Broken Worlds Collide

Death (Zedekiel)

"So many bright lights, they cast a shadow

But can I speak?

Well is it hard understanding, I'm incomplete

A life that's so demanding, I get so weak

A love that's so demanding, I can't speak."

-"Famous Last Words", My Chemical Romance

Chapter One: Death

•~•~•~•~•

He held the camera in his hands delicately as if it were his most prized possession and in a way, it was. With its sleek black color and sharp lense and easy to grip structure. His fingertips brushed the top of his camera with a small smile touching his lips as the familiar feeling of security filled his sy-

"Queer! Can ya take a photo of me and my bae for the yearbook?"

Now came the darker part of his mental being, but nevertheless smiled his friendly, warm smile and propped the camera to his eye level. His forefinger trembled slightly before descending onto the button in a sure push. With a click, he pulled back and showed the typical Jock and Cheerleader couple the picture he took. The afternoon sunlight captured the cheerleader's radiant beauty and the jock's award-winning smile just right.

The two nodded in approval and left as if they had never had the encounter.

He finds his eyes drifting back to the black camera in his hands, his eyes focusing on the picture one would call a "masterpiece of perfection"...

And frowns.

•~•~•~•

The picture prints out and as if it were contaminated, grabbed it with his fingertips and shoved it towards the Yearbook Student Manager, Esme. She muttered a small "thanks" and stares at the picture with her coffee brown eyes, a small hint of admiration gleaming in her eyes. "Amazing as always, Zed." She complimented with a warm smile tossed his way.

Zed found himself giving a small, but genuine smile back. "Thank you," He said softly before the final bell of the school day rang. The small mass of students went out the door as if robotic, as if routine, and he soon found himself alone with that...picture. It didn't even have the right to be a picture; it was a drawing a toddler drew with broken crayons and food. It was the worst thing he had ever produced.

The focus of the eye was flawed majorly, there was a small blur at the corners, the sunlight was too bright, the surroundings. Dear God, the surroundings were out of balance! The surroundings were everything to him and for the surroundings to become the main problem in the picture? He...he needed to get rid of that thing! That monstrosity! It was hurtful to his eyes and he felt the part of his cerebral in which sent images burning to crisp at the ugliness he was witnessing with his naked eyes.

It was Death in its simplest form.

Death.

Zed couldn't take it anymore, he ran out of the room with his messanger bag slapping against his legs and his camera in his safe hands, with his dull metallic grey eyes gleaming with disgust at the picture and ultimately, himself. 'What kind of person are you to take such a hideous photograph?!' He hissed at himself, his messy bronze hair whipping harshly at the strong winds of springtime Los Angeles.

Zed began his trek home with his thoughts drifting to the darkest corners of his mind and his fingers holding his camera in a trembling grip. He thought of how much food his father shoved down his throat because he should be an athlete like he was when he was in high school, how fat he have gotten, how his own mother was oblivious to it all.

'I won't eat today,' He promised himself, 'Not even a snack.'

Zed entered his one floor household and closed the door softly, not even bothering to announce his arrival since he did not see his mother's car in the driveway or anywhere near the house. She must still be at work, he mused, today is her overtime afterall. Zed swiftly went to his room and locked himself in it, holding his breath as he kept his ears open for heavy footsteps and ragged breaths. When none was heard, he exhaled a sigh of relief as he dropped his messanger bag onto the floor and placed his camera delicately onto his nightstand.

Zed's phone vibrated in his back pocket, and he took it out to see his mother calling him. He hit 'send' and pressed the phone to his ear while softly speaking, "Hi Mom."

"Zeddy," His mother said, and he practically heard her smiling, "I'm going to be running a little late...stupid traffic."

He smiled to himself when he heard the pout in her voice. "I'm almost home though! So that's go-THANK GOD PEOPLE ARE MOVING NOW!"

"Then I'll wake up Dad." Zed said with a chuckle as he turned to unlock his doorknob.

"Alright, Zeddy-OH MY GOD!" His mother cut off in a scream as he heard tires screeching and metal crushing against each other. It was an echo, for he heard it louder just by his window.

Zed dropped the phone and ran outside, not caring if he woke up his Dad with his door slamming against the wall and the front door slamming open. He stumbled outside and looked up at the freeway bridge a few houses down. Grand flames fueled by gasoline erupted the skies as pitch black smoke rose like a snake rising to the call of a snake charmer.

'Mom...' Zed shielded his eyes when a flash of red, orange, and gold harshly gleamed with sparks spiralling out. Fortunately, there was the freeway exit near so he ran up the exit and into the freeway's chaos.

His metallic grey eyes now were bright with frantic fear. "Mom!" He called loudly, scanning the cars for his mother's. Zed spotted the familiar burgundy Kia Sorento 2014, and made a bee-line towards it.

"Mom!" Zed yelled as he skidded to a stop in front of the impacted passenger door.

His mother, whose head was on the steering wheel, stirred when hearing his voice. Her blue-grey eyes gleamed with pain and then familiarity when she spotted Zed. "Zeddy," She croaked.

"I-I'll get you out of here, just hold on." Zed reassured his mother as he opened the door and climbed in to unbuckle her seatbelt.

His mother trembled as she attempted to help him. He cursed when it wouldn't budge. 'What can I do, what can I do?!'

Zed stared at the seatbelt when he began to smell gasoline, and his eyes widened. With frantic movements, he grabbed the belt that was situated on his mother's torso and began to pull it downward. "Zeddy..." She began.

"No! I don't want to hear it!" He scolded as the belt began to loosen from her lap.

She tried again, "Zeddy, stop..."

"I almost got it!" Zed interupted once more.

When it was loose enough, he began to drag her out.

"Zedekiel!" She cried out when he successfully pulled her out of the car, "I can't feel my legs." She finished softly.

Zed looked down to see her tanned legs bruised harshly underneath her black business skirt. "I can carry you." He stated and with some difficulty, carried her bridal style, and ran away from the car. Zed barely took around eleven steps when the car exploded, making Zed and his mother fly by the sheer force of the explosion.

He twisted so most of the impact fell onto him instead of his mother and when they landed, Zed blacked out from hitting his head on the concrete.

'Mom...' Was all he thought before everything went dark.