Counting Stars(Book One/Noel's Story)

Ch.05-For Sky; A Little Lovebug

Ch. 5: For Sky, A Little Lovebug

...A week later...

It was our last day staying in this hotel. I had been practically glued to Eric's side since what happened. As a result Silver was practically glued to me, which technically wasn't really surprising. He was back and we both knew that we needed to stick together. I still feel like it's my fault that little girl died. Her sister told us she didn't blame us though. She said she didn't blame us because some psycho decided to come and shoot up the place. If only she knew that psycho had been targeting us, she might see it differently. If only everyone knew.

"We have to do something for Sky and the other girls that were killed." I voiced randomly getting everyone attention.

"I agree. They shouldn't have died. None of them." Whispered Silver and I could see that her eyes were starting to water as she focused her attention on the carpet. Later we learned the names of the other girls. Cleo was the name of the gothic school girl with the sad eyes. I can still see her smiling when I told her the meaning behind me saying count the stars. It makes me sick to my stomach to think that after telling her that her life was taken. Hope was the name of the little girl that stood next to Sky. They were best-friends. Both seven years old and from what Sky's sister had told us the sweetest little girls you'd ever meet. I wish I could've met her. If she really was anything like Sky she would've immediately captured my heart also. The last little girl was a five year old by the name of Serenity. She was the little sister of the boy with the scowl. Afterwards he came up to us and said he understood our song at that moment. He was basically shaking with sobs as he told us that his sister only wanted to spend some time with him that day since he would never let her. He said that he blamed her for their mother's death since she died giving birth to her. He admitted that he let that hatred grow until there was all there was left within him, now that she's gone he realized that he shouldn't have done that. That he should've been her big brother and protected her while teaching her to stay away from boys. He told us that it was a guilt that he'd have to live with for the rest of his life. The next morning on the news it was reported that his father found him in his room. He overdosed on pain pills the pain being too much for him too bare.

"This is entirely our fault." I blurted before I could stop myself as the tears welled up in my eyes.

"Don't sat that Noel. This isn't anyones fault, but that psycho's." Said Eric.

"No Eric. This one IS my fault. I antagonized him." I whispered finally voicing what I've been feeling all week.

"No, it's my fault. I had been staring over there the entire time. I knew something felt off to me about it. Why would someone just sit in the shadows like that? I should've said something. I should've opened my mouth and at least tried to prevent it."

"I shouldn't have made the guards go in and eat. I'm the reason they couldn't do their job. It's my fault." The room went silent and I just knew everyone was agreeing with me. They knew this was my fault and there was nothing I could do to change it. I was struggling to breathe as I realized that he was still out there. Panic mixed with my guilt and it wasn't long before someone was rubbing small circles on between my shoulder blades as someone else held my hands. Another was holding my face telling me to look at them and relax. I couldn't place the voice due to the ringing in my ears. The person was nothing more than a blur through my tears. The more I thought about it the more I realized that he was coming to get us. The more I panicked the easier it was for me to realize that I deserved it. It was my fault all those little girls died. I deserved whatever he was going to do to me. Before I could stop it a scream was bursting from my diaphragm as I thrashed about trying to get away.

Nothing was working as someone grabbed me by my waist and pulled me back. I screamed from my diaphragm again putting my heart into it as I cried and shook my head no. I could hear Silver crying. I had to get to her. I needed to. I couldn't let him get her too. I had to tell her to get out of her. To run, but I couldn't get loose. His hold on me was too tight. He wasn't letting me go no matter how hard I thrashed about, hitting him as much as I could. I could hear my name being yelled as they yelled at me to stop. I could hear Silver's name as he tried to coax her. I couldn't let her fall for it, not again. I tried again with everything I had to get away. That's when I heard the scream. Silver's scream.