ANTEPHIALTIC ❯ JILLY || ✓

antephialtic

"Uh-huh. That's why," Ollie says and our friends laugh.

I blush slightly. Jax is probably my closest friend, and that's all there is to it.

For now.

I watch Jax laugh slightly before he locks eyes with me. His smile drops as his hand goes to his chest.

"Jax?" I ask. He doesn't respond. "Jax!"

He falls to his knees and I rush to his side. "Jax! Jax what's wrong?"

He gasps for air, his good arm clutching his chest frantically.

"Jax, come on, please." I hold him to me and look over at my friends and family who stare in shock. "Somebody help! Something's wrong with him!"

They continue to stare as Jax takes in gulping breaths.

"Anna! What did Gretel hit him with?" I'm frantic, Jax's shoulder has started bleeding again. She just stares.

Flora steps up. "This is your fault, Gillian."

"What?"

"You could've saved him. We wouldn't be here if you'd just defeated Stiltskin earlier."

"No- no! I- I did all I could, I didn't-"

"You're the reason I'm bad, Gilly," Anna sneers.

"No! That- that's- you made your choice I-"

"Come on, Gilly. You're just a thief with a hero complex." Jocelyn crosses her arms and glares at me.

Ollie's eyes are harder than I've ever seen them.

Jax is getting weaker in my arms and I pull him into my lap. "We have to help him!"

I look down and behind the pain in Jax's eyes. There's something I've never seen before— hate.

I jolt at the eyes that normally feel so warm look so cold.

"This is your fault," he spits. "I blame you."

I shake my head. "Jax you don't- you don't mean that."

He coughs. "I'm dying, because you couldn't save me."

"Jax I- I'm sorry I thought-"

"You never were a hero, Gillian."

The voice that haunted my dreams came up behind me.

"No. You're not- you aren't here."

I refuse to turn around and I hear her continue. "You were just a girl who got caught stealing. A petty thief. Nothing more."

"You're gone. We banished you," I whisper, but I hear her laugh and I turn to face her.

Alva stands there, her black hair whipping wildly in the wind that picked up. "Look at you, Gillian. You're nothing. You can't even save your best friend."

Her wand shoots out, quick as lightning, and sparks fly straight towards Jax who's already limp in my arms.

"No!" I shout. Jax gasps before falling still. "No, no, Jax."

My voice cracks and a sob breaks through.

Alva laughs. "Pathetic."

I watch as she shoots a spell at my family. My mother falls to the ground and my father sinks to his knees along with my siblings.

"No, please, please." I'm crying and no one moves a finger.

"I'd love to watch you suffer, but you aren't worth my time."