Lucas ✔️

Forty-Eight

Memphis froze for a moment before he cocked his head to the side.

"Sure, you might," he replied with a shrug. "But not before you kill her."

My body jerked forward as he nudged his head my direction. My feet, which once felt like they were coated in concrete, suddenly moved towards Lucas, who stood protectively a good distance in front of Cole and Janie. Jerky movements from my aching joints knocked ghouls off my clothing as I made my way toward him.

"Oh, how about we make this more fun?"

I wanted anything but what Memphis would classify as 'more fun'. My opinion didn't seem to matter to him, though. I darted my eyes towards him as he took a few steps back.

"You're not leaving," Lucas said roughly, taking one step forward as he glared at Memphis.

"Oh, don't worry. I won't be missing out on this show!" he sneered, taking another step back as I lurched forward awkwardly, my legs moving slowly and one arm holding the gun aimed. "Lilith is just going to join the party."

My body moved again, but suddenly my face felt light and tingly. I furrowed my eyebrows and they moved as I wanted; my mouth opened and closed slowly as my tongue rolled across my teeth.

"Lilith?" Lucas asked quietly, taking a small step towards me as my body jerkily moved forward again.

My eyes caught Janie's and tears welled in my eyes as I began sobbing out loud. Memphis had done the cruellest thing he could possibly have ever done – he'd allowed me to speak and cry and scream and yell, but I couldn't stop my actions. In a sense, I wished I was caught completely under his spell, so I could pretend whatever happened wasn't my fault.

"Lil!" Janie yelled, her voice grating down my spine. She was too worried, too friendly. I hated that she was here, chained down and struggling, that I was pointing a gun at her.

Wind froze the tears on my face and I looked back at Lucas with horrified eyes. His face was steeled, a blank mask I couldn't penetrate. He walked forward slowly, his eyes glued to my finger across the trigger. It was shaking ever so slightly, and it lowered the smallest fraction.

"No!" I cried, shaking my head at my own body and the gun aimed at Janie.

"It's okay, Lilith," Lucas' smooth voice echoed toward me.

"It's not okay, Lucas!" I snapped roughly, my tears stopping as anger filled my veins. "Look at me!" I screamed at him, shaking my head left and right in frustration as the rest of my body refused to move. "I'm aiming a gun at my best friend!"

Lucas said nothing in reply, his eyes flashing brightly in anger. He took a step forward and reached a hand out toward me. Memphis laughed behind us, a light cackle that caused me to shiver, and then I pulled the trigger. I looked at Cole with wide eyes as he stared at me in horror. Janie was silent – too silent. She looked down and then back at me, before bursting into a loud scream. Blood pooled from the gunshot wound in the lower corner of her stomach, darkening her clothing and dripping onto the concrete below.

I shot her.

I'd really shot her.

My body broke out in involuntary goosebumps – the kind you get when you're sick to your stomach, not the type you get when you're cold. I jerked my head back towards Lucas and stared at him with dead eyes, tracks of dried-tears crusting on my skin. I couldn't even cry anymore. I couldn't even process what I had just done. Here I was, with the ability to talk and express myself, yet I had nothing to say. It almost felt like Memphis had taken control of my face again, yet I knew he hadn't.