Sarah continues to struggle against her bindings, just as Top dollar reaches the top of the stairs.
Top dollar hands Selina a gun and then pulls her in for one last passionate kiss.
Little bits of light cast their shadows within the church and the storm is gathering momentum outside.
Holt reaches the bottom of the steps with Erica right behind him, Holt stares upwards.
He ascends the stairs gun at the ready, Selina sees him and fires a shot, Holt replies by firing a return shot, Selina ducks then fires a shot which hits Holt just below the left shoulder. He slumps to the floor in agony.
Erica reaches him at speed and kneels down giving Holt a serious look, "I told you to stay behind me."
Holt replies still in pain, "I messed up." He breathes deeply.
Erica looks at him for a split second, "Stay there." She stands up offering him a weak smile before starting up the stairs towards danger.
Around three quarters of the way up, Erica comes face to face with Selina who has a gun aimed at the crow.
Selina's voice echoes, "This is all the power you ever had," she flashes an evil smile, "now it is mine."
Erica looks at her with anger etched across her features.
The crow takes it's opportunity as its captor is distracted, managing to escape, the crow begins to peck out Selina's eyes, she screams and stumbles, misplacing her foot she slips and begins to fall, somehow she manages to hold onto the bell rope, Erica watches on with intrigue.
The bells start ringing because Selina is on the rope, her hand slips, she screams, her screams can be heard as she hits the church floor.
Holt witnesses the last few feet of Selina's fall and heard the body hit the floor with a sickening thud.
Sarah's voice echoes above the tempest, "Help Erica, I'm scared."
Sarah is exposed on the roof, thunder lightning and rain climax above them, Top dollar holds Sarah really close to the edge of the roof.
Erica walks slowly towards them, rain dripping off her body, her clothes torn and bloodied, she shouts to Top dollar, "Let her go," a slight pause, "You can have me," hands in the air, "I won't fight you." She keeps her eyes on Top dollar.
Top dollar thinks about it for a moment, "Alright." As the words come from his lips he pushes Sarah off the roof.
Sarah screams and Erica shouts painfully, "NO!"
Top dollar takes the chance to punch Erica with all the might he has, Sarah meanwhile manages to grab a hold of something jutting out from the roof of the church.
Top dollar eagerly draws his sword from a holder on his back and grins at Erica. He deals the first blow, Erica dodges the blade and rolls closer to a pole at the far end of the roof.
Top dollar once again goes to strike but Erica bends backwards before kicking his leg out from under him, causing him to temporarily loose balance.
Erica grabs the metal pole just as lightning hits it, she growls and pulls the pole off, just in time to block a blow from Top dollar.
Due to the rain, Sarah's foot slips, causing a small section of the roof to cave in, she squeals in fright.
Erica's panicked voice comes out of the darkness, "Sarah." She gets up and starts running towards Sarah, she then bends down extending her hand.
Sarah screams, "Look out!"
It is a second too late, as Top dollar drives his sword right through Erica's abdomen. She grunts and growls then falls on her backside on the roof. The rain is like sheets, the thunder and lightning continue above them.
She manages to lean against a chimney, Top dollar puts the blade near Erica's throat, then bends down to speak, his hair dripping wet, "Nothing goes on in this City without my say so," sounding nostalgic, "am sorry about what happened to you and your cousin, really I am," sighing, "I didn't tell em to go to your place, it was of their own volition," breathing, "caused an issue or two did that but I soon dealt with it," being honest, "you were within your rights to say no to them, hell, even I didn't know they'd go n do that."
Erica looks up at him, resolve in her eyes and determination etched on her face, "I have something to give you, I don't want it anymore."
Before Top dollar can react, Erica grabs either side of his head, at that second images flash of Shelby's final thirty hours of her life on Earth. Top dollar is shaking, he is unable to escape.
Erica screams at the top of her lungs, she doesn't relinquish her hold on him, "Thirty hours of pain all at once," Top dollar gurgles in pain, Erica continues, "all for you."
Erica and Top dollar are stood up on the roof, pain is written all over Erica's face. As she lets go, Top dollar stumbles, loosing his footing he falls from the roof, his body lands on a gargoyle statue that has big horns, which plunge into his body like a hot knife through butter. The water that was running clear is now running a murky red.
Erica quickly peers down at the broke body before running to help Sarah. She grabs Sarah and despite the pain she is in, hauls Sarah up to the roof and safety. Tears run down both of their faces, Sarah embraces Erica and Erica wraps her arms around Sarah.
Sarah tells Erica to lean on her as they descend the steps.
Both girls see Holt still slumped against a wall, Erica turns to Sarah, "Go help him." She gives Sarah a feint smile.
Sarah lets go of Erica and runs to Holt. Erica cradles her wound as she leans against a wall to catch her breath.
Sarah looks Holt up and down, "You alive?" She asks timidly.
Holt laughs a little, "Maybe." He then looks towards Erica.
Erica joins them, Holt offers Erica a cigarette, she gladly takes it, lights it up, takes a drag and says with a hint of sarcasm, "These things'll kill you." She winks as she hands the cigarette to Holt.
Holt takes it, takes one drag and spits it out in disgust, "Ugh, they're horrible, I quit as of today."
Erica's voice is sincere as she looks at Holt, "Thank you for being there for Shelby, your memories saved me."
Holt can only offer a sincere smile at Erica.
In the distance sirens can be heard and they're getting closer.
Erica is aware of this and so stands up, looking first at Holt then at Sarah, "Stay with him until help arrives."
Sarah nods and Erica vanishes, Sarah calls out, "Erica." But there is no answer.
Holt grins, "She does that a lot."
Paramedics and Police arrive on scene, even Holt's boss is there. Holt is put onto a stretcher and Sarah follows it to the ambulance.
"You're gonna be okay right?" Sarah enquires.
"Yeah, I should be." Holt grins.
But his smile drops seeing his boss walk right up to him, "What in the hell happened?"
Holt breathes, grabs a hold of his bosses shirt and pulls him close, "They had enough of one another, a gun fight took place, I heard the gun shots, I went to make arrests, they resisted."
Holt lets go as he is wheeled into the back of the ambulance. His boss stands there silent.
Erica has made it back to the cemetery, she touches Shelby's headstone, leans her head against it, "It's over cuz, it's over." She closes her eyes, exhaustion taking over.
The storm has passed over, though the ground is exceptionally wet.
A sudden gust of wind picks up in the cemetery, leaves are being blown around but all seems quiet. A woman with long dark blonde hair appears and is walking towards Erica, she is wearing a flowing white dress, she wears a smile upon her face.
As she approaches, Erica's eyes open slowly, soon as she sees Shelby, tears come crashing down her cheeks. Shelby bends down and touches her face and smiles at Erica with such intensity.
"I've missed you." Erica's voice is raw with emotion.
"Now we will be together," Shelby offers her hand, "home."
We now open up on Eric and Shelby's graves, they are neat and tidy, red sirens can be seen reflected from near by, all is calm, all is settled.
The crow flies into the cemetery and lands on Erica's headstone, it is waiting for someone.
Sarah enters the graveyard a slight smile upon her face, she heads straight fro the crow, as Sarah offers out her hand, the crow drops the charm bracelet into her hand.
Sarah offers the crow a smile, "Thanks."
She turns around and heads out of the cemetery. The crow caws once before flying away.
Sarah's voice, "If people we love are stolen from us, the way to have them live on is to never stop loving them. Buildings burn, people die, but real love is forever."
END.
PS Wow, I am an emotional wreck now, as this closes another chapter in my life, I have loved every minute of working on this, thank you, thank you all for sharing this journey with me <3