'Goodbye, John.'

For a split second time seems to freeze, as though this is a scene from a movie being played in slow motion, and then he feels his heart sinking

down

down

down

as though he is the one falling instead of Sherlock,

( and he almost wishes he was )

because no, this can't be happening, it has to be another nightmare, but this one feels so real and he knows that this time he isn't dreaming.

He can hear his own scream, but it sounds oddly disembodied as though he is underwater, drowning and trying to reach the surface, but cannot quite reach the light or breathe the air above the water.

He finds himself running forwards blindly as though swimming back to shore and everything is a blur of bright lights and people shouting and red, so much red, spilling out across the pavement, staining everything is touches – oh God, no – and he feels a hand on his shoulder as he collapses to his knees and the whole world seems to collapse around him because all is lost.