a phoenix in the fire » fillie

epilogue

I HAD ALL AND THEN MOST OF YOU, SOME AND NOW NONE OF YOU.

"I loved her," he murmured. "I loved her."

"How could it be love?" Winona asked. She wrapped her fingers around her pen, gently tapping the clipboard rhythmically. Finn's heart started to beat in time to the tapping.

"I loved her, and I killed her."

"Finn, honey, you missed."

"No, I hit her!" Finn exclaimed. He sat back, as if that single burst had cost him all of his energy.

"She's fine. She's alive."

"She's dead."

"Finn, she's alive," Winona firmly stated. "Look." She pointed past him, and he turned around to look.

She laid in the hospital bed, pale and small. Finn blinked. It was her, yet it couldn't be her. Perhaps if Finn didn't say her name, he could pretend she wasn't real. She wasn't real. She had died. Finn had killed Millie Bobby Brown. It was the only logical thing in his life.

"She's alive?" he whispered finally.

"Yes, Finn. She's alive."

"Oh." Finn collapsed against the door. He leaned his head on the metal, sighing heavily and deeply.

"It's alright," Winona softly said and placed her hand on his shoulder. She squeezed his shoulder before walking away. Finn glanced after her. Winona walked slowly, almost trance-like.

It wasn't alright. Finn hadn't given Millie a chance to explain herself, and he wasn't sure he could handle an explanation.

"You missed, cheap shot," a voice whispered. He turned to see Maddie.

"Maddie?" Maddie tilted her head, smiling roguishly. Finn's eyes widened in surprise. "But you're dead?" he asked.

"Oh, honey, you think I really died?"

"No one actually dies in this town," Finn sarcastically murmured.

"Shut up," Maddie snapped.

"You're alive?"

"Hon, who do you think saved me?" She tilted her head and placed her hand on her hip. "And no, not Millie. That bitch tried to kill me first."

"You are disgusting," Finn bit out.

"I call it surviving. And trust me, Millie will not survive to see her next day. I'm sure you want that as much as we all do," Maddie said as she looked through the window.

Millie was still asleep. Her forehead gleamed with sweat, and suddenly, Finn wanted nothing more than to sit with her and hold her hand. But Finn was a coward. He was too cowardly to do the right thing.

"I can't let you hurt her, and I thought you were supposed to be her friend?"

"Friends? Millie stopped being a friend the moment she took control, the moment she tried to kill me."

"Millie always takes control. Why is that such a surprise?"

"Listen up, Wolfhard," Maddie darkly said. "Stay out of my way." She turned around and strode away. Finn stood, unable to form a thought. He turned back to Millie.