The Fire We Make

chapter twenty eight

ALMOST 2 YEARS AGO

gif of Tristan above

*Recap from Chapter 12*

I blinked, once then twice, trying to focus on my surroundings. I saw a body lying limply on the floor with a small pool of blood surrounding them. My eyes raked over the body, trying to identify the person. The familiar tree tattoo with branches spreading throughout his finger limbs caught my attention, and then everything went black.

The two worst kinds of pains in this world is felt when you lose someone and when you love someone. And even worse, when you lose the one you love. That night, I felt both.

I felt a sharp jab on my waist, bolting me awake. I fluttered my eyes, adjusting to the light that was shining brightly. There was a ringing in my ears, but despite that, I heard a muffled noise. It sounded like it was miles away but when I turned my head, a face was only merrily inches away from me. I blinked hard once and then twice, trying to clear my vision. I tried to move my arm, only I couldn't. It was as if I lost all function over my body.

"Hollyn," the voice repeated, much more clearly this time. "Can you get up?"

Without waiting for my answer, I felt myself being pulled up. My head felt slightly woozy from the abrupt shift in orientation and I stumbled backward.

"Woah, woah, woah," I heard them say, catching me and correcting my balance.

I swirled around and faced Tristan. I saw his white shirt covered in blood and I instantly remembered where we were and what happened. I held my breath as I reached out to touch him. My fingers lightly grazed his shirt where I saw the blood.

"Tristan, you... you're bleeding," I stuttered, my fingers shaking from the shock.

"So are you," he muttered, touching the side of my neck softly.

His touch induced a sharp pain underneath my ear that I had no recollection of. When he removed his fingers, I saw blood dripping down his hand. I could sense my heart beating; I felt every single pound in my chest and I thought it was going to burst. I put my own fingers to the same spot where Tristan just touched me and I regretted it. I could feel a deep cut and a trickle of blood dripping down my neck. Blood was everywhere, on my fingers, down my neck, on Tristan and all over the floor. I closed my eyes, disturbed by all the red I was seeing, but even then I couldn't escape it.

"I heard a gunshot... were you hit?" Tristan asked, his eyes raking over my body, probably trying to evaluate it himself. I swallowed the lump that was clogged in my throat.

"No," I replied, shaking my head. "I thought you were. There was blood all around you."

Tears sprung out of my eyes and reached out to grab Tristan, trying to make sure he was truly in front of me. For the longest time, all I wanted was for Tristan to be out of my life and to leave me alone. But when I saw him laying limply on the floor, I realized I would give anything to have me pester me one more time.

"When I saw you laying down there I thought — I thought you were dead. There was so much blood," I wept, my hands trembling as I held them up for him to see. "If you were gone, too, I don't know what I would do."

"Hey, I'm here. I'm okay it didn't hit me. That idiot must be dumber than I thought," Tristan said, shaking his head in disbelief as he talked about Isaac. "But we have to get out of here. I don't know where they went but I don't want to wait and find out."