Saorsa

Twenty-Nine - Aaliyah

She pressed the muzzle of the gun further against the back of Zeke's head, her hands trembling with anger. "Let go of him." She hissed, nudging the back of his head with the muzzle. Zeke froze, unable to turn his head from the gun pointed at him. It would be a clean shot to the head, Aaliyah thought. She looked at Kory, her angered expression softening. Kory's fear was clear, he looked terrified of her. He pulled Zeke closer, shaking his head.

"Don't," he raised his voice in fear. "Don't do this, please." Kory pleads, covering the back of Zeke's head with his hand. "Don't hurt him."

Aaliyah's brows furrowed in confusion. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "What do you mean?" She scoffed. "He killed you." 

Kory shook his head, keeping Zeke close. Zeke had said nothing the entire time, fear visibly making him freeze.

"He didn't. He wouldn't." Kory's eyes welled with tears, ever so slightly visible from the glassy look making his eyes gleam. Zeke wrapped his arms around Kory, refusing to let go. His grip tightened around Kory. Aaliyah's trembling hands lowered the gun, swallowing the lump that was lodged in her throat. She didn't think to realize that Zeke loved Kory too much to pull the trigger on him. It was obvious. He loved him more than her. But what about everything that Zeke said about him? He called him names, and exposed his inner truth. It felt difficult to even think at this point. Aaliyah had yet to know what had really happened. "I don't remember what happened." Kory says, looking up at Aaliyah with a pleading look that was masked with fear in his expression. He couldn't remember? What did he mean by that?

"What do you mean?" Aaliyah's shoulders slumped, her finger twitchy against the trigger. "Zeke saw you. He said that—" She stopped herself from speaking any further, the realization sinking in. She had been blinded from blatant anger and grief that she forgot what Zeke said. The more she thought about it, the more she remembered. "What did you say?" She said, turning her attention to Zeke, who was cowering in Kory's arms. Zeke reluctantly turned his head to look at Aaliyah, a sigh of relief escaping his quivering lips.

"I can't remember." He mutters, averting his gaze to face Kory. Aaliyah already knew he was lying. Her grip tightened on the gun, something in her mind yelling at her to point it at him, to put the fear of God in him and demand the truth. Her eyes bore into the back of Zeke's head.

"Tell me the truth."

"I am."

"Zeke. Tell me the truth." She gritted her teeth. "Please."

Zeke shook his head, now refusing to look at Aaliyah. "I don't remember. Please." He sniffled, Kory visibly inching away from Aaliyah, pulling Zeke with him. "Don't hurt me, I'm sorry, I really am."

Aaliyah didn't bother to get the truth out of him anymore. She looked down at the gun in her hand, her thumb rubbing against the rear-grip. She didn't know what to do. It would be best if Zeke wasn't 'around' anymore, right? It would be safer if he wasn't here anymore. Nobody would get hurt. Not a single scratch on anyone if Zeke was gone.

She lifted the gun.

She was trying to hurt someone for the greater good. This was for the best.

Her finger rested on the trigger; her brows furrowed as she thought of what to do. She felt a bit hypocritical killing someone just to keep the others safe. Zeke did that. And she shamed him for it. But here she was, ready to kill somebody for the safety of the others.

"I just want to keep the others safe." Aaliyah murmured. She lifted the gun up to her temple.

"No!" Kory reached out to stop her, but she had already pulled the trigger, a loud bang ringing throughout the forest.