Changing Tides [JohnProudstar]

28

She can't just be gone...She can't be.
John's arms remain wrapped tightly around my torso, as the two of us, along with Erg linger in the alleyway. Marcos still hasn't come back, and at this point so much is going through my head I cannot think straight.

"This is all your fault." John says, looking toward Erg, who is trying to console the little girl he pulled out of the tunnels with him. "This is your fault." He repeats, the anger and pain of loosing a friend evident in his voice. "You left her down there."

"I tried to bring—" Erg takes his attention off of the child, trying to give John an explanation.

"She shouldn't have been down there in the first place!" John says angrily, his hands finally slipping from my body.

"John—" I warn once noticing the little girl has left Erg's side and is now cowering near the dumpster.

"She chose to join us. I gave her a place where she belonged." Erg defends his actions. "Blink was—"

"Stop calling her Blink!" John snaps, and I run a stressed hand through my hair.

"It's the name she chose!" Erg yells. "Now, I made mistakes, but I didn't lure her down into the tunnels. It was you and your friends that drew her to us." He says, and I look down, to see John clenching his fists. "Oh, you gonna hit me? Hit me. It's not gonna change anything."

"John, stop. We cannot do this right now, just leave it." I say, trying to pull him away from Erg. "John please." He nods, taking a few steps back, only to turn back around, hitting Erg right in the chest sending him flying into some nearby trash bags. Erg's chest glows a bright blue through his white T-shirt, as his body absorbs the blow. He stands up, and John takes a few steps closer, shoving me behind him.

"Come on!" John demands, and Erg goes to remove his eyepatch.

"Wait, no!"  I move from behind John, standing in between the two men.

"Do it!" John shouts, and the little girl runs over to Erg, wrapping her small arms around him. He lowers his hand away from his eyepatch, looking to John and I. "I'm sorry." He apologizes, before taking the little girl up into his arms, leaving the two of us standing in the alley.

—
The familiar beige SUV pulls to a stop at the entrance of the alley, and Marcos quickly jumps out, leaving Reed in the car. His face contorts displaying a look of confusion, once noticing me frantically searching the alley for a way back into the tunnels. "Tate...uh what are you doing?" He questions.

"We can't leave her Marcos. She's our friend." I say, stopping to face him.

"Who? Clarice? What happened? Where is..."

"She got shot." John answers blankly.

"Oh, my god. She, uh..." Marcos begins, trying to formulate some sort of response.