Human

47.

                  

"Derrek!" I screamed as I dropped to my knees beside him. "No Derrek, no no no!" I grabbed his head, pulling it into my lap. His face is already covered in a thick layer of sweat as his whole body shakes. "Derrek, please be ok. Please!" I screamed, holding onto him.

I look up in time to see Garret running full speed towards Dalton. "You want to challenge me, boy?" He taunted holding the gun up again. "Come on then!"

Another vicious gunshot rings out, but Garrett keeps running. Dalton tries to fire again as Garrett is closing in, but his gun jams, and Garrett tackles Dalton to the ground with ferocious precision, both of them hitting the ground roughly.

Derrek coughed in my arms, sending little drops of blood flying from his mouth. "Looks...looks like all that...all that football training finally did golden boy some good." He joked.

I couldn't help but to laugh through my tears. "Derrek, what were you thinking?" I cry to him.

"You know I couldn't just sit back and watch you die." He forced out through his strained breaths. The rise and fall of his chest was starting to slow, and he couldn't keep his eyes open.

"You think I want to watch you die?" I shouted at him.

"It's...it's alright, Cade. I'm good...I'm..." He didn't finish speaking. His head got heavier in my lap and tears began pouring from my eyes like open faucets.

Carrianne and Charles were sitting on either side of me looking down at Derrek with hollowed expressions. "Cade, I'm so sorry." Carrianne whispered as she put her hand on my back rubbing circles.

"He was a good man." Charles hardly mumbles, eyes cast down.

"Both of you shut up!" I scream. "He's not dead! He can't be dead!" I yell over and over.

I look away from Derrek's empty expression to see Garrett and Dalton are still grappling on the floor. I could end that in a second, but I know Garrett needs this. He needs a chance to stand up to his father and prove something to himself, so I let them continue to fight.

"Cadence, love, he isn't breathing." Gretchen said gently from behind me. "You need to take care of that man." She says talking about Dalton.

"No!" I sobbed loudly. "He's fine. Derrek is fine." I didn't even realize I had been rocking his body back and forth in my arms until he slumps over to one side. "This can't be happening." I whispered, staring at his pale face. I can feel everyone's sympathetic expressions burning into me and it only makes me angrier. "Stop them." I say barely above a whisper. "Bring him to me."

Charles, Taylor, and Ron walk over to the fighting men and separate them. It takes all three of them to hold him, but they drag him over to stop in front of me. My eyes meet with Garrett's and I silently ask him with my eyes if he is ok with what I'm about to do, although I'm pretty sure I would do it with or without his consent, but it doesn't matter since Garrett gave me a quick nod of his head.

"What are you doing?" Dalton screamed and bucked against the people restraining him. "Don't! Please, I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking. Please, don't! Garrett, help me!" He yells trying to look back to his son.

"You'll never hurt another person again. Never." I say evenly.

I know everyone is watching to see what I will do, so I am going to give them the show they all want. I peek down at Derrek's lifeless body one more time before looking Dalton square in the eyes. I stare through his soul and watch as his skin begins to turn red and his blood begins to boil beneath the surface, making this skin ripple all over his body. He lets out blood curdling screams, but I don't even care. I focus on him. Watching as his eye balls melt right out of the sockets. The men holding him drop his body to the ground and step far away from him, looking on in horror.