Locked Out of Heaven [Complete]

Part 22

Black spots swam before Roberto's eyes and he knew rather than felt that he was in pain. He forced his eyes open and felt something wet on the side of his head. A persistent ringing bounced back and forth in his skull. Ah, that was why his head felt like it was going to burst. Then, the world came bursting in.

Shit, that hurts. He crawled onto his hands and knees, almost passing out. His world swayed dangerously and he knelt on the ground, chest heaving. Slowly, he became aware of his surroundings. The first thing to register in his mind was the police siren. Then, he realized his hand was still clutched around Galen's gun. Vaguely, he remembered that there was still a bullet left. Other than that, he knew that he needed to do something. But it was too complicated and thinking about it hurts his brain.

Nevertheless, he got to his feet. He almost passed out again as all his blood rushed downwards. But somehow, he stayed on his feet. Adelina. Galen. It all came rushing back. Just at that moment, there was a gunshot and a scream.

He tried to turn in the direction of the sound, but he couldn't move fast enough and he almost tripped over himself. His brain gave him a word for what had happened to him. No way. Not now. Fuck. A concussion.

"Galen. Don't do this. It doesn't have to be like this," he wheezed, trying his best to stay on his feet.

Galen held Adelina by her neck, both of them precariously close to the edge of the roof. He hissed something to her and she squeezed her eyes shut. Galen, don't. Please. Don't. Whatever you do, don't hurt her.

He mustered a roar and stumbled towards the two. It was a mistake.

Galen let go and turned around, forcing Adelina back a step. But all she stepped on was open air. And then, she fell.

Slowly, she tipped backwards and slowly, she disappeared from sight. Roberto went past Galen. Maybe he could still get her. Please. Please let me get her. He slammed on the ground as Galen tackled him, barely saving him from falling off himself. His head and arm hung over the side.

Adelina had her eyes open. She stared straight at him. In response to his stricken face, she smiled instead and reached up with her hands. She wanted something. In the instance that Roberto thought of it, he knew he couldn't give it to her. That instance ended and a fan of red spread out behind her head.

It took a moment for him to realize what that meant.

Then, the screaming started. It scraped his throat raw and he shook uncontrollably. Below, somebody rushed to the body. The figure below raised its head to look up. No. It wasn't him. He didn't do it.

In a panic, he withdrew his head. He realized Galen was still pinning him down. He pushed Galen off and Galen scrambled back a couple of steps.

"I didn't mean to. She- I-" Roberto looked him in the eye. Guilt, horror at he'd done. Roberto wanted to shout at him. Make him cower and whimper. She was innocent.

A dull roar filled his ears. Roberto pushed it away. He's so tired. So, so tired. If only everything in the world could stop happening for eternity.

"Why?" he said.

Galen couldn't answer. He flinched when Roberto brushed past him. After Roberto disappeared into the stairwell, he fell to his knees. He saw his gun laying nearby and taking it in his shaking hands, pointed it at his head.

A gunshot.

Roberto heard it and started to run. Down the stairs and away from there. He half-stumbled, half-fell down the stairs, his concussion reminding him that it was still there. Somewhere, a police siren turned a corner and came really close. That sound filled him with panic. Images surfaced in his mind. All the bodies. The piles of corpses and the smell of death. All those empty eyes. His father, in his office, reigning from his fortress even in death. No!

Something licked at his heels and Roberto looked back, still running. A flood of blood rushed towards him, threatening to swallow him in his past. And so, he fled to the only place he knew to be untouched by the cruelty of the world.

He's a little boy again. Running from the older boys. From the big scary dog. From the old man telling him that he was his father.

To that little shack in the midst of the mud and filth with a tray of tea waiting for him.

But somewhere inside of him, he found himself laughing. They're too late. Those motherfuckers are too late! Ha! You should have never been there, Adelina. I shouldn't have seen you today. I shouldn't have done any of the things I did. Why would you risk yourself for someone like me? Why? And Roberto knew only to run and weep, like what he's always done.

"Stop! Or we'll shoot!"

"You're too late." Laughing, Roberto kept stumbling away, paying no heed to the bullets whizzing past him. They can't catch him now. Not when that murderous wall of blood closed in on them, where they'll all drown in all the spilled blood that he's caused.

Finally, he arrived at Cal's. Roberto, with only adrenaline to keep him going, was about to pass out. He knocked weakly on the tin frame of the shack. Inside, he heard Cal stir.

But when Cal opened his door, there was no one there. The next morning, Cal would find Roberto behind the shack with a high fever and a head of dried blood.