No Below

Better Off Dead

"Leela!" I called.

Assault.
She Assulted me.
But I still am in charge of making sure she's safe.

"Go away, Ren.. it's too late for me." I heard from a distance. I dashed off into the forest, branches scratching me, trying to claw my eyes out. Damp grass squishing, leaves crunching. Whistle in the distance, train whistle. Midnight, past curfew.

Leela, disappeared.

Gone.

Whistle, in the distance, growing louder. Brown hair, flowing in the wind. Sitting against a tree. Leela. Dirt stained tears streaming down her face, stained to her shirt and jeans.
"Seriously, you scared the crap out of me. Go home, it's past curfew. I know how much that bothers you. Aria is probably worried about you, you haven't responded to her texts." I said, out of breath. She mouthed one word, a painful word, difficult for a child to hear.

No.

She tied her shoes, white converse. Pulled up her pants, tightened the belt. Flattened her shirt, threw her backpack to the ground, paper taped to it. Whistle. Train whistle. She took off, I ran after her. "Get back here, Leela!" I yelled. She turned around and smiled. She tried to speak, nothing came out. I heard her whimper, the painful kind where your throat gets tight and scorched, hurts to swallow.

"Take care."
S h e   k e p t

s m i l i n g .
t h a t   w a s   a l l
I  s a w ,   a l l   I
f o c u s e d   o n .

A   l i g h t   g r e w

c l o s e r .

S O U N D

G R E W

L O U D E R .

She turned and ran,

r a n   a w a y
f r o m   m e .

T u r n e d    b a c k
t o   m e .

" T A K E
M E
       H O M E . "

The light took her.
Angels, what she would say.
Sound of a whistle grew louder.
Sound grew quiet.
Sound screeched to an emergency stop.
The controller of the sound heard me scream.

Leela was no more.
I ran to Leela.
I tried to look.
Controller held me back.
All I saw was her eyes.