Healing Hearts (Gus x Matt)

~chapter 24~

Matt's POV:

"Gus! Where are you?" I call out into the excited crowd of people.

I can't find him.

Maybe he's with the others...

I text him.

Matt: <Hey Gus? What section are you in? Im by the healers since most of my family is in the healing track>

*delivered 5 minutes ago*

I wait another 5 minutes. Still nothing.

I turn to my mom and say, "Hey, im going to look for a friend real quick. I won't go far, if I don't find him in this area I'll come back- I promise." She nods and I look for him.

"Gus!? Gus, where are you?" I call out again into the crowd. No response. No sweet voice calling back saying "Hey there dork!" No little voice that belongs to my wonderful boyfriend.

I give up. I walk back to my family, defeated.

I send him another text.

Matt: <Hey, want to meet up after the day of unity ceremony is done?>

*delivered*

Yep... no response.

Is Gus mad at me? Did I do something wrong?

At that moment, Emperor Belos steps on the stage and starts to give a speech. The whole crowd erupts into applause and screams. It's way too loud for anyone's liking. But they all scream anyways.

He finishes his speech. And all of a sudden my sister let's out a high-pitched, blood curdling scream. Her sigil on her arm is glowing and spreading to the rest of her arm.

Then everyone else falls to the ground in agonizing Pain. My mom, my brother, everyone around me. Except for me.

I kneal down next to my sister, frantic. "CORA! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON? WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP?!" She shakes her head and closes her eyes. Tears are streaming out of her eyes.

Then she passes out.

"CORA!!" I scream, bending over to catch her before her head hits the ground. "CORA. YOU BETTER WAKE UP YOU HEAR ME?! TH-THIS BETTER BE SOME SICK PRANK! YOU BETTER BE FUCKING JOKING YOU HEAR ME"  I sob.

Then my mom falls. Then my brother. Then the people all around me.

This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This is probably all just a nightmare. If I close my eyes I'll wake up in my bed, safe and sound. And Cora and my mom and brother will be okay too. And then I can go to Gus's house and hug him and be with him to let me forget about this bad dream... yeah... it's just a bad dream... it's just a dream...

But when I open my eyes again everything is still there. My unconscious family surrounding me. The people I know laying all around me.

And Gus is nowhere to be seen.

I curl into a ball and cry.

I feel like a little kid crying because they're afraid of the dark.

Why did this happen to them? Why them and not me? Why do I have to see them suffer? Why can't I take their place?

I lean my sister against the wall so she's sitting upright. I hold her hand and lean on her shoulder.

I sob into the empty place around me.