The Orb [short story] (slight editing)

What Have I Done

3rd Person POV:

The Woods were quiet. Not a creature was to be seen. Along a wide opening in the forest was a bird. A bluebird, looking for something to make its nest. It sits beside a body. A victim of something the bird could only dream of comprehending. The girl lies motionless, her body still warm. The bird finds something quite satisfactory to build its nest with, an odd necklace. It hops to her open, limp palm and grabs the necklace with its beak, and pulls away. It flies towards its nest, quickly finding the necklace to be too heavy, and drops it.

Jack's POV:

We're all standing in a circle. This is it. Aiden just killed Hazel. She's gone. She was killed before she could touch him with the stone and now we three are enslaved to The Orb forever...and she lies dead on the forest floor. And none of us look like we care, though I know better than to say we don't. Aiden was so opposed to it, the Orb had to completely take over his brain just to make him go after her. I know he must be dying inside. We all are.

"Ow!" I yell as I felt a burning sensation on the back of my neck. I quickly rubbed the spot with my hand but froze.

Wait, I said something. I did something.

I look all around me and as I turn to the ground behind me, I gasp. There lies Hazel's necklace. I turn around, stunned by my sudden freedom. I see the others smile and move around. Natalie and I turn and hug each other. "I can't believe we're free," Nat says, I barely catch her words with her voice so soft then.

I shake my head in disbelief.

How?

"I can't either, but I don't care," I reply as I release from the embrace.

But Aiden just stood there, looking around. Confusion written over his face. Dread began to pool in my gut as I realized what, or who, he was looking for. "Where's Hazel?"

Nat and I tense, but stay silent, our own grief filled our hearts again.

Still confused, Aiden scratches the side of his jaw but freezes. I hadn't noticed either, but there was blood on his hands.

Hazel's blood...

Aiden shakes his head over and over. "No. No...no I- I didn't...I mean I couldn't..." he stutters out disbelief and takes more and more steps behind him.

Aiden's POV:

Now that I'm free I run through the forest to Hazel. I feel like I'm having a heart attack, my chest is so tight.

There's...there's no way I did that. I couldn't...I-

I see her lifeless body on the forest floor and I stand there, stunned, frozen in place. I bend down and pick up the knife that lies beside her.

I did this. I did that to her.

I think about the entire time participating in the game with her. Planning with her, discovering the library with her, our fight, our first kiss. Then I remember.

Her dream.

I swore to protect her. I swore to never hurt her and I did. I did it in the very way she dreamt it.

It wasn't a dream. It was a vision.

I drop the knife with tears streaming down my face. I hear the other two behind me and I wish they would just go away. They stand there for a few minutes, but as if reading my mind, I hear their footsteps turn back around, giving me some space.

I quickly drop to my knees beside Hazel. I hold her hand and put my other behind her head to hold her up. "I never meant to hurt you, Hazel. I never did. I know you can't hear me. I just... need to tell you that I'm sorry." My voice starts to shake and I choke back a sob. "Hazel... I love you. I love you more than anything else in this world and I'm," I'm no longer to hold back my cries and I give in to my overwhelming grief. "I- I'm honored... to say that you loved me too," I let out shaking breaths, talking while sobbing is taking a great deal of energy from me. I decide to just stay this way, not say anything but just be in her presence until I can finish what I need to tell her. When I finally can, my voice only comes out a whisper, "At first, I tried to convince myself that it isn't you that I need but it is you. It is so you. I cannot describe it anymore, it is you. You are the only one I will ever want. I belong to you. You are my home. I look at you and somehow I can see 50 years from now sitting on the front porch of some old house in the middle of nowhere and we're together. I need you. You are the only thing that matters. You are my good." As soon as I say those truthful words I break down again. "No, Hazel. Why? Why did I do this to you?" I kiss her lips as a farewell. I slowly stood up with shaking knees and walked out of the forest to the others.

They're sitting under the oak tree talking, they seem to be as in grief as I am and it hurts even more, oh it hurts so bad. I've seen Natalie cry, she's my sister. But I've never seen Jack cry. I feel numb almost. I slowly walk up to them and they stop talking. Natalie stands up first and hugs me.

"Aiden... I know it wasn't you who did that. She does too." She says through tears. Jack pats my shoulder comfortingly. We sit back down and sit in silence. I remember all the times I could have told her how I felt, then thought of all the memories I enjoyed being with her, not a single one was negative.

I remember Halloween night last year in particular. There was a bonfire for youth group. Jack drove Hazel home, though I remember being jealous it couldn't be me. I smile a little at the thought of the party. I tried flirting with her but I was incredibly shy and I don't think she took the hint.

Once Haze was carving the top of Jack's pumpkin so we could gut it. When she finished, she turned to me and said, "Need help too?" in her thick southern accent.

I smiled and looked down at her. "Need help too" I mocked in a feign thick southern accent.

She raised her eyebrows in a questioning look that I found cute. "Are you making fun of my accent Mr. Louisianna?" I couldn't help but grin at her smartass remark.

"No. I just haven't heard a southern accent living in Virginia in a while. I like it... It's refreshing."

I could have sworn at the time that she blushed as she grinned from ear to ear and thanked me, though I could have just wished it to be like that.

I stopped smiling at the memory knowing that there would be no new one. I had finally told her my feelings and she had the same. Then I ruined it. I was foolish- I am foolish, but I really was then. I wasn't mad at her for trying to save me yesterday. I was mad at myself for letting her get hurt. I was mad at the Orb for hurting her and for taking everything away from us. Even though I had already told her I was sorry I regret it so much, I mean, I made her cry. I wish things could go the way they were before. Even if that means she never knew I love her and we never get together because she would be alive.