Worlds Beyond: Shattered (ON HOLD)

Chapter Seven

Adrian was dead.

Just like Garry. Adrian was murdered in the same way as him.

I didn't know how to react or what to do. I stood there completely frozen as if I were rooted to the very floor, my eyes wide, my lips parted in a silent scream. I fought back the tears that threatened to break through as I stared at Adrian's lifeless body.

The sweet guy I had met a few days ago, the sweet shy guy that had treated me as an equal, the guy that just wanted others to respect him and his relationship had been killed. Tortured. Murdered.

How could this happen?

The steel doors began to close but Cain stepped in quickly before the bloody scene could leave our sight, locking the elevator to this floor. He looked around with a grimace, covering his mouth for a moment with a haunted look in his sky blue eyes. Cecil seemed surprisingly shocked this time, as if he couldn't believe what laid before him. He stood right by my side, completely petrified in place. Adrian... was really dead. And that struck deep within us.

"I... I'll go get Mr. Hartley." Jaden muttered after a long silence, only Mike's sobs filling the air. He stood up and gave me a slight nod so I could take over. It took me a moment to get back to reality and I nodded at Jaden in response, kneeling down next to Mike as Cain and Cecil studied the elevator carefully. Steps could be heard coming down the guy's stairs, probably whoever had called the elevator and they were not happy. Less so, as those two guys rounded the room to yell at us only to go silent as they saw the bloody scene inside the steel container.

Mike seemed to snap out of his trance at last, blinking rapidly and taking ragged breaths as he tried to stand up, making his way into the elevator to kneel down next to his lover. He swiftly ignored the pool of blood that stained his jeans and he stared down at the body, reaching down with a trembling hand to trace his fingers down his bloody cheeks.

"A-Adrian...?" He choked between sobs, his voice cracking ever so slightly, "Adrian.. answer me... please, b-baby. Please, wake up... please. I-I promise I will always leave the pizza crusts that you love so much a-all for you, o-okay? I will watch all those movies you like with you and-and I won't complain... please, Adrian, say something!" He pleaded in desperation, slumping down on top of Adrian's body with a pained wail, his tears soaking his puffy cheeks and falling over his lover's rigid corpse.

Cain and Cecil had stepped back by now, allowing Mike to cry over the loss of his lover. For once, they weren't arguing or trying to go at each other's throats. Cain's summer blue eyes were downcast, his brows down in a frown and his lips shut in a grim line, as if he felt empathy over Mike's pain. Cecil remained silent as he stood with his arms folded over his chest, his gaze lost and faraway as if lost in thought. I heard Jaden walk in with our principal, Mr. Hartley, and the police campus at their heels.

Silence plunged the air that suddenly felt heavy, heavy with the pain that struck us all. No one spoke, no one moved, the only sound in the air being Mike's heartbroken whimpers.

I stood up as Jaden walked over to me, placing one hand over my shoulder to comfort me. He shook his head with a pained expression, clenching his teeth to prevent himself from crying. I swallowed hard at the lump in my throat and he reached down to wipe the tears from my cheeks, tears I hadn't even noticed had escaped my defenses. My chest hurt so much. My headache only increased the more I stood there, the more I cried.

Why did this have to happen?

Slowly, I made my way towards Mike to get him away from the disgusting scene, but he wasn't letting go. He was gripping Adrian's rigid hand tightly in his.

"L-Let me go! He needs me!" He cried out, his voice the only sound filling the wide lobby.

"Mike... come with me. Let's go outside and take some fresh air." I offered to him gently, but he shook his head quickly and cried harder than before.