Until morning comes

[23]

When tommys view focused he was in the woods once again, his friends sat around the warm fire. The group had looked up at tommy, expecting Jon to be there.

"Tommy? Where's Jon, you said you'd wait for him." Nicks gentle voice spoke. Tommy couldn't hold it in any longer and he suddenly bursts out into loud sobs.

"Tommy!" Ashlie rushes over and sits him down beside the fire. "What happened out there tommy?!"

"H-he's dead." Tommy chokes on his own saliva.

"H-he's dead and I-it's my fault!" He shouts, covering his mouth with his hand to try to muffle his whimpers.

"What?" Ashlie's eyes, wide and fearful as she pulls away from Tommy.

"J-jons . . . Dead?" Ashlie's voice wavered. Tommy nods, gasping for air.

"The hag got him, she was teasing me too. She just stood their staring at me. No emotion whatsoever. I-I was so scared," tommy gulps before continuing "I d-didn't want to tell you guys right away because I-I didn't want you to do a-anything rash." Ashlie's hands trembled.

Jon's . . . Dead . . .

"So Jons really gone. Dammit and he just got here too." Cory slammed his fist against the ground, grinding his teeth together.

"Cory . . . " unis voice spoke with sympathy, rubbing corys back slightly.

"I should have just went for it instead of just sitting there! Do you know how hard it is to watch someone you know die right in front of you! Sure people have died many times in my life but I've never seen it. Is just walk the other way because I knew it was no use. But now that I see the torture you go through before you're given as a gift to the sky . . . I can't take it, that was the most pain I've been in. Why did he have to go, it's all my fault . . . " tommys sobs only continued to get louder as he spoke, Ashlie stared at him in sympathy and sadness. Has he really never been in this much pain.

"It's not your fault." Tommy looked up.

"Huh?"

"It's not your fault, you couldn't of done something to prevent it from happening. The hag had you watch, any movement you made would of had you in the same situation as Jon and than we'd lose the both of you. Be happy that you can live on in memory of Jon, because none of us were there. I'm sorry you had to witness that and I can't imagine the pain you're going through but think of it as a way to live for Jon, to see the things he'll never get to see." Nick spoke softly, he looked out into the forest, not daring to make eye contact with anyone.

"Nick I don-" tommy stood up, wiping the tears from his face.

"You're right . . . I'll do the things Jon couldn't and I'll make sure that he won't die in vain, just like Ashlie is doing for dawn." Ashlie tears up a little. It felt like a long time since she heard his name, or even thought of him in general. Was she really living on for dawn?

"I'm starting to question if I really should be the leader, or if it should be you nick." Cory smiles over towards nick, which nick returns.

"You're a great leader Cory, I don't need to be leader to be understanding. You're just a nice of a person as I am." Cory nods, smiling over the group.

"Yea."