Time is Running Out

Chapter 25

There was a scream. The sound of someone falling hard onto the cold ceramic floor.

"SOMEONE CALL THE POLICE!" someone screamed.

Joy was falling through endless darkness. Was she dying? Was she dead?

She didn't know. She didn't want to live anyway.

But then, her instincts took over. No! I don't want to die! Eleven years is not enough! What is the point of life if I die so early? What would my family feel?

Joy clawed her way to the surface, only to fall back again. She tried again and again, fruitlessly.

Finally, she stopped.

Emma stared at the small black revolver in her hand. She couldn't believe something so small could be so destructive.

It had taken someone's life just now. The victim was dead.

At least, she supposed so.

The revolver had ended someone's life.

If only she hadn't hesitated.

If only she had pulled the trigger sooner.

If only she had been able to make the decision earlier.

If only she had done it sooner.

If only she did it ages ago.

Then there would only be one dead body.

Gemma stood motionless by the fallen Joy's side. She was unaware of time passing, unaware of the screaming and shouting around her.

Her mind was blank. She didn't know anything anymore except for the fact that Joy was lying
stone-dead on the cold, cold floor.

Gemma was unaware of everything. Unaware that Emma stood next to her but staring at something else.

Unaware that both the figure and Emma had pulled their own trigger.

An awful feeling shot through Rachel. Rachel bit her lip, hoping it was just a passing thing.

It was not.

Rachel dropped the cup of water she was holding and sunk to her knees. The cup broke on the floor and water splashed everywhere.

Xana and Alden came running.

"WHAT'S GOING ON?" Alden shouted.

Rachel didn't reply. She couldn't.

She screamed.

It felt way too bad.

Rachel only knew her instincts were telling her this: something terrible had happened to her friends.

Joy kept on falling, falling, falling. Was there an end to this?

I don't want to die! Joy shrieked. Help me! Please! Someone!

No one answered.

Help! she screamed, but no one could hear her. No one could answer. No one would help her. No one would come.

Joy was on her own.

No! shouted Joy.

Too late, the shadows whispered soothingly.

Joy fell into the shadows' cool embrace.

Emma regretted everything as she held the black revolver. She suddenly felt a huge urge to drop it.

Why did we start this in the first place? she thought angrily.

Why had they started investigating at all? Why had they gone into Alundi Woods? Why had Joy been caught? Why had they gone to rescue Joy? Why had they come to Scotland?

If they hadn't, this wouldn't have happened.

Nothing would have happened.

They would still be friends.

Joy would not lie so still.

Gemma stared at the fresh, crimson red blood pooling on the floor.

Joy's blood.

She tried to think straight. Instead, memories of the past came to her.

The first day of school. Rachel laughing at her. "You are ugly!" she giggled. Gemma cried.

Gemma shook her head hard. No. It wouldn't do to think of these things. Her mind wouldn't listen.

Gemma watching Rachel, Emma and Joy become friends. Watching their friendship grow. Feeling like an outcast.

Gemma fought hard to keep her tears back. The tears threatened to spill out. Yet her mind moved to another memory.

Rachel teasing Gemma again. Joy and Emma stood next to her, not with Rachel but not helping her either.

The tears came. Gemma couldn't hold them back anymore. But her mind still would not stop.

Joy being assigned to sit next to her. Gemma thinking, oh no. Instead of Joy tormenting her though, they became friends.

Joy making Emma be friends with Gemma. Joy letting their friendship blossom and grow.

Rachel becoming friends with Gemma too. Gemma smiling slyly and telling Rachel, "I should punch your nose in, you know." Rachel rolling her eyes. "I can," Gemma said. "You can't," said Rachel. Gemma punching her nose in. Rachel's nose bleeding. Joy and Emma groaning.

Gemma almost laughed at that memory.

Rachel ran out of the hotel doors. Xana and Alden ran after her, shouting.

"Rachel! Where are you going?!" Alden yelled.

"Idiot!" Xana shouted.

Rachel didn't stop.

She had to get to the airport! She knew something had happened to her friends.

She had to!

Rachel pumped her legs faster.

Faster.

Just a little further.

Joy finally gave up. She let herself fall. She was almost at the bottom now.

Emma had shot someone. The figure had been trying to kill Joy, but nevertheless, Emma was a murderer.


Gemma's memories stopped coming. Her tears stopped falling.

Rachel kicked the doors open. She was finally there.

"WHAT'S HAPPENED?! JOY? EMMA? GEMMA?" Rachel shrieked.

Then she saw them.

"E-Emma? Gemma? W-what happened to J-Joy?" stammered Rachel.

"I..." Emma whispered.

"SAY IT!" screamed Rachel.

"The figure... he sh-shot Joy," Emma mumbled.

"But... he's also dead?" Rachel whispered.

"I shot h-him," Emma stammered, "But I was t-too l-late."

"You did what?" Gemma's trance was over. Her memories finally left her alone.

"He shot her a-and I sh-shot him a bit e-earlier," said Emma, her voice barely a whisper.

Rachel's face was as white as chalk. "W-what did y-you say?"

Emma shook her head despairingly, unwilling to say it again.

"Is she--?" Alden whispered.

"I don't know, I don't know!" Emma's voice rose and trembled and she hid her head in her arms, as if that would shield her from the world.

They all stared at Emma, speechless at her outburst.

"Don't ask me, it wasn't my fault! I didn't want her to--! I didn't want him to--! It's not my fault, not my fault not my fault not my fault!" screamed Emma childishly.

Rachel stared at Emma as if she had never seen her before.

Joy was whimpering like an animal with an arrow in its flank.

Alden rushed to her. "Joy? Joy, please, please tell me you're not dead!"

"She's obviously not dead if she's moaning in pain..." Xana muttered.

Joy whimpered in pain again.

"I..." Rachel watched the scene, helpless.

No one knew what to do.

Joy was writhing like a snake in pain.

Rachel was staring at it all, paralyzed.

Emma was still covering her head, silent.

Gemma was beside herself, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Alden was watching Joy hopefully, as if she might suddenly jump up and announce that it was all a joke.

Still at the doorway, Xana hadn't moved since the first.

Screaming alarms and flashing lights broke the silence.

Sirens.

Police sirens.

They all froze, even Joy.

Emma was the first to unfreeze.

"RUN!" she yelled.

They ran.

Rachel snatched up Joy. Gemma helped her heave Joy onto their shoulders, now straining from the effort.

Gemma, Rachel, Alden and Xana followed Emma as she disappeared out of the backdoor.

Emma ran and ran, others following, until she couldn't do it anymore. They stopped as one.

The sirens grew closer.

Emma leapt up and redoubled her efforts. The others chased and then there was shouting.

The police had seen them.

The others did not know what Emma was doing, why Emma was running and where Emma was leading them.

"Emma? Emma! Wait!" shouted Alden.

"I-- can't--" Rachel groaned.

"Stop it! Emma! We can't carry Joy for so long!" Gemma yelled.

Emma took no notice. She ran on and on. The others couldn't do anything but follow her.

Finally, they ran into an alley and Emma stopped there. It had been an exhilarating chase.

Then they realized it.

It was a dead end.

"Emma?" said Gemma softly. "What--?"

A glimmer of something shone in Emma's eye. "You've fallen right into my trap."