Moonlight Sonata

39. Cursed

I threw the door open quietly, expecting to feel a small figure run past my legs. Suddenly I was hit with a blinding pain, one that made my whole body freeze and my fingers twitch. Another hand slid inside my grip and I looked to see Margo, her eyes filled with the familiar, knowing sadness that soaked my lungs and made it hard to breathe. I smiled at her gratefully and led her aside, allowing entrance to everyone behind me.

Ritter placed Marshall on the ground beside the railing for the stairs and I didn't hesitate to grab a pair of handcuffs from the kitchen and hook him to the metal. He was still unconscious, but his breathing was steady and he was alive. I couldn't say the same for Necro. Kaage brought him inside and placed him on the couch and I was hesitant to draw near at first, but eventually I did; his chest was still and I knew for sure he wasn't breathing.

"He's dead," Kaage said quietly, and I shook my head.

"Not for long," I explained, "think of it like a small coma. He'll probably be awake by tonight."

"Agnes..." Margo approached my side, and I clenched my jaw to hold back my emotions. "Nolan...I'm so sorry."

"It was either this or let him die," I wiped my eyes gently before taking a deep breath, "I got to say goodbye to Osiris though. She...she was proud of me."

Margo's hand wrapped around my waist, and I hung my head as I leaned into her. I could tell more people wanted to give me their condolences but I only excused myself from the room and ran up the stairs. My door slammed shut behind me and I let my rage explode; I snatched a vase off of the shelf and roared as I threw it across the room, the shattering porcelain offering a small amount of consolement. I kicked the couch onto its back and broke the glass-topped side table, feeling shards sink into my hand. It was shaking as I held it up, pulling the shard out only to be reminded of the pieces I pulled out of Nolan's body. Another roar clawed up my throat and I kicked the steel frame across the room, watching as it took out a chunk of the wall. Everything inside me broke in that moment and I ran to my room, only to trip over a shoe and land on my hands and knees. I collapsed, unable to find the strength to recompose myself. Golden tears slipped down my cheeks and I wept, longer and harder than I ever had before.

The cold hardwood offered little help to cool my skin, it's temperature rising with my sorrow. I curled my knees into my chest and clutched them there, hoping and praying that it had all been a dream. The pain in my shoulder told me otherwise and I realized that I couldn't just lay here like a lost child and cry the night away. I propped myself up on my good arm and sat up, prying the bloodied coat away from my shoulders. The wound was wide open but it looked like it had re-healed enough to stop the bleeding. I got up and limped toward the bathroom, taking a seat on the toilet as I began to peel layers of clothing away from myself. Soon enough I was nothing but a naked, bloodstained girl, standing in the mirror and staring at the faded bruises and bite marks on her skin. Silent tears streamed down my face as I started up the shower and I left the water on freezing to feel it. I just wanted to feel something other than helplessness and sorrow.

The blood flaked away and left me looking pale and battered. A large bruise was appearing on my thigh from where it hit the wall, explaining the limping. I could feel the stinging of the cuts on my back, both from loving claws and shrapnel alike. I felt like a sopping kitten, small and weak and insignificant in this cruel, cruel world. After hanging my head for a few moments I just shut the water off, standing alone as the liquid dripped from my skin and painted the basin pink with spilt blood. Scabs came off in the towel as I dried myself, and when I looked back in the mirror most of my injuries had faded. I turned to gaze at the scars on my back, now faded lines that resembled riptides in the ocean waves. I still wanted to see them someday, lapping at the shore while I sat on the beach and watched the sunset. The memory tugged on my heart and I backed away, walking back into my bedroom to find new clothes.