Homesick

Chapter 18

The knife still deep in his stomach, Jack's eyes suddenly turned glassy, wide and unfocused, like he had just seen stars. My mouth was slightly ajar, but a scream never travelled through it, because it felt like all my insides had just burnt away like ash. Still wide-eyed, Jack tottered and stumbled on his feet and i knew he was about to fall. Still dreamy, he fell back into my hands and i laid him on the ground lightly. He stared up at me, and now emotion was now swimming in his grey-tinged eyes.

"I regret it," said Claw coldly, turning away. I looked at him, begging and devastated. I wasn't even furious at him, because i was just frozen and numb inside

I kneeled over him and looked at him as my fingers fumbled across his lips, which was growing paler by the second. His warm breath was turning colder and colder as i stared and his mouth was moving silently because no words spilled out. I stared, close to tears, at his jacket and wrenched the knife out with a gasp and threw it away into the darkness. I glanced down at his stomach which was rising and falling desperately, as though he was struggling to breathe.

I didn't care about anything right now, nothing, because what i was looking at was a dark red patch was spreading across Jack's jacket quicker and quicker. Hasn't he already been hurt enough? I zipped up his jacket quickly and looked at him, my eyes swimming with tears. I looked at Jack as a lone tear slipped down his face, like he was sorry.

"You'll be alright," I answered soothingly, my voice shaking violently, although i didn't even know if he would be. Police cars were crowding around us now, their sirens blaring in the winter night. Officers were parking their cars, getting out and pulling out guns, but none seemed to take action. "You'll be alright. We'll get you to hospital, just hang in there - "

"The line," he said. His barely whispered that and i could tell it took too much effort to talk properly. His eyelids were now flickering. "Shoot down the line..."

I hung onto every word because i didn't feel like ignoring him now. I savoured it because it could've been the last words he could've said. Suddenly, it hit me. The lines!  The electrical wires the tower was connected to, that gave it all the unlimited power! If i shot that done, then the tower would be disabled immediately, as well as the rest of the power in New York City. I had to try.

I had to try Jack's one dying wish.

"How am i going to shoot it down?" I whispered, my hands shuddering as i clasped his blood-stained one. My sword couldn't do that. "You'll die in the explosion!"

"Bow-and-arrow," he croaked. I was panicking now, his voice was growing fainter and fainter and more strained. That was it! My bow and arrow, i had left untouched in my backpack! I had never used one before, but this was the time!

Looking at Jack's flickering eyes, i nodded, because i had to do it for him. Pulling my bow and arrow out of my backpack, i loaded it with a silver bow. Aiming with my shuddering arms, i pulled the bow back. The lines seemed so high, and i was just down here, helpless, with my only dying friend at my knees. I released the arrow, which zoomed up, but missed by inches because of my shaking arms.

"Hurry," trembled Jack, groping at his wound, sticky blood immersing his fingers. His eyes were still as glassy as ever. "I need to see this, Kara. Do it for me."

Those words weren't medicine or pills, but they healed me as fast as those. My heart suddenly flared with determination, because i had to do this for Jack. This was what he wanted, and i was going to give it to me. Raising my bow again, i pulled it back, my arms now longer shaking, aimed and released. The arrow flew in the air and hit the first post. The lines immediately crackled and was hanging on its hinges, electricity sparking through the lines like lightning. It creaked loudly and rattled. One to go.