All Around Me

Chapter 16

*****

It had been four days since Sherlock's funeral, six days since his suicide. John and Claire never talked about it, and they never brought it up. They tried to forget about it, let it be, but it hung over them, like a ghost of guilt, sadness and depression.

There was a parade that day, and they decided to attend it and get their minds of his death. They walked down the crowded streets, some people running into their shoulders lightly, laughing, having a good time. Claire held onto John's arm tightly, fearing if she didn't, they would get seperated in the sea of people.

"Relax, have fun." John says, looking around, everyone seemed so happy, carefree, as if they didn't have a care in the world.

"Well, I can't see so if I lose you, i'm literally dead meat." she says. Everything to her, when she used her senses, it wasn't clear anymore. It was blurry, fuzzy, almost not there completely. Over the time, she learned how to control her visions, so she wouldn't have to where sunglasses or color contacts all the time. But, now her way of seeing has seemed to weaken, and it didn't seem good.

"The parade's starting." John said, turning to face the street as a whole bunch of elaborate floats began driving down the street slowly. Dancers and entertainers were around each of them, dressed in costumes to fit the theme of their float.

There were no guard rails, so people ran into the streets, dancing along with the performers, laughing, talking, watching the parade. It was so normal it seemed foreign to John and Claire.

Someone ran into Claire, knocking her out of John's arms. She stumbled blindedly into the streets, falling onto the pavement on her hands and knees."John?" she shouted, losing his place instantly.

"Claire?!" John looked around, but couldn't see her. At first she was there, beside him, then it was as if she vanished. She pulled herself up, trying to navigate her way through dozens of people, shouting Johns name but it was useless.

She ran her hands through her hair, people hitting her and running into her. She had no idea where the hell she was, and was confused, even frightened.

She heard someone faint, calling her name. It grew clearer, until it seemed almost real. Sherlock's voice.

"Claire! Claire turn around!!" his voice yelled over all the others, but she knew it was just her imagination. She saw him, jump, fall, heard his heart stop.

The voice kept on calling, telling her to turn around, shouting her name. She suddenly felt flamiler arms around her, making her turn. At the same time, her ''vision'' jolted to life, everything coming into focus. The first thing she saw was Sherlock, there, real.

He pulls her into a hug, and she hugged back tightly, too surprised, too shocked to react any other way. So many things were spinning around in her mind, but she didn't care. What mattered was that Sherlock was alive, here, with her.

"Come on, we have to find John and get out of here." he says, pulling away, but still holding her hand. She nods, branching out to find John and she did. He was at the street corner.

"Come on." she says, leading Sherlock through the dozens of people. When they reached him, John looked at them, his face turning pale, "What- how-?"

"No time to explain, but yes, i'm alive. Now come on!" Sherlock says, gripping his wrist and running down the almost empty alley with them.

"Why?! What's going on?!" Claire says, still following him.

"Someone is supposed to kill you two. Today."

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Wow... this is longer than I thought xD oh, well, it was worth it!

-K