Lost Hope

TWELVE

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Athena's blood curdling scream made all the cops in the room turn to them.

Blake did not dare to look up. The mere sight of the jeans' turn ups and the dirty white sneakers hanging in midair had him shaking.

But Athena had seen it. And she was still screaming her lungs raw.

The cops shook their heads mournfully and began the awful process of bringing down the body.

"Athena, let's go," muttered Blake, holding her arm tightly.

"NO!" she screamed, trying to free her arm from his grip, tears running down her face. "LET GO, HE NEEDS ME!"

"Athena, you can't do anything, I'm sorry," said Blake painfully, trying to get her moving.

"LET GO OF ME! LET GO! HE NEEDS ME! WHY CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND? LET GO!"

"Athena, please," he pleaded. "Please, let's just go, you can't stay here, come on."

He forced her head into his shoulder as she continued to sob as though someone had burnt her heart. She trashed in his arms, trying to get him to leave her.

"Shh," he whispered, his voice shaking. "Shh, I'm here, love, I'm right here, it's going to be okay, I promise."

But she continued to let out heartbreaking sobs, not bearing the pain she was feeling. "Let me go. Let me go!" she sobbed, punching his chest.

She turned just in time to see the cops covering his body with a white cloth. "TAKE THAT OFF! TAKE THAT OFF, HE CAN'T BREATH! TAKE IT OFF!"

"Love, stop," Blake said shakily, a lump in his throat. "He's gone, I'm sorry, there's nothing you can do."

"TAKE IT OFF, I SAY! TAKE IT OFF, YOU BASTARDS, I WANT TO SEE HIM! I NEED TO SEE HIM!" she continued to scream in a furious, anguished voice, trashing in his grip.

"Kid, please..." said one of the cops helplessly, staring at Blake.

Blake nodded, beginning to lead her away, half carrying her resisting, trashing body, as she screamed.

He had successfully managed to carry her to her mother's house before she could see the body being moved. She continued to scream and trash as he dragged her to the living room.

"Athena..." whispered Henry, his eyes burning with tears at the sight of her and Edith burst into a wave of fresh tears.

"LET ME GO! LET ME GO, HE NEEDS ME!" she screamed at Blake as he tried to force her down on the armchair.

"Athena, he's gone!" he said hopelessly. "He's gone! You can't change that, stop it, please!"

"HE'S NOT GONE! DON'T YOU DARE! DON'T YOU DARE, YOU BASTARD! LET ME GO! LET ME FUCKING GO!" she shouted at the top of her voice, tears never stopping their flaw.

"ATHENA, STOP!" yelled Blake, losing his calm. "THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO, ALL RIGHT? He's dead."

She let out a loud, gut-wrenching sob, hitting him hard on the chest. "HE'S NOT DEAD! HE'S NOT DEAD! He's just getting me back because we fought, get it? He wouldn't leave me!"

"Athena, he's gone!" snapped Blake, grabbing her face and forcing her to look at him. "I'm fucking sorry he is but he's dead! You're only going to hurt yourself if you don't stop that!"

"HE WOULD NEVER LEAVE ME! HE'S NOT HENRY! HE WOULDN'T JUST GO! WHY CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND?" she screamed. But her voice broke and she fell against him in a heap of tears and wails.