My Words Are Law

Neighbors (4)

"What are you saying in front of my friends?" Amaryllis asked.

"The truth," Chryses answered.

She cringed, shifting her head backwards. "That's a lie."

"Just because you don't believe me doesn't make my words a lie, Amaryllis." Chryses smiled. It seems real. His eyes were not exaggeratedly narrowed in a cheerful manner, and the smile showed no teeth, but emotions swirled in his eyes, however indescribable they were. "I had a nightmare yesterday."

"What..?" Amaryllis doesn't know how his nightmare was connected to what they were talking about at the moment.

"I don't know why I got so scared to let you go this morning... Dreams aren't real, right?"

She frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"I mean..." Chryses chuckled as if something felt ridiculously funny. "Am I so hateful that you'd...?"

The rest of his words were lost in translation as a blur of black shadow reached out, grabbing her waist, and a piercing pain stabbed her in the abdomen.

"Die... You whore."

Amaryllis' choked at the pain that erupted at the center of her body, her eyes never straying away from Chryses, whose face contorted with a mix of surprise and panic. The perpetrator pulled out the weapon in a sickeningly torturous manner, making her groan between gasps. Sweat beaded her forehead, and tears formed her eyes as she instinctively held on to her stomach, where warm liquid gushed through her fingers.

"...B-blood..." A weakness she had never felt before overtook her body, and she had the urge to look down at her wound, but before she could, Chryses grabbed her head, and pulled her to him. Not long after, a pained scream and a loud thud registered in her ears. Footsteps can be heard rushing to their location, and a few inaudible panicked screams.

Amaryllis weakly grasped onto Chryses' shirt as she tried to peek at the perpetrator's identity, but Chryses' arms prevented any movement from her. "Don't look..."

"Oh my god-! Bring her in!" Hana's voice commanded, and Chryses immediately carried her into the cafe. "Tobias, call 911!"

"On it." Tobias responded, and could soon be heard talking to the dispatcher on the other line.

"I'll deal with the other person here!" Sir Jesus' deep voice shouting from outside is as calm as ever.

"Please do!" Hana called out while rushing to get clean towels.

Amaryllis was laid down on the floor, and she could see Hana's brave face as she tried her best to stop the bleeding on her stomach as soon as she returned from the counter. "Amaryllis, you're gonna be alright."

She looked at Chryses next, who had quickly tucked his folded coat as a makeshift pillow for her head. "I'm sorry, Amaryllis..." He continuedly whispered as he grabbed her hand.

"You'll be fine, Lis... Please just stay awake, okay?" Mia sat beside her head, grabbing her hand with trembling fingers. Her vision spun, but she caught sight of the tears welling her friend's eyes in the fleeting moments of clarity every time she blinked.

Amaryllis could feel her heart beat faster as she smiled. "I'm... gonna be... fine..." Right..? She did her best to stay awake, but the numbing pain took over her body.

"I've managed to stop the bleeding! Amaryllis..-?" Hana's voice was the last thing she heard before losing consciousness.