One brief, sad songfic to help me try to get back on track

DISCLAIMER: No characters herein belong to me. The song is by T.A.T.U. It's called, as you may be able to tell already, 30 minutes.

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It was a moment before her mind registered that the high-pitched sound piercing her ears was her own screaming. It was then that she fell silent and sank to the floor, dumb with horror. The blood was everywhere, and when she touched the floor, it stuck to her hands legs, whatever it touched. She fainted. When she woke, it was all in her hair, dried to her face, all over. She sat up, silent tears tracking white streaks through the blood on her face. It was then that she realized that time was running out for her. The police checked the house every Tuesday at 7:00, after many domestic disturbance calls. It was 6:30 on Tuesday. She knew what would happen if they found her in the blood.

~[Mama, Papa, forgive me] Out of sight, out of mind Out of time, to decide Do we run? Should we hide? For the rest of my life Can we fly? Do I stay? We could lose, we could fail In the moment that it takes To make plans, or mistakes~

But what to do? Plans are notoriously fallible, and were never exactly her forte. Should she run away, or hide with a friend? One mistake could mean her life. Not something she was willing to forfeit.

~30 minutes A blink of an eye 30 minutes To alter our lives~

30 minutes was too sort to make a decision that would change everything.

~30 minutes To make up my mind 30 minutes To finally decide~

But first she had to figure out what she was gonna do.

~30 minutes To whisper your name~

~*~flashback~*~ "Remember, if you ever need me, find me, and say my name. That's all. And I will protect you." And with one last kiss, he was, yet again, gone. ~*~end flashback~*~

~30 minutes To shoulder the blame~

If she stayed, she took the blame, and, unfortunately, it was her fault. If she left, they would have more reason to suspect her, and look for her.

~30 minutes of bliss 30 lies 30 minutes To finally decide~

Every minute was another lie building on her, surrounding and suffocating her frail form like a thick gas, choking her and rendering her thinking slow and blurry. She must decide.

~Carousels in the sky That we shape, with our eyes Under shade, silhouettes Casting shame, crying rain Can we fly? Do I stay? We could lose, we could fail Either way, options change Chances fade, trains derail~

She could leave Earth and flee to the colonies, find him; maybe he was there, where he usually was. Whatever she did though, it had to be quick, and smart. She could never go back on this. It was on road or the other, and a soon as she stats down one, the other disappears. If she failed this time, there was nothing anyone could do to help her.

~30 minutes A blink of an eye 30 minutes To alter our lives 30 minutes To make up my mind 30 minutes To finally decide~

Time's up, she can hear boots plodding down the hall as she grabs her small bag, filled with everything important, and as the door is being busted down, she slips out the window and runs. As soon as she reaches a pond, she takes a flying leap into the water, watching the red billow out around her and she rubs it from her hair and face, before swimming to shore and climbing out. Her adrenaline is rushing, as panic fills her. Running again, even in her wet, heavy clothes, she makes tracks for the airport.

Finding a bathroom, she slides into a stall to catch her breath. Chest heaving, she shuts her eyes, and breathes deeply. She rummages through her back to find the bottle of hair bleach she stole on the way. She applies it, to her bright purple hair and waits. When the tie is up, she rinses her head in the sink, and brushes her now floppy hair out of her eyes with her fingers.

She buys a ticket, checks-in, and when she looks out the window as they take off, she sees the police cars rushing in the direction of the airport. But by the time the get there, she'll be long gone.

~*~~*~~*~ Next day ~*~~*~~*~

She stands front of the massive building, one hand frozen in front of the doorbell. She presses. A boy with chocolate brown hair falling into his face answers, four other boys behind him. His Prussian blue eyes widen slightly, and he is knocked back a bit when she hugs him, tears trickling again. "Hiiro! Odin." He slowly returns the hug.

"What do you need?" He notes the faint bloodstains on her baggy black jeans, and shirt. Her hair is blonde again, and her leather jacket has blood crusted around the collar.

"They're dead, and the police are looking for me." She looks at him begging with her eyes for him to see that she didn't kill her brother and sister-in- law, her legal guardians.

He nods. "Ok. You can stay with us, Usa."

~30 minutes To whisper your name 30 minutes To shoulder the blame 30 minutes of bliss 30 lies 30 minutes To finally decide To decide To decide To decide To decide To decide To decide To decide To decide To decide ~

~*~~*~~*~ Review, please!