Heavy in your arms
Summary: An alternative to Prom Night. Richard takes Donna to the river to end it all.
Richard's P.O.V
"This is it."
My body tingled with anticipation as I held the gun tightly in my hands.
"I'm coming, Donna."
I moved cautiously towards the school, the loud music inside causing me to cringe internally. I just needed to get her out of the school. Then it would be the end, for both of us.
As if in a dream I opened the doors and stepped inside. The music grew louder but a smile filled my face.
The doors slammed closed behind me.
Sudden silence filled the air as the music stopped.
Several shots rang out.
A few seconds later the screaming started.
Donna's P.O.V
His arms were wrapped tightly around my wrists, his hand in my hair, as he dragged me across the ground.
My legs were in front of me, trailing uselessly behind my body.
My body felt far too heavy to move away from him. I couldn't feel my legs or arms. He'd injected me with something but I didn't know what.
His eyes never left mine as he dragged my limp body through the woods, despite the fact he was obviously struggling.
Eventually he released me, although I knew we had not reached our destination.
"I'm going to end it all, for both of us. We'll go to the river."
I lay there, as he caught his breath.
Looking down at the flowing black dress that I was wearing, I noted how torn it had become from being dragged across the dirty field. Drops of blood covered my arms. I couldn't remember whose it was.
It was meant to be the best night of my life so far. My prom night.
"Come with me, please. Just come with me and I won't kill your friends."
Tears started trickling down my face.
"Don't cry," he pleaded. "Please don't cry."
I let out a sob, tears falling down my face despite his pleading.
"You could have stopped me. I wouldn't have had to kill any of them if you'd just come with me voluntarily."
Suddenly he was straddling me, his legs on either side of my body, his body pressing against mine.
I was reminded of how he'd shot Lisa twice in the chest.
"I told you not to cry."
In my minds eye I could see Claire's face as Richard shot her in the face.
My sobs grew louder.
His arms moved upwards, pressing against my wrists so I couldn't lift my hands upwards. As if I could anyway.
Leaning forwards he pressed his face close to mine. I managed to turn my head to the side, not wanting the proximity.
"Don't Donna," he whispered harshly, his breath warm against my cheek. "Don't turn away from me. Come on. Look at me."
Hesitantly I turned my head, staring him straight in the eyes.
Reflected in his eyes I could see Bobby and Michael's lifeless bodies after they'd been shot multiple times.
"I love you. I will always love you. You need to understand that."
He stroked a rough hand across my cheek, wiping off my tears, before letting out a small sigh and pressing his lips softly against mine.
Ronnie had been shot once through his eye socket and once in the back of the neck.
I resisted the urge to gag.
"We need to go. They might find us."
He stepped over me and grabbed my wrists once again.
As we moved further into the woods the ground gradually became rougher and every now and again my feet would catch on a rock. I never made a sound, not even when I started to bleed.
Soon I could hear the sound of the river in the distance.
"We're almost there," he whispered, leaning down towards my face. He was excited.
It was at this point that he saw the blood.
"Donna!" He reached forwards and cradled my body in his hands. His fingers wiped some of the blood off. "It's okay. I'll carry you the rest of the way."
He started to move faster, his feet taking long strides towards our destination.
Before too long I could see the river in the distance. It was at this point that I started to feel a tingling sensation in my arm. I tried to move it but it was still not possible. I needed to buy some time.
The first thing I noticed was how calm the river was. The water moved lazily, in no hurry to reach its destination.
The second thing I noticed was how deep it was. It would be so easy to lose yourself in its depths.
As he placed me on the river bank I found that my legs were tingling. The drug must have been wearing off.
I expected him to place me in the river straight away but instead he lay down next to me, placing his hand in mine.
I knew that I needed to distract him somehow. My lips managed to move and I forced myself to speak. "What did you give me?"
It came out slurred but I knew he heard me because he flinched slightly.
He didn't look at me as he spoke. "Just a drug. Nothing you'd know about. It will wear off in an hour or so."
I resisted the urge to scoff. "Why did you kill them?"
"Don't ask questions you already know the answers to," he snapped angrily at me.
I couldn't help myself. I started to cry again.
"Stop it," he pleaded, rolling over to face me. "Please, Donna."
"You killed my friends," I sobbed.
Their faces flashed before my eyes, tainted with the sight of blood.
My leg moved involuntarily.
"You should have done as I said."
"You had a gun. I was scared!"
I slowly pulled my arm out from under my body as I gained control over my sobs.
"I was as well. I understand how you felt. If I'd messed up we wouldn't be here right now."
"I hate you," I whispered harshly.
"No!" He stood up and grabbed me roughly so that I was standing beside him.
He didn't realise that he'd made a mistake in doing so. I could feel his fingers digging into my flesh as he shook my gently. I could move my body again.
I used the little strength I had and pushed him harshly away from him. The action took him by surprise and despite my lack of strength he fell to the ground.
I started to run. Several times I stumbled but I soon fell into a rhythm.
After a minute or so I heard his footsteps behind me. "Donna, stop!"
Suddenly a bang sounded from behind me. I came to a sudden halt and turned.
"What are you going to do?"
His voice was breathless as he stepped towards me, gun in hand. "I don't want to hurt you. We're going to finish this together, but not like this."
"I don't want to die, Richard." The use of his name calmed him. The gun relaxed in his hand. "Why not? You know how shit this world is. Your parents are dead. Your friends are dead. You don't have anyone else. Only me."
"Then why can't we be together? We'll go away. Set up a new life." I had no intention of ever being with him.
"Don't be stupid, Donna." I flinched at the anger in his words. "I killed people. I'm a murderer, a stalker, mentally insane. We can't run from them. They'll always find this. We need to finish this."
He stepped forwards and this time I didn't try to run. There was no point. He grabbed me around the waist and started pulling me along.
The sun was starting to set as we reached the river.
"The perfect setting," he muttered as we stood at the river bank. He let go of my waist and placed the gun on the ground. "I know you won't run."
Reaching down he grabbed some stones from the floor and placed them in his pocket. "This needs to work perfectly."
I simply stood there, watching as he weighed himself down.
When he was done he reached out his hand for me to take. I ignored it and so after a few painful seconds he stepped forwards and took hold of my hand himself.
There was one thing I needed to know before the end. "Was it planned?"
At first I thought he wasn't going to answer, but after a few moments he spoke up.
"After I escaped prison it wasn't that hard to find where you were. I didn't know it was your prom until I got here. I'm glad it was though." He looked down at my torn dress. "I didn't have a chance to tell you this before but you look beautiful."
I ignored the compliment. "Why did you have to kill my friends?"
He became angry. "You wouldn't come with me."
"You shot them because I wouldn't go with the man who killed my parents and ruined my life!"
"I had no choice! What else was I to do?"
I couldn't think of anything else too say. I was too tired to argue with him.
He smiled, knowing that the time had come. He gripped my hand tightly and pulled me along.
"This is it, Donna. The end."
I tried to struggle against his grip but I was too weak.
"Just you and me."
The water reached the top of my thighs as we moved further into the river.
"Together forever."
My dress floated around my body and soon my feet could no longer touch the ground.
Richard stared into my eyes as he slowly started to sink down. I wanted to let go of his hand but I couldn't. My body sank along with his.
His head disappeared into the water first. I could still see his eyes staring at me through the distorted haze of water. I shivered.
Taking one last breath of air I looked up at the bright red sunset before my head was submerged under water.
The water was crystal clear and as we sank into its depths I stared at Richard. After all, he was the last person I would ever see.
Bubbles rose above us as Richard mouthed three words at me. "I love you."
I was unsure of what else to do so I nodded, just once. There was something different in his eyes after my acceptance, even though I had not shared the thought.
I watched as his face contorted into an expression of pain as his lungs desperately tried to take in oxygen. His body thrashed frantically several times before his body gave one last shudder and stilled.
I let go of his limp hand and watched as he sank deeper and deeper into the water, until after a few seconds I could no longer see him.
A pain started in my chest and I knew the same thing was happening to me.
I realised that I still had a chance. I started swimming, my arms and legs thrashing desperately, causing the water to swirl dangerously around me.
I clenched my eyes shut the pain in my chest worsened.
I could see the bright orange sunset above me and I raised my arm, giving one last desperate push for freedom. A breeze touched my hand as it broke the surface of the water. A smile filled my face as I gave one last attempt to escape.
But it was too late.
Bubbles rose as the last of the air left my lungs.
Even as my body tried to propel itself upwards, seeking for air, my body thrashed frantically before stilling.
My body went limp and I was gone.
A/N: This was inspired by the video Heavy in your arms by Florence and the Machine, hence the title.