Malachi Gregory (Volume One) - Rough Draft (Final Copy Coming Soon to Amazon)

Epilogue

Bailey's POV

A few weeks after the explosion, Mal recovers and gets most of her strength back. Except that she's understandably quieter and more anxious than before, Mal seems fairly normal. A little while ago, she said she was going to sleep early. We all understood. She's not to full strength yet. The past few months have taken a lot out of her. She's bound to be more tired than usual. And that's why it comes as such a surprise to find no sign of her when I go to bed except an envelope with my name in her handwriting on my pillow.

I try to keep calm as I open it. When I do, I find her tracking charm with a letter. It's a "B" for "Bailey" like the one I have is an "M" for "Mal." I look at the charm, and even before reading her letter, my heart breaks. I know what this means. She's gone. She used going to bed as an excuse to leave without us noticing. I try not to cry while reading her letter.

Hey B,

I'm sorry I have to do this, but I can't be around anyone right now. I can't keep helping people when I couldn't even help myself. I'll try to come back soon, but no promises. I do still want to help people, but I just can't right now. And I can't deal with all of you looking at me the way you are. I can't deal with the pity and I really can't deal with you all claiming what happened wasn't my fault. It was my fault. I left in the middle of the night. You warned me it was dangerous. It wasn't dangerous for quite the same reasons we were worried about, but the outcome was the same. You knew something was wrong and so did I, but I didn't listen. Please take care of this charm, I will come back for it I promise. This isn't goodbye. I just need time by myself. I need to be able to sort through what I've been through without feeling like everyone's watching me. I love you best friend. I'll be back, but I don't know when.

- M.

P.S. I left my phone in the bathroom drawer. Oh, and please take care of the Sonny the hedgehog.

How could she do this? How could she just leave again? Doesn't she know what this is going to put us through? Why does she always have to run away? The last two times she's left she's gotten into huge trouble! I can only pray third time's the charm. That leaving this time will not get into her into trouble. We can try to look for her, and I know we will, if not because I want to, then because Xane and Sam will make us. But we won't find her. When Mal doesn't want to be found, there's no way we can. I just hope she'll come home soon.

Xane's POV

A few weeks after the explosion, I find a letter on my bed from Mal. I wonder why she would write to me instead of just talk to me, and my answer comes the moment I open it.

Hey Cowboy,

I'm sorry to leave this way. I just can't be with people who care about me right now. You all keep looking at me like I'm about to break. I might, but if I do, I need to be able to put myself together without everyone freaking out. Please take care of my charm for me. I'm only giving it back, because as long as I'm gone, it'll only hurt to look at it. I'm hurting enough right now; I hope you understand. I'll be back, but I don't know when. Please understand.

Love, Mal

I'm pretty sure my heart breaks when I find Mal's number one charm in the envelope. I do understand why she might not want to wear it right now, but it still hurts that she isn't wearing it and that she's gone without a trace. Without a trace? I wonder... I doubt it. If she game my charm back, then I can't imagine she kept Bailey's. Still, I have to know. Just as I'm going to press the alert button for everyone to meet in the lab, Sam sets it off. She must have left letters for all of us.

In the lab, Sam holds up his letter. "Did we all get one of these," he asks emotionally.

In staggered movements, every single one of us holds up our own letters. "How could she do this," Leila demands.

"After everything we went through to save her," KJ says. "How could she just run away again?"

"Because," Courtney explains, understanding in a way most of us can't. "Because we've all been doting on her and watching her like she's going to break. Of course she'd run away. Mal is strong and independent. She's usually the one watching people and making sure she's okay. Imagine how weak she must feel now that she's the one who had to be saved. That she couldn't do anything to save herself when she does so much to save everyone else. I'd run away too."

Bailey starts crying and Jay wraps his girlfriend in a hug, trying to comfort her in a moment that we all know she can't be comforted in. I slam my fist against the table. Nothing happens. KJ made this thing indestructible. It's fine, but my hand isn't. It's already throbbing. I might have broken it this time. Why didn't she just stay? She could have told us to leave her alone, but instead she decided to do this on her own. When is she going to learn coping on her own isn't good for her?

Mal's POV

I try and fail not to cry when I look back at the home I'm leaving. I know I'm breaking more than just my own heart tonight, but it has to be done. I have to leave. I can't sit around with their pitiful gazes waiting for me to break. If I am going to break it'll happen a lot faster with them watching me. Maybe if I leave first I can learn to cope in this post-traumatic life without breaking. And, if I do break, at least they won't be there to watch.

I think about taking my car, but I'm not sure it's not being tracked. For all I know, everything I own is being tracked, which is exactly why I'm not taking anything with me. I'll go to the bank first and withdraw my money before ditching my card. Then, I'll buy new clothes, just in case Leila and KJ have added trackers like they do to everything they make. I don't know how long I'm going to be gone and I don't know where I'm going, but they can't find me. I'll go back to them when I'm ready. Until then, I have to drop off the map.