Scion

8. Cause of Death

Harpers POV

I felt like I'd been hit by a truck.  I lay on my stomach on something that felt a lot softer than the hard floor I previously laid on. I tried to look around the unfamiliar room but from my position I couldn't see much.

Deciding I'd over stayed my welcome, I tried to push myself up.  My arms shook as I desperately tried to get up. Sweat beaded at my forehead and my breath left me in short pants. I couldn't do it, and my arms muscles shook beneath me.

My back stung ferociously, reminding me of the night before. I had to lift myself up, but before I struggled to try again I heard footsteps approach me.

A hand softly laid on my head, stroking my head and the back of my neck, fingers intertwining with my hair.

A calm voice shushed me and I felt as if I should fight against it but I couldn't and felt my eyes drooping, the soft touch lulling me to sleep.
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When I woke up again, I was surprised by my view. There next to me was Sonny Robertson. He sat in a chair beside the bed, firmly clutching on to my hand.

He looked terrible, as if he'd stayed up all night. To say I was confused would be more than an understatement. Here was my enemy, who put me to torture, holding my hand as he sat beside my bed.

He must have woken up as I was lost in thought because I watched as he studied me as I returned to the real world.

His calculating eyes studied me. I felt as if he could see into my very soul.

'Good morning.' He spoke. His voice deep from having been asleep.

I didn't respond, instead I just stared at him with curiosity, until a question came into my mind.

'Where am I, why am I here.' Sonny must have read the confusion in my expression as he slowly took a deep breath, as if preparing himself to speak.

'You're in my room, you...I...you were in bad shape after the other night. I couldn't leave you there, you would have died. I... yeah.'

I continued to stare at him before clearing my throat, voice hoarse. 'You tried to kill me.'

I left the statement open, as if it were a question. Sensing this, the tall boy sighed.

'Yeah, technically I'm still supposed to kill you, but, you need to understand, when I saw you laying in your own puddle of blood. With that horrible word marked into your back-' I cut him off before he could finish.

'What word?' Dread overcame me as Sonny's face paled.

'Harper, I think you should calm down, get some rest, we can worry about it later.' He replied as I began to push myself up with renewed energy and purpose. It was too late though, I had already, somehow made it up, staggering towards the full length mirror on the wall nearest to me.

Sonny rushed to help me walk but I pushed him away, I had to see what he mean.

Once in front of the mirror I saw myself in Sonny's eyes. My eyes were dark, bloodshot, with bags underneath them. I couldn't quite stand upright without pain shooting through my back and so I was slightly hunched over.

My eyes then trailed down my chest, past the patch of gauze covering the bullet wound Sonny had gifted me with, towards my stomach, as I was shirtless, where smooth golden skin once was, there was now ugly black and blue.

It hurt to breath and Sonny stood beside me looking into my eyes through the mirror telling me I was lucky not to break my ribs. It was a mix of Black and blue with great on the outer edges. The bruise was almost the entire span of my stomach. From my hips to just under my pecs. The bruising was by far the worst around my bellybutton which was almost fully black.

I looked at Sonny again. His men did this, and yet he still stood by me, with me. I couldn't understand it, I didn't even know him.

I then took a deep breath and turned, desperate to see what he was talking about earlier.

That was when I saw it.

At first I noticed the several cuts up and down my lower back that would surely scar. I dragged my eyes up my back, taking every single slash in my skin.

Then, there on my shoulder was the word DEATH, carved into my skin. The word puckered, and the skin gathered and stretched in unusual places. I stared at it, speechless. The blood surrounding it dried and cracking, stuck to my skin.

It was a brand, to make me never forget that what I was, who I was.

Suddenly my emotions overcame me, bubbling up and gushing from me so violently that a sob leapt from my mouth and tears began to fall down my cheeks.

I grabbed onto Sonny, desperate for something to cling onto, to ground me. I didn't even know why I was so upset, it was only fair.

I feel as if this chapter was kinda rushed sorryyyy. I'm in a really chaotic environment right now.

- the fun one ;)