Heaven & Hell

Chapter 2

Killian

I sat there like a coward. I could have saved her. I could have protected her, but I hid like a fucking coward. I watched her get shot. I watched her fall to the ground. I waited for safety before I tried to save her. I waited until it was too late. My best friend was laying on the ground, her breath slowing as her heart stopped beating. I screamed and cried, pleading for her to fight for life, begging her to live, but I couldn't save her.

I didn't want to have to wake up to never see her beautiful face again. I want to be able to see her turquoise eyes shining bright again, her long brown hair flowing freely through the air. I want to be able to tell her how I really feel. I want this to all be a terrible nightmare that I could wake up from.

Instead, I'm sitting here bawling my eyes out, applying pressure to her bullet wound, a weak attempt to stop the bleeding. I'm sitting here, knowing it's already too late. The delicate features of her face covered in bruises and her own blood from the beating she got before she was shot. I was supposed to be her friend. I was supposed to protect her. If it wasn't for me, Melody would never have ended up here in the first place.

I didn't know how I was going to face her parents, but they needed to know. I had to be the one to tell them. I got up and stared at Melody's lifeless body, my tears failing to stop as I apologised, letting her fall back down onto her as I let it slide from my own.

I picked her up and carried her to my car, outside the car yard, and gently laid her down in the back seat. I drove to the hospital, not bothering to rush, knowing that she had already passed. I carefully walked inside, rain starting to pour down the moment I pulled her body from my car, washing the blood stains from the corner of her mouth.

Carrying her in, I was noticed immediately by one of the receptionists and doctors were called. As doctors rushed in, one of them dragging a stretcher behind them, I shook my head, the tears racing down my cheeks as I spoke, telling them all that she was already gone, dropping to my knees as they took her from me.

After a long time of talking with the doctors and police, and waiting for official confirmation, I was finally allowed to leave the hospital. I asked to see ehr one more time before getting in my car and heading straight for Melody's house to be the first to alert her parents of the heart breaking news.

"Mr and Mrs Nolan, I... I..." I tried to speak, but I was overcome with tears and pain as they asked why I was referring to them so formally. I quickly collapsed onto my knees on their doorstep. "I... It's Melody... she's gone. I failed to protect her, and she was shot. I'm so sorry..." I looked up, tears flowing like waterfalls down my cheeks as Melody's mother started bawling her eyes out, her head falling onto her husbands shoulder. Melody's father didn't speak. He didn't cry. He didn't show any sign of anguish. After a short moment of trying to comfort his wife, he simply spoke with a low, shaky voice, telling me to leave. I could tell he was equally as hurt as her, but he wanted to be strong for her. They both wanted to hold onto the hope that this was some fucked up prank and that Melody was still alive.

I wanted to hold on to that hope as well, but I knew that it was useless. I watched her die and, as much as I wanted to believe otherwise, I knew the truth and no amount of hope could change what had already happened. I knew that when I woke up tomorrow, if I ever got to sleep, the world wouldn't magically be better again. I knew that when I woke up tomorrow, she would still be fucking gone. I knew that Melody Nolan was gone forever and it was all my fault.

***

I was right about not sleeping. I couldn't sleep, no matter how hard I tried, I just kept crying. I kept missing my best friend more and more as the night grew into day. It was as if I lost more than just my best friend. I never told my parents why I had come home so late, but they must have known by now. I was sure it would have been on the news by now, but I was wrong.

I had hoped that I would be able to miss the news, ignore the fact that everyone would know that Melody was gone, but I didn't. I saw the news and I heard the reports. The description of the wounds she had received, images of her lifeless body flashed through my mind multiple times. I knew that I would never be able to forget what they did to her.

I sat on the couch, watching the news, my face blank of emotions. My parents were sitting next to me, speechless as they listened to the reports. Unable to continue listening, I stood up and quietly walked away. I didn't lock myself in my room, no, I would still be able to hear the television. I walked out the front door and headed towards the car yard. When I got there, I saw all the police tape, cameras and police. The entire yard was taped off because of my statement. It had taken until this point for me to realise it was official. I was never going to get to see Melody again.

I know that I should have told the police more about what I knew to help put the killer away, but that would meant they got to live, so I didn't. Instead, I made a promise to Melody. I promised i would get the justice she deserved.

I decided to go home and lock myself in my room for a while after all, but when I got home, my parents were waiting for me. They didn't say much, merely that they were sorry for me. I told them that they shouldn't be saying sorry to me. Before I could continue, there was a call coming through on my mothers phone.

"We've been invited over to have dinner with Mark and Christine to celebrate the life that Melody lived, rather than mourning the end of it." I was furious by this point. I didn't understand how Mark and Christine could just forget the fact that their daughter was dead. I didn't understand how they could choose to celebrate rather than mourn. I didn't understand how they could do that so soon after her death. I couldn't understand how life could go on.

I didn't show my frustration to anyone, I was too focused on the pain. The thought of how I was going to keep my promise to Melody rushed through my mind the entire night. It was only when the sun came up that I finally came up with an idea.

"Killian? Are you still awake? You haven't slept for the last two nights. Sweet heart, I know it hurts, but you need to get some sleep. Melody wouldn't want you to do this to yourself. She would want you to look after yourself." I listened to my mother and laid down on my bed. I was that warn out that I fell asleep almost instantly.