Silent Storm [ManxMan]

Chapter 37 ~ He could have had it all

"I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked. One fig was a husband and a happy home and children, and another fig was a famous poet and another fig was a brilliant professor, and another fig was Ee Gee, the amazing editor, and another fig was Europe and Africa and South America, and another fig was Constantin and Socrates and Attila and a pack of other lovers with queer names and offbeat professions, and another fig was an Olympic lady crew champion, and beyond and above these figs were many more figs I couldn't quite make out. I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn't make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet."

- Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar

[River's POV]

"So what do you want? I'm tired of dealing with the likes of you so if you'd be so kind to speed things up that would be preferable." I said, my voice taking on a hint of pretend boredom as I moved my gaze from Winter to look at Marbella again.

I knew that I couldn't let this go on any longer. I needed to get them to let me out of this chair and then I needed to get me and Midas out of here. I had noticed the building creaking slightly when the others moved around and I think I didn't imagine the way some concrete rained down from the roof above us from time to time.

This was a building simply waiting to be demolished so I didn't doubt it's instability. We were definitely too many moving around on the same small area and it was only a matter of time until something would start to crumble and this would turn into a death-trap. I don't know about the others but I definitely did not want to be trapped in here when they building collapsed.

I silently moved my gaze to sneak a peak at Midas who was still lying on the ground in front of me. He wasn't looking at me this time, he was watching Winter and therefore I got a good view of the wound on the back of his head.

I had to hold back the grimace when I traced the blood slowly leaking from the place where he had been hit and I cursed to myself. Even if I did get loose I'd have to support Midas since he had lost too much blood to not be unsteady or dizzy if he stood up. If we were to make it out I'd have to carry most of his weight and that would be a serious disadvantage since I suspected we'd be under heavy fire as we did. With other words, we'd be an easy target. For a second I contemplated leaving him behind but that thought got quickly silenced by a new voice inside me that told me that I most definitely couldn't leave him behind.

"What I want? I want the world my dear, nothing more nothing less. If I could I'd have the universe as well but I can be reasonable." Marbella said, laughing as she gestured with her hands all around. This woman was crazier than I remembered.

I let a small smile play on my lips as I dryly responded:

"I'm in no position to hand you the world Marbella. I may be influential but I'm not God. Then again... even if I did have a way to give the world to you I'd rather kill myself."

I could see the woman's face screw up in distaste at my mockery and when she took a step closer I could see the hate burning in her eyes.

"You better stop making those lame ass jokes or you might just find yourself missing another of those so called 'friends' of yours!" She sneered and for the first time since she came here her carefully carved mask slipped a bit and showed us the real her. I smiled even wider at that. Getting under her skin had always been a satisfying feeling to me.

Suddenly Seth stepped up to stand before me and in a second I found myself staring straight into the barrel of his gun. I raised my gaze to meet with his and I wasn't surprised by the look of burning fire reflecting in them. People really were astonishing creatures that never failed to amuse me. Their capacity for love and betrayal even more so.

"Just tell me the words and I'll blow his head of right here!" He yelled, his voice cracking with the frustration he couldn't contain.

In the silence that followed I could see Marbella's face fall back into place over the shoulder of Seth and when her gaze strayed to the man in the corner I knew it was over. It was with a strangely heavy heart I returned my attention on the boy in front of me, the boy not much younger than me.

It's tragic... that the boy before me, he could have had a life so far away from this he'd never suffer from any of it. He could have had a family that didn't expect him to do evil, to be evil. He could have had better friends, friends his age that didn't use to kill people for a living. He could have found a nice girl to marry and a pretty house to buy. He could have bought a puppy and a car that fit more than two people. He could have created a family of his own, one that counted on him and that he himself could count on. He could have grown old, spending time in his garden playing with generations that came after him. He could have had it all. If not for us... he could have had it all.

It's tragic that the boy before me, he could have had a life so far from this he'd never suffer from any of it. I could have had a life so far from this I'd never had to see him suffer for it.

"Seth I'm sorry." I said, meeting his wild gaze head on. I saw the despair in them and I guess he felt something shift in the air because his lips slowly pulled into a terribly sorrowful smile. It was a smile that told me he knew what awaited him now.

All the possibilities he could have had. All the things he could have done instead, they probably flew through his head at this moment and I wondered if he would have chosen differently if he'd known it would end like this.

As he lowered the gun in his hand and his shoulders slumped in silent acceptance the boy before me nodded at me and said:

"Tell Tony he's still a terrible person... and if Gabriel's looking for his emerald knife, please tell him I hid it behind the blue cushion in our apartment... I'd be sad to know it never got discovered. You know... I had fun drinking tea with you River. Please kill him for me, will you? I think I..."

The bullet pierced Seth through the head and I didn't even find it in me to blink as his blood rained all over me and he fell to the ground with a rough 'thud'. As the pool of sparkling red blood grew under his head I could hear his last words ring clear in my head. Over and over again... 'I had fun drinking tea with you River'... 'I had fun...'

"Really, last words have never been my thing..." Winter said, his gun still raised. With my eyes still staring blankly at the now dead body at my feet I replied:

"Good... I'd never give the likes of you the chance to speak them anyway." 

Picture: Teacup shattering, my symbol for Seth's death