Living In Lies | #OnceUponNow

Chapter 17: A Loss Of A Loved One

     Melody. Melody. Where is she? I have to find her before something terrible happens to her too.

     I slowly lift Elizabeth off my lap, watching the tears as the they fell onto her face like rain drops. I slowly place her on the ground, being as respectful as possible. Now to find my sister.

     I look around quickly, trying to locate her. My eye is soon caught on a head of brown hair. Melody. I run toward her. She is lying on the ground, unmoving. I see that she has three wounds: each in the stomach, but none in the heart. Thank god. I kneel by her and check her pulse.

     Thump. Thump. Thump.

     She is still alive. I feel a small weight lift from my chest. I then pick her up and head toward the nearest exit. This is when I realize I have wounds myself. I must have been too distracted in the commotion to notice the bullets in my arm and leg. It hurts to walk and hold my sister up, but at this point, it doesn't matter to me in the slightest.

     I limp as fast as h can out of the building and to the nearest hospital. Luckily, there was one around the corner, if I can make it there. I will. No, I must. For Melody.

     Once I am mere feet from the building, the pain is almost unbearable, and it is difficult to keep going. Blood is now rushing from my shoulder, down my arm, and dripping off my fingertips.

     I'm so close. One foot in front of the other. Left. Right. Left. Right. Once I finally make it to the entrance I walk inside and collapse, Melody in my arms. I am soon surrounded by nurses, helping us both. They then take Melody and put her on a stretcher, rolling her out of sight.

Once I am no longer able to see my beloved sister, a nurse walks up to me, trying to help.

"There's a shoot-out at Jefferson Memorial High School... Send ambulances... Quick... And please... please... save her..." I manage to say between breaths.

"We are already on it, miss. Now we need to tend you your wounds," she says.

"No," I answer, "I'm fine. Just make sure my sister comes back alive,"

I then try to stand up. I am wobbly, but manage to do it. I limp back outside and by the time I am there, the ambulances have arrived.

I watch as all of my friends go by on gurneys. Everyone I know, dead. And I watched them die. With my very eyes. The only person I didn't see was, obviously, Heather. Well, not everyone is hurt, I guess. I got Melody here in time, and I still have Blake, right?

I watch as the last ambulance pulls up. As soon as the vehicle is stable, the driver jumps out of the car and to the back doors. He then turns he handle and I see the last person.

Who could it be though? I am almost positive I saw everyone go by already. Did I miscount?

I didn't see the person's face, because it was covered with a tarp, but as soon as the doctors take the stretcher out of the van, I freeze in horror.

In the person's hand was one, single object. Hanging off the side, barely clinging to their fingertips, was a black bracelet, engraved with the words "you have stolen my heart", along with a stone heart pendant that was broken in half.