Son of A Predator (On Hold)

In Charge

"Hey guys, look."

"What?"

"She's waking up."

Brooke tries opening her eyes, the red light shinning into them and hurting her blurred vision.
She notices three figures standing right above her, her vision still too blurred for her to recognize them.

"W-What?" She croaks out, her throat dry and her lips chapped.

Adam's eyes widen and he crouches right next to her, holding her hand, "Brooke! How are you feeling? Are you okay? What happened?"

Brooke blinks a couple of times, rubbing at her eyes to get rid of the grogginess. She looks around at her friends surrounding her, Sarah hanging back behind them.
She feels no pain as she sits up, but her body feels generally exhausted, the past events finally taking a toll on her.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine...why?" She asks, looking at Adam confusedly.

He blinks a couple of times, "You don't remember?"

She tilts her head to the side, starting to feel slightly afraid, "Remember w-what?"

And then it hits her.

Images of blurred lockers and stairs begin flooding back in her mind. The adrenaline rush and the fear. Fingers around her throat. Tears. An edge. Darkness.

She widens her eyes and starts shaking.
Connor.
She blinks back the tears that have started swimming in her eyes, looking as her friends stare at her as if she was crazy.

"What?"

"Brooke, did you even listen to me?" Adam asks, his face going slightly pale.

"Connor...I–" Brooke attempts to explain herself, but her words fail her and refuse to come out.
I can't tell them I let him die.

"Brooke, what happened to Connor?" Oliver asks sceptically, eyeing her odd reaction.

Brooke feels a pang in her chest at the mention of his name, the tears threatening to fall down her cheeks, but she holds them in.
She presses her nails into the palms of her hands. Hands which weren't able to save her friend.

"He...I...I lost him. H-He started r-running and I l-lost him," she says shakily, her voice tinted by a hint of sadness.

She sees as all their shoulders drop and become hunched, seeming to carry the weight of the world.
Adam's eyes turn downcast, letting out a soft sigh as he fears the death of another of his friends.

Sarah scoffs and shakes her head, "You sure have a growing list of people you let die."

"It's not like I could do anything about it!" Brooke shouts, shocked as she sees her...friend blame her for his death. She points down the hallway angrily, "That thing was not Connor!"

"Whether it was him or not, you still let him go!" Sarah shouts back.

"I had no choice! He almost killed me!" She shouts, subconsciously bringing her hand up to her neck, feeling the bruises and wincing slightly.