I gasped for air as my feet pounded against the floor in time with the beating of my heart, I could feel that against my chest, like it was ready to break out at any moment. I could hear matching footsteps behind me thudding, lighter than my boot on the cracked concrete of what had once been our safe haven. I didn't spare my teammate a glance, she was there and she was alive and that was really all that mattered right this second. That and finding our other friends I didn't like the way my gut wrenched though, like somewhere deep inside me I knew something was wrong.
I saw a flash up ahead and despite the lack of oxygen currently in my blood and my lack of power, fucking darts, I sped up, the adrenaline was really all I had keeping me going now We'd been running for what felt like hours. Relief flooded through my entire body as the flame grew and changed shape. Until a gunshot sounded and the flame vanished from midair. I stopped, cold flooding through my body, somebody screamed and I realized it was me. I suddenly felt oddly detached from my body.
A hand on mine brought me back, the girl next to me, pulling on my hand gently. I felt a ripple as a bullet went through my corporeal form and it took me a moment to register she was doing it. I couldn't even spare her a grateful glance though as I wrenched my hand away from hers and ran again, there had to be something, there was no way- I refused to let myself even finish that thought. No. No. No. My mind chanted like a mantra, a spell that could somehow-Stop it! He wasn't gone, he couldn't be gone.
There was nothing now except the pounding of my heart in my ears as I ran. An ear piercing scream was quickly cut off behind me and another jolt shot through my body. No. Not her too, this couldn't be happening. The worst part was knowing that I could have saved them, all of them if not for that tiny slip up, a moments weakness that was all it took and now my friends were dying around me. I couldn't stop to look for my fallen comrade even though I knew she was merely steps behind, they were coming and fast. "I'm sorry." I mumbled to no-one as I ran, my head down but my eyes trained on the slowly dying flame ahead of me.
I felt the heat as a bullet whizzed past my shoulder but I still didn't stop/ They weren't going to take me, not now, not today. I knew as I approached that it was too late, the flames were things that had already been set alight. I forced myself to look and I found what I wanted-or rather what I didn't want-to see. I collapsed next to the body my eyes raking over the single bullet wound in his head and his hair, matted with his own blood. I screamed again, an anguished, broken sound.
A pair of arms lifted me off the ground, "C'mon." I knew that voice but why should I follow? I grasped at the fabric of my fallen lovers shirt as if simply holding him would bring him back. I was weak though, weaker than I'd ever been and I felt it too, I was pulled away easily. "We have to go." The same voice, I struggled and he set me down again, I didn't collapse this time. I looked at him and nodded realising for the first time the only reason we were still alive was because he'd blocked our corner off.
I knew I had to tell him, how were you supposed to break it to someone that the love of their life just died? I found I didn't really care anymore. I couldn't muster enough emotion to care, I was numb, maybe I was going into shock, was this what it felt like? "She's gone." I said, simple and to the point. My voice surprised me by being hoarse and cracked. He didn't say anything but turned and ran. He was better at holding in his emotions than I was.
We ran again, side by side, another strangled cry left my lips as I recognised two more faces. I shook as I took in the scene, the youngest of our group curled in the arms of the strongest girl I'd known, it looked like they'd fallen and then been wiped out with a bullet each. I didn't let my eyes linger on the broken frame of the redhead or the blood that was pooling beneath the pair of them staining what was once white red.
There was another tug on my hand and I followed without question, we'd never been close but we were the only ones left that I could see. A burning pyre and I looked for a moment, long enough to recognise yet another face in the flames. How man times had I threatened to kill him? More than I could count. A scream broke my thought pattern and part of me was glad but as it cut off quickly I winced openly. Neither of us spoke again, or even looked at each other as we set off again, we didn't know where she was but we both knew it was too late, even if we could get to her I didn't think I wanted to see anymore blood. It would stain her hair too like it had with-I swallowed. Grieving later, running now.
My stomach wrenched again and I had to stop to audibly throw up as I set my sights on the only family I'd had, it was too much, I didn't stop to examine the body, I couldn't. I'd often dreamt about watching his death, causing it but that seemed like a long time ago now. Every fibre of my being shook with a cross between agony and anger as we moved again.
We were mere feet from the trapdoor when we found the last body, already powerless like me it obviously hadn't taken much, the roof had collapsed and it suddenly felt only all too ironic that it had to have been him that was crushed to death. I was no longer aware of anything as I was dragged through the trapdoor. The ground rumbled and I heard the banging as rocks fell on top of it.
We reached the bottom and I fell against the wall, sliding down it into a curled up position. We were safe, we weren't okay, I doubted we could ever be okay again but we were alive, in a manner of speaking. I could see we were both in danger of falling into a state which could hardly be called living but we knew, still just as silently, as we looked at each other that we would keep our hearts beating if only for one reason.
Revenge.
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AN: Nothing in this fan fiction is mine and it was inspired by Lost Prophets Everybody's screaming, at least that's what I had on repeat while I was writing it.
Reviews are always good.
And I know it doesn't make sense and that chances are you can't tell which characters are which. That's kind of the point. So yeah, sorry.
Also this hasn't been Beta'd so sorry for mistakes.