UPRISE

037 Again

Corbin can't handle it anymore. He twists around the arm of the man who guards him and flips him around so that he is behind him. Corbin wrestles the gun out of his hand and holds it up to the man's head.

"Let us go!" Corbin barks. He grips on to the man tighter, his finger wrapped around the trigger.

Thatcher laughs. "You think I care about number nine?" Then, he pulls the trigger and shoots the man in Corbin's arms dead.

Corbin tries to hold up the man, as another shot fires into him. The man's body goes limp, and his breath becomes raspy. It sounds like he is breathing through a clogged straw.

Reagan would duck in the water as bullets fly over his head, but already his nose barely peeks above the surface. His muscles are tightening. Another bullet flies overheard as Reagan freezes.

Rinn can't stand it anymore. She darts away from her guard, who still holds Noah, just as Thatcher fires the fourth shot. The bullet hits her in the stomach, and she falls to the ground, landing on top of a pile of coats. Her scarf tightens around her neck, and not even her asthma can compare to the burning in her stomach.

She coughs up bile.

"Fuck," Connery grabs Thatcher by the collar. "You were supposed to save her for me!"

Corbin takes the opportunity to throw the body and shoot Connery. He gets him in the leg, and then ducks down on the ground.

Chaos erupts around them.

Corbin fires bullet after bullet. He ducks on the ground, using the body of number nine as a shield. After shooting three people, he feels the first bullet rip through his shoulder, like fire.

He lies down against the ground, panting. Corbin digs his fingers into the wound, screaming as he does. He smears the blood around his neck.

The sound pulls Wren out of his stupor. He crawls over to Reagan, who is only able to keep his lips above the water now. Wren reaches out his hand. As Reagan takes it, Wren's body goes limp. Reagan still manages to pull himself out of the water.

There, he begins to shake Wren. Above him, Wren can only see shadows. His head lulls from side to side. He can feel something falling on his face, tears that he mistakes for snowflakes. Everything is numb.

A splash hits Reagan from behind, as Pluto shoves Connery into the water. He drops his gun and begins to thrash. Pluto puts her boot on his head, forcing him underwater. He grabs onto her and pulls her in.

Knowing that Jasmine would reach after Pluto if she could, Noah bursts out of his frozen condition and runs after her. He jumps in the water, helping Pluto force Connery's head down.

Harper grabs a gun off one of the unconscious men. He aims it at the two remaining Golds, who run off into the forest.

Leaving just Thatcher.

Thatcher dives for Jasmine. He lifts her body, holding it against his chest with one hand. She dangles precariously. In the other hand, he waves a gun at Harper.

Harper knows that he is useless. He's never fired a gun before.

"Throw it in the water," Thatcher orders, his face contorted into a snarl.

Harper shakes his head and aims it like he knows what he is doing. This is the first time that he has ever seen a gun in person, let alone held one.

It turns out that his bluff isn't very good. Thatcher's scowl turns into a grin as he hoists up Jasmine's body.

A shot rings out behind him. Thatcher turns his head, just for a bullet to plow through his skull.

Edison steps out from within the trees, a gun in hand. There is blood splattered across his face is bright red polka dots. Like freckles. Like asteroids coming into the atmosphere. Not like stars at all, except that they too burn.

Harper rushes forward, pulling Jasmine off of Thatcher. Quickly, he scoops up a coat off the ground and wraps her in it. "Jasmine. Jaz. Jaz are you there?"

Noah and Pluto peel themselves out of the water. Their skin feels hot, so they don't dare huddle together. Each of them pulls on a jacket before they sluggishly move to check on the others.

For once, Corbin is happy that he isn't the centre of attention. After all, he is sure that he is going to bleed out if they don't get a doctor, which they can't. Pluto knows he is still conscious from the way his chest rises and falls. She sits down next to him, taking his hand in hers and squeezing it.

Reagan is crying over Wren, who is fading in and out of the waking world. He can hear Reagan, can feel him, but he seems more like a sleep paralysis demon than the boy he loves. He wonders if one of the Golds has kicked his body into the water, and he is slowly sinking as well.

Unlike the others, Noah doesn't know where to go. Edison stands, his hands on his hips and blood splashed across his face. Rinn's body lies on the floor, as well as three other Golds. Edison steps forward, and finally, Noah manages to step back.

Above him, he hears a helicopter coming in.

~~~~~

I was listening to a song that reminds me of Reagan, so I had to publish the ending where everyone (but Rinn and Viola) lives. So, please enjoy.