When Tomorrow Comes

Chapter 18

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

"No!" Eponine cried.

She punched the soldier holding her in the chest and ran to Enjolras' body lying on the ground.

"Monsieur," she said. "Monsieur, tell me this isn't real!"

The commanding officer looked at her. He felt as if his heart was being ripped apart, yet he turned towards his troops and raised his gun.

"Canons!" he yelled.

Marius came up behind Eponine and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"We have to go, now!" he said.

"No! I won't leave him! Enjolras!"

She refused to get up.

"'Ponine, you might get shot!"

"Then let me die!" she cried. "I don't care anymore!"

"It's not what Enjolras would've wanted..."

"If he would've known what I wanted he wouldn't have done this!"

A canon ball suddenly hit the wall behind them.

"We need to go!" Marius insisted.

He took a deep breath.

"Enjolras let himself go to save your life! Don't let this be for nothing!"

Marius then spotted a soldier coming up towards them. He took out his gun as the soldier did the same. But Marius was the first to shoot and the soldier fell to the ground.

"'Ponine, please!"

She stopped resisting and, just before Marius started to pull her away, grabbed Enjolras' gun.

"I'll never forget you, Monsieur," she whispered.

Eponine couldn't stare away until they had turned the corner. Prouvaire and Feuilly closed the passageway behind them.

"Eponine, you're alright!" Joly exclaimed.

But Marius just shot him a stare that made him swallow crooked.

"Thank you, Monsieur," Eponine mumbled to Marius as he let go of her.

"You hear that?" Combeferre asked.

The boys shook their head.

"No, what?" Bahorel replied.

"Exactly! It's silent."

"They've stopped bombarding us..." Courfeyrac let out hesitantly from the barricade.

Prouvaire ran to the top and gasped.

"What the...?"

He couldn't believe what he was seeing. He looked everywhere but the sight didn't change. In front of him stood so many soldiers that he couldn't even see the street.

"It's like they're waiting for something," he added.

And then he saw a soldier lighting the flame for the canons.

"Nope," he corrected. "They were just getting ready..."

"Take cover!" Courfeyrac shouted.

The boys ducked under whatever they could find as the first blast made the barricade shake.

"Grab your weapons!" Combeferre ordered.

The second blast came and this time a part of the barricade went flying through the open doors of Café Musain.

"It's time!" Marius yelled.

The first soldiers started to climb over the barricade. Eponine held Enjolras' gun close to her heart as she spotted the first soldier.

"It won't be for nothing," she whispered.

She got up and caught up with Marius.

"Get out, 'Ponine!" he told her, grabbing her arm. "Didn't you get the part when I said I didn't want you to get shot?"

He pushed her towards Café Musain.

"Monsieur! I won't let you fight them alone!"

"Eponine! I don't have time!"

He turned around and shot a soldier that was aiming at Joly.

"I have to go!" he insisted.

"I'm going with you!" Eponine persisted.

"No! You stay here!"

He rushed out the doors and before she reached him, closed them in her face.

"Marius!" she yelled.

But there was no answer. She tried to open them but the doors were locked. She slammed her fist in the wall, but then spotted a broken window on the other side.

"Nice try, Monsieur," she said with a smirk.

Meanwhile Marius and the boys were having the fight of their lives. Soldiers seemed to be pouring out of every corner. They were much more than outnumbered.

"Watch the left! Watch the left!" Combeferre shouted.

"And up!" Prouvaire added.

"They're coming from the right!" Feuilly said.

Marius didn't know where to look.

"Heaven, make this end!" he shouted.

"Help us, please!" Bahorel shrieked, banging on the citizens' doors.

But the calls of help were left unanswered. Joly grabbed him by the arm and pulled him away.

And that's when a soldier was able to make it pass the barricade and was heading towards Marius, busy wrestling with another one.

Eponine just got out the window as she saw the soldier walking towards her friend. Others were too busy to notice him. She grabbed Enjolras' gun and, closing her eyes, pressed the trigger. A gunshot was heard, but no shot was fired.

"Damn!" she started.

But Eponine didn't have time to think. She rushed towards the soldier raising his gun at Marius' head and grabbed it. Eponine pointed it towards her just as the soldier fired it.

She fell to the ground in a thump just as she spotted Enjolras coming out from behind the barricade, rubbing his head. He spotted her and immediately started running towards her. She smiled at his sight and then let herself drift into unconsciousness.