✓ maple street murderers || h.styles

flashback

*FLASHBACK*
*one of harry's midnight murder adventures*

[it's late and i'm tired so please excuse errors]

Harry's got blood on the side of his face. It's dried by now and he should walk over to the restroom on the other side of the gas station to wash it off but he's not sure if there's someone else around. There's a gun tucked behind the sole of his right boot. He's never really used one before but Annabel kept pushing it on him just in case something went wrong. He's never had a partner in crime before but she's the exception.

The two cop cars he just finished checking still have their sirens on and the volume of them make his ears hurt.

He thinks back to the first officer that jumped at him with all of these assumptions. Granted, he had been responsible for the store clerk's death, but there was no proof and Harry hates being accused of things. He didn't so much as leave a fingerprint on the body and the officer acted like he caught Harry on tape. Like there were actual facts backing up his claims.

He was the first one to go; then it was the back up he called in.

Harry kicks a rock and hums gently to himself, enjoying the silence of the night. It's the perfect time to go home and watch the stars with Annabel on the top of his roof, but he's got no idea where she is.

"Annabel?" He quirks an eyebrow and sucks his tongue against his teeth in thought. She's not hiding in any of the cars and she's not inside the store rummaging through the junk food like he thought she would be. There's no building except this one and no house within a mile radius, and though Annabel enjoys walks in the forest, she definitely wouldn't be found walking the highway.

He rubs a finger against the dry blood on his cheek and walks over to the restroom, cringing when his palm touches the rusted metal. It's already open so he just strides right in and walks over to the mirror.

His footsteps are too heavy and unfamiliar and he promises himself that he'll never bring a gun with him anywhere. Especially if it means he's more prone to being heard.

Harry tilts his head and looks at his reflection. His eyes are darker than usual and his skin looks sickly pale. His lips are a bit chapped so he licks them and hopes the harsh wind outside won't make them bleed.

Just as he's about to turn away from the broken glass, he catches sight of the blood on the corner of the mirror. Everything around him practically freezes, especially since the blood looks fresh. He brings a finger up and then rubs it against the pads of them, confusion and curiosity burning in his body as he turns around to look at all of the bathroom stalls.

There are only two closed ones so he knows for a fact that someone is hiding in one. If they're hiding, they're definitely not Annabel, and the thrill of getting his hands dirtier is somehow enthralling.

The first door is kicked open with his foot. He's disappointed when all he sees is a dirty toilet.

He opens the second door with his left elbow, right hand ready to attack. Inside is a clean toilet with no tissue. Dirty water is lodged in the crevices of the cracked tiled floor. He steps back and readies himself,  breathing out in anticipation as he pushes the last door open slowly.

Harry drops to his knees as soon as the door is open. Before him, sitting on the closed lid of the only toilet inside, is Annabel. Her head is down but he knows for sure it's her.

She picks up her head and he can't help but inspect all of the blood on her clothes.

He moves closer and pushes her hair back. "Why didn't you come out?"

Annabel's voice is barely a whisper as she answers. "I didn't know. It didn't sound like you. The steps were off and-"

"Why do you look like that?" His eyebrows furrow. He didn't mean to interrupt her like that but he's genuinely concerned with the overall white color of her face and the dull look in her eyes. She looks dead.

"Okay." She takes his hands in hers and sends him a smile that looks like it hurts. "I-I'll tell you but you have to promise not to get mad."

"I'm not promising shit. What happened?"

She shakes her head. "Promise me."

"Tell me what's going on."

She nods reluctantly and shifts her eyes to the floor, only adding to his uneasiness. Slowly, her arms move from around herself to expose the rest of her body.

Harry's eyes widen and his lips part but he's so speechless and confused. Because there's so much blood and it's too fresh to have come from someone else. His skin heats up as he looks up at her, shaking his head repeatedly. "I don't..." understand.

"The cop had a gun and I was too close and I didn't know it went off until I fell to the floor and-" she pauses to try her best to breathe, fingers cold as they clutch onto him. "And I knew you were busy so I just-"

"Annabel." He shakes his head again and pulls her off the toilet so she can rest on his lap. "You're okay. It's just a little cut." He lifts her shirt up and fights the tears in his eyes when he sees the wide gash.

"The bullet is still inside of me." She's talking slowly now.

"Just a small cut." He buries his head in the crook of her sweaty neck. Her body is gently convulsing against his still one and he knows what that means. "We'll go to the hospital like we always do and they'll fix you like they always do because that's what always happens, yeah?"

There's no response and he holds onto her   until he doesn't feel her faint breath on his neck. Until he knows for sure she won't move again, and then he cries against her body with his back against the dirty toilet.

"I'm sorry. Annabel, I'm sorry."

He makes a vow to himself that he won't ever drag anyone else down with him. Whatever dirty work he has will be done alone. It's safe to have no partners, and Annabel will be that lesson.

His secret.

[This is my one shot for @StylisticMoods 's Annabel Contest. It's late (Sorry Flora!) so I'm sorry if it's not that good. I've tried to make this fit Maple Street Murderers and Annabel but I don't know if it makes much sense. Basically, Annabel is Harry's first and only partner in killing people but she dies in the end (sorry to Annabel readers!) so he promises to never bring anyone down with him.]