Insomniacs (#1)

58. fear

No Perspective.

Aria had known fear at different times in her lives. But the two times she had felt the most fear, were singlehandedly the moments in which she'd been ruined. Irrevocably changed.

When she was nine years old and became a victim to a man she was only trying to be kind to. When she heard her best friends were crushed by a drunk driver.

Yet, nothing seems to compare to the fear she feels as she tries to hold up his body.

It's not just this moment in time she'll never come to forget. It's this crushing feeling. This crippling, soul crushing fear. The unknown of what could happen to him.

It's a heartbreaking sight to those who catch a glimpse.

Luca's gasps are harsh, his eyes barely open and Ria grasps onto him in anguish, brushing his dark hair back from his forehead. She's trying to speak to him between her cries and even though her voice is throaty and barely decipherable from how shaky it is, she calls and calls for him to stay with her.

The lights of the boxing ring shine down on the two kids, chaos running amuck. Ambulances have been called and the medical team are on their way, making their way through the crowd.

But Ria sees nor comprehends anything other than Lu. And Lu can only hear and feel Ria through the pain. In their world, they are all that matter to each other and all that exist.

He's always been fearless. She's always known it. But she can see it in his eyes now, fear. A sob tears from her when she watches a tear run down his pale cheek, the one she'd kissed only last night. Luca's gasps begin to get shorter, slower.

And Aria's fear kickstarts. Absolutely controls and consumes her. It overrides any other feeling and if she wasn't holding onto him and trying to talk to him, she'd be screaming in an attempt to escape this devastating fear.

The mere thought of losing him makes her want to leave with him too.

She will not exist in a world without him, when she's now known a world in which she is loved by him.

Everybody crowds around the two lovers helplessly holding onto each other.

Everest holds Luca's face where he is cradled against Aria's chest. A girl with blonde hair, dropped to her knees besides her boyfriend, yelling for help and flitting their distressed gaze to Aria - her tears slip onto his cheeks, her body trembles, her breaths look like they pain her. A boxing coach and his son, parting through the crowd and leading the medical team.

Everest. Nobody has ever seen him so unrestrained, so wild with reckless abandon. He's yelling, screaming, cursing at his best friend to keep holding on. Desperation brims his body.

They all look to Ria who is right there by him, trying to muster up a smile for him as she whispers for him to return. Caresses his cheek and kisses his forehead. Nobody knows the few words she utters, again and again in a frantic rhythm.

You'll be okay, Lu, you have to be okay. You promised, remember?

Her hands shake as she reaches up and holds the side of his face, trying to will him back into consciousness. He's trying to hold off the pain but it is consuming him whole.

Please. She whispers now, begging. You can't die on me too. We promised, Lu.

Agony tears her apart and its prevalent in the way she begs, pleads for him not to give up. She lifts her gaze to Everest and in that moment, when they both lock eyes, they are helpless. Desperate.