Heartlines

55: Oblivion

When the room comes back into focus, I'm standing over my pale, bloody body. I don't even remember getting shot. The fight continues around Ben and my body. I see EMS running into the bar, but they wait outside the room for the shots to stop. 

Ben is still holding my body, shooting anyone that gets close to us. Emotions are completely running his body now. He wants everyone in this room dead, and he won't stop until that's the case. He can say it was justified since they are shooting at him. 

Standing beside him, I feel the physical pain he's feeling. I can finally understand the depth of his love for me, I'm sad I ever doubted him. 

I understand that his actions match his words. I'm his entire world, the reason for all the stupid things he did to keep me safe. Now, I'm dying in his arms, and he has to watch his worst fears come true. 

When the bullets stop flying around the small room, the emergency crew enters and start working on the living first. Ben shouts for them to come to me.

He is sobbing and running his fingers through my hair and apologizing. My blood hair is streaked with my blood.

For the first time, I notice how pale he is, and it is too pale. I look around our bodies and realize all the blood wasn't just mine.

Ben has been hit and he is bleeding out just as quickly as me.

"HELP HIM." I scream.

"They can't hear you. No matter how loud you scream." A voice across the room informs me.

I look towards the direction of the voice and see two men staring at me. One of them looks familiar to me, the other a total stranger. 

"Am I dead?" I ask them. 

The blond stranger shakes his head and walks towards me. "No. Not yet. Name is Andrew, I'm the guide that has been sent to you." 

"My guide?"

"Your fate hasn't been decided yet. You were stupid and careless for jumping in the way of what is meant to be. Now - you are stuck in the middle of life and death, we call it the inbetween." 

"The inbetween. How original." I roll my eyes. "Was Ben meant to die?"

"Not my place to tell the fates." He says vague. 

I start walking towards the stranger that looks familiar, he pulls out a chair and tells me to sit next to him. The moment I see the blue eyes, I realize it Ben's dad. 

"Can I sit?" I ask confused.

He grins at me and nods. "You can do all the same things on this side too." 

Andrew is at my side again, explaining the inbetween in more depth. He shares that people from the otherside can break through and visit for a short period of time. 

"This is wild." I shake my head. 

"Thank you." Ben's dad tells me. 

"For what?" 

"You got my daughter out of here safe, and you saved Ben's life."

"I would do it all again. Ben would have done the same for me."

"Yes. He would have. My son adores you and I hope you know that."

"I do. I love him very much."

Over my shoulder, I hear Ben shouting at his brother and turn my attention back to him. The two of them are standing in the middle of the room with their guns drawn and pointed at each other.