Glass

Stitching Broken Hearts

The first thing I see the next morning is Lu scratching another tally into the ceiling board. There are seven metal boards that make up the ceiling, and only one of them is loose enough to remove. They're all lined up one by one vertically along the ceiling. It's a short room, and you can easily reach up and touch the metal without fulling extending your arm.

I look down from Lu and stare at my sleeping mat. I barely slept last night. I woke up over and over, sweating and crying. Some of my dreams were about Lu; the way he kissed me, the way he looked at me. And others were about Trixie putting a bullet through my chest.

Lu places the metal piece back, then sits down next to me. He doesn't look at me, just stares at his hands.

"Hey, Lu?"

"Yeah?"

"I was thinking... what about the key?"

Lu looks at me for a moment, confused. "What about it?"

"Can we use it to get out of here? To get out of hell?"

I watch as his face slowly falls. "No."

"Then where does it lead?"

"Nowhere."

I frown, open my mouth, then close it, then open it again. "But..."

"I made it up. The key doesn't really lead anywhere."

I stare at him. "What?" Lu doesn't say anything, he just stares at the floor. "You made it up? The whole thing, you made it up?" He nods. I don't even bother to ask why as anger floods through me. "You told me we could get out of here! You gave me hope! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Kanna, please..."

I watch a tear slip down Lu's face, but all that does is make me angrier. "I can't forgive you for this," I say.

"But, Kanna..."

"Why? Why did you do that?!"

"Look, this isn't the first time this has happened, okay?"

"This isn't the first time you pulled someone into hell with you?"

"No, I mean, I just..."

"You just what!?" I throw my hands up in the air, barely keeping myself from slapping him across the face.

"The last time someone was here, that's the first thing I told them. I told them what had happened to them."

"So? Why should I care?"

Lu's face looks sick. And the worst part is that I can't decide if I hate him or love him.

"They killed themselves!"

"They're already dead, it doesn't matter..."

"No, Kanna..." Lu steps forwards, reaching for my hand.

I pull away.

"Death isn't like you think. The afterlife isn't eternity, it's like a second chance. A second chance at life. And if you die here, you die forever."

Crunch.

Crack.

Listen to me Kanna, you died!

Whatcha doin' brother?

"Then why am I not dead?" I clench my teeth. "I've died, right? That's what Vanessa said."

"You can't trust Vanessa, she's..."

"A witch, right. Of course she is, because why should I trust anyone but you since you're so perfect."

"Come on, don't..."

"Don't what? Don't lie to you about everything you know?"

"Just shut up!" Lu wrings his hands, growling. "What the hell is wrong with you? Why won't you just listen to me!"

"Why did you bring me here?"

"Because the only alternative was letting you go with her!"

"Oh let me guess, the witch." I step forward and shove him.

He stumbles, then moves forward and shoves me back. "You know what? I wish I would've let you go with her, and I wish she would've killed you!"

"Killed me? Killed me? All she's done is try to save me!"

"I hate you!"

"I hate you too!" I spin and shove the door open. It's not until I've left the room that I realize my cheeks are soaking wet with tears. I shove them off my face and storm forwards, pushing all the way to the end of the hall and swinging open the door to the electric zone. I don't bother stopping it from closing behind me and disappearing. 

Author's Note:

I'll be honest with you, the chapter before this one (We Unravel) is probably one of my favorites in this book. It felt so clear to visualize in my mind, and it makes me feel nothing but love for my characters and who they are. 

So, after that, writing this chapter broke my heart. 

Ah, well. 

Thanks for reading! You know what to do XD