Saving Nicole

Chapter 33: Dead?

Dallas's POV
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She came. She came. I don't know wether to feel relieved that she finally came, or disappointed that she wanted to prevent my death. Even if I didn't want to, I'm still going to die. I know that.

She forgave me. And I forgave her, though I couldn't tell her. My voice was failing me. All I could do was stare at her sunken eyes and hollow cheeks. Probably the mirror image of my own.

Except I'm deathly skinny because I can't keep food down.

Well. All I can do is wait.

When they come, I watch blankly. Like usual. They smile and pull out a new bag.

"T'day's the day, Dal Pal!" Mason says happily, producing a gun. I know what's in it. A silver bullet infused with Wolfsbane. If shot with this, ANYWHERE, you die. Unless it just grazes you.

"Get it over with." I grunt. "I want to die on my bed. Can you do that?" Ian glances at Mason and shakes his head.

"Sorry, Dal Pal. No can do. We aren't pulling the trigger tonight." He says quietly.

"Spencer is." I finish, glancing at them as they grin. The feeling is returning to my body.

"Yep."

And then Ian grabs my arm. And tonight, I actually don't want to die.

I yank free from him, surprised at my returning strength, and punch him in the jaw. He shakes his head in disbelief and dismay and then grabs my arm again, tightly. Mason reaches for my other arm, but I lash out with my feet, kicking at his stomach. I gather my breath in my mouth and yell as loudly as I can. Hopefully my parents will hear. I can't take them both on like this. Ian grabs my arm with both of his, in a hold that threatens to break my bone. We both still, me staring at him with fierce indignation. And then I remember Nicole's words. "You are not a failure." And I kick at Mason again, Ian snaps the frail bone of my arm, and I swing at him with my other arm, nailing him in the jaw again. I'm getting weaker and the pain is roaring through me. Ah, pain. It's a good sign I'm feeling it.

And then Mason loads the gun and aims at me. "Spencer doesn't have to do the dirty work." He says darkly. "I have permission to end any struggle."

I glare at him. I thought he was actually beginning to like me.

"If you kill me, I'll haunt you." I say. "I'll haunt you until you go insane.

"I'm already insane." He spreads his hands, grinning manically. And then something hits him in the jaw. Knocking him out cold.

Dad.

And then Ian drops me.

Mum.

Because of Ian holding me, I also crumple, unable to support myself because of my arm. I curse under my breath, and cough on the floor. For the second time in my life, blood splatters the floor from my throat.

In all our haste, I didn't realize Mason shot the gun. At me. Through my ear.

"Dallas!" My mum cries, lurching forward to lift me off the floor. My father comes to help and wipes the blood currently dripping from my mouth away. I stare at them, not feeling like speaking. But if I don't tell them, they won't know.

"He shot my ear. With a Wolfsbane silver bullet." I say. Ironically, the only pain I'm feeling is my broken arm. My mother carefully lays it out next to me. I don't think my arm is supposed to bend that way. When I speak, my mother stops, slowly lifting her eyes to mine, her face ashen pale.

"No..." She turns my head and looks at my ear. Sure enough, a bloody hole is in it. My father continues cleaning my face of blood, returning from who knows what.