The clicking of a bullet into the chamber; the sound that almost shatters my eardrums and then the bullet. For a second, his face registers surprise. Then, it crumples. His torn shirt blooms bright red as he slumps backward, his head encountering the stone floor beneath him with a sickening thud.
A scream claws at the back of my throat but doesn’t make its way out.
Instead, a sound- not quite human, not quite animal- tears from my body as I lurch forward. Arms wrap around my torso and pull me backwards. I struggle fiercely but the arms only tighten more, pressing painfully against my ribs. Tears well up around the edges of my eyes and blur my vision but I can still see his motionless form on the ground all too clearly. Pure, blinding, hot rage surges through my veins.
He didn’t deserve to die. He didn’t deserve any of this.
It’s my fault. It’s my fault. It’s my fault.
“Micah!” His name comes out more as a whisper than the screech I’d intended it to be. I throw my body weight forward but the person holding me is far stronger than I’d expected. My eyes pull away from Micah and turn accusingly on the man who had pulled the trigger. “You bas-" The word doesn’t have the chance to fully form before a backhanded slap sends me my world into a tailspin.
“Get her out of here,” he says. I look into his eyes. They are grey, hard and cold. He has no regrets about what he’s just done. His expression is grim, his mouth twisted into a bitter line.
“Remember, Ari, this is your fault. If you had just stayed away, none of this would have happened,” he says. I glare at him through a tangle of black hair and hot tears but I know he’s right. Micah’s dead and it’s my fault.
As someone drags my limp body out of the room, I make a promise. I catch a last glimpse of Micah before the door is slammed shut.
Hatred burns in my veins, consuming my entire being in a ball of fire. I can't let this go. I'll never let this go.
"I'll kill you. I will kill all of you." The words sit on my lips, a whispered promise that I fully intend on keeping.
As I stare at the closed door with unshed tears, I whisper a last promise.
"I will avenge you, Micah. I swear I will. And no one- no one- will stand in my way.
*****
A/N I met Tyler Hoechlin yesterday. He seemed like a hella cool dude. Needless to say, I'm so excited for him to be Superman.
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Secrets | Watty Awards Winner 2013
Action"The best way of keeping a secret is to pretend there isn't one."- Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin When 16-year-old Ariel Chambers is rescued from a brutal kidnapping, she returns back to her family with scars running deeper than anyone can eve...
