broken - phan

five

tw: murder and mentions of blood and death

Dan's POV

I shot up from the bed in a cold sweat. I had another nightmare. But it wasn't the usual one. This time it was about Phil. He was standing at the edge of the river and then jumped. I couldn't stop him.

I jumped up, startled at the sound of my phone ringing. I groan and reach out to grab it. Without checking the number, I answer.

"Hello?" I said groggily.
"Hey. Dan? Baby? I'm so sorry. Please come home. I won't do it again. I love you."
"Mum?"
"Yes Dan it's me. Baby I'm so sorry. Please come home."

My voice was shaky

"You always say you're sorry and you always say it won't happen again"
"Dan. Daniel. It's not safe out there. There are people... bad people coming for you. I can-"

The line cuts off. After repeating "hello" a couple times I laid back down on my bed only to shoot back up at the sound of glass shattering and a loud thud on the floor.

I wearily get up avoiding the glass shards that now scattered the floor. I glance up getting a quick look at the broken window, light now pouring through like the thin glass was a brick wall stoping it before. I walk slowly over to the red brick lying on the center of the carpeted floor. I picked it up now confused as I read the taped-on-paper's scraggly writing. What was written took me aback, my thoughts now scattered bouncing back and forth from possibility to possibility.

YOU'RE NEXT

❦

I dropped the brick merely missing my foot. The words we so subtle, thoughtless. So bland and out of context yet they made my heart race. Then I thought back to what my mother had mentioned earlier. "It's not safe out there. There are people... bad people coming for you." Was she planning this? Was this her tactic to get me to come home?

My mind was so jumbled that I couldn't do anything. I was commanding my legs to move but it was like the command center of my brain had shut down. I forced myself to take a step forward, but my body was too heavy for my legs to support. I let out a squeak as I my knees locked and I fall backwards, hands landing on unwanted crystals of glass. I ignore the crimson liquid now pouring from my wounds and get up.

I didn't know why I decided to leave my dorm, it was probably the only safe place for me to stay. I didn't know where to go, who to call. Then I thought back to the blue eyed boy and the comfort he brought to me. The endearing hug, his care for me even when he didn't even know my name. Phil. I needed to find Phil.

I knocked on the white door, a small chalkboard hanging on a hook on the outside that read "Phil" with a smiley face. After waiting a few moments in the dim lit hallway I made my way outside.

I exited the glass doors when I heard a scream. And then I did the probably worst possible thing I could do considering my circumstances. I followed the commotion.

I flinched as it happened once more. I now started running towards the source of the sound that was coming from the forest behind campus. Only when the leaves started crunching under my feet did I slow down. The lifeless twigs snapped underneath me as I cautiously inched towards the loud noise.

I settled for a relatively large tree. I squatted down only when I heard another ear piercing shriek, now audibly saying "stop" and "I'm sorry". I was able to make out the voice. Lucas. There was a boy that I haven't seen before. Ginger hair with lilac streaks. He was pointing a gun at the terrified Lucas, who seemed to be cut and beat up badly. I grab my phone from my back pocket and start with the number "9" when I jump. I look up to see the boy now lowering the gun. It all happened in slow motion.

The blood pouring from the center of Lucas' head. His eyes glazed over, lifeless, as his body hits the ground. Another boy standing up from his seat on the forest floor. And then we made eye contact. At first I didn't know who it was so I continued dialing the emergency number and got in a stance to run away. I give one last look at the boy. He was in shock, staring at the other one not saying a word. He looks back at me. Then I realized. I could notice those blue eyes from anywhere. It was Phil.

I put the phone down when I heard the boy fall into heart breaking sobs covering his face. So I do the second most stupid thing I have done today. I don't call the police, I run, making my presence noticeable. There was another gunshot that I assumed was aimed at me. I kept running.

❦

I ran and ran. My brain had no intention of going anywhere. It was like I had to. And if I didn't I would disappear. Everything I love... gone. I ran for what felt like forever. On the way I lost my phone. It must have fallen out of my back pocket. I didn't care, though. All that I could think about was Phil. Lucas. His once lively body dead on the floor. The image kept flashing back into my mind until it was no longer a memory, but a 3D movie. It was pouring now. The sky's tears landing on my bare skin. Every step I took, every puddle that splashed, took me right back to that moment. Hearing the gun shot. Looking up just in time to see the silver bullet pierce through the center of his forehead.

I wondered what he did to deserve it, if he even did. Then suddenly I was think about my dad. I knew why my mum killed him. But did he deserve it? Does anyone deserve to die? If they deserved to die then why don't I? I'm just as bad as them. I push people away. I break them before they can get the chance to do the same to me. Even if that's not their intention.

I was soaking wet now, my mind still racing. I arrived at my destination. The place where i thought I'd never go back. The place where everything went down. The place that I call home. I collapsed, knees slamming on the hard pavement. I felt a hand on my shoulder. I didn't even bother to look back. I was crying hard now.

It was almost like she knew that I'd come back. Once I fell she came racing out of the house. She didn't care if she got wet. She held me in a tight embrace, not letting go. I cried on her shoulder.

It was only after it stopped raining that I calmed down. The hand on my shoulder now moved to playing with my hair which, I'm not going to lie, helped calm me down. My mum let go of me looking back at the person behind me only for a quick second and then faced back to me. She smiled sweetly, which was unlike her current self.

I finally had the guts to turn around to see who was behind me. It was a boy. His hair dripping wet, clothes slightly trickled in blood. His face pale with a reassuring smile plastered on, but it was fake. I kept staring at him, afraid if I closed my eyes he would disappear.

All three of us were sitting on the damp sidewalk. Clothes drenched. Eyes even more wet then our clothes for we had all been crying.

Just me, my mum, and Phil Lester.

❦