Fallen From Grace (#Wattys2017)

Chapter XII

Once those words left Gabriel's mouth, Eleanora staggered back, not being able to believe her ears. She stumbled on something, forcing her to fall down as the tears streamed down her face. Shaking her head she felt the tightness coil inside her chest as it ached beyond comprehension. Sobbing silently she pulled the leather jacket closer to herself as she felt that it was her fault.

She should have caught onto his motives, and she should have stopped him from doing something so reckless. She sobbed into her arms before looking up at Gabriel. Through the haze of her tears she could see him stagger to his feet, his face red and his eyes bloodshot. Standing up, he faced her, before stretching both of his hands in front of him, his palms facing Eleanora.

Breathing harshly, he focused his energy on his hands as a white light shot towards Eleanora. Shrieking in fright, she pulled up her arms to cover herself as a cold sensation enveloped her. Breathing harshly, she expected something more to happen before she felt something fuzzy against her leg.

Screaming in fright she removed her hands from her face and looked down, surprised to find Sebastian purring against her leg. Eleanora looked around herself in utter bewilderment before realizing that Gabriel didn't mean her any harm, and instead meant to transport her back home.

Hiccuping she looked around herself for a moment before a torrent of emotions came crashing down on her like cold tidal waves, each wave stealing the air from her lungs. The tears flowed down her cheek as she sobbed into her hand, Sebastian meowing up at her in concern as the ache continued to grow in her chest.

"No, no, no, no." She sobbed while shaking her head. Wrapping her arms around her knees, she rocked herself back and forth as she tried to regain her breathing. The doorbell ringing through out the apartment scared her as she jumped up in fright. Sniffling and desperately wiping at her eyes she tried to look presentable to open the door, considering the fact that if it were Mrs. Scott or Elliot than they wouldn't leave until she opened the door.

Momentarily glancing at herself in the mirror, she saw that her cheeks were flushed, her eyes puffy and blood shot with her nose a bright red and her hair completely disheveled, she looked like she either had been crying for hours or she had a bad case fever. Blinking rapidly, she felt a lump forming in her throat as she made her way over to the door. Slowly, she unlocked it and swung it open. However the moment that she did, a tuft of matted dark brown hair came in her face as a very heavy person crashed on her.

"Eleanora." The person groaned in pain.

"A-Apollyon?" Eleanora gasped in astonishment as she held him tightly, but loosened her hold on him when he whimpered in pain and clutched onto her back for some sort of relief. "God, y-you're bleeding."

With great difficulty she dragged him inside as he still clutched onto her. Gently she settled him on the sofa as he was hunched over, and breathing heavily, drops of blood and sweat trickling down his face. Crouching in front of him, she cupped his face in her hands as she inspected him. He had a gash on his forehead as his entire face was sticky ad clammy due to the blood, his eyes closed as he tried not to cry out in pain.

"Apollyon, where else are you bleeding?" She inquired softly as she stroked his cheek.

"B-back." He whimpered in pain. "S-s-side."

"Sweety, let me call the ambulance to take you to the hospital." Eleanora spoke softly as she pushed the hair out of his forehead to inspect the cut.

"N-no!" He exclaimed, grasping onto her wrist to prevent her from calling. "Y-You d-o it."

"Me?" She asked in astonishment. "Apollyon, I can't! I'm not qualified to stitch you up. I don't even have morphine to make you numb!"

"F-fuck it." He growled in pain. "I w-won't let them touch me. E-either you l-et me blee-d to de-ath, or y-you patch me up y-your-self."