The Boy With The Scorpion Tattoo

Epilogue

3RD PERSON

Frank sobbed into the arms of his brother as the coffin got lowered into the group.

"I could have prevented this," he muttered over and over again.

"It's not your fault Frank," Jay whispers.

"I could have taken the bullet for her but instead I hid," he sobs, "she told me to hide so I didn't get shot but I didn't need to listen to her."

"She saved your life," Jay says, rubbing circles on his youngest brothers back, holding back tears himself.

"But I could have saved hers." Frank cried out.

"You did all you could," Jay says, "you, the man she loves, stayed with her in her final few moments."

"But I didn't want them to be her last moments," Frank sobs hysterically.

"No one did, but you were there when they occurred," Jay says, "now's your time to put flowers on."

Frank steps forward and throws a single blood red rose down onto the coffin in the ground.

"I'll never stop loving you," he whispers, "but I'll keep my promise." With that he walks away from the burial to where he sits on his rock. Images of that day in the food court flash in his mind.

His girlfriend laid in blood on the floor.

Dead and injured bodies scattered around.

The deafening sound of gunshots.

The pools of blood that stained the floor.

The screams of terror that echoed around the court.

He shook the memories that will haunt him forever out of his head. He was one of the three only survivors in the shooting in the food court. He just wished Madi was another.

He looked down at his wrist and saw the tattoo that he got that day. He brought it up to his face and inspected it. The black cursive writing that symbolised his one true love, the only girl he's ever fallen in love with. He kisses the 'M' softly before closing his eyes and whispering,

"I love you Madi Parke."