Blind

The last breath

The time has come. It is Sunday. 9:00pm. Hope closes her eyes so that the tears don't slip off her face. She practices a blank mask, even though her emotions seem to always be there. She tries shutting them off like a switch but they still haunt her. She is going to die. This scares her most. The void of the unknown. Will anyone miss her? Her hands are clammy and she wipes them on her jeans for the forth time. Choosing a death outfit had been surprisingly difficult. It's not like you know when your time has come. When you move on to the next place after death. Did that place even exist?
She had chosen her ripped jeans, grey top with her converse.
Her face is blank but she's screaming inside.
All she can think about is her life clock. Four hours left. She inhales deeply. The smell of pine comes and fresh, damp grass. Gosh, she will miss it so much.
She stands outside, her hair rustling in the breeze. Her green eyes open, once she is sure the tears won't leak. But they have a mind of their own and the corners of her eye well, on the verge of tears. And she lets out a shaky breath. It is unbearable to consider what she would not get to experience. College. Marriage. Job. And her friends. Gosh, Amber and Em. How could she leave them like this. No explanation. And her mum. She will be devastated. But, as her thoughts tangle together, she makes a wish, that it will not be her last breath tonight.

*****

Four hours. Three hours. Two hours. I hour.

The night air rushes into Hope's face and she sighs. She stands on her doorstep, looking over the neighbourhood. She hadn't realised how much she'd miss home. She pulls the front door close, and as it clicks for the last time, her eyes begin to tear. Before she can turn around she starts running. The pounding of her heart and feet distract her. As the air stings her face, she let's the tears go, and they drip off her chin before she can wipe them away. Even though she had been to Pilkion & Son in imst Projection, she is still unsure of what to expect. She had typed into her phone the address, which turned out be to a couple of blocks past her house.
She stumbles over shrubs and stones that litter the path when she is running. When finally she reaches a path that veers into the walkway towards Pilkion & Son she stops dead in her tracks. A sense of doom washes over her, chilling her to the bones. There is no other way, she thinks. This thought makes her feet move down the path, using her phone as a light.

Pilkion & Son is exactly like it was in imst Projection. The dead trees that look like strangled hands, warped and demented. The faded red writing on the side of the building. The rotten wooden door, that seems to tell its own story. She's not sure why but as she reaches the door, she feels somewhat alarmed and in peace at the same time. I am not dying for nothing. I will save my mother, she thinks.
She nudges open the door with her hip, only to be confronted with what stands before her. The interior is different. Machinery lines the walls of the building. It's harsh angles make it look menacing. But that's not what has her mind reeling. A glass tank sits in the middle. Clear blue water fills the tank to half way. Metal handcuffs are chained to the side. One for the hands, feet and the waist. Hope shudders, internally and externally. There was definitely one thing she was right about. It would not be a slow death.

"Glad you could join us." The voice says. And Armaros steps out of the shadows like in the dream. His feline eyes glint with amusement as he pushes forward the woman in rags.

"Mum." Hope cries out, reaching for her battered body. Her body has bruises blooming all over and her rags are dirty and ripped.

"Only until after you complete your side of the deal." He says practically singing in glee. This only makes Hope's blood boil and her anger flashes.

"We also have some company." He says.

"Aiden don't be shy." He says as Aiden walks out of the shadows. His face is sunken and tired. Is that....regret? Hope can only stare though. And she feels another wave of anger towards him.

"How could you?" Is all she says. Her voice soft in sadness.

Aiden doesn't reply, and just looks at the ground.

"I'm going to die. Answer this. Did you go on the date just to get close? Why bother?"

"Yes and no." He says. But there is no emotion in his voice. Hope's mind spins at this answer.

Armaros's sharp chuckle from the other end of the room distracts her. "Better than the Pretty Little Liar's drama." He says, clapping his hands together, and Hope flinches.

Before she can think of a swift comeback, he rushes towards her. Hope let's out a strangled cry as he knocks her onto the cement. Her shoulder bashes into the cement and sharp rocks dig into her back. She can already feel the bruise blooming. She kicks out and hits him in the shins, causing him to grunt. He sends another punch into her stomach causing her to gasp in shock and pain. He twists her arms sharply behind her back and she yelps. He yanks on her hair, almost dragging her across the floor. Her vision blurs and her ears are ringing as he locks her into the cold metal chains. He slams the glass shut and turns on the water. It's rapid flow causes the water to fill the box in an alarming rate. She strains against the metal securing her waist as she gulps for air. At one point she is certain she called out to Aiden for help. But it was a blur. The cold water seems to swallow her figure. It passes her waist and rises to her chin. The water bites into her side and it seems to reach her bones.Through the glass she can see Armaros staring intently at the ever rising water. She tilts her chin as it continues rising. One breath. Two breaths. Three breaths. And then Hope's lips are under the water. Her hair has become a halo of damp hair and each time she struggles the metal bites into her skin. Drowning. The air seems to have left her lungs. She can feel the water entering her lungs, white hot and painful. The water is now at the top of her head. Black spots appear in her vision. The water engulfs her body. Her top is sticking to her skin, as she glances in Aidens direction, but he is no longer there. A flash of movement catches her eye. But she is in to deep to come back out. And when blood splashes against the outside of the tank, her thoughts are only a tangled mess. Her eyes close...inviting the darkness. As the outside world falls away.

*****

What things could have been different? She wonders if it could have been avoided. Death. But it always comes knocking. White hot pain surges in her body. She screams inside but her body is still. She is only able to feel. The leak of blood from her stomach. The pain that rattles her very skull. Maybe things would be different. Air forces it's way into her throat, making her want to gag. Lips are pressed against hers, forcing air down, down. A push on her body. Air. A push. Air. Her cracked lips open. One breath. Two breaths. Alive...

To be continued....

Who saved Hope? What happened to Armaros? Hope was an inch away from death, will she ever be the same? Love has destroyed her, but can it save her too?

Hey everyone,
Hope you like it,
More is coming soon x
-Tahlia B