We Will Catch You

Scars Of The Past

    
                       Xander

It took about an hour to clean and bandage the wounds on Rowan's body. They were mostly whip marks straight down his back yet there was the odd few slash marks on his torso.

Xander used all of his strength  not to gasp at the muscles that stretched across Rowan's stomach and arms.

When he had first stumbled into the house, Xander had immediately picked him up placing him on the bed and tearing his shirt off to reveal a maze of jagged scars, some fresh, that webbed across his body. He gasped at first forgetting everything that had gone on so far that night and focused on cleaning what cuts he could see. After an hour he realised there was nothing more he could do to help until Rowan woke up. Once he had stopped he noticed that whilst he was working, his brain was drawn away from-

Him....
   

                        Rowan

Rowan woke to the sound of deep snoring. He couldn't remember much about what had happened. And didn't really know why he was half naked laying on a blood stained bed. He looked across the room. Xander Evans was sat in a chair on the other side of the room opposite the Queen sized bed. There was a door next to him that probably led into the bathroom and another that led outside. The blinds were pulled across over the small window. It was quite simplistic and there was hardly any furniture.

He realised then that Xander was stirring. Where was Caius anyway?

"oh good you're up.." Xander spoke groggily.

"You look like hell," Rowan replied wincing slightly as he sat up.

"Could say the same about you," Xander replied.

Rowan looked into his empty eyes and at the sad, fake smile. They stayed silent for awhile disturbed only by Xander blowing the dark hair out of his green eyes. Rowan was biting his lip at the hot like pain that spread across his body. He couldn't say that Xander had not done good job at the bandaging but he really didn't think the minion plasters were necessary.

"Sorry. Caius had ran out of the other ones," Xander croaked.

Rowan nodded feeling the intense, sad vibe eminating from every crack and crevise of the room.

He was starting to panic.

"Xander?"

Xander looked up.

"where is Caius?"

Xander sniffed slightly and Rowan could see the cogs turning. Rowan looked around the room. The blood. The disgarded razor. The wet papers and drawings. The tears now rolling down Xander's face.

"oh god."

Rowan looked into the dull eyes.

"Xander? Where is Caius?"

He already knew the answer yet was still refusing to believe it.

"up."

Xander broke and began to cry. Tears rolled down to his chin and onto the carpet in front of him.

Rowan sat up bit jolted himself and cried out. Xander was knealt down howling like a mad man into the night. Rowan fought the pain and slid onto his feet stumbling awkwardly over to Xander who was writhing on the floor. Rowan crouched down and hugged him tight. The younger's howls grew fainter and fainter as Rowan hugged him tears streaming down both their faces like waterfalls from a rock outlet.

Their cries just continued as they realised their friend was gone. And he was not coming back.

                             *

Rowan finally pulled away. Xander was almost asleep on his shoulder sobbing. Rowan looked over at the time. 6.00pm.

He thought back to the fight he had just had hours before. Stupid old man. He thought through gritted teeth. He could feel the numb of a newly formed bruise in his cheek. He felt like crying again yet he couldn't. There was nothing left. And he had to stay strong for the other 15 year old who was, quite frankly, a mess. He looked down at Xander. Xander looked up at Rowan. And smiled. A sad, lonely smile. A pleading one. Pleading for Caius to come back.

"I loved...." Xander started.

"I know. There is no need to explain," Rowan croaked softly.

Xander smiled and then grunted.

"Xander?" Rowan spoke suddenly.

Xander grunted again before falling back and slamming down onto the floor...

Noone

The boy woke gasping for breath. He writhed around in the bed looking up at the blackness. He screamed quite suddenly; his heart was thumping wildly in his chest as he struggled for breath. He fumbled for a light switch but couldn't find one.

"CRAP" he cried out into the dark.

Crap. The voice responded.

"WHO ARE YOU" the boy breathed heavily.

Happy death day young one. Happy death day.

Noone

The body washed up on shore still breathing. Only faintly but still there. A faint trace of life. The night traced a path over the pale skin.

Their eyes snapped open.
Their body jerked forward.
And they let out a blood curdling howl.