Die to Live *EDITING*

Elias

Elias Twenty-three

It wasn't until the next morning that a tall guy in a black jumpsuit dragged an unconscious Ryan into the room. Ryan's shirt was tattered and you could see angry looking bruises littering his chest through the tears. His right eye is black and swollen shut.

The man that dragged Ryan into the room looked at us for a minute through the black helmet with a black tinted visor. A thick black metal baton was worn on his hip, hanging from a little loop, along with a taser. A moment later the man rushed from the room, leaving Ryan in the middle of the room, groaning softly every so often.

Ashley never came back. They didn't bring her in. Ryan didn't kill her, did he? I could feel the question bouncing around in the chilly air of the room. Everyone looked at each other, waiting for someone to actually ask the question.

Out of nowhere, Snow got up and went to Ryan. We all watched her as she sat back down on the floor by his head, and then as she pulled his head into her lap. I looked at Tobias and I knew saw the flash a jealousy dance across my eyes. We all knew I had a thing for Snow.

I shook my head and drew my attention back to Snow and Ryan, who is now having Snow's pale, slender fingers run through his dirty- literally- blonde hair. His hair has blood in it, whether its his or Ashley's I don't care to know.

Ryan grunts and slowly moves from his side onto his back before opening his bloodshot eyes, staring straight up into Snow's blue eyes. He just stares at her for a second before he blinks and gets a terrified look on his face. Shit.

"Where's Ash?" His voice cracks, not just from the tears welling in his eyes but from the dryness of his throat and the room. Snow bites her lip and glances around the room, unsure of what to say. Hell, we're all unsure of what to say. Snow just keeps dragging her fingers through his hair as if she were combing it clean of the dried blood. She is forced to stop and look back into Ryan's pained eyes when he grabs her wrist with what little strength he has. "Snow, where is Ashley?"

We all know that he knows the answer. He knows that we all know the answer too. She's dead and gone Ryan. I let my eyes squint slightly at the thought, allowing myself to give that much away. Anything too noticeable and Ryan would see it out of the corner of his eyes and then he would question me. I don't want to have to answer that kind of question.

"Ryan... Sweetie... I think you know where Ashley is." Snow brings her other hand up and places it against Ryan's cheek, upside down. It reminds me of the scene in The Amazing Spiderman when Peter kisses Jane upside down. I shift my body around a little out jealousy of her touching his cheek like that. A choked sob fills the room, followed by an agonized moan and then another one, only its muffled this time. Ryan has turned his face into Snow's lap, crying loudly.

We all knew he wanted to be the one to die, not her, just by the way he looked when they called number eight. I guess his plans didn't turn out very well. My eyes meet with Snow's. She's gently stroking the back of Ryan's head as he sobs into her lap. I have to look away. Would she do that to me if I were in Ryan's position? Of course she would. I shake my head, dismissing the thoughts. She's just comforting him the only way she can, Elias. I have to remind myself of this.

After ten minutes of him crying like this, Snow clears her throat and Ryan turns to look at her, sniffling. His tears have made streaks in the dried blood on his cheek that trails to his mouth.

"Ryan, what happened out there? You were out there longer than anyone else." Snow looks at him, her black eyebrows furrowed in concern. Well for one, he was dragged in here unconscious by one of the fuckers that run this hell hole. Two, he was probably stalling time so he wouldn't have to face his sister. Three, well, I don't really have a three yet.