Until morning comes

[17]

"I'll use you as a warning sign, that if you talk enough sense then you'll lose your mind."

______

[Ashlie saw no light at the end of the tunnel.]

His heartbeat raced as his feet pounded against the asphalt. Nick was trying to calm his racing heartbeat with uneven breaths.

He finally came upon who he was looking for, Ashlie was being dragged by a person in white, they were seemingly floating in thin air, nick could only assume this was the nurse Cory had talked about.

His throat began to burn as he swallowed his shouts of despair.

Why Ashlie.

He quickly ducked behind a wooden palette as the nurse turned towards him. The pounding heartbeat the killer made mixed with his own racing beat.

Nick started to travel to a dark place within his mind.

His broken mind filled with chaos.

His mind went through so many things, the good memory's and even the bad. The ugly memories he wanted to forget and the memories of his sister.

He Remembered her understanding smiles when he told her his problems. It was enough to make him want to scream. Fall to the ground in agony and cry, pull his hair out in frustration. But he simply kneeled there, staring blankly and numbly at the spot the nurse had once been, his sister was gone with her.

He looked up towards the moon, trying to find any hope hidden behind its meaning, but all he saw was a smirk. The taunting smile that made him want to hide away forever from the world.

He felt helpless in that very situation.

Here he was sitting behind a wooden palette, staring blankly while his sister was possibly in danger or even dead.

He had feared the worst in that time.

Ashlie was the type who was strong on the out-side, yet fragile on the inside. She might seem upbeat but in reality she's probably just drilling herself into a deep state of depression. Nick wondered if she intended for this to happen.

He always prided Her for being so shatter-resistant, but now he felt that sleeve falling to the ground. That protective shell she held out against her own, was cracked. Her own hope had been stripped from her, and for what cost he thought. He was not the reason for this, nor did he have to take responsibility for this. But he couldn't help but think, that he could of for something for Ashlie, he could of helped his sister out of the deep void she had Fallen into.

I can still fix this. Nick thought, getting up from his kneeling position and slowly walking towards the way the nurse had taken Ashlie.

As he rounded the corner he noticed Ashlie hanging from a hook, her coat drenched in blood at the shoulder, a hook pierced through.

Nick cringed at the sight of the blood, but he couldn't stop now. He would make it up to his sister. He would save her.

He would.

He walked Slowly over to the hook, being steady with his movements, carefully he placed his hands under Ashlie arms and hoisted her up, flinching at the sound it made when the hook released her shoulder.

Holding his sister close to him, he rushed off. Not daring to look back at the blood drenched meat hook.

Carefully he hide behind a large pile of metal scraps, pulling out the med-kit he had stored in his backpack. Taking out some gaze he wrapped it around her shoulder before putting pressure on the wound with one hand to stop the bleeding. Taking out some string and a needle he looked at Ashlie, worry clearly noted in his eyes.

"Sorry ash, but this is going to hurt." That being said nick slightly unwrapped the gaze before sewing the wound tightly shut. Flinching at the amount of blood.

Once that was done he wrapped her shoulder back up with the gaze and leaned back. Sighing in relief.

He had saved her, she was ok.

_______

When Ashlie came too she wondered why she wasn't dead.

She was facing the bright light of the mood above her, the sound of crickets were heard faintly in the distance.

Maybe she was dead, and what ever god There was up there had decided to place her in hell. Not that she believed in gods or anything, honestly after being in a mad zone for over two years, it really makes you question whether or not there is someone up there.

Glancing around her surroundings she caught nick staring off into space next to her, now had she just realized he was holding her hand tightly, now had she just realized the screaming pain in her right shoulder.

Looking over she saw bloody gaze wrapped around her shoulder blade. I must of been on a hook, she thought.

Nick had noticed Ashlie's awaken and was quickly by her side helping her sit up.

Silence had sat over the two and Ashlie couldn't help but notice that it was tense.

"Why . . . ?" Nicks Voice cracked as that one word left his mouth, a word he had become oddly too familiar with.

"Huh . . ?" Ashlie just stared at her injured shoulder.

"Why . . . Did you get yourself caught. . . I know it wasn't an accident." Nick chocked back tears as he grabbed Ashlie's hand again and squeezed it tightly. Ashlie only looked at him blankly, studying her brothers face for any sign that he was indeed lying.

When she noticed he was serious she felt her own salty tears run down her face.

She thought no one would help her, she didn't care. Why was he caring though? Why did he have to be such a nice person. Was it because she was his sister, or was it because he would feel guilty leaving her behind.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry." Her voice cracked as she hugged nick tightly, not wanting to let go, not wanting to let go of the good memory's that were slowly fading between them.

"It's ok, Ashlie. Shush it's alright." Ashlie tried her best to stop the loud chocking sobs that erupted within her, she couldn't help but pour herself out to the boy. He was her best friend since childhood, he had been there for her through thick and thin And she felt so dense for only realizing it now.

Ashlie suddenly rethought everything, she decided she didn't want to die. She once again had hope for the future. She smiled, her sobs turning into quiet whimpers, nick rubbed her back comfortably.

She was happy to have her sibling here, her pessimism had completely vanished from her subconscious.

She started to see light at the end of the tunnel.

She felt sanguine.