she couldn't get it off. she scrubbed and scrubbed, the water now a scorching heat, but her skin still tinted red with the blood. under her fingernails, between each crack in her skin. it was sticky, it was dry, it was permanent.
no, she reminded herself, her breath hitching in her throat. no, it isn't permanent. but it felt like it was. no matter how much soap she used, no matter how much vigor she put into her washing, the blood refused to fade.
a sob left her mouth as she watched the pink-tinted water swirl down the drain. thick bile coated her throat, and she let out a cough to try and keep her stomach underwraps. "why won't it come off?"
she didn't truly realize the words leaving her mouth, nor did she pay any mind to the tears streaming down her cheeks. she could barely hear her broken sobs, each breath more painstaking than the last.
"why won't it come off?" she screamed, a full cry gurgling up from the depths of her gut, a strangled and painful noise leaving her mouth. at the feeling, she instantly took her hands out of the water, gripping the edges of the sink until her knuckles turned white.
she heaved, her mouth full of the thick saliva that tasted like pennies. her hair hung over the white sink, the ends dipping into the hot water. another cry echoed, eyes squinting shut.
it was only then, when she finally regained a sense of reality, that she recognized the banging on the lame excuse of a bathroom door. "florence!" the voice yelled desperately, concern flooding the tone. "flo, let me in."
she picked up one of her hands, examining it. as soon as she saw the dark red outlining her nail beds, she dropped to her knees, hanging her head over the toilet.
florence, in the midst of her sickening reaction, could hardly hear over the echoes of the toilet bowl, but she had enough awareness to feel as minho finally broke through the bathroom door. it clanged against the wall, most likely leaving a mark with the door handle if she had to guess, and minho scrambled over to her.
as she hurled, minho kneeled next to her, hands carefully holding her long hair off of her sweaty neck, and most importantly making sure to not let florence up-chuck on it. his other hand rested softly on her back, rubbing up and down, back and forth, soft words of affirmation leaving his mouth in attempts to help.
the girl could not think. could not breath, could not hear, could not feel. it was numb. it was only one image that seemed to circulate her brain, an image that sent her stomach turning in rapid motions.
"i couldn't save him," florence finally whispered, chin braced against her forearms resting on the edge of the toilet. "i couldn't do it." another cry cracked through her body.
minho dropped her hair, arms carefully wrapping around her torso and pulling her smaller frame into his chest. hands gentle, touch soft, the boy blinked back his very own tears as he rocked her body back and forth. "sh," he whispered comfortingly. "flo, it's okay. it's okay. it's not your fault."
she shook her head, pressing her face into his shirt. "no," she choked. "no, it is. it is my fault." florence brought her hands up, desperately clasping them against her mouth to muffle her pain filled noises.
"he—" she began again, another sob interrupting her words. minho's clutch tightened, grounding her to the scene as he pressed his mouth to the top of her head.
florence inhaled slowly. "he—he begged me." flo's voice was quiet, small. smaller than minho'd ever known her to be. "he begged for me to save him. to keep him from dying."
his heart panged. "oh, flo."
she shook her head. "h'was so scared. so scared. he needed me to save him, and i couldn't do it."
YOU ARE READING
teenage wasteland ;; the maze runner
Action" don't cry, don't raise your eye. it's only teenage wasteland." she arrived just the same as everyone else. scared, confused, and lacking fifteen years of memories. the only difference, however, was the fact that she was a 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭. nevertheless, f...
