Echoes of Us

Seven

Harrison watched Avery fall in slow motion, her head hitting the floor with a sickening thud.

But she was going to be okay, as long as Harrison could get to her, she would be okay.

Those thoughts were the only things running through his brain right now; he had to get to Avery.

Harrison manoeuvred around groups of people as they ran in the opposite direction of the way he was going, pushing past flailing hands and ducking under equipment.

"Harrison!"

His head flung to the side as someone yelled his name.

Avery's boss, June, was running toward him with outstretched arms, grabbing his shoulders as she reached him. She looked a mess, her hair falling over her face and mascara running down her cheeks.

"Harrison... Avery, you can't--" she began, but Harrison cut her off.

"June, move. Move!" he yelled as he pushed her hands off of his shoulders and ran around the stage, climbing up the stairs.

Upon reaching to top, Harrison's eyes landed on a sight that he never thought he would have to see.

Avery lay on the floor, the curtain behind her concealing part of her body as it billowed with wind, and as Harrison got closer, he finally saw the blood.

The whole front of Avery's dress was soaked in it, almost as if someone had thrown a bucket-full at her.

Running over, Harrison knelt down and pushed the curtain away, holding Avery's head in his lap as he fully sat on the stage.

"Avery, I'm here. You're gonna be okay, June is calling an ambulance," he reassured as he watched June pace around, her phone held to her ear.

Pushing her hair out of her face, Harrison realised that Avery's forehead was cold and laced with condensation. It was strange, it didn't even feel like her skin.

"Avery, can you open your eyes for me, love?" he mumbled lowly, cupping her cheek as he turned it to face him gently.

Harrison's eyes trailed down to Avery's dress, now a dark red when it had previously been blue. He brought a hand down slowly, pressing a finger into the material of the dress and bring it back up to look at.

As he looked at his fingers stained with blood, Harrison couldn't comprehend the situation, almost as if his brain wasn't allowing him to fully understand the truth.

The sound of sirens brought him out of his reverie as he watched the red and blue lights bounce off of the pool of blood on the stage; he hadn't even realised it was there until the lights hit it.

Heavy, running footsteps caused the stage to bounce under Harrison and he watched as a police officer ran over and knelt down in front of him.

"Sir, my name is Sergeant Adams with the Rellington Police. I need you to move away from her."

Harrison looked up as a uniformed paramedic rushed over and pulled Avery out of his arms, placing her gently on the floor as he checked her over.

"Hello, ambulance. Open your eyes, can you hear me?" The paramedic called out to Avery as he gently squeezed her arm and shook her shoulder.

Another paramedic ran onto the stage carrying two big duffel bags, she set them down and began taking various equipment out.

Harrison was still sat where he had been holding Avery with Sergeant Adams.

"What happened here? Are you hurt?" The police officer asked him as he looked him over.

Harrison blinked and stood up and walked over to them both, watching as the male paramedic hooked Avery up to some machines.