Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Chapter 54, The Beginning of the End (Ep. 9: The Piggyback)
Dying had never been a plausible option for Steve Harrington.
Despite being the most self-sacrificial person there is, he never thought death would hold him in its claws one day. Maybe there was something arrogant in believing he was immortal, but after having faced tons of dangers and coming out safe in the end, it was safe to say his survival streak made him pompous. He never thought the grim reaper would say enough was enough and cut his life string short. He always looked ahead and never looked back.
That was until now.
As he held the lifeless body of the girl he loved, he couldn't stop thinking about death. He couldn't stop pondering on different ways on how to join her. Maybe heading into the swarm of bats or maybe going to Lover's Lake would be easier.
Lots of options... so many to choose from.
He was quiet, completely still as he stared at her resting face. She looked like she had fallen into a deep slumber, like a spell had been cast and she was waiting to be rescued. Even amidst the world crumbling, she remained in her deep state of tranquility. She was stuck in her perfect and pacific thoughts while his mind remained corrupted by painful cries and begs that the clock turned back to a time where she was still with him.
Steve slowly glanced up. His expression was emotionless, but his eyes told a different story. They were consumed with a feeling beyond measure that could only be described as torture. He had her blood on his hands, as if he had been painted with her limited palette. He wanted to move and carry her away from this purgatory, but he was trapped. He was chained into an endless inferno, subjected to living in perdition for evermore.
How would he continue?
How would he be able to endure living a life where his world no longer existed?
His life had been black and white before he met her. It had been a constant cycle that went on for years and never envisioned escaping from. He concluded that some people were meant for joy and a fulfilling life while others weren't.
That he was the misfortunate one meant for darkness.
His past relationships had been void of any color. They were nothing but pastimes. Something meant to be locked into a forgotten vault. Something he believed he was content about. If he never caved to his feelings, pain wouldn't knock at his door.
Maybe he would be spared from the curse of a maddening love.
But then, she came.
Like a ray of color amidst a monochrome life, she resurfaced with a limitless palette. Life had been golden and loving her was a heavenly gift. The colors were brighter, the oxygen was no longer suffocating, and his drained existence had vanished. After years of darkness, he had been liberated from a meaningless life.
