Apocalyptia (Apocalyptia #1)

Chapter 11

Crystal hadn't slept well at all, and it didn't seem she would wake well, either. When she opened her eyes, it wasn't because of the orange light that reflected off of the hardwood floor. Instead, it was to the sound of Jason, crying out and slamming down on the floor. Crystal jolted up into a sitting position and had to blink past her bleary morning vision before she was able to see Jason lying sprawled out on the ground, with blood seemingly dripping from his nose, while Paul gripped his leg and yanked him back. Jason was gripping the floor and doing his best to try to claw away, but it was no use. Paul pulled him all the way back and had him gripped around the collar of his shirt, then ripped him up from the floor and stood him back up.

Crystal fumbled towards them, doing her best not to trip over her own feet as she grabbed Paul's arm and did her best to try to pull his hands away from Jason.

All the while she screamed, "What is going on? Paul, why are you doing this?"

Jason wasn't making it any easier as he screamed constantly. "He's gone nuts. Absolutely crazy. I should have shot him in the head when I had a chance."

Crystal could feel the muscles in Paul's arms go rigid. He had lost weight, but he made up for his newly lean form with what bulk of muscle had been retained, and though the jacket completely enveloped his body, the anger that rippled through his muscles pushed against the leather anyway. It was then that the image of Paul standing over an innocent family, gun poised and ready to fire, came to the forefront of her mind, but this time, it was Jason in his line of fire. Even as Paul dropped Jason and disappeared into the kitchen, Crystal kept her hands gripped tightly to his arm, and he dragged her along with him without a word.

As he began to fumble through a few of the drawers, Crystal couldn't help but demand, "What are you doing? Why are you doing this? Answer me."

But he didn't. Instead, he let out a short grunt, lifted a pistol from the cupboard, and checked the chamber. It was loaded. Crystal didn't have to see the chamber to know that much. Paul's smirk told her all she needed to know. He popped the chamber shut and stomped back into the living room with Crystal following close behind, once again trying to grab him and convince him to at least explain, but her words were becoming garbled. Nothing she said was making sense, and her hands shook so much that she couldn't even keep a grip on his jacket, but it could have also been from the sweat that had started to accumulate on her palms.

Jason was at the door, and she willed him to run and even tried to scream for him to, but her voice was broken. It cracked the instant she tried to use it. Besides, no matter how quick he tried or how much adrenaline and sweat poured through him and out of him, Jason's hands were mirroring Crystal's. They shook and slipped when he tried to grip the handle. He only got one more chance to look back, open his mouth for one final plea, and then Paul pulled the trigger.

Almost as quickly as the trigger was pulled, blood spewed and poured from a hole in Jason's neck. Jason's mouth continued to try to form words, but nothing would come forth. He fell limply against the door, right arm still outstretched and grasping the handle to the door, almost as if it were his remaining lifeline. Crystal froze where she stood, mouth still agape and hands sliding limply from any hold they had on Paul's leather jacket.

Paul let out a huff of air, sounding almost like a content sigh.

He limped his way over to Jason's form and just before his mouth finally stopped moving, Paul leaned down toward him, and Crystal could barely hear his words as he growled, "Don't you dare lie, then steal from me."

He reached around for something Crystal had failed to notice before, and came back with one of the bags that he had packed the night before. As he walked back, bile rose to Crystal's throat as she noted a splatter of Jason's blood on the beige bag. Paul dropped it in front of her, but he gave no kind of instruction. Instead, he walked back and threw the other bag across his back, trudged back to the door, and kicked Jason's limp body out of the way, which hit the floor with a thud. The bile was fighting its way up Crystal's throat, and she could already feel her body heave with the start of a release, but Paul wasn't wasting any time.