Oblivion

5

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The door slammed shut in his face. His stood there for a moment, staring at it, like it would magically open again and she'd be stood behind it. His first reaction was to pull off the cover from the light switch in the hallway, put his hand in and find the little plastic bag he'd kept hidden away from her. But as he prepared the needle and melted down the brown lump into a liquid, his heart screamed at him to stop. She was leaving him. And this time for good. And he had chosen this, this horrible addiction, over her. Just one more. One last time. His fingers itched at the crook in his arm, where the scars lay, where fresh needle pricks had scabbed and bled. One more.

No.

No more.

He had to fix this. He loved her more than anything in the world. He had to stop this pathetic behaviour. He had the world at his feet and he was on the brink of throwing everything he'd worked hard for, away. It was time to take back control of his life.

He dropped the needle and spoon to the ground, smashing them with his feet, destroying the vile substance that had ruled him for too long.

He was barely aware of what he was doing as he ran from his apartment. He had to find her. She would've gone to their secret spot, just past the play park, through the trees and next to the river. It was where they'd first kissed. It's where she always went when she felt sad. It's where he always found her.

He couldn't have been that far behind her. It had only taken him a minute to make his decision. He should've caught up with her by then. He cut across the back of the supermarket car park, across the field. Just one more road to cross before he got to the woods behind the river.

The road had been closed off. Police offers stopping pedestrians from passing. There was an ambulance, lights flashing, parked next to the traffic lights. Dan tried to squeeze past but was held back.

'You don't want to see this, son.' The police officer told him. He peered over the heads of the crowd that had gathered. A car was smashed up against a street light, a massive bloody bullseye in the windscreen. Ten metres from it, a blue sheet was lain on the ground, a human shape underneath it. A pink Converse shoe, bloodied and torn, lay just next to it.

He had screamed out her name before his brain had even processed what had happened. Dan shoved the police officer out of the way with strength he didn't know he had. He dodged half a dozen people to get to the blue sheet. He had to see who was underneath it.

He tore it back and his heart instantly stopped beating.

Her blond hair was full of gravel and dirt. Her hoody was ripped and stained in oil and blood. Her eyes were wide open, staring up at him, forever. Apart from a small graze on her forehead, she looked unharmed. And then Dan noticed the way her neck was twisted.

There were two arms wrapped around him, dragging him away. He couldn't fight them off. Nor could he look away from her. He cried out her name, screaming at her to wake up. Screaming and begging that he would change. He'd chosen her. He'd do it for her.

'Please Sam. Please wake up.'

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