Tell No One

Chapter 19

Chris walked into the entryway, dropping his bag next to the door. Whilst he was wriggling out of his shoes, he realised that Darren was still home, watching TV. 
"Hey. So um, I guess you heard." Darren was stretched out on the sofa, a bottle of Jack Daniels clasped in his hand, resting on the floor. From the angle, Chris couldn't see his face, the back of the sofa facing him. "Shit's pretty mental..." Everyone had been sent home after the assembly, the day cut short. Lessons would resume tomorrow, but the principle had decided that not much work would be done 'in light of today's revelations'. "Darren?" Chris warily approached him. It was unnerving; most of the time Darren was a conversationalist, a light in the room. Now.. now he felt like a void, a space that demanded attention without openly directing it. "Darren?" Chris repeated himself. walking over, what he found shocked him. Darren, who was usually so conscious of his look, was sprawled out on the sofa, clothes wrinkled and vomit down his front oh his t-shirt. "Jesus christ Darren." Chris recoiled in horror. Looking at him closer, he realised that  Darren was actually awake, just staring at nothing and drunk off his ass. "Fucking hell Darren." Darren finally realised he was there, slowly blinking as he looked at him.

"Issss.... iss... Ch...rissss..." Darren's words were slurred, barely coherent. Chris could just about make out his name, but it was clear he was in a bad way. 
"Shit..." Chris muttered the words and slumped his face into his hands. "Well, let's get you cleaned up." Chris wasn't excited for the task at hand, but he couldn't leave his roommate and their apartment in this state. Usually, he was the one making messes, Darren clearing up after him. It was weird, the states being reversed, but Chris appreciated him more than he let on.

Shutting off the T.V, Chris picked up all the empty beer bottles on the floor. Technically, they were his, but something's got to be really messed up for Darren to be like this. Maybe.... Could it be over Kiera? Darren pushed the questions to the back of his mind and set to running Darren a bath. It was hard work, but eventually, Chris got him out of his puke-encrusted clothes (Leaving his pants on, of course). All the while, Darren's head lolled, rolling about on his neck. Honestly, Chris couldn't remember a time Darren was even slightly tipsy, yet the slobbering mess he was now. The sense of foreboding heightened, and Chris thought about what could have done this. No, who. 

Tucking Darren into his bed, he realised he was crying, sobbing even. Concern furrowed his brow.
"Chrrriiisss....." Darren's words were garbled, alien coming from his mouth, still slightly slurred. Chris stood at the doorway, about to leave.

"Yes?" When Chris turned around, Darren was sitting upright in his bed, the sheets caught around his waist.

"It's Shelia." Darren had sobered enough for Chris to actually understand what he was saying.

"What about her?" Chris's hair was on end, and he finally pieced it together. He knew what Darren was going to say even before those rotten words tumbled from his mouth.

"Shelia's dead.... Kiera killed her." The words came out strangled, Shelia's name springing new tears to Darren's eyes. Chris stared at Darren. In the half light, he looked small, vulnerable. Which, Chris realised, he was. Darren, strong Darren, quiet Darren had been reduced to a hollow husk of his former self. Chris said nothing as he closed the door, with him on the other side.

***

Kiera had found a cunning way to move about. After scoffing that strangers food- and silently thanking him for having 2 more noodle packets in his cupboard- she was struck with an ingenious thought. The ground was far too risky for her to even think about walking around in the daylight. Everyone would have her face memorised, the police would be actively searching for her, the security cameras seeking her in the heaving masses of Newbank. As Kiera's mind whirred, she ran outside and scouted the building. Sure enough, there was the wrought iron staircase that was the building's fire escape. Perfect. Climbing up the steps, Kiera reached the last door on the top floor and precariously used the bannister to crouch on. Then, with a smooth practised movement, she thrusted upwards, pushing herself onto the roof. Her heart was pounding, and she took a minute to breathe on the rough ground. Mentally, she gave herself a pat on the back and smiled at her thinking. There were no cameras up here, no people, and looking around, it was rooftops as far as the eye could see. Sure, she would have to come down for food, but she could do that under the cover of night. Sitting on the edge, she took in the view of the towering skyscrapers nearing the city's centre. In the midday sun, they gleamed and glittered, a beautiful utopia. All previous doubts about her decision to come here were dispelled. The nagging voice in the back of her head asked her what if it rained, but looking up, the sky was a blanket of blue that stretched long into the horizon. Kiera took a minute to bathe in the light, enjoying the moment of peace. Idly, she wondered when Mera would appear again, but ultimately decided he would come if he was needed and would come when he wanted.

Kiera stood up, judged the distance to the next rooftop. Invulnerability did not mean an immunity to pain. A fall from this height would hurt, and it would take a time to heal. Grazes and scrapes, she could deal with; from experience, she could be better by a few seconds. But a broken leg? That could take hours. A day even. And she wasn't immune to death. There is no coming back from that- not for her again anyway.

Kiera leant over the edge, staring at the ground 4 stories below. She then looked towards the next building. Luckily, this neighbourhood was packed close together, or Kiera might've lost her nerve. It was definitely windier up here, and Kiera had to keep pushing her hair out of her face. She could only speculate how cold it would get when night fell. Backing up, Kiera took a stance a way away from the edge. Taking a deep breath, she then ran as fast as she could pumping her legs and leaping off the edge. There was a terrifying moment of freefall and gripping fear that she had not jumped far enough. The street was quiet far below her, her hair bannered out behind her, and the air was a rushing chorus through her ears-

 but before she knew it, she was landing with a grunt on the other side. The impact surged through her feet as she came to a sudden, hard halt, but a second later she felt fine. Kiera grinned to herself. She could do this. Mentally, she planned her next move.