It was two days since they had agreed to meet. Two whole days. Dread began to seep into Jared's cool composure. She couldn't be gone right? She was just running late, she was just catching up with Sharon. There was nothing to worry about. He refused to let his mind wander to the possibility of Mel, his Mel, becoming one of...them.
But he couldn't stop the tiny whimper from the small boy next to him as we crouched down behind bushes once again. He hadn't really eaten or slept in two days. He was exhausted, hungry and scared for his sister. Over the past two days the questions had been tumbling out of his mouth before he had given up, realising that Jared's steely composure wasn't going to drop.
Jared sighed. They couldn't stay here any longer, people would get suspicious. He motioned silently for Jamie to follow him in the darkness. The small boy looked at him afraid but determined. Jared knew he was trying to hide his fear. Mel had told him that Jamie was always brave around him because he admired Jared's strength. Jared smiled slightly, he had never had anyone look up to him before and he felt a fatherly pull towards the small boy, an instant need to protect him from all the evil in the world. Just like he wanted to protect Mel, but for Mel it wasn't a fatherly or a brotherly protectiveness, it was a certain type of love, a bond so strong that he knew he would give his live in an instant if it would protect her.
He walked off to the middle of the night and, making sure Jamie was close by, pushed up against the wall of the abandoned building she had said Sharon would be. Watching all around Jared was careful not to be seen as they slipped into the abandoned building. It was a set of office blocks. By the look of it, it was a solicitor's office. No wonder it was abandoned, Jared thought, they have no need for solicitors because they were part of a big community that had no need for lawyers. If a host was resistant or didn't work out, they simply discarded it. Jared shivered at this thought. If they had caught Mel, what would happen to her? Would they discard her? Or would they keep her? What would be worse? The thought of her body dying or the thought of her mind? Jared shook his head defiant. Of course her becoming a host would be worse than her dying. At least if she had died shed die a human, strong, defiant, crazy and loved. Jared smiled slightly. He loved her with all his heart. That would never change. He loved her for her mind, her spirit. If that disappeared he knew that there would be nothing to love anymore. Nothing but a stupid silver parasite. And he knew, he could never love one of them. Especially if it had taken away his Mel.
"Stay close," he whispered to Jamie, low enough that it was barely audible. Jamie subconsciously leaned into him trying not to show his fear. Slowly and quietly Jared made his way around the bottom floor before running up to the stairs trying to be as stealthy as possible. Not a sound was heard throughout the building. He came to the third floor when he saw it. Mel's ring. It was dirty and bent out of shape a little but it was definitely her ring. She was here. Bending down Jared noticed that the ground here was full of footprints, not just one set, but several. Worry briefly crossed his features before he composed himself. He would not let Jamie know that he was scared. He followed the footprints before coming to a place that looked like a scuffle had happened. There was a piece of paper sticking out from underneath the door beside the place.
He pulled it out slowly from under the door. There it was. Mel's scrawly handwriting. Wasn't fast enough. Don't go home. Jared stared at the note for what felt to him like hours. He could feel his composure dropping, the note became crumpled as his fist formed. Jamie was looking at him with a scared expression. He had never seen Jared's composure drop. Never. And it scared him.
A loud pained cry emitted from Jared's mouth as he screwed the paper into a ball and threw it as far as he could. He punched the wall beside him before wrapping his hands around his chest and falling to his knees, doubling over as his heart broke. He sobbed softly, all the energy leaving his body, replaced with the pure pain of loss. Jamie began shaking as it clicked in his head why Jared was acting like this. Mel, his sister, was gone. Tears fell from his eyes as he realised he had no family left. Mel, had been replaced by the awful thing that was inside his mother, his father, his friends. Everyone he had ever loved. Gone. Jamie sat on the floor, his back resting against the wall, unable to move from the pain as realisation hit him. He truly was alone now. Jared was in no condition to look after him. That much was clear.
Jared's shoulders hunched over as he continued to sob and punch the floor with his fist. He felt numb. Nothing could ever replace the love he had felt for Mel, nothing could replace the pain he now felt. Mel. His Mel. Gone forever.
A small hand touched his shoulder lightly, as if scared that he would lash out at them. "Jared?" the voice that belonged to the hand whispered. Jared choked slightly at the broken edge to the voice. He had promised Jamie that he would never let anything hurt him. That he would protect him. Yet here he was, hurt and unprotected all because Jared had lost his composure. Jared slowly reached around and pulled Jamie to him, sitting him on his knees and locking his arms around the small boy. Jamie's presence soothed him slightly as they rocked back and forth locked in one another's embrace.
"Jamie I'm so sorry," he sobbed into Jamie's hair, "this is all my fault. I never should have let her go... it's all my fault!" Sobs wracked through his body again as Jared held the boy to him, hanging on as if his life depended on it, crushing him against his chest. He was the last thing Jared had. And he was never going to let him go.
Jamie's attempts to reassure Jared didn't register, but he carried on trying until finally he snapped. "Jared, we need to go! Mel wouldn't want this, she wouldn't want you to blame yourself. This is no one's fault but those stupid souls! They've taken everyone from us Jared. We're the only ones we have left! We have to stay strong for each other! Please, Jared. Please." Jamie's sobbing finally took over his body as he pleaded with the man he looked up to like his father. "This isn't what she would have wanted Jared, please. For her, we need to go."
After what seemed like forever to Jamie Jared nodded his head and slowly untangled himself from the boy. He stood up and wiped at his eyes, removing the traces of tears from the puffy, red rimmed lids. He gave Jamie one last hug before pulling him away from the spot they had found her note. He began to run out, leaving the essence of Mel behind him, withdrawing further and further in on himself. It was no longer about living, it was about surviving, existing. he kept her ring clutched in his right hand as he led Jamie with his left. He would always keep her ring, the constant reminder of the girl he loved more than anything else in the world. She was once his rock, now she was gone. But he would never forget her. He would keep her ring forever, just to be able to remember. The thin gold band adorned by a slightly cracked red ruby to reflect her fiery spirit, now broken and lost to the parasite in her head. But he would never forget the real, unbroken Melanie Stryder. His Mel. Until the end she would be his Mel.