And Then... They Fell

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

David 

I push Charlie to the ground, probably to forcefully, but I don't have time to question it or be gentle with him when Clara's life is on the line. I step over him to make sure he doesn't move and take aim and pull the trigger, but its too late.

Clara falls to the ground and seconds later the man that made her fall, fell shortly after from my bullet. 

They were right here, alive with me, and then... they fell. 

I don't have time  to dwell on it though because a second later comes the sound of another trigger being pulled and more pain that I could fathom erupts from my body. It brings me to my knee and I clench my teeth, trying to fight through the pain. It takes everything in me to raise my arm and fire again, and again and again. I'm just lucky there was only one man with a gun otherwise I don't think we would have made it out alive. 

But you didn't all make it out alive. Clara's didn't.

Lilly

When I finally open my eyes there are three more men on the ground none of which came with us. David still has his gun raised and his teeth clenched, Asher stood confidently but there was a sad look in is eyes, and Charlie lay on the ground belly down and eyes closed- just like he was supposed too. It made me smile a little that he always knew to hide his eyes first. The small smile faded quickly though when my eyes moved from Charlie to Clara's unmoving body. 

I cover my mouth with my hands, this time not in false shock but to cover the cries and whimpers wanting to escape. I try to act normal, try to focus on other things and ignore the gaping whole in my chest.

"Is it done?" I say as my eyes find David's, my voice little more than a whisper and higher pitched than usual. 

"It's done." 

"Charlie, your good. You can get up now." 

He gets up slowly and he starts walking towards Clara's body. I realize I had been doing the same without realizing it and I fall to my knees in front of her. 

You have two minutes. 

So I fall over her body and cry. I let myself remember the first time we met, her beautiful smile and laugh, the way she always had such a grace about her that the streets couldn't take away, and how she had saved me. She had saved me from myself so many times and in the processes saved Charlie too. She was always the light that kept us together and made us realize the good things and that we would always have each other. At least, until now. 

I let myself feel everything and cry over it all without caring what Charlie, Asher, or David thought. I was sure I spent more than two minutes crying but when I finally let out everything, I pulled back and rose to my feet. 

"We will miss you more than you can ever know Clara. I don't know what we will do without you."

Everyone was around her now. David gives me a side hug and kisses my head before going to Charlie and picking him up and holding him in a hug. Asher is on the other side of Clara but reaches his hand over her body to hold mine. We look into each others eyes and he gives me a small sad smile letting me know he understand my pain. We don't let go or break eye contact for a long minute, his hand becoming a lifeline for me as I begin her final goodbye and soon we are all letting her go. 

"We won't ever be the same
we won't let you die in vain.

We will love you always
and see you in our stargaze.

Goodbye Clara."

David and Charlie join in as we say our goodbye. We stand there for a moment more before I let go of Asher's hand and turn to David but when I do I see the blood. 

David 

I hold Charlie to me with my good arm as I see Lilly turn to face me out of the corner of her eye. I turn to face her too but the gasp she releases makes me flinch and look behind me assuming some of the men that had been knocked out were awake. 

"David, whathappenedareyouokaydoesithurt! Ican'tbelieveyougotshotanddidn'ttellme! What'swrongwithyouIcouldjustslapyourigh-"

She talks so fast I can barely understand what she is saying but get the gist. 

"Woah, Lil! It's fine, I'm fine. Just a little nick in the arm, we can patch it up and I'll be good to go."

"This is not a "nick in the arm" there is practically a whole through your arm!" 

That's a bit of an exaggeration. 

"The bullet is still in my arm there is not a hole through my armLilly."

"You are always so flippant, this i-"

"I can get the bullet pulled out and get you patched up. It will take a while to heal and you will have to take it easy but since it's in your left arm that should make it easier." Asher tells me as he removes Charlie from me and sets him on the ground. 

"We will need to get out of the path before any of the guys wake up. I can give you a quick patch up to stop the bleeding and then we can get going and when we make camp for the night I can fix it up more." 

Lilly 

Asher takes charge quickly and there is nothing more attractive. 

"Lilly can you get the bags packed with Charlie, David and I shouldn't take too long and we will be ready."

I am blushing at the confidence and reply, "Yeah, sure." 

With that I take Charlie and get everything ready to go after we are finished I take an extra moment for us, to ask Charlie how he is doing.

"I'm sad." Crocodile tears fall from his eyes and my heart breaks. "I want Clara back." 

I go to Charlie and wrap in him a tight hug. "I know Charlie, me too."

"Do you think she misses us?"

"I think she misses us a lot buddy." I say sorrowfully, "But I also think she's not gone completely. We can remember and if we remember her she is never really gone. Beside I think she is still watching over us in the stars."

He doesn't say anything but snuggles closer into me. Clara was the first person Charlie would remember dying. I knew he would be okay but it still made my heart ache to see him like this. I let one more tear fall from my eye, this time for Charlie. 

After a minute the guys walk in signaling that its time to go. Unfortunately, we don't have time to mourn and grieve Clara like she deserves.