The Clifford Project

Chapter 20

Everything moved painfully slow. An agonizing five seconds felt more like hours. A psychotic smile grew on Mya's face, Luke calmly intertwined his fingers with Paisleys. It felt like forever when Mya started taking the safety off. Everyone I've ever cared about was dying in front of me. I couldn't stop it, but I wasn't going to watch it. I clenched my eyes closed tight.

"Open your eyes, Mikey." I wouldn't. "Open them or I'll shoot every god damn person in here." She would do it anyway.  I opened my eyes just in time to see the recoil of the gun and the bullet hurtling towards... Ashton.  He had jumped in front of the barrel mere milliseconds before Luke would've been killed.  The bullet struck Ashton straight in the stomach. Again the world moved in slow motion. He fell backward sprawled out on the ground, his blood pooling around him, mixing with Paisley's, mixing with Luke's, even mixing with Calum's. Like they were one huge lake of blood. 

"Ashton?" I had almost forgotten that he hadn't been tied up but had voluntarily sat down. He looked content. I couldn't believe he was smiling about being shot. "A-Ashton why would you do that?" Luke was crying now and had exchanged Paisley's hand for Ashton's. He sputtered and coughed, spitting blood onto his chest.

"I-I couldn't let you die, Luke..."  He smiled up at him.

"You didn't n-need to... Oh God look at you.." He gestured down to the bullet wound in his stomach.

"I-I'm free now Luke... I'm happy..." He began drifting off, his eyes opening and closing lazily. 

"Please don't die, Ash, please..."

"I-It'll be okay Luke... Just promise me something..."

"Of course, anything..."

"She killed my mother... A-and she has my brother and sister... Take care of them.. please..." 

"I-I promise Ashton, I'll take care of them."

"Thank you, Luke.. I-I've always loved you.."

"Don't say that now, p-please don't say that now."

"Don't forget me Luke..."

"N-No, you're gonna live, I know you will, just hold on a little longer, please...."

"I'm trying Luke but I can't hold on much longer... You know I love you..."

"I love you too Ash..." He sniffled quietly, playing with his hair. Ashton slowly closed his eyes as his grip loosened on Lukes' hand. He was dead. I could tell Luke was trying to hide his fear, his anger. He calmly let go of Ashton's lifeless hand setting it by his side and looking away. I couldn't believe what I had seen today. I found out that my dead ex-girlfriend was actually alive and killing off my loved ones. My girlfriend was dead and now Ashton was laying dead beside her. My life was crumbling. And Mya was pissed.

"What the fuck?! That gay asshole! And you, you," She said pointing at Luke. "It's all your fault. He loved me! ME! It's your fault he's dead!"  Luke couldn't handle it any longer, he stood slowly.

"My fault... My fault? This is all your fault.  You killed my best friend and the boy I loved. I can't believe you framed him for all this shit. I knew he wasn't evil, I fucking knew it. You're going to tell me where Ashton's brother and sister are and turn yourself into the police or things are going to get real bad for you."

"I should just shoot you now."

"Yeah, that's a great idea considering what happened last time you tried." Mya was surprised to hear these things coming from the usually shy blonde boy. She pulled the trigger expecting to see the boy finally go down. click. There were no bullets left.

"Fuck!" She stumbled searching for a gun with ammo near her. Luke walked quickly but sneakily, grabbing Ashton's loaded weapon and taking Mya by the neck. She screamed loudly.

"Tell me where Ashton's siblings are."

"Let go of me!" She screamed. I couldn't believe how violent Luke was being.

"Answer my question first."

"No!"He squeezed his arm around her neck tighter, choking her.

"Tell me now!" The other men working for Mya were too shocked to do anything.

"You idiots! Do someth-" Luke squeezed even tighter. So tight that the end of her sentence became coughs. It had been a while since I had seen Luke like this. I had almost forgotten how angry he could get. The last time I had seen him this pissed was when he, Paisley, Lucy and I had played never have I ever. That was the point I should've known to back off. When Luke broke my nose and accidentally punched Paisley in the jaw, when I had walked in on Paisley cutting her thigh, even though she insisted it was an accident. I should've known at that moment we were too weak, too susceptible to human emotion. We couldn't handle being in this toxic relationship, the toxic life I had made for myself. That quickly reminded me of Paisley. I wondered if she had stopped breathing yet. It was a torturing thought but I needed to know the answer. My eyes wandered over to look for her body recently resting next to Ashton. She wasn't there.  There's no way that after being shot she would be able to get up and leave, or at least she couldn't have gone far. And sure enough, after a little more searching I found her quietly pulling herself across the floor to Misty and untying her. She was my strong girl, they didn't expect her to put up a fight like that. She untied Calum and then disappeared behind me. It wasn't long before I felt her small fingers delicately pulling apart the rope knotted around my wrists. Once I was out she took my hand in hers and squeezed softly. She was certainly a miracle. There was no way she could be alive right now but she was. I did my best to keep her hidden from Mya. I almost couldn't hear her over Luke's screaming.

"H-hello? Oh, thank God. Yeah u-um I've been shot along with two other people, our friend is dead, we're being held captive... I-I don't know where we are..."  She was calling triple zero. She must've gotten a hold of Calum's phone. "O-Okay, please hurry..." She was lucky there was any reception. I couldn't wait any longer.  I went against everything I knew I should and shouldn't do and got out of my chair to sit on the cold hard cement next to Paisley.  She set the phone down and looked at me. I could see tears forming in her eyes. As quickly as I could I pulled her into my lap wiping her tears with the sleeve of my flannel. "Mikey i-it hurts so b-bad.." It hurt just as much as it hurt me to see her like that.

"I know baby, I know."

"Am I gonna die?" I have no clue.

"No baby everything's gonna be okay, I'm here now, you're okay.."

"Fuck it stings."

"Let me see it." She turned on her side so I could see where the bullet had hit her. It had skimmed the side of her waist, ripping her white tee shirt and staining it in most places with blood that was still gushing.  She would be okay but she needed medical attention. And quick. I took off the flannel clinging to my body and wrapped it around her waist where the bullet hit. I pulled it tight in an attempt to stop the bleeding. She winced as I pulled her back up to me.  Why were the cops taking so damn long? Oh yeah, they had to track her call. She could die before they got here.

"Mikey, what's Luke doing?"

"Avenging Ashton."

"So Ashton is-"

"Dead." I cut her off quickly. " Everyone is dying and it's all my fault ." I was so sick of this bullshit. It was all my fault. 

"You couldn't have guessed this was going to happen." But it did. I started this. And now I intend to end it.

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A/N: Well snippity snap y'all I'm writing this authors note from spanish class and this book is getting heated man. I hope you like it, and vote because that makes me real happy :) Thanks for reading, I love y'all! -Sophie/Cashton Baby