Death's Exception

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Pain rips through my ribcage, weaving through every muscle, and artery. My eyes snap open so wide that I feel as if my eyelids could just rip off. I look frantically around, burdened with the terrible realization that we are still driving to the nearest hospital. Titus is beside me, unaware. Oh how the ignorance coaxes me with its bliss. I swallow, the sound of my shallow breathing almost deafening. I squeeze my eyes in hopes that the earth and its troubles will melt away if I don't see it. Titus notices my excruciating facial expression, and he pulls over on the side of the road, putting his hand on my shoulder. His touch launches a brand new pain in my head and neck. I writhe in pain, and emit a groan that wakes up Melody in the back seat.

"Rory?! Rory, can you hear me?" I can hear him, but what I hear more than anything is the raw fear behind his words. He thinks he is going to loose me. That this is the moment. And suddenly the pain doesn't seem to hurt as bad as that. My body starts to shake and it seems like I have lost control. I can't say a word. I just look over at Titus, and will him to drive. His face tenses with realization, and he barks an order at Melody, and I wince at the harshness of his voice, but I cannot process his words. Titus slams on the breaks, and I am convinced that he may wreck before I actually get a chance to die on my own. I keel over and throw up, dry heaving onto my feet. Titus glances over at me, and I see his eyes glint with tears. He doesn't stop driving.

This is it.

It take all of my strength out my hand on Titus' face, and for a minute, he gazes into my eyes. Pleading with me. His eyes snap back onto the road, and that is when I stop breathing. The universe starts to melt away and my vision goes with it. My body clenches up, and for what seem like the longest time I am writhing in this chair searching for oxygen and wishing Titus would just give up on getting me to the stupid hospital and just come over and kiss the hurt away. One at a time, my senses fail me. I am shutting down.

My conciousness finally ceases.

~~~

"Her brain almost completely shut down. We managed to get some oxygen in her lungs, but it isn't long before this happens again." A hushed voice bounces through my head. I try to open my eyes, but my eyelids have sealed themselves togerher. I swallow hard, my throat dryer than it has ever been before. I open my mouth, and I feel Titus' hand brush the side of my face.

"Let us stay. Please. I am begging you. You know you can do more for both of them!" My muscles start to revive themselves slowly, and I can now place my hand on his. He seizes my hand and squeezes tightly.

"You saw the commotion you caused! And pulling a gun did not help!"

"Titus?" My mind is racing. Commotion? Gun? "What happened?" I sound terrible.

"If It is well enough to speak, I have done my job. Now leave!" My eyes flutter open, and I see a blurry Titus with a gun in hand. His head hangs, and he starts to pick me up. My head falls limply against his chest. Every part of me feels weak, but my mind is bursting with unanswered questions. Titus walks over to a bed where Melody is laying. She is now wearing clothes, but she looks worse. She is decrepit. Titus motions for her to come with us, and I want to stop him. She shouldn't be walking. But there is nothing I can do.

As we walk out of the hospital, the brisk air hits my face, and I shiver. Titus pulls me in closer. Then I realize people are all around us. Furious faces swarming us. I scream as a man tries to hit me with a broom, but Titus blocks it. We push through the crowd, angry threats filling my ears. "THE PEOPLE YOU KILLED HAD FAMILIES!", "YOU ARE WHAT MAKES THIS WORLD SO SAD", "I TELL MY CHILDREN THAT THERE ARE NO MONSTERS, BUT YOU HAVE MADE ME A LIAR." The last one hits me the hardest. They think I am a monster that children fear are under their beds, or in their closets. They see a monster that one watches a horror movie to see. They see a monster that haunts their nightmares. And I can't understand until someone yells, louder than all of the rest of the crowd, something that changes everything.

YOU ARE A HIDEOUS BEAST

Beast; Noun- An animal; especially; a wild animal that is large, dangerous, or unusual.

Hideous; Adjective- offensive to the senses, especially sight

I, Aurora Destiel, am a wild, dangerous, unusual animal that is offensive to the sight.

Why don't they attack? Why don't they just kill me? Why are they simply shouting empty threats that could be easily fulfilled by any of them.

And then it occurs to me. Because I am a wild, dangerous, unusal animal that is offensive to the sight. I wriggle out of Titus' arms, and grab his gun. My knees almost give way, but I lean on his shoulder.

"Rory?" I shoot a bullet into the sky, and watch the people as the scream and shrink away. Then, at the tip of my lungs, I bellow, "I AM THE HIDEOUS BEAST. FEAR ME." Anger dances in my eyes, as I stand my ground, watching the people scatter. Titus swoops me up, and sets me in the back of the car.

"WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT, RORY?!" My eyes narrow as he stares at me.

"That was me saving our lives. Sometimes we have to use the fear to our advantage." Titus shakes his head.

"You are just feeding the flame."

"That is ALL I can do at this point!" His eyes relax. I sit back in my chair, and he climbs in beside me, and gathers me into his arms.

"I thought I lost you." He sobs. Melody climbs into the front seat, and falls asleep. Titus reaches up to the drivers seat, and locks the doors. We both fall asleep, our limbs mangled together.