Black And White

Chapter 6

Curt dropped Owen's hands and stared into his eyes, which stared back.
     Owen cleared his throat, "Okay, let's get out of this place."
     "Yes. Ye- Lets go."
     Owen nodded, "Okay."
     Curt felt as though his entire body had been engulfed by flames and ice-cold water simultaneously as the kiss lingered on his lips. His limbs started to tighten until all he could feel was ice prickling through his veins and his chest on fire. Clutching at his heart, he fell to his knees. Tears burned as they slid down his cheeks and his eyes glazed over as he heard a voice, sweet as it was taunting.
     A woman with brown curls flowing over her shoulders led a crowd of about thirty people in singing a song that sounded familiar to Curt. When she started going on about saving the planet, it clicked. Curt looked to his right and saw Owen, reloading his gun. But, before he could get it done, a hand was already protruding from the front of his chest and blood dripped from his heart as a man held it, a twisted grin on his face.
     Owen only had time to scream his name once before it came out in song. Curt didn't even have time to scream before Owen's gun was reloaded and held to the side of his head. Curt shakily lowered his head, accepting his fate.
     "Curt!" Owen let out another panicked cry in an attempt to get Curt's attention, but it didn't work. He had tried to touch Curt's shoulder, but he was pretty sure that just made things worse.
     "Curt! Talk to me, tell me what's happening."
     "Owen..." Curt's voice wavered as he spoke, "But- but you-"
     Curt realised at this point that he was holding his knees tightly against his chest and rocking back and forth slightly. Owen was sat in front of him, trying to calm him down but Curt could tell he was panicking too.
     "Curt, are you all right?"
     "I'm- We need to get out of here." His voice was hardly audible.
     "Curt-"
     "We need to go, now." Curt pulled himself up, making sure to avoid any eye contact with Owen as he started to walk.
     "Curt, love, what just happened?"
     "Doesn't matter."
     "Well, you can't look at me so I think it does."
     "I thought you were dead." He looked directly into Owen's eyes, "I spent four years missing you, three of which were spent in bars. I don't know what I'm supposed to do now. Do I just forgive you and move on? Do we get back together or is... that... going to happen every time we kiss?" Curt tried to sound angry in an unsuccessful attempt not to cry.
     "What was it that happened?"
     "I saw that day. When you..."
     "When I died?"
     Curt flinched as he said it.
     "I'm sorry-"
     "We have to get out of here and make sure Xander knows what to do."
     They both tried to walk to the portal but something grabbed onto their ankles, restraining them.
     "I don't think so. I'm not quite finished with you two yet."

With his hand trembling, Howie pulled the trigger on his gun. He watched the bullet travel right into the forehead of the woman on the platform as she lifted the doll. Her eyes were agape as her body crumpled to the floor, inspiring agonised screams from everyone standing around her. Howie swore he heard a few people crying "mother"?
     He stumbled back, overcome with guilt, only to feel Xander's hand on his back.
     "You did it, Howie. Another one of Wiggly's schemes has been stopped."
     "B-But I killed a woman."
     "In order to save hundreds, possibly thousands, of others."
     The PEIP agents took Howie back to his office, where he sat for hours thinking about what he'd done. And what could have happened had he been too scared to take the shot.
     It was only about a half hour later, that he saw Curt and Owen walk into his office.