Without The Grace

EDGE

I stared in shock at Kenneth's frozen body.

Ezekiel slowly approached it. "Dad?" his voice wavered a bit. I realized that I never thought about how he would feel about his fathers death.

Though his father was horrible, he had to have been a father to Ezekiel at one point.

The soldiers who had been in the room were long gone, realizing that their leader was no longer in power.

Alex laid in a heap on the floor on the other side of the room.

My body was still underneath Kenneth. His frozen fingers wrapped around my neck.

Ezekiel slowly pried at Kenneth's hands but they didn't budge.

I could tell he was trying to be delicate and it was frustrating him.

"It's okay Ezekiel. Just leave me." I whispered.

Surprisingly, Ezekiel heard me. His head snapped up at the same time as Alex began to stir.

"Aaliyah?" Ezekiel said frowning.

"I'm already gone." I told him. If I could, I would have been crying. "I love you." I finished.

Tears poured down Ezekiel's face. "No." He moaned shaking his head.

When Alex saw where Ezekiel was, he quickly crawled over and began shaking me.

"Aaliyah! What's happened?!" he exclaimed. He tried to get Kenneth off of me. "We've got to unfreeze his hands."

"She's dead!" Ezekiel shouted. "It's too late."

"No it's not! Where is everyone?"

"Kenneth cleared the palace before he came here."

"Kenneth had nothing to do with this." Alex hissed. "It was your father." He spat.

Suddenly, I felt a spinning sensation that began in my chest and wrapped around my whole body.

I felt like I was suffocating, yet it didn't really even hurt.

"Aaliyah!" Alex exclaimed. "She's waking up! Go find help! Fire! Something!"

"Bu-"

"Go!" Alex shouted.

He smoothed back my hair. "We're gonna get you out of here. I promise." He told me kissing me on the forehead.

I actually felt it when his lips touched my forehead. My eyes fluttered open.

"Alex." I whispered.

His eyes widened. "Oh-"

"I've got a torch." Ezekiel announced entering the room again.

He hurried to us and placed the flame near my neck.

I could feel the heat as he slowly waved it around Kenneth's hands.

I wondered if this fire that was supposed to save me would be the death of me.

"Watch her hair." Alex warned.

"I know that." Ezekiel retorted. "I'm not careless."

"More like stupid." Alex replied.

"Yeah well-"

"Hey!" I exclaimed. "Stuck underneath a crazy killer? Flame to my face? Ring any bells?"

Alex rolled his eyes.

"They're melting." Ezekiel said excitedly. "His hands are melting."

"Hey!" I said suddenly.

Alex's eyes widened. "What? What is it?"

I directed my attention to Ezekiel. "Hey Ezekiel. Did you know that your initials spell out EDGE?" I asked.

They both stared at me in wonder. "Seriously?" Alex stated.