Where it all began ("Bend or Break" Book 1)

Chapter 15

"No" I gasped "Please, no"

I rushed inside, crouched next to him and slapped his pail, sweat moist right cheek. "Come one, wake up!" I shouted, "Wake up, you can't be dead, I can't be..." My voice trailed off and tears ran down my face. "Please" I sobbed.

I pressed two fingers against his neck - no pulse.

Seconds later, I heard a loud "Track", I wheeled around and saw an arrow dash in the air. I gasped. It flew into Ray's chest. He let out heave of pain and choked. He was gone.

I looked at Chris, who lay passed out, his back against the stone wall. I leaned against it and slumped to the bloodstained ground. I tucked my knees under my chest and buried my head into Chris 'shoulder. I was about to drift my eyes closed when I heard a crash in the distance. Andrea?. I got up and gasped from the jab of pain I felt in my right tibia and staggered to where I thought the sound had generated. Sure enough, Andrea was lying on the ground, her white blouse and black trousers smeared in dirt. I rushed over and crouched to her level. She grinned at me, exposing her un-humanly white teeth.

"Oh Thank God" she whispered

"You ok?" I asked

"My back's throbs, but I'm ok"

Andrea stretched or hand out and delicately touched my face with her soft, gentle hands.

"What is it?" I asked

"You've been crying"

I drifted my glance to the stone floor and uttered:

"I killed someone"

She shook her head confusedly "Re, what do you mean you killed someone?"

"Ray is dead because of me" I murmured "I killed him"

Her eyes danced with confusion and shock "Ray as in the "Starbucks hottie"?" she asked

I nodded

"I promised I would come back for him, that I would save him, but I didn't" I whimpered

"Re, listen to me, It's not your fault, you did whatever you could, as always" "You're not the bad guy here"

"No, I didn't" "I choose Chris and now he's dead because of the choice I made"

"And if you had chosen Ray, your brother would be dead right now" "Does it really make you a bad person to have chosen your brother over a stranger?"

I didn't respond.

"Al, you can't feel responsible for Ray's death, because you're not and more importantly, you'pleasing the writer" "He takes amusement from your pain" "Don't let him pull your strings"

"Too late" I echoed as if I were in a trans

"Ali, you told me to not lose hope, you bagged me. Now I'm begging you to do the same for me"

" Common Lab, you know it too, we don't stand a chance" I whispered in despair

"Ali listen to me! Your falling apart!" she yelled

I shrugged "I guess I am" I murmured. my voice cracking

"You know what?! Everything that's gone wrong is because of you. And you just had to drag me into it, because that's who you are; self -absorbed and egotistical" she scorned

I gave a sarcastic grunt, spun to face the "cell", I had left Chris, past out, in and began to limp towards it. Those poisonous words kept pounding in my head and I wouldn't be able to look at Lab again without bursting into tears. Not now.