Some Say the World Will End in Fire |l.s.|

seventeen

"Wanna head to my place?" Harry asks as we're walking home. I nod, walking hand in hand as I swing our arms back and forth. We get there and I let out a sigh of relief to be home, following Harry up the stairs and practically jumping onto his bed, closing my eyes as I cuddle into the warmth of the blankets. "Comfy?" he chuckles.

"C'mere," I say, holding my arms out as he laughs again. He lays down on the bed next to me as I hug him closer, burying my face in his chest. Since the early stages out our relationship, we've found that the both of us absolutely adore cuddles, so that's one thing I'm not afraid to ask for without feeling guilty or like a burden.

"You're cozy today," he acknowledges, a smug tone in his voice.

"What? Do you not wanna cuddle?" I ask, letting go of him slightly.

"Hey now," he warns teasingly. "You're not getting away from me that easily."

"And why's that?" I ask, grinning.

"Hush, Lou," Harry says quietly. "It's nap time." I love nap time, he knows this, so I feel the sudden urge to stay as quiet as possible. I hesitate to even blink in fear that any movement will draw his attention and so I remain still and quiet. There's almost a suspense to the silence, a tension, even, that makes my stomach drop. It's almost as if I'm right behind that bloody huge plant, watching the shooter between the leaves with the same tension and suspense filling the air around me. Not only filling it, but sucking it all up, to the point where it's all left my body and I can't breathe it back in.

I open my eyes to find a desk under me, and I slowly sit up as I realize I must've dozed off during class, when suddenly there's a shot to my ear. I begin to shake, my heart pounding as my pencil drops, almost in slow motion. There are screams, a girl being shot in the hallway, a shooter with a gun. I'm behind the plant, blood splattering, body on top of me, the shouting of officers. The blood pooling the just-killer girl, the gun in Anthony's hand. It all goes by in slow motion, and I step out from under the bush, tripping over bodies. Only this time, I don't stumble, I fall flat into a pool of blood.

As if I weren't bloody enough, I try to stand up but my hands are slipping around the crimson liquid oozing out of my classmate's head as he brain's are practically scattered across the floor. Suddenly, the floor feels as if it's disappeared as I fall into the puddle of blood. It goes deeper, the blood surrounding my arms and my face falls into before my legs. Suddenly, I'm submerged. I can taste it, smell it, feel it, but I can't get out of it. I'm screaming, choking, calling out for help. For my mum, for Harry, for anyone.

I should be dead by now, it's been minutes, though it feels like days, in this blood. It feels like I should be out of oxygen with how much I'm choking on it, how little oxygen I can intake, and yet I'm alive. The misery doesn't seem to end, and I continue screaming. I feel hands pulling me deeper, screams of thousands of dead students calling my name, when-

"Louis!" I jolt awake, sitting up as air painfully fills my lungs.

"Get off me," I scream, coughing and sobbing and choking as I scoot away from the hands. I can feel the moisture on my hands, there's still blood hear. My ears are ringing and my hands are shaking and I still can't really breathe. I can't stop the tears from falling down my face and I scoot back until I fall. I'm on a cold, wooden floor as I ignore the pain from the fall, as I stand up quickly. The blood is gone, so nothing is stopping me from making a run for it. I run towards the door, twisting it open but it doesn't budge. I'm screaming, banging on the door as I try to unlock it, but I'm panicking too much to unlock it. "Help me! Please! Help! Get away from me! Please, please no! Please!"

"Louis!" I hear the voice again. No, I don't wanna die. I don't wanna witness anymore death, I can't.

"I don't wanna die! Please don't! I can't, please!" I sob, sinking to the floor as I bury my head in my hands. I'm waiting, sobbing and shaking as I let the time go before I get shot, only a sharp pain in the center of my head between my eyes isn't what I feel. I feel arms take me in their hold, and I struggle because I feel trapped, like another dead body has got it's hold of me.

"Louis! Please baby, it's me! It's Harry!" I hear, and the name is enough for me to release, breaking down. It is him, I can feel it. The familiarity, the warmness, the safeness. All I can feel is relief, it's the only thing that can come to mind. I'm safe in his arms, I'm not in that horrid school with that horrid shooter and the horridly dead bodies. I'm okay.

"Haz," I say sadly, my voice shaking. We stay like that the rest of the night. It's only when we're getting ready for bed, Harry deciding I should sleep over because he doesn't want me to be alone, before he speaks up.

"Did you take your medicine this morning?" he asks me. It hits me, I didn't take it and the nightmares are worse now that nothing is holding them back after so long.

"No," I sigh sadly, my voice scratchy from the screaming and crying. "I forgot."

"Maybe set a reminder or something?"

"Sorry," I sigh.

"I'm not mad," I can feel him shake his head. "It just scares me, seeing you like that. It shatters my heart, I can't stand it so much. I want you to do whatever you need to escape those bad thoughts and memories."

"I know, I love you," I say quietly, looking up at him and giving him a gentle kiss.

"Love you too, Lou," he whispers, giving me a kiss on the forehead before pulling our chests together and holding me close the rest of the night.