The Taste of Near Death

Blood

It was Mitzi.
Her face was dripping with blood, oozing from cuts. The rain had smeared the red blood all down her face. Underneath the blood was pale skin. There were two deep cuts on her left cheek and another deep one on her right temple. Other smaller cuts scattered across her face.

She was stumbling so slowly towards Azalea, she was almost not moving. When she called for Azalea her voice seemed weak and distant but loud enough to hear over the rain. She must have used most of her energy to call for Azalea because as soon as Azalea reached her, she collapsed. Azalea held Mitzi in her arms. Her pale face fell more translucent by the seconds.

Azalea held Mitzi's blood covered hand with a free one of her own. As Azalea picked up Mitzi's droopy arm, she could see cuts. These cuts were not self done. Mitzi would never do such a thing. They dripped with blood. Some starting to scab over but many still fresh. There was two very deep ones by her wrist. The blood wouldn't stop pouring out. Azalea sat on the floor and rested Mitzi on her lap and tried to stop the blood but it didn't work. She used her bandana that she had in her hair to wrap around Mitzi's arm. All it did was fill up with blood and rain water in seconds.

Azalea stared into Mitzi's pained eyes.
"Don't go," she whispered. "Stay with me." Tears mixed with the rain which fell down her face.
"He... is... coming... for..." she trailed off. Her breathing became unsteady. Her eyes stopped blinking. Her body became limp.
"No....NOO!" She screamed. "MITZI NO." Azalea hugged Mitzi in her arms.
"Don't.... No... You can't leave me!"

Azalea felt for her pulse on all possible places but nothing. Her once quiet sobs now became screams of heart ache. One of her best friends had just died in her arms. She was gone forever. Dead. And she couldn't do anything about it.

She didn't know what to do now. The rain was still hammering down and she had her dead friend in her arms still covered in blood.

After being sat on the floor sobbing for twenty minutes at most, a figure came from the mist of the rain.
"Have you come to kill me too!?" She shouted at the tall figure. Then the person came into focus. It wasn't Mitzi's murder.

It was Zyler.

"What are you doing here?" Azalea looked at him, with a tilted head, still crying.
"Your mum was worried, she called Tessa but Tessa's Mum wouldn't let her go out in the rain so she called me and asked me come and get you for her.
Azalea didn't reply. She locked eyes with Zyler in the rain. He crouched down next to Azalea and kissed her.

Azalea kissed back. She wanted comfort. Mitzi was gone now. Tessa was home, not knowing what was going on. She took her arms from underneath Mitzi's limp body and brushed them through Zyler's rain drenched hair. Eventually, Zyler broke away. He gave a little smirk.
"I guess you've softened up to the idea." Azalea gave a small, awkward smile back. Zyler went in for another kiss but Azalea dodged it by moving her head to look at Mitzi.

She moved Mitzi's body from her lap and onto the ground. She starred at it.
"I'll phone Mitzi's parents up. You get home." Zyler said, "Your mum will be really worried now." Azalea stood up.
"Thank you Zyler." She gave him a peck on the cheek and ran home through the rain.

A week later, Mitzi's funeral was held at a local church. People came flooding through the door in rivers of black. Friends. Family. Everyone Mitzi ever knew. They all gave their respects to Mitzi. Tears were shed and hugs were given. Zyler, Tessa and Azalea sat near the front of the church. Azalea and Tessa wrote a speech to give during the service.

Azalea: Mitzi was a great friend.
Tessa: She was there through thick and thin.
A: She was more of a sister than a friend.
T: She will be missed by all of us.
A: Even by those who didn't know her.
T: She always brought sunshine.
A: Even on the cloudiest days.
Both: We hope Mitzi rests in peace.