Unstable (Sequel to Twisted)

Chapter 9

Harry.

I mouthed his name, and my head dropped back just when I could feel my world physically tip upside down. My world was pure black for a few moments; the darkest black I had ever witnessed. It was darker than when I first met with Harry back in that run-down building-it was darker than being locked in a closet.

Like Harry once told me, this darkness was empty. Void. It was nothing.

Everything was so quiet and peaceful.

There was no noise.

There was no screaming.

There was absolutely nothing. It was actually full of nothingness.

Death is peaceful.

Death is easy.

I almost felt like smiling at the serenity that washed over me. I've spent nothing but hours and days feeling terrified 27/7 and depressed, so it was nice for a change to feel this tranquility.

Maybe death isn't so bad.

And suddenly-light swarmed everything. My eyes were opened, and I saw just in time as I fell to the ground. My throat was burning like it was on fire, and noises-violent coughing and spurts-were coming out of my mouth, spit dripping down my chin. My eyes were wide in confusion as I grasped onto the carpet, my senses returning in mere seconds.

I was alive?

I gingerly touched my neck, and my skin felt hot and throbbing under my touch. I could hear sounds from behind me, and I turned over my shoulder just in time to see Liam Payne pressing Zayn into the wall, holding him to it with a huge grasp of his collar. Zayn didn't look scared or even remorseful; he just stared at Liam with a blank expression.

"...Harry will kill you," Liam snarled. "He's going to fucking kill you, you know that right?"

"I don't care." Zayn replied boldly. "The bitch needs to die. She's nothing but a distraction. I don't know why Harry's so interested in her anyway."

A low sob racked through me when all the pain was returning to me, washing away the numbness. My throat felt like it had been stepped on by an elephant, and I was weeping loudly, unable to control my fear as I backed up against the wall, cradling my knees to my chest. I began rocking myself, my bangs plastered to my face from all the tears.

I almost died.

I almost died.

I could still feel his fingers around my throat. I could still feel the harshness of his voice-the blood oozing from the side of his face.

And suddenly-unlike before, I didn't want to die. I wanted to go out and see more of the world, I wanted to get another coffee from the nearby store, and I wanted to feel the sun again. I had so much more things I've never done before that I still wanted to do-so much more to live for.

I didn't want to die.

I wanted to live.

And I was literally moments from everything being completely over.

Footsteps sounded into the room, and the first person to walk in was Niall. His blonde hair struck me, and his blue eyes immediately glanced at Perrie and then at me. His face was expressionless as he turned and saw Liam yelling at Zayn again, shaking him roughly, trying to get the other boy to understand the current predicament he was in right now.

"What the fuck is going on here?" Harry's harsh voice sounded then, and Niall moved out of the way just as Harry came into the room. His dark emerald eyes were instantly on me, taking in my disheveled form and my tears, and his entire face twisted into an ugly, furious expression. I've seen that expression before-I've seen it when that one man picked me up and tried running with me. He only had that truly deadly furious face when he was ready to literally kill someone.