The Blood I Carry

Haunt me

I look around slowly as I am suddenly sitting down in the room I used to call my bedroom. I look out of the window, my breath getting caught in my throat. I can feel my heartbeat in my chest, my neck, my fingers, my toes, my stomach.

The same dark trees tower everywhere in the forest, blowing gently in the wind, making a swooshing sound. All my hairs on my arms stand up.The trees where i have lost so much. This is the place that is truly going to haunt me forever.

Everything is still here, my shoes, my dads camera, my mum's books, all of it. It's as if I went for that nap after we came back from the shops and I've just woken up from the strangest dream ever. The purest love and heartache ever.

I don't know why I am here. It's darker than normal, my eyes feel heavy, the room spins for a few seconds, but suddenly I am aware of everything around me.

My bedroom door creaks open, the sound of it sends chills up my spine.

"Hello you," Arlo speaks. A grin displayed over his lips. He wears all black, as if he were at End Point fighting again.

A gasp escapes my lips before I stumble back slightly losing balance, my back now hitting the wall next to my bed. Arlo holds his arms out, ready for a hug. Tears well in my eyes as he walks forward slowly. I edge forward and dive into his arms. He holds me in a tight embrace as I let the tears fall, I never thought I would ever experience his hug again. Not after he violently died in front of me.

We stay like that for a minute, until I feel his arms snake up my back, onto my shoulders, then on to my neck, he pulls back and looks at me, a smile still spread across his face. A genuine smile. He looks like our father did.

"It's okay, I'm okay, I'm alive and well. So are you. It's alright Liv, it's alright." He comforts me, wiping my tears with his thumbs, caressing my face.

"You're really here?"

"I'm here. I'm never leaving you. It's as if i can haunt you." He speaks with humour, but I didn't like the joke.

"What?" I can feel the emotions twisting inside my head and my body like parts of a clock.

"Nothing to worry about. It will all be okay."

His sweet so sweet smile disappears, I suddenly feel his hands creep down again to my neck, they rest there, and start to squeeze. I stumble back, attempting to get out his hold after realising what he's trying to do to me. My back hits the wall, he keeps pressing, holding my neck. My head tilts back against the cold wall. My hands hitting whatever part of him I can. I open my mouth attempting to get air in, to breathe again. It's no use. Muffled cries escape my mouth as more tears roll down my cheeks. I look into Arlos eyes, they're taken over by darkness. He is gone. There is no sweet big brother left, not anymore. It's a darkness I have never ever seen in anybody. I can feel my eyes burning bulging bursting. I accept I'm dying. I go weak, black is starting to take over my vision, but one thing I do see.

A bullet in Arlos neck, a smile on his face, bigger than ever, the corners of his mouth are almost reaching his ears. Blood trickles from his teeth and from the edges of his lips, dark, thick, red blood.

I wake up and immediately sit up, horrifying screams come from my dry throat. I couldn't breathe. He choked me. He was trying to kill me. I feel a hand rubbing my back, I flinch at his touch and I let out more blood curdling screams that could crack glass if it was thin enough.

"Hey hey it's me, it's okay." Jude says, sitting up next to me and now wrapping his arms around me.

I grab my neck with my hands and scratch at it, tears falling down my cheeks onto the bed. I scratch at my neck until Jude grabs my hands with his and holds them, he holds me as if i'm about to shatter into a thousand pieces.