SHE WAS FEARLESS ~ CHRIS CHAMBERS

We're Not Taking Him

~ Skye's P.O.V ~

"Guys calm down." I mumbled, approaching them to find Vern tackling Teddy, punching his stomach repeatedly while Chris tried to hold him back.

"STOP IT!" Gordie and I shouted together, all eyes darting towards us.

I tried to ignore them, focusing on Gordie; which was especially hard seeing as my crush was staring directly at me, knowing I would've heard what they said. I made sure to shove past Teddy, kneeling down in front of Gordie.

"Are you okay, Gordo?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He sighed, faking a smile and getting ready to stand up. I awkwardly did the same.

Gordie locked eyes with everyone. "I'm not going back."

***

"Coming through the woods, I bet we saved over an hour."

We'd been on the run for quite some time now, finally reaching our destination.

"Teddy?"

"Yeah."

"Is this the back Harlow road?"

"Yeah."

Chris stood in front of us with a look of determination. "Brower kid must be 'round here some place. Teddy and Vern can take the left side of the tracks, Skye can switch back and forth, and we'll take right."

"Alright." We agreed, a sense of fear pitting in our stomachs. I did as I was told, walking back and forth for a couple of minutes until Vern pointed towards one of the bushes.

"There he is I see him, I see him!" He hollered, making the other boys' heads snap in our direction. We all froze, staring at the body in the bushes. Chris was the one to move foreword, the rest of us following behind him.

We moved the branches out of his face.

There he was, Ray Brower, my good friend, pale and rotting. I covered my mouth, the realization finally hitting me, he was really gone. I was shocked and numb, incapable of speaking.

"Let's go look for some branches, we'll build him a stretcher." Chris suggested lowly. Everyone began to walk away while Gordie sat down, staring off into space.

"Gordie?"

"Why did you have to die?" He muttered to himself. I turned away, squeezing my eyes shut.

"What's the mater with Gordie?" Vern thought aloud.

"Nothing, why don't you guys go look for some long branches, okay?"

Searching in silence with Teddy and Vern, I began to think over my choices. Was I really going to take the credit for this? Stand in glory, while Ray's parents suffer through the most tragic experience of their life. Ray Brower was dead, and this wasn't right...

"What the fuck do you know about this?"

The three of us stopped what we were doing, hearing Ace's voice echo throughout the forest. We immediately dropped the branches, scurrying back over to the boys.