Endless || Jonah Marais ✓

♪ THIRTY-FOUR ♪

Aurora shoves Jonah out of the car, nearly causing him to trip over the uneven dirt road as she clambers out behind him. Before she can run to the doors of the rusted warehouse only a few feet away, Jonah loops his arm around her waist, preventing her from moving.

"Let go of me!" Aurora growls, struggling against his vice-like grip. "We need to get Caramel back!"

"We don't even know if she's in there, first of all," Jonah reasons, not giving in to her pleas. "And secondly, we need a plan before you go barging in there, ready to fight. I don't want you getting hurt."

"Your boyfriend is right. It's not safe," Laila agrees, glancing warily at Zach, who has yet to say a word. "Jason has the advantage here. There's no telling what he's prepared to do in order to keep Carmen with him."

"My safety is not my biggest concern right now," Aurora snaps. "Caramel's is."

"Your safety is important to me, and it would be important to Carmen too," Jonah says. "So we need a plan."

"As touching as that was, I believe Romeo already has a plan," Casey interrupts sarcastically, gesturing to the wide door Zach is already trying to open.

Jonah's grip slackens as he calls out to the boy and Aurora wiggles out of it, sprinting over to help Zach push the door open. It creaks horribly and scrapes the flooring as they push, not unlike every horror movie she's ever watched.

The duo pauses as they wait for their eyes to adjust to the dim lighting, allowing the others to catch up to them. Pools of blood are in various spots across the floor and Aurora begins to follow them.

"Oh shit." She covers her mouth, her stomach threatening to empty itself as her gaze lands on Carmen in the biggest pool of blood. "Jackson, what the hell did you do to my Caramel?"

"No, no, no," Zach mutters, rushing over to the girl. He shoves Cole aside, resting his hands underneath Carmen's head.

"We're here. What happened?" Carmen's mother announces, entering the warehouse with Jessica in tow. "Oh my god, my baby!"

"Jackson, what have you done?" Jessica asks, her eyes filling with tears as she looks to her son. "Look what you've done!"

The floor sways underneath Aurora's feet and she collapses into Jonah's arm, her sobs muffled in the fabric of his jacket.

"Get Aurora out of here," Laila suggests. "She shouldn't be here right now. You need to call for help."

Jonah nods and turns away from the gruesome scene, attempting to coax Aurora into moving her feet.

"Stop. Please stop," she protests weakly, her voice strangled by the sobs wracking her body. "I'm not leaving her."

"Are you sure?" He asks worriedly. "No one would judge you for-"

"I SAID I'M NOT LEAVING HER!"

Aurora pushes Jonah's arms away frustratedly, moving to stand next to Mrs. Elliot as she continues to cry. Jonah follows behind but keeps his distance, wanting to give her space as she grieves.

"Zach?" Carmen questions, her voice hoarse.

"I'm right here," Zach assures her, tears rolling down his cheeks. "I'm right here."

"I didn't think you'd come," she croaks, placing a bloody hand on his cheek. "I- I was so scared without you."

"I'm here now," he says steadily, one of his tears falling onto her bloody shirt. "And I'm not leaving you ever again."

Carmen smiles, her lips twitching as her eyes flutter shut before she forcefully opens them again. She moves her head, it getting lighter by the second.

"Carmen," Zach says, shaking her slightly. "Keep your eyes open, okay? You can't leave me. Keep your eyes open."

"I love you, Zach," she murmurs as her eyelids grow heavy. "I- I tried to deny it, but I can't."

"I love you too." He smiles, his heart brightening. "I love you so freaking much it hurts."

Tell the others too, alright?" Carmen smiles. "Especially Aurora and Callie. And give Dobby a kiss for me."

Aurora's tears flow faster as she listens to Carmen and she wills her shaking legs not to give out. Her entire body wills her to succumb to her emotions but she stands strong, pushing the urge aside so she can be here for the younger girl.

"I'm not going to." Zach shakes his head in denial, brushing the tears from her face. "You're going to do all of that yourself, Carmen."

"Tell my mom I love her," Carmen continues. "And take good care of her, okay? She'll need you."

"Carmen, stop, please," Zach begs.

"And even though Casey and Laila betrayed me, let them know that I missed them. Jessica, Jackson, and Cole too. The next time you visit Mark and Elle's graves, make sure you leave the prettiest flowers you can." She smiles weakly, "I'll let them know we didn't forget about them."

Zach's cries grow harder as Carmen's eyes flutter once again. "Carmen, no! Stay awake! Please. I love you!"

"I love you too, Zach," Carmen says one last time, her vision leaving her. "Always remember that."

"And with that, Carmen's eyes close, her hand dropping to her chest limply. Zach sobs into her shoulder, the others falling to the floor as they cry.

"I love you," Zach repeats. "I love you, Carmen."

"This was never meant to-"

Aurora's anguished cries cut Jackson off, fueling all of her misery into a blinding rage as she lunges at the monster of a teenager. The two fall to the floor just as they had a couple of weeks ago, the only difference now being that Jackson isn't fighting back.

"You're the reason we're in this fucking mess!" She yells, each word accompanied by a punch to anywhere she can reach. She can barely see him through her tears and half of her punches barely land, but it does little to deter her. "You did this!"

Jonah's arms wrap around her waist and he pulls her off of Jackson, his own tears blurring his vision as he holds Aurora close.

"Let me go!" She cries, smacking his chest weakly. "He hurt my Caramel!"

Ambulance sirens can be heard in the distance, slowly growing louder as Aurora gives in and sags into his hold.

"He hurt my Caramel."