. It was a beast, I reassured myself, because even entertaining the idea of it being anything else was insane. I needed to keep them away. Keep them safe.

"We need to go!" I repeated.

Nobody budged, and I wondered if they were all in shock. I didn't blame them, I thought I was in shock too. I started pushing on the body closest to me as I pleaded for them to move. This seemed to grab their attention, but their feet still stayed planted. Will's hands came down to grab my own, preventing me from pushing him any more.

"I know this seems crazy," Lizzy suddenly rushed out, taking a few steps towards me.

"It's real though. You're not going insane," Paige reassured me, staring as if she knew exactly what was going through my head. "Shit, this was not supposed to go down like this," she continued.

"N-no. That... beast thing just killed Josh. That's what happened. We should call the police," I blurted out, my mind refusing to piece together what I already knew.

"We can't do that, Sammy," Zane asserted, and I couldn't stop shaking my head in disbelief.

Not real. Not real. Not real.

But then I heard bones snapping, shifting into and out of place. I saw Zane toss a pair of shorts behind me, and did not hear them hit the floor. Then there was a zipper, footsteps.

Not real. Not real. Not real.

I couldn't stop myself from turning around, and there stood Greyson, only wearing shorts as he stared at me with those forest green eyes. I released a breath. Then another. Then one more. My eyes traveled to the dead man on the floor, and then back to Greyson.

"I can't...I don't. I need space," I choked out, turning back around and leaving the room in a haste. I had no idea what to say, no idea how to react. I made my way to the parking lot, searching for some fresh air and some space. And to somehow figure out what was going through my head. I sat on the curb, wincing at the discomfort in my ribs.

What was the right way to react to this? To finding out my best friends, the only people I had in this world, were hiding such a secret from me. To seeing Greyson not only turn into an animal, but kill Josh. Not kill him, tear him apart. Josh, who had been pointing a gun at me in Tyson's name.

Greyson saved my life. Greyson turned into a beast. Greyson killed a man.

Was killing justified in the name of protection? Where was the line, the one that made people good and bad? I wanted to laugh, I had known for some time now that it was never that simple. But damn, how much easier life would be if it was.