Lauren stepped out into the crowded courtyard. Grey clouds covered the sky above her, they watched her. Some wept for those they had lost, others looked at her with sympathy, pitying her. She felt nothing but weak.
Stark white sheets covered the deceased. There wasn't many, just a few. Many more were injured. The crowd seemed to part for her, they looked away from her, unable to match her gaze. They felt sorry for her, for what she had to do.
Sam was waiting for her, along with Josh and some of the other guards. They smiled a sad smile, they had lost friends too.
"What do we do with the body?" Sam asked Lauren who bit her lip to stem the flow of salty tears.
"Murderers will not be buried within these walls."
~•~
12 Hours Earlier
"You haven't moved all day," Carl noted with a sigh, "You spent last night on the couch. I know you're mad at me. I'm sorry, I just don't want you to get hurt."
Lauren looked up at him from her seat on the living room floor and sighed. What had he done to deserve this? The guilt ripped her apart every time he tried to speak. How could she have even indulged Ethan's ludacris proposal? Why was she to tempted?
"It's not that, Carl."
"Then what is it?" He said, only raising his voice slightly. She looked up at him, her eyes stinging with tears, "Please tell me he didn't touch you."
Lauren stayed silent for a moment, her lips pressed into a thin line while Carl became more unhinged by every passing second.
"He.. He kissed me," Lauren said slowly, making sure he heard every stomach-wrenching syllable. She felt guilty; guilty that she let him mess with her head, guilty that she didn't see it coming, guilty that she let her guard down and above all, guilty that his lips touched hers.
Carl looked away from her, his breathing ragged as he tried to contain his emotions. His fists were clenched tightly at his sides, his knuckles white.
"Did you kiss him back?"
Lauren paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. She didn't kiss him back, but it took a moment for her to realise what he was doing. She was so lost in her thoughts, how could she let that happen?
"I didn't," She said sternly, her eyes brimmed with guilty tears, "As soon as I realised what was happening, I pushed him off and left."
She sucked in a shaky breath, would he be angry?
"He offered me to lead with him. I didn't know what to say. Then he mentioned you," Lauren looked up at Carl, her eyes glassy. "He said that you don't see my strength. That you think I'm fragile. That I'm a leader, and I shouldn't listen to you. I don't know what happened, I was so lost, so confused and I let him use my ego against me. I should have realised when he moved closer I just-"
"It's okay," Carl said quickly, obviously not wanting to hear any more. He took a deep breath and looked at her. He trusted her, he knew that this affected her, "I'm not angry at you."
"You should be!" Lauren jumped up from her chair, "Hate me, Carl! Please hate me."
He wrapped his arms around her while she pounded on his chest, sobbing while she did so. There was only few times Carl had seen her so broken.
"Please hate me," She whispered, burying her head into his chest. He soothed her, rubbing up and down her arm. "I'm so sorry."
"I could never hate you," He said, her tears soaking into his tee, but he didn't care, "It'll be over soon, you won't have to fight forever, Lauren."
"Everytime I think we have a chance at a partially normal existence it all blows up in my face," Lauren mumbeled with a short laugh, "I'm just going to reserve judgement until whatever drama there is shows itself."
"That's a good idea," He laughed, gently stroking her hair while his head rested on hers.
Carl didn't care about anything else, just that in that moment, she ran into his arms.
~•~
The evening light was beginning to shine while everyone at Greenview continued their lives almost as if everything was normal. Known members of the Anti-Ethan group nodded as Lauren passed through the lobby, her hand curled around Carl's.
Lauren didn't feel the need to kill Ethan, she knew his humanity was almost non-existant, but could that change? Could he become a better person or was she being too naïve? He had offerend her a leading position, and that was something she didn't expect. He easily could have been toying with her mind but she was battling her inner demons as to what the wrong and right was. Could she pull the trigger if it came down to it?
"I feel like I'm caught in a Civil War," Lauren sighed, "I'm afraid too look at the wrong person."
"I'm not sure if I want you to be the distaction later," Carl frowned, "What if something happens to you."
"Don't worry about me," Lauren shook her head, looking around to catch sight of Sam, "I'll be fine. You know I will. I'll be more worried about you, what if something goes wrong?"
"It'll be-" Carl abruptly cut off, his grip on Lauren's hand tightened ever so slightly and he turned her to face him. He brought her in close and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. She looked up at him, startled, until her eyes caught sight of Ethan who had stepped into the lobby. He haden't bothered to hide his staring as he watched Carl with a murderous glare.
"Carl," She scolded, squeezing his hand.
"You're mine," He said, Lauren resisted the urge to roll her eyes but a fire burned in her heart at his words. She wouldn't want to belong to anyone else. "Not his."
"I don't want you to cause trouble," Lauren looked up at him, a slight frown on her face. "Can you please keep it together for a few more hours?"
Sam had stepped into the room, exchanging a look with Lauren. It was her job to get Ethan into his room until Sam had got everything together down stairs. But that wouldn't be necessary.
Ethan started walking towards Carl and Lauren, a little faster than he should. Two guards split and began to close in from the sides. Carl backed up, pulling Lauren with him.
"What are you doing?" Lauren exclaimed to no answer, her heart thumped loudly in her chest as Ethan's loyals closed in on them. Lauren desperatly looked to Sam who shared a look of worry on her face. She left the room and Lauren cursed, hoping that she would set the plan into high-gear.
Two guards grabbed Carl. Lauren desperatly tried to pull them off but she was grabbed from behind by none other than Ethan himself. He dragged her away from the scene while she kicked and clawed her way out of his grip.
"Let me go!" She yelled, ripping at his arms. "What are you people doing! Help me!"
Her pleas fell of deaf ears and she could see Carl being dragged out the front doors of Greenview before she was being pulled up the stairwell.
"What are you doing?" Lauren screamed, "I swear if you hurt him I will kill you."
"I know you will."
Lauren fought until she decided it was futile. She let Ethan drag her up to the second floor and down the hall before he pushed her into his room. She hit the floor hard before she scrambelled to her feet. She went to grab her machete, before realising it was in Ethan's hands.
"This is a big change from yesterday," Lauren spat and Ethan laughed humourlessly.
"Believe me, I'd love to treat you well but I don't think you are willing to let me," He let out a short laugh, "You're safer here."
"What do you mean?" Lauren asked and Ethan looked at her with an unreadable expression.
"Don't you think I would have heard about your little mutiny?" Ethan spat and Lauren felt her heart sink. "I was expecting it, really, but do I deserve to die? I thought that was a bit extreme."
"What you're doing is wrong," Lauren retorted harshly, "The people that have died under your stupid ruling, the inhumanity of shooting an infected person, she didn't even get to say goodbye."
"Being soft won't get you far," He said cooly, "I'm sure you of all people understand that."
"There is a fine line between right and wrong," She fired back, annoyance evident in her tone. Lauren had done bad things, some regrettable, but she knew right and she knew wrong, "What are you going to do?"
"They'll all get the punishment they deserve," Ethan said, not masking the kind of anger that he held in his eyes, "How about I show you? It's time."
"What about Carl?" Lauren said, half pleading with whatever humanity was left in Ethan, if any. She pushed against his hold when he grabbed a length of rope and tied her hands behind her back.
"What are you going to do to him?" Lauren pleaded Ethan for an answer that would soothe her mind. She willed him to have a heart, however unbelievable it could be.
"You'll see later."
Lauren choked back a sob as Ethan lead her down the corridor, his arm linked in hers. She fought the disgust that rose inside her at his touch. She would kill him, she had to. He walked her into the lobby where his loyal guards stood, lined infront of each possible entrance, ready to strike down any imposers. She knew some of them had to be on their side.
Then her eyes landed on Diggy, his body battered and bruised. He knelt infront of a guard who held a rifle to his head, awaiting the order to pull the trigger. Lauren screamed in frustration when Ethan stood her next to him, right infront of Diggy. His eyes met hers, desperate and tired.
"We wouldn't have known anything unless Dan here filled us in," Ethan explained, gesturing to the blonde guard who stood with the others not so far from Ethan. She could vaguely remember him being in the basement when they discussed the plan of action.
"You coward," Lauren seethed, pulling away from Ethan, who grabbed her back and held her in place.
"Tut tut," Ethan mocked, "None of that now, maybe I'll put you and Carl down there with Diggy."
Diggy's eyes willed her to keep her mouth shut. She felt his pain, she felt his mental exhaustion. He was giving up his fight. Lauren's eyes stung with salty tears.
"Any last words?" Ethan said to Diggy who spat out the cloth that was stuffed into his mouth. He coughed and looked up at Lauren.
"Don't stop fighting."
The bullet rang clear. Ethan pocketed his gun while Lauren screamed, a sound that tore her throat. She scrambelled forward only to be pulled back. Diggy slumped forward, blood gushing from the hole in his heart, pooling around him, soaking into his overshirt. She felt for her lost friend.
Her body felt numb, no words registered as she was pulled back up the stairs. Her heart sank into the pits of dispair and hope seemed so far-fetched. How could they even have a chance to survive this?
Ethan tied Lauren's hands to the radiator, she looked up at him through misty eyes.
"If you were in my position you would have done the same," Ethan gripped the hair at his scalp, "I want you to see this like me. I don't want to hurt you."
Lauren stayed silent, staring at the wall like it was a priceless piece of art.
It will be, when I paint the walls with his blood.
"Say something!" Ethan demanded, taking her face between his hands, forcing her to look into his eyes.
"I will never love you."
Something seemed to snap inside of Ethan, he clenched his fists tightly together and stormed out of the room. He returned only minutes later. He untied the bindings that held Lauren in place and pulled her to her feet.
"You brought this on yourself."
He dragged her over to the large window that overlooked the courtyard. She sucked in a deep breath when she saw Carl being forced across the tarmac by one guard and Trevor. He looked up at the large window, his eyes catching Lauren's. She pressed her hand against the window while the tears ran freely down her face.
They landed punch after punch, kick after kick while Lauren screamed at the window, pounding on the thick glass.
Lauren stood by the window, forced to watch everything that unfolded before her eyes. She shut them tightly and slowly turned her head, hot tears running down her pale cheeks.
"Watch," He demanded, turning her head and she obeyed, opening her tainted eyes. She knew it would be better for him if she did.
"That is what happens when you try and fool me," He growled, his hands still holding Lauren's head in place. She gulped in a breath of air, whimpering as she watched from the window high above where she wished she could be. "I know everything. I see everything. You can't hide from me."
"Give it up," He said softly, too softly. He stood behind her, gently brushing the stray pieces of hair from her face and tucking them behind her ears. "Give him up."
Lauren didn't answer, she just stood watching. Her whole body tense. It was unbearable, she couldn't feel this pain anymore. Her heart was too weak to take any more. She felt as if she was being stabbed by a thousand knives, directly through her ever-beating heart. She wished for it to end, for her pain to cease, but fate was never on her side.
She could feel his hot breath on her neck, she fought the disgust as she tried to numb her emotions. She never felt so weak in her life, so helpless. She couldn't do anything to save herself, but she could save him.
"Forget about him," He said, "Let him die from inside."
Lauren released a shaky breath and squeezed her eyes shut, she couldn't watch any more, she couldn't watch him suffer for her.
"Let him go," He said, this time more forcefully. Lauren knew his patience was wearing thin. "And I'll let him live."
"I can't," She said, her eyes focused on the carpeted floor beneath her feet.
"Yes you can," He said through gritted teeth. His hand gripped her shoulder tightly, it was his way of showing her that she belonged to him. "He's worthless, love me instead."
"I'll never love you," She spat, every fibre in her being trembling with pure hatred.
"You'll learn."
Ethan motioned to Trevor and Carl's body was dragged from view, she stepped back from the glass, her fists clenched at her sides and her heart hammering inside her chest.
"Where are they taking him?" Lauren said, her voice wavering like paper in the wind.
"It dosen't matter," Ethan replied, "He's your past now."
Lauren swung her fist around, just barely catching Ethan's face. He stumbled back, a look of anger painted clearly on his face.
"He is not my past."
She lunged forward, knocking both of them to the ground. Ethan pushed her off, kneeing her stomach while he did so. Lauren recovered quickly, fueled by vengence, revenge and hatred. She placed her hands around his neck and squeezed. Ethan swatted her away, kicking her ribs when she tried to stand back up. She skidded across the wooden floor to avoid his next advance, grabbing the closes thing to her left, which happened to be a thick tea cup. She smashed the porcelain on his head and stepped back. Ethan hit the floor with a thud and Lauren gasped in air to catch the breath that had been knocked out of her.
Ethan remained on the floor and Lauren took the chance and tied his wrists to the raidiator using the same rope he had bound her with. She sucked in a deep breath once he began to come to. She grabbed her machete from where it had been left, previously out of her reach.
"Is this when the interrogation starts?" Ethan chuckled darkly.
"Just tell me where they took him and noone has to loose any limbs," Lauren replied, her tone ice cold, her threats deadly serious.
"I know I'm not leaving this fucking room alive," Ethan replied, he rolled his eyes and looked up at Lauren, "I might aswell be more of an asshole before I go to Hell."
"Fine," Lauren said cooly, but her heart dropped at his words, "What should we start with? A finger maybe?"
Ethan laughed, a sound that vibrated through Lauren's bones.
"You are not going to do anything."
Lauren smiled and placed the tip of her machete at the top of his arm, where the rope bound his hands together. She dug the metal into his skin.
"Tell me where he is."
Ethan stayed silent and Lauren dragged the blade down his arm, leaving a deep gash behind her. He hissed in pain as the blood poured from the open wound.
"It's not happening," Ethan said, his voice cracking, "Do what you want, I don't care. I will never tell you where he is. If my last minutes are near I will take it to my grave."
"Tell me!" Lauren screamed, cracking her fist across his face in pure rage. She pushed away from him, tears stinging her eyes.
"You don't understand.."
Ethan laughed, a laugh that would forever haunt Lauren. Blood stained onto his teeth and pale pink lips. His eyes glistened with a spark of something that made her stomach churn anxiously. The laugh, the eyes, she would never forget them, not as long as her heart continued to beat.
"It's too late."
~•~
Well that was pretty long.
It never just goes according to plan for these guys :(
Will he tell her, won't he tell her?
Is it too late?
THANKS FOR READING <3
Drop in a vote and a comment! I love reading them!