Sane

Chapter Fifteen | Survivors

I run over the crunching leaves and twigs, squinting at him. His gray hair was very noticeable, his eyes a fading blue. One of his eyes had a round purple bruise surrounding it. This didn't surprise me. I tried to dodge the fire, but that wasn't my main concern. I began to cough, inhaling the smoke surrounding us, as I finally reach him.

He turns, giving me a double glance. He locks eyes with me, pain and confusion burning behind the blue in his eyes.

"Will?" He coughs out.

I don't stop running, hitting him full on with my body, pressing his back against a nearby tree. He coughs abruptly, looking into my eyes.

"Will-" He starts.

"Shut up!" I growl.

"Will, I never wanted for you to leave-"

That did it. I reached my hand up and slapped him in the cheek as hard as I could, pressing my forearm into his chest, keeping him in place.

"Willow?" I hear Forrest approach behind me.

"Give me your gun, Forrest." I demand.

"Willow-" He looks at me, a sorry look in his eye.

"Give it to me, Forrest!" I say in between gritted teeth. He slowly shakes his head at me.

"I can't do that. I can't let you do this." He looks in between my father and me.

My father coughs again, "Will, please. I'm sorry-"

I turn around, eyes glaring. "He's dead. Oakley's dead. And it's your fault! It's your fault you had to become a alcoholic and just scream your own kids out of your house. We lived in a garage. A garage!" I stay tense, shoving my elbow further into his chest.

"Forrest, I swear to God, if you don't-" I release my grip on my father, reaching for Forrest's backpack. But he's too quick. He grips my wrist, holding it tight.

"You don't want to do this, Willow. If you kill him-" Forrest tries explaining. I whip my free hand towards his face, clenching it into a fist before it hits him. At first his reaction is total shock, until he processes what just happened. He lets go of my wrist, and I grab his backpack. He whips around, kicking the back of my knees so hard that I kneel in pain. He grips both of my wrists behind my back.

"Oakley wouldn't want you to do this." He states. I scream, anger having it's way. I tug my way out of his grip, jumping up. I throw another punch, but he catches my wrist before I hit him. I growl, kicking him right in between the legs. He doubles over, and then looks up at me sorrowfully.

"Don't ever speak for Oakley! You do not have the right to do that. Especially because you're the one that killed him!" I spit out, grabbing his backpack.

Forrest doesn't try to stop me now. "Willow, you don't want to do this." His eyes travel to the fire that has gotten really close now. My father is nowhere to be seen. Great. I'm too focused on Forrest, that I didn't even keep an eye on him. I begin tearing Forrest's backpack off his back, while searching the crowd of people for my father.

A strong force comes down on me, tackling me to the ground. Ashton looks down on my face, his blondish hair falling into his eyes.

"Ashton, get off of me right now." I struggle beneath his body.

"Get off of her." A coarse voice says, and I recognize it immediately.

Ashton turns, finding my father. Why on earth did he come back? To die?

"Get off of her!" He yells now, and Ashton quickly stands, putting his hands up in surrender. I stand up weakly, not tearing my eyes off my father.