Pulchritudinous

Sirens

The beginning of the end started with Eden...

It ended with him too.

-

I could hear grunts from outside as I grabbed his windbreaker. It's nylon fabric seemed rough under my fingertips. In reality, everything felt too harsh.

Maybe that's what happens when your world is falling apart...

Under my breath, I could feel myself hope for the opposite of what I suspected as I pushed open the door. The cold was fighting against the warmth of my cheeks, leaving me stunned as I turned to look towards the dead end of the alley.

It was dark, I could barely see them as they hit the ground. Distinct flashes from a flickering streetlight showed two bodies with mismatched colors.

One was as pale, skinny, and
haunting, immediately identified as Eden. The other, strong and dark skinned, was clearly Louis. At least one of them was stoned. I knew it had to be Eden, since I had had smelled marijuana on his breath when he kissed me only an hour earlier.

I leaned against the wall to steady myself as I stared, seemingly frozen in place as my mind screamed at me to move, but my body didn't seem to get the message as I watched in shock.

I'd seen deaths and murders there. I'd seen young boys lose whatever innocence they maintained in the streets as they watched their friends go limp at their feet. I'd seen more than I should've, and if I didn't stop what was going on, I'd see someone else fall.

"Stop it!" I heard myself yell, my eyes staring at a gruesome sight. Blood stained the floor, and I felt my nostrils flare. I became dizzy, my head beginning to pound like a chorus of drums.

There was a jumbled mess of limbs, and I could barely see the bruised freckled face I was looking for as Louis managed to pin him down.

In seconds, he was choking Eden with one hand, and punching his jaw with the other. For a couple of seconds, I could see him turn to me, knowing he had lost as blood pooled from his lip, already swelling up.

Before the last, finishing blow that would knock him out came down, I saw his lips move, gasping out silent words...

"I'm sorry."

That itself shook me, and I forced my limbs to move despite their screams of protest. I ran towards them, my arms reaching out to shove Louis out of the way. But I wasn't fast enough as a caramel fist smacked against the side of Eden's face, and he fell limp.

I screamed, grabbing Louis' hand to prevent him from doing anything else. I used all my strength to pull him so he was facing me. I could see his lip was swollen, along with his bruised eye. But this damage was small compared to what Eden would have endured if I let him continue.

"What do you want, you little-" Louis yelled at me, but my hand was already raised. The adrenaline made my heart beat louder, being all I could could hear as my fist aimed for him.

Everything seemed to go slow, and I saw what was going to happen, knuckles collided with the bridge of his nose. No remorse coursed through me as I heard loud cracks, and then there was pain.