The Clifford Project

Chapter 19

She looked at me with a puzzled look on her face.
"That wasn't an option Michael.."
"I don't care. Shoot me. I don't want either of them to die so for fucks sake just kill me already."

"You didn't answer my question, Michael. Paisley, or Luke? "

"Just fucking kill me already you bitch! I don't want to live like this anymore! Shoot me now!" Paisleys sobs rang in my ears.

"No G-God please n-no I-I love y-you! J-just kill me Michael, kill me!" I tried to remain as calm as possible but with every tear that streamed down her face, I got more and more scared to die. But I've been running for so long that I'd rather die than have to watch one more person get hurt. 

"I love you Paisley...."

"No! No no no no no! This can't be happening, someone tell me this isn't happening. I heard a gun shot and closed my eyes waiting for the impact. But I felt nothing. There was no bright light, no warm feeling, no pain. Why the hell wasn't I feeling pain? I didn't get shot.

"Paisley no!" The love of my life, my whole world was on the floor in front of me, a bullet in her side, surrounded by blood.  She wasn't moving. The men holding Luke dropped him and he fell in a heap on the floor next to her. She shouldn't have gone like this.

"Pai? ...Oh my God... Oh my God Paisley!" He pulled her into his arms and shook her softly. "Don't leave me, Don't you die, you can't l-leave me!" No response. Her chest was still slowly rising and falling though I knew soon enough it would stop. Luke continued to sob as he kissed into her hair. "I should've never cheated on you... I-i'm so sorry, it was the biggest mistake I've ever made... I-I love you Pais..." He rocked her back and forth slowly. My breath hitched in my throat. I was so angry. I screamed at the top of my lungs, I screamed until my throat was dry and the taste of blood filled my mouth.

"You wouldn't choose so I chose for you, don't act like this is my fault."

"It is your fault you bitch!" She shook her head.

"Ugh, don't call me that Michael."

"Bitch! Cunt! Psychopath!" She walked straight up to me and struck me across the face. 

I spat at her. I didn't expect much but it was all I could do in spite of her at the moment. Her reaction was unexpected. She reached one hand out, grabbing the collar of my shirt and pulling me forward. 

"I swear to God Clifford, and you and I know damn well I don't believe in God, but if he did exist he'd hold me on this. I will kill everyone you  love, and I won't stop until you're dead, And not by my doing, or your doing, no I'm going to make you suffer. So go ahead and kill yourself, you'll still have to watch all your friends and family die. You can't escape me Michael, I see everything, so do it, kill yourself. It won't stop anything. "

"You're a coward Mya! Look what you've done! You didn't even kill her yourself, no, you made Ashton do it because you can't!" She picked up her own gun and pointed it at Luke without even looking.  

"Don't test me Clifford, I'll do it!" Her finger rested on the trigger, and I didn't doubt her at all. Luke looked terrified, and it killed me inside. For him to have his best friend killed in front of him and now being threatened to be shot.

"Do it, shoot me!" he screamed.

"He's asking for it, he wants to die Michael."

"Don't hurt him, I'll kill you Mya, I'll fucking kill you!"  She giggled. She fucking giggled at me.

"You won't kill me Michael, you love me."

"No, I don't. I hate you. I fucking hate you, Mya."

"Say it again and I'll shoot." I knew she wouldn't.

"I hate y-" I was immediately cut off by who I would assume was going to be Mya. But it wasn't. A frail, shaking yet husky, deep voice that called out.

"D-Don't shoot him..."  It took me a moment to realize Ashton was talking from behind me. Mya looked at him in absolute disgust. 

"Why shouldn't I Ash? You know Michael deserve this." She had a scarily persuasive tone, like she was in possession of something he needed, and something he wouldn't get unless he submitted to her.

"But he didn't do anything wrong M-Mya... I don't w-want him to die please..."

"Ashton stop acting like a child, I love you and you love me, and you support my decisions like a good boyfriend." She looked unbelievable pissed at this point, like she had the right to be upset, when I was the one whose girlfriend had just been murdered at gunpoint. Like she had been through so much when I just lost the love of my life.

"I don't support you on this Mya."  He said as confidently as possible, though I could tell he was still scared. It enraged me that he had cut up Paisley and shot her, then shot Calum. It would be so easy to blame all my problems on Ashton but he had his own problems, which were mainly Mya.  

"You need to remember who's working for who here."

"Don't shoot him Mya."  She was now visibly furious. 

"Do you need a reminder of why we're here Ashton?" She spat angrily. 

"I-I don't love you." He said shyly. She was so overcome with anger that she couldn't speak. It took  her a while to regain herself. She looked over at a lone chair sitting in the corner then back to Ashton. 

"Sit in the chair Ashton." She said in an eerily calm voice. 

"N-no I-" He only got through a quarter of the sentence before she said it again.

"Sit in the fucking chair Ashton!" He rushed over and sat down, dropping his gun on the ground. Tears gathered in his eyes as he looked at me guiltily.

"I'm so sorry Michael, sh-she has my-" She again cut him off quickly.

"Shut up Ashton!" He whimpered loudly, probably in loss of whatever she had of his.  Mya kept her gun pointed at Luke the whole time. "I'm gonna shoot you, pretty boy." Luke looked back over to Ashton. I could see the love and regret in his eyes for him. It was obvious he still cared about him. Ashton wept silently for him, knowing he'd be dot sooner if he was loud. Luke looked up at Mya with no fear.

"Do it."

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A/N: Oh my god I typed most of this in health class instead of learning about smoking, but the whole time I thought about Ashton because he's ruining his body with cigarettes, like oops. Also, this is getting real intense, it's going from 0 to 100 real quick and I think there will be like four chapters left and then an epiloge. Love you guys!

-Sophie/Cashton baby