Hiraeth {Book 3 in The Emerald of Annihilation trilogy}

(13). Enigmas

~Trigger Warning~ This chapter may make you shed hardcore tears. You have been warned!!!

Lily's POV.

The light of the streetlight hit me like a brick. I lifted my hand to shielded my sight as the bright, shining glare embraced me. But not in a good way. It felt almost suffocating. 

I blinked multiple times and wandered my gaze around me, the mist seemed to settle and I gasped as the sight in front of me. The ground seemed to swim beneath me. My head spun. The body of Mark lay carelessly over my foot. 

My mother lay a couple feet away. Her fingers intertwined with my father's. Uncle Jack was slumped against the lone light post, fresh blood still oozing from his lips. 

Amber was tied back-to-back with a guy I didn't recognise. Or maybe it was all the blood. All the bodies were soaked, dripping and stained with blood. Blood, sweat, and tears in fact. 

I raised a trembling hand to my mouth to stifle the sobs that remained lodged in my throat. I clutched the hand of my father and teared up. A lone scream echoed through the quiet, deserted streets as I flung my head back and vocally let out all my frustration. 

I caressed my dear uncle's face as I remembered the last time we'd spent time together. The frustration, pain, and grief overwhelmed me. I knelt in the sea of bodies, sorrowful and my heart in pain. 

"It's all your fault."

I forced my eyelids open to see a pair of worn out sneakers. I swallowed the lump in my throat and raised my head to meet the cold, hazel-eyed gaze up Dylan. his brown hair tousled in a mess. His eyes red from lack of sleep, and physcoticness hung in them. "You should have put the pieces together in time....But you didn't." 

Walking towards me, he pulled a knife from behind his back. I studied his face. It was streaked with blood, as was his attire, but there seemed to be no wound on him at all. "I killed them all, Lily." His voice cracked with sobs. 

His eyes glimmered as tears streamed down his honey-tan skin, mixing with the dirt and blood. "D-Dylan..." His name seemed stuck on my tongue. "Y-you...you didn't kill them....you-" 

"It was me!" He outbursted. "I killed them all! I couldn't stop myself! I was like a Kanima seeking vengeance. A cold-blooded murderer! A creature of no mercy!" His deep, manly voice reaching a higher, shrieking pitch. I pulled myself to my feet, reaching out to him. Dylan shrank away, as an abused dog would from a threatening stick. 

"Dylan...." I couldn't wrap the info around my head. Was Dylan the killer? I tried to take a step towards him, but my feet wouldn't move. I tried my best but to no avail. I returned my gaze to Dylan. He cupped my face in his hands.

 His eyes filled with depression, anger, and fear.....of himself. "Dylan...I-I didn't know! I didn't want to believe that you were the one who-" 

"Who murdered all those innocent people?! Yes! It was me! I killed them without a second glance or thought, I killed them because it felt good! I killed them because...." His head lowered as did his gaze. 

I could feel his breath on my lips and for a second my eyes fluttered shut. "I-I don't really know...." He took a step back, leaving me cold and longing for his touch. "I'm sorry, Lil..."

He held up the knife. It's blade gleaming in the dark but shimmering light of th street lamp. My mind whirled as I put two and two together. "Dylan no, don't!" Again I tried moving. Nothing. "Dylan!" I searched his torn gaze pleadingly. "Please! D-don't do it! I-I....I can't live on if you're gone!"