Hide & Seek - Daniel Le Domas.

🥀 Chapter Ten 🥀

* Edited *

“Monica...” Grace calls softly to her grief-stricken friend with a frown forming on her blood smeared face. “We have to move.” she gently reminds.

No. Monica internally refuses with empty green eyes locked intently on Daniel’s bloody dead body. Unable to even contemplate the idea of leaving him here alone.

Truth be told, she feels numb. All her anguish and anger had died with Daniel. Her feelings were just... gone. It seemed the only true thing that remained within her was her unwavering deep desire to die and join him.

“I’m not going anywhere,” she finally whispers hoarsely, her gaze never straying from Daniel’s pale face.

It was true. She had no intention of leaving Daniel. Not now, not ever. This was the end of the line for her, regardless of what Grace was about to say or do.

“Monica, please...” Grace pleads weakly.

“Go.”

Grace frowns at the conviction behind that one instruction, finding it concerning. Already, her mind was racing with all that had just happened – not that she even really understood all that had occurred. All she truly knew was that her friend had lost the man she loved and was now in need of a comforting shoulder to cry on.

Of course, she was more than willing to be that shoulder once she got them both out of the house and to permanent safety. So, with a shake of her head, she again pleaded with her friend.

“Not without you. We’re in this together, remember? You promised... please, Monica.”

Monica shakes her head firmly as her fingers trace the lines of Daniel’s cold face; memorising the details of it. “The goal was to get you to safety.” she says lowly, her voice void of emotion. “I was fully prepared not to join you, and I won’t be. I’m not leaving him alone.”

Her head tilts up finally, her empty green eyes meeting with Grace’s tearful ocean blue ones. “I love you, Gracie. More than you’ll ever know. But I need you to get up and go right now.” She mumbles, causing Grace to shake her head defiantly with more tears rolling down her reddened cheeks.

“Please, don’t do this. We are so close... come with me.”

Monica forces a smile, “I can’t leave him, Grace. I won’t. So please, don’t let his death mean nothing. Run while you still have the chance to.”

Grace drops her head as she sobs quietly into her blood covered hands. She didn’t want to lose her friend - her sister. She couldn’t handle the realisation that Monica had made up her mind and had no intention of joining her in this final attempt at freedom.

She wasn’t ready to say her goodbye; she had wholeheartedly thought that they would get out of this together. Side by side and stronger than ever. She didn’t agree with Monica’s wish, but she would do all she could to respect it. After all, it was the least she could do for her.

“Okay...” Grace whispers through her tears, “If that’s really what you want, then okay. I’ll go.”

Monica nods, “you’ll be okay, Gracie. I’ll be with you, as I have always been.”

“No, you won’t.” Grace shakes her head, “but you’ll be with him. And that’s enough to give me comfort right now. Enough comfort that I'm willing to leave you.” Monica smiles sadly as her own tears pool in her dull green eyes; this was harder than she had first expected.

“I love you, always.” she mumbles as she takes Grace’s hand and gives it one last reassuring squeeze.

Grace smiles sadly and nods to her friend, “I love you too, forever.” She whispers as she slowly stands, allowing her hand to slip reluctantly from Monica’s. Then, with one final lingering smile offered to Monica, she takes off running; determined to escape not only for Monica but for Daniel too.