The Chosen Ones

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Matt ran over and grabbed Bill's legs in an unsuccessful attempt lift him up and to give slack to the rope.
"Grab something to cut the rope!" He yelled.
They had just got off the phone, he couldn't have been hanging long. If they could cut him down they could perform CPR on him and bring him back.

Shaun kicked over an old tool box spilling everything inside it to the floor. He was able to grab a box cutter and hurry over.
"No, no, no." Shannon cried. All she could do is look up at her friend, helplessly.
"Matt, let him go." Phil said, quietly.

"Cut him down! Hurry!" Matt screamed.
"Matt!" Phil yelled back. "Look!"
He was in such a panic he didn't even see. Now, as he took a step back, he noticed what Phil, Shannon, Gab and Casey already had. As Bill's body swayed gently back and forth Matt saw a knife stuck in Bill's chest.

His black shirt concealed the red blood stain, but it was slowly dripping to the ground below him, forming a small puddle. There was a note stuck to the knife that was through his chest.
"Fuck!" Matt yelled as he turned away, kicking over a trash can in anger.

He dropped to his knees. Casey came up and hugged him from behind. It was her turn to be there for him, and even though it wasn't, she couldn't help but feel this was her fault.

Gabby hugged Shannon as they both cried. Matt got to his feet quickly. He was not going to let his friend hang there like that.

"Shaun, cut him down." He told him quietly.
Phil brought a ladder over and Shaun climbed it and cut the rope away from the beam. Together, Matt and Phil lowered their friend gently to the concrete floor. The group huddled around Bill's body.

"This is our fault." Gabby cried.
"Don't say that." Shannon told her. "They did this."
"Because of what we did to Daniel!" Gab yelled.
Shannon knelt down and took Bill's hand. Casey now had her arm around her. Gab was sobbing so hard she had to walk away. She was not handling the night well. Phil ran her down to console her. The group hadn't suffered a loss like this since Amy.

Shaun, grimacing, pulled the knife out of Bill's chest. They had stuck it right through his heart.  Matt took the note that now rested on his friend's chest.
SOON, was all it said. He handed it to Shaun, who gave it to Casey.
Matt looked down at his friend. This was HIS fault, nobody else's. Bill's death was on him. All this was because of Tyler, none of his friends had asked for any of this.

He looked at Bill's wrist and the watch he was wearing. He had referenced this when they spoke just a half hour ago. He thought it was odd that Bill would mention it. Gently, he picked up Bill's arm and undid the clasp on the watch. When he did, it loosened and a small white piece of paper fell out. It was folded over a few times so it was concealed between the watch and his wrist.

Matt unfolded it and saw writing. He read it to himself. The others gathered around as they saw what was happening.
"What's it say?" Phil asked.

Matt looked at them. "Everything we need to know."