Halo | 18+

chapter fifty two

- AURELIA JONES -

Drowning in silence, we sat in the cold, mildew filled basement with nothing but chattering teeth and heavy minds.

Lyza was curled at my side between Shoju and I, her small frame almost laying on top of us.

I'm trying to keep it together for her, but I'm barely holding it together as it is.

Shoju can tell. He keeps rubbing my hand, interlocking his fingers with mine.

Flashbacks terrorised me, things I couldn't remember or things that I'd try to push away.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to rid my mind of all things negative, focusing on the little light I had left.

"How much longer do we have to stay down here?" Angel asked, teeth chattering.

Rez shook his head, jaw clenched. "I don't know." He mumbled.

She sighed, "There's nothing to do. Or eat- what if we're stuck for longer then a few hours?"

Rez didn't say anything.

"The storm has to pass at some point? I'm sure everything is fine-"

"I don't know! I don't fucking know, Angel! I have no clue what to do. I don't know why everyone has turned to me for solace! I'm just as confused and terrified as everybody else!"

His voice boomed across the small space, shaking the walls before settling into an uncomfortable silence.

I stayed quiet, frozen in place as I stared at the floor in front of me.

"Let's just calm down. It's okay man, no one's putting this pressure on you-"

"Fuck off Shoju. You don't know anything about us or the shit that we've been through!" Rez yelled, turning to look at Shoju.

His eyebrows were furrowed and angry.

Shoju remained calm, "No, I don't. But we've all been through something pretty fucking serious."

Rez huffed, "Thanks for saving my friends life but- we don't need any dead weight dragging us down in the long run."

Shoju's face paled and he nodded, "Yeah don't worry about that. I know when I'm not welcomed somewhere."

"But for the record- you've got a child, a cripple and two women who you clearly care about, on your team. You need me more then I need you, remember that." Shoju spat.

Fear gripped at my throat, begging to me released. This is just like Jace and Rez, exactly like it.

"Guys please-" I croaked out.

"Who do you think you are talking to me like that? We took you in, man. We were doing perfectly fine before you showed up."

Rez was getting angrier by the second, fists clenched by his side.

"We're you? Because when I found her, she was scared. Really scared." Shoju said, gesturing to me. "After your boy lay hands on her. That doesn't sound like 'perfectly fine' to me-"