"They say we are asleep until we fall in love
We are children of dust and ashes
But when we fall in love we wake up
And we are a god and angels weep
But if I die here tonight
I die in my sleep"
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Benicia slowly lifted her head up in this groggy state. She groaned loudly and reached for the door handle. As soon as it swung open, she couldn't control her body and just went falling out. A cry of pain came from her mouth as she rolled over onto her back. There was a drumming in her head. She exhaled deeply, her body was really warm.
She backed further away from the car and kicked at the leaves in the process. Benicia used the tree to help herself get up from the ground. She sure felt like she was hit by a truck as she walked around the car. "Frank?" She peered into the truck but it was empty. Even the car was. Her eyes fell to the ground and noticed a trail of blood on the road.
Benicia limped after the trail and kept in the direction she assumed he had been traveling with Schoonover. She could hear rustling from a distance and talking.
She stopped at the sight of the two of them. Schoonover on the ground, "Frank-" She huffed out, "Stop. You don't have to kill him."
Frank stared at her for a couple of seconds, "Go back to the car."
"What's he talking about?" Benicia demanded as she hobbled closer to him. She had heard part of the conversation as she approached, "Kandahar, what's that? What happened?"
"Go."
"Did you do something?" Benicia ignored him. She didn't really care what he was saying, "I only want to help you, Frank. So just tell me the truth."
"Yeah." Schoonover leaned his head back against the tree, "Tell her the truth."
"Tell me for Maria. Tell me for Lisa. Tell me for Frank Jr."
"Tell her what you did-"
Benicia gave the angriest glare at Schoonover, "You shut the hell up!" Her voice changed when she spoke to Frank next, she was frantic but the worry in her voice was still there. "What happened? Please, we'll figure it out, but if you kill him, you will never know."
Frank's jaw tense as he looked over at her. He didn't say a word as he grabbed Schoonover and started to drag him to the wooden shack nearby.
"No, no, no. Frank. Listen to me. Frank!" Benicia almost tripped as she moved after him, "Frank! If you do this, it'll make you-it'll make you the monster that they say you are. Do you hear me?" She didn't walk any further as he threw Schoonover into the shack, "Frank! You do this and I walk away. That is it. You'll be dead to me. Do you hear me?"
Frank heaved at the door and looked back at her, "I'm already dead."
Benicia watched as he shut the door. She didn't move just yet. She kept her eyes focused on the shack before she shook her head. She limped back to the car.
Her steps were slow. The fatigue that she felt was finally starting to hit her. Benicia furrowed her brows together. She didn't know why she was so upset. She just wanted to understand why she was so upset. And maybe she knew deep down but didn't want to admit it.
