Endings, beginnings

Chapter one

𝐴𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦 𝐼'𝑚 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑦𝑒𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑟 𝑐𝑟𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑦 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦- 𝐼'𝑚 𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑦!
𝐼𝑓 𝑦'𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑎𝑠𝑘 𝑛𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝐼'𝑙𝑙 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑛 𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 🖤🖤
𝐼 𝑓𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑔𝑢𝑦𝑠.

Jace Maverick was going to die.
Soon.

He'd known for a few days, but time didn't seem to lessen the fear.
He had half expected it to.

If anything, the more time that passed- every minute spent hanging here, flinching at every sound, reliving that horrible night, wondering when the creature would return- just increased the terror.

Even now, so weak he could barely open his eyes, Jace wondered if his heart would stop before the monster ever returned.
He almost wished it would.

The way Caleb, Darin and Xavier had screamed- Jace would hear their agonised cries for the rest of his life.
Which, thankfully, wouldn't be much longer.

The sole thing that had kept him going - the only reason he didn't just close his eyes and give up- was Kingsley West.

King had been Jace's best friend for four years, ever since he moved next door with his family. Somehow, King was still alive.
His cheeks were wan and an unhealthy grayish, and his thick black hair was matted.

Every time Jace looked at him now he remembered how skinny and shy Kingsley had been that first day - but also how his gentle hazel eyes had sparked with kindness.
From the beginning Jace had been drawn to the younger boy.

First by King's quiet smile when their eyes met across the street as the moving van pulled up, then by the electric guitar the new kid unloaded - and then Jace had overheard his parents discussing the 'poor boy next door.
He just lost his mother and now he's living with a father he never knew because the man just got out of a ten year stint in prison.'

Jace, fifteen at the time, had been sympathetic- and more then intrigued.
From their first real discussion, when they agreed that My Chemical Romance was the greatest band in history, the boys had been inseparable.
Kingsley's cough pulled Jace back to the present with a jolt.

Forcing his usual devilish smirk- Jace knew exactly how attractive he looked with that expression and used it to his advantage often- Jace began to sing.

"I know that I can't make you stay.
But where's your heart?"

"But where's your heart?"
Just as he'd hoped, Jace was rewarded by King's gentle voice joining him in the arrangement they'd sung together a hundred times.

"But where's your-" as Jace finished his line King sucked in a breath, closing his eyes and pouring his soul into the words.

"And I know there's nothing I can say to change that part."

"To change that part," Jace rasped.

"To change-"

"So many bright lights, they cast a shadow," the boys sang together.

"But can I speak?"
Jace's voice was hoarse and croaking now but he didn't care as they continued.

"Well is it hard understanding I'm incomplete. A - life that's so demanding, I get - so weak.
A love that's- so - demanding-"
Jace's words trailed off as his throat simply gave out.

"I can't speak," Kingsleys -miraculously, still beautiful - singing carried on.

"I'm not afraid to keep on living-"

Jace closed his eyes.
He knew the end was very near now.

With any luck he'd pass on quietly and that sick bastard would kill Kingsley before the kid ever knew he was alone.

"I am not afraid-"
King's voice faded out till Jace could barely hear it.
With a silent apology, Jace simply stopped the battle for oxygen.

"To walk this world alone."

As he sank into quiet blackness, Jace almost thought he heard footsteps- human footsteps.
Was the long awaited rescue finally happening?
Everything faded away.

Jace should've been fighting.
But he was too far gone to care.