Beyond The Sea Blue Light

Black On Constellations Gold

Cameras. That's the first thought that pops into my head as Ronnie pushes me into my room, shutting the door behind him. Of course. It's the meeting, it's going to be streamed online. That's how they're going to get the world to see, to see that we're monsters. I shudder to think of the fact, my friends, portrayed as terrorists and monsters, just because they are trying to save us.

Waiting is agony. Every second seems to drag by slowly as I pace across the small enclosed space. The door is locked firmly; there's no chance of escape through it. I kick it a few times, slamming my palms against it, even though I know there's no hope. I just have to wait now, wait and hope that everything is going to be alright. I send out my thoughts, trying to tell Gerard, trying to get a message out but failing as there's no response. There's nothing but silence. And that's almost worse.

God, I'm probably on camera right now. The thought almost makes me laugh as I loop around the room for around the hundredth time. There's probably some feed of me pacing around in circles being streamed for thousands and thousands of people to see, to judge, to comment on. Animal-like behavior. Expression of anxiety or annoyance. Stress symptoms. Just because I feel like it, I throw up a middle finger, hoping that someone will see it. I'm not an animal, I want to scream. I'm alive, I'm human, just like you. But I refrain from doing so, knowing it will only make me seem more insane.

The click echoes through the room, making me jump up in alarm. There's a dull thud before the hinges squeak and the door is pushed open, letting bright light flood into the room. I tense when I see the black uniform of a guard. If they're here, there is no way I'm getting out. But the guard pushes back his hat, revealing a familiar face, and I breath a sigh of relief, the tension draining out of me.

"Oh, good," Zack says. He turns, calling to someone in the hallway. "We found him!"

There's a rush of black and the smell of smoke before Vic rushes in, throwing his arms around me.

"I thought I'd lost you," he breathes. "Never do that to me again, okay?"

I just bury my face in his shoulder, trying to stop shaking. Vic wraps his arms tighter around me as I shakily take a breath in. "It's okay," he murmurs. "You're safe." He holds me tight, as if he's afraid I'll disappear if he loosens his grip.

"We need to move," Gerard urges, walking in behind Zack. "They'll be checking on us soon."

Vic nods, but he still doesn't let go of me.

"How did you get in?" I ask.

Vic makes a face. "Believe it or not, it was Ronnie."

I gape at him, uncontrollable laughter bubbling in my throat. So he did come through. Ronnie did it.

"He talked to Gerard and apparently Gerard made him see some sense," Vic continues. "He says that you said something to him."

"I did," I say. The absurdity of it all still is hilarious for no reason, the fact that Ronnie, the person who seemed to hate us all suddenly decided to switch sides. Because of me.

"What's happening now?" I ask.

"They're fighting," Zack responds. "Just holding off the guards and the attacks for now, but it's getting harder for them to do so without hurting anyone."

Gerard grimaces. "We need to stop this soon."

"How?" Vic asks. "The only way we can do this is by getting to Styles and the members in the Meeting."

"And Andy," Zack reminds. "It will take both of them to stop this."

"Then that's what we will do," Gerard says. "You two go after Styles, we'll find Andy."

No one says another word as we run through the hallways. My heart thrums in my chest, adrenaline pumping through me as we throw open the front doors, running out in the chaos and the fight.

There's a full out battle in the yard. Last time this happened, we were running, fleeing away as the guards chased us down. Now it seems as if the sides are more evenly matched. I daresay we even might have the upper hand. Flashes of purple glow in the air, the air shimmering in several places as my friends fight. Bullets rip through the air, the constant noise jarring me as we run. There are more of them, but we are more powerful. As I watch, I see Alex charging forward, Awsten and Jenna beside him as they knock guards aside. Zack was right, we are winning, but I can tell it's getting harder and harder to merely hold them back. Killing would be so much easier, but we won't do it. We won't let them make us into the monsters they most desperately want us to be; we won't be the bad guys of this story.

Jack flashes into appearance, waving at us before he disappears again. The sight of him reminds me of Ronnie and our conversation. It worked, at least somewhat if Ronnie helped us. Speaking of Ronnie, I scan the field, searching for him, but I can't see him among the guards or my friends. Where is he?

Vic tugs on my hand as we run away from the chaos, slipping back into the building through a different entrance. The floorplan has changed from last time, the place where all the rooms and doors should be different. But we have a general idea of where we are going, straight to the back of the building. Our footsteps echo through the halls as we slow to a brisk walk, heading toward the pair of double doors at the end of the hallway.

A sharp yell sounds through the hall, making me glance over at Vic in concern. He shrugs, picking up his pace until we burst through the doorway.

They are all dead.

The tang of metallic blood greets me first, the scent hitting the back of my throat. Scarlet is soaked over the once gray carpets, pink mist and clumps of hair splattered across the wall. Throats are slit open, wounds lacerating the bodies, flesh gaping in the fluorescent light, the white shine of bone showing through. The members in the meeting are all dead, slewn by something, someone. A large camera sits in the corner, the red light blinking innocently back at me. My stomach twists as I look up, to the four remaining figures in the room and I unconsciously take a step backward, my back hitting the door. Vic inhales sharply beside me as he takes in the sight, his gaze roaming across the walls until it comes to rest on what I'm staring at.

It's just Oli standing in the room, his back to us, his gaze fixed on the boy in front of him, Josh.