The Red Christmas

Two months later, on the dawn of Christmas Eve, Xaphile was sleeping sprawled out on his back with his mouth wide open.

Everything was quiet, peaceful, and warm, but even though it was still super early, nothing would deter Ella from her usual behavior. Instead of one of her surprise snuggle attacks or a loving kiss, he woke up to a vehement banging on his window. He groaned and sleepily sat up, barely able to keep his eyes open, but when the pounding persisted, he forced his body into action before his brain was fully awake and groggily got to his knees, pushing the curtains aside.

"Xaphy!" a muffled voice cried, accompanying the pounding with a frantic tinge. "Wake up!"

Just as he unlocked the window and slid it open, something heavy hit him directly between the eyes.

"GAH!" Xaphile yelped, jerking backwards and falling off his bed. Ella instantly gasped and stopped swinging her arm, eyes wide with horror when he landed in a heap on the floor and rolled around in pain with both hands pressed against his skull.

"Ohmigosh!" she squealed, staring at him in mortification. "Sorry!"

"That hurt," he groaned. "What the hell was that?!"

"U-u-um..." Ella stammered, staring at the empty window with a blank expression, "my fist?"

"Your fist?" Xaphile groggily asked, finally standing up and flopping back down on his bed. "Ugh... remind me to never piss you off. Ow."

"Sorry," she mumbled, flushing bright red. "Why'd you lock your window, though?"

"It was cold last night," he lazily drawled, giving a sleepy yawn. "You know it doesn't have good insulation."

Due to the change in weather, he'd unthinkingly locked his window to seal in the heat just a tad bit better.

She didn't use the front door because the fact that she was always coming over was a secret.

Why?

Simple: he had never told his father about Ella even once over the years.

His old man didn't know he was dating anyone, nor would he ever. The moment Xaphile turned eighteen, he was either heading straight into college on a sports scholarship or getting a job and moving out.

He had his reasons, and Ella respected his decision completely, but whenever his alarm had refused to rouse him in the past, she had ignored the front door and instead climbed onto the roof resting just outside of his window.

From there, she'd always managed to sneak into his room without a problem... and since his bed was right next to it, they both had easy access in and out of the house.

Climbing into his room, Ella flopped on his mattress and gently set a small hand against his bare chest.

He cracked an eye open when she stroked his upper abdomen, then moved lower, down across his belly.

"What are you doing?" he murmured, regarding her with a curious teal eye. "I get that we're dating, but I'm practically naked, Ella."

Not that it was a big deal.

She'd accidentally seen him totally nude a few times over the years due to their window escapades, and each time both of them had freaked out, but being in his boxers or pajamas was a different story entirely.

He'd known her for so long that being seen in such an extreme state of undress didn't really bother him anymore, especially since she actually seemed to enjoy looking at his body. She had always gawked at him with a red face whenever he'd taken his shirt off in front of her.

Sure, it was still just a little bit embarrassing for him, and if it were anyone else aside from her he would have definitely freaked.

But Ella loved all of him.

"I'm just marveling at your secret six pack," she innocently fired back, although she flushed bright pink when he raised an eyebrow. "Really, though, it's a shame you cover your muscles up with baggy clothes, Xaphy. You're a total beefcake under all the hoodies."

He snorted, then lazily rolled over and pinned her down on his bed, long black hair falling to either side of her face.

She blinked at him when he gave a grin that didn't match the gentle expression in his eyes.

"Is that so?" he quietly purred, bringing his head down until their noses touched. "So, you like my muscles, eh?"

Her face turned crimson and she swallowed, giving him a jerky nod.

"Yeah, but... um, Xaphy?" she giggled, awkwardly shifting beneath him. "Not trying to be weird, here, but... uh... you're kinda..."

"Undressed?" he casually inquired, leaning down and playfully nipping her ear; he laughed under his breath when she squeaked like a mouse. "I guess you could consider this an extra special birthday present, then... marvel all you want, Birthday Girl."

After a moment of enduring his gentle affections, she let out a huff, cheeks flaming.

"Y-you're acting unusually bold today," she stammered. "What brought this on?"

"The fact that I love you," he whispered warmly. "Nothing more."

Her eyes softened.

"Well, as much as I'd like some serious cuddle time," Ella mumbled, wrapping her jacket-clad arms around his neck when he showered her pale throat with kisses, "w-we've gotta leave soon or we'll miss out on our last minute shopping."

"Huh?" Xaphile asked, pulling back and staring at her in confusion. "What time is it?"

"Eight thirty," Ella mumbled, sitting up and pecking his cheek before she shakily began climbing back out the window. "G-get dressed. I'll be waiting by your front door."

"On it," Xaphile murmured, bolting for his closet and hastily dragging out a baggy hoodie and some blue jeans. "I wasn't paying attention to the time. Sorry."

Yawning again, he jerked his clothes on and donned his winter jacket before tearing down the stairs.

Once he was outside, he slid his hand into hers and they happily began the walk across town.

Most people didn't like going outside this early in the morning given how cold it was in Chicago during the holiday season, but he was one of the weird people who simply didn't care.

Ella, on the other hand, hated the cold... not to mention, she obviously felt extremely out of place in public because of how many people stopped to stare at her. Girls with pink eyes and white hair weren't exactly an everyday sight, after all.

When they finally made it to the shopping district, they headed in and poked around the different stores, basking in the sights, sounds, and smells.

When they moved past a jewelry shop, Ella hastily went in to buy some last-minute gifts for her friends. He waited patiently for her outside, arms folded, since he'd finished his Christmas shopping days ago.

He'd bought Ella's big surprise months beforehand, and all of the other presents were stashed under his bed.

He'd spent hours trying to wrap them up for everyone, and hell, he'd even dropped a gift in front of his father's bedroom door before heading outside that day.

Nothing big, just a nice shirt.

Today was special to him. Not because it was Christmas Eve... but because it was Ella's birthday.

That alone was why he strove so hard to do everything right.

He was so excited to reveal the big surprise that he could barely contain it. It ate at him in the best way.

After the shopping was finished, the two of them wandered towards the South Side mall, taking in the sights.

Chicago's streets had been decorated with golden Christmas lights for the holidays, and as it turned out, the mall was no different.

It was magic: the whole building was lit up with Christmas lights and gorgeous decorations. Even better, though, was the scent of freshly baked cinnamon rolls and chocolate-frosted pretzels looming somewhere off in the distance.

They passed each store front slowly, dazedly taking in what each display window had to offer.

The two of them even strolled past perfume vendors and scented-candle stores, which normally made Xaphile nauseous. The couple seemed to be moving in slow motion compared to the throngs of people moving hurriedly passed them.

Eventually, though, Ella turned around.

"Let's go get some chow!" she stated, beaming at him. "I'm hungry for cinnamon rolls!"

"Figures," he chuckled. "Let's go... my treat."

"Yay!" she squealed, thrusting her hand into the air. "Sweet treats!"

It was so loud that people stared at them, but he merely laughed and looked straight ahead.

The one thing he wasn't was ashamed. Let them stare for all he cared. Her exuberance made him happy, and that was really the only thing that mattered.

The walk to the food court was considerable, but it wasn't long before they made it through the lines and finally sat down at a table. Xaphile had a large plate full of beef-and-cheese nachos, and Ella had a large soft pretzel loaded with frosted chocolate, which she split in half with him.

They sat in silence at first, just enjoying their food and looking at their surroundings, but a few passersby noticed the couple in the food court and immediately stopped to pull out their phones to snap a few quick photos of Ella.

Several of them started giggling and pointing fingers at her as though she were a circus animal, but Xaphile's irritation spiked when he saw her shoulders sag a bit despite the fact that there was no change in her smile.

Her appearance normally drew a lot of unwanted attention. But today was her birthday, and he'd be damned if he let anyone ruin it.

"Play along," he whispered, giving her a wink when she looked up at him in confusion. "I'm about to get on Santa's naughty list."

Setting down his nachos, Xaphile got up and shocked everyone pointing fingers by walking around Ella and gently tilting her head back.

When she was staring at him and blinking like an owl, he grinned and kissed her flat on the mouth. Then, glaring at the ones taking photos out of the corner of his eye, he pointedly lifted his middle finger. The lights on the phones slowly stopped flashing.

Slowly but surely, almost everyone cleared out in the face of his hostility, because if looks could kill, they'd have all been burnt to a crisp.

When he finally pulled away, she was looking at him with a dazed, but fairly grateful expression.

"Thanks," she mumbled, blushing fiercely. "I really do hate it when people stare at me like that. The kiss kinda blew my mind, though."

"Well, the fact that they started taking pictures was a bit too much," he sighed, giving her a reserved look. "I couldn't just sit there. But for good measure... here, pop a squat."

So saying, he sat back down and patted his lap, quirking an eyebrow.

Looking thoroughly amused, she grabbed her plate before moving around the table and sitting on him. In reality, Xaphile was absolutely enormous in comparison to Ella.

He was fairly skinny, but at the same time he was broad-shouldered and insanely tall for a teenager. He'd already broken the six-foot-five mark, and was somehow still growing.

Ella, on the other hand, was only four-foot-nine, and their size difference made doing little things like sitting on his lap a lot easier.

As they ate, Ella watched him.

"Hey," she murmured, "Xaphy..."

"Hmm?" he intoned, still chewing his food.

"Do you..." she began to ask, then hesitated slightly before finishing, "do you believe in reincarnation?"

He stopped chewing, blinking rapidly before swallowing and giving her an interested look.

"Reincarnation?"

"Yeah," she confirmed, giving him an eager nod. "Like, maybe a long time ago, someone passes on and is then reborn later? Or maybe things like other planes of existence... parallel universes and such?"

He thought about it for a minute.

"I dunno... I can't say that I do," he finally admitted, shaking his head. "I haven't seen proof of things like existing."

"Well, I do," she said, turning and looking up at him with an unusual amount of conviction. "Sometimes I have dreams."

That caught him off guard, since Ella frequently complained about never remembering any of her dreams.

"Dreams?"

"Yeah," she confirmed, looking at him intensely for a moment; then she smiled a bit uncertainly. "Of another you and me... and, as bizarre as this is going to sound, I've been having dreams about a popular anime, too."

He gave her a surprised glance.

"Wow!" he exclaimed, grinning. "Dude, those sorts of dreams are the best! I love it when I dream about anime!"

"No," she muttered, fidgeting, "the thing is, it's not... like an anime dream. It's like... seeing an anime in real life. But Vivid, like its a movie instead of two dimensional. It's really weird, but really cool. Honestly? I've been thinking about writing it down."

He smiled at her and ruffled her hair.

"You should," he murmured, giving an approving nod. "It sounds like a great idea for a fanfiction."

Her eyes shifted in a way he wasn't familiar with for a second, but then they softened immensely and she smiled. More people stopped to stare when Ella tenderly kissed his jaw, but when she set her head on his shoulder and continued to munch on her food, he wrapped his arms around her and glared at them.

The passersby immediately continued to move along, casting curious glances back at them as they did so.

The two of them were nearly finished eating when his watch alarm went off.

"Oh, no..." Ella whined, face pulling into a saddened pout. "Is it time for us to head back already?"

"Yep, you have to be back by three to wrap those presents, and I still have stuff I need to do before tonight," Xaphile feebly replied, heart speeding up a little bit: even though he'd been having a really good time, he was more excited about what would await her later that night. "Don't worry, though, I'll be free long before evening rolls around."

Ella hung her head a little and sighed, then scarfed down the rest of her pretzel.

Then, they both hurried through the mall and headed back outside into the cold air.

The walk home was quiet, but pleasantly so.

"Thanks for taking me out today," Ella murmured, eventually breaking the silence. "Make sure you dress nice for the family dinner, kk? Mom really likes it when you wear sweaters."

When Xaphile grinned at her, she smiled in reply before clasping his hand and swinging their arms as they walked.

When they finally made it to his house, he bade her a temporary farewell and hurried inside, running up the stairs to his bedroom two at time. Darting over to his bed, he got down on all fours and dragged the presents out from under it. Breathing hard, he stared down at all the wrapped gifts with shining eyes.

"This is for everything they've done for me..." he whispered. "I'm going to make tonight perfect!"

And he would.

After all, he owed his happiness to them: Ella's place had somehow become his home away from home since her mother was one of the sweetest people he'd ever met. It wasn't hard for him to see where his angel had gotten her charms and kind streak.

After packing the presents up, he took a quick shower and threw on some nice clothes. Then, he made his way a few blocks over to Ella's house, hopes high. When he knocked on the door, Mrs. Richardson was the one who opened it.

Her cherubic face instantly lit up.

"Oh, Xaphile!" she gushed, clapping her hands. "Come on in! You're just in time for dinner!"

"Thanks, Mrs. R," he awkwardly mumbled, rubbing his hair; it was because of times like these that he was glad his wild locks hid his eyes from everyone's view. He may have looked a little shaggy as a result, but it was more of a self-comfort thing than anything else. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas to you, too!" the woman laughed, puttering off into the kitchen. "Ella's upstairs in her room like always, darling!"

"Thanks," he sighed, gently setting the Christmas presents on the table before heading upstairs; when he walked down the hall and knocked on the door, he heard Christmas music blaring from her radio. "Ella? I'm back."

"Oh! Xaphy!" she squealed, voice coming through the door a bit muffled; he smiled a bit when the sound of a thud and frantic footsteps emanated from the other side. "Hang on!"

The radio was soon turned off, and the door flew open.

There she was... dressed in a green turtleneck and a pair of bluejeans, long white hair braided into pigtails.

"Yo," he murmured, lifting a hand and looking at her choice of attire. "Heh. We match."

"Huh?" she asked, looking at the sweater she was wearing before blinking at his red turtleneck. "Oh, wow... we really do! Cute!"

"I'll say," he muttered, stepping forward and pulling her into an embrace. "Merry Christmas, Ella... and Happy Sixteenth Birthday."

"Merry Christmas," she chirped, nuzzling his chest. "Glad you're here."

"Oh, but wait... I have a couple of surprises for you," Xaphile told her, grinning when she blinked. "After dinner tonight, want to come with me to a rather famous Shakespearean play downtown?"

Her eyes immediately widened and she stared at him.

"You didn't," she whispered, mouth breaking into a disbelieving grin. "There's no way... they were sold out a month ago!"

"Happy birthday, and Merry Christmas," he chuckled, holding up three tickets. "You, me, and your mother can all go. I bought them TWO months ago."

"OH MY GOD!" Ella screeched, throwing her hands in the air and jumping around her room. "WHOOOOOOOOOOOOO! XAPHILE, YOU'RE THE BEST! I LOVE YOU SOOOOO MUCH!"

He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck and merely smiled until she bounced over and tackled him around the middle. He fell down with a muffled grunt, but then her arms were around his neck and she was kissing him.

Like always, he melted in her embrace.

They sat there for a good few minutes and made out, but then he pulled back.

"Oi," he chuckled, grinning widely at her flushed cheeks, "calm down, and let's head downstairs."

"Okay," she squeaked, leaning forward and pressing a kiss against his jawline. "You're the best, Xaphy! I love you so much!"

"I love you, too," he mumbled, blushing fiercely. "Happy Birthday."

She giggled, then he helped her up and they went downstairs.

When they'd all eaten dinner, it was around five in the evening.

Mrs. Richardson had been delighted to discover that she had been invited to come with them for the play, especially when Xaphile told her it was better to spend time with family on Christmas. After that, she'd gotten all misty eyed.

Then again, he wouldn't have excluded her for the world.

She was the mother he'd never had.

On the way to the theater, hopes and dreams were high. It was packed from floor to ceiling with people, much to Xaphile's surprise.

Then again, he soon found out why.

Ella hadn't been kidding.

Two hours in, he was hunched forward and squeezing Ella's hand, eyes wide with suspense and anxiety.

And near the end, he actually teared up a bit.

The play was literally one of the most beautiful things he'd ever witnessed. It was a cross between a ballet performance and a musical... but by the time the curtain finally dropped, he was more than satisfied.

It had been an extremely sad story, but a lovely one nonetheless.

Everyone began to leave the theater after that. Xaphile and the Richardsons gathered their things up and did so as well.

Snow touched his nose when he walked out, arm in arm, with Ella by his side and her mother not too far behind.

He glanced up.

The sun was long-since down, so it was completely dark outside.

Turning slightly, he leaned down and kissed the top of Ella's head.

"Merry Christmas," he murmured, smiling down at her. "Did... did you have fun?"

"Oh, Xaphy, it was amazing!" she gushed, spinning in a circle and abruptly clinging to his arm before jumping up and down. "Did you see the part where Juliet vaulted herself onto Romeo's shoulders and did a handstand while he was spinning?! That was incredible! I wish I could do that! Must be awesome having enough upper body strength to lift yourself up like that... it kinda sucks being short, you know?"

His eyes immediately softened.

Leaning down, he grabbed her around the middle and easily lifted her into the air, looking up at her startled expression with a tender and very boyish smile.

"Don't worry," he murmured, pulling her close and hugging her tightly. "If you're ever sad about being short... I'll lift you up higher than anyone else. Promise."

"You're such a dork!" Ella laughed, throwing her arms around his neck.

He laughed right back and gave her a smug look before he began stepping back and forth: the action made her groan and roll her eyes.

"What would I do without your smart mouth?" he quietly sang, voice coming out in a velvety baritone; his rich singing voice hiccuped a bit due to a chuckle that resulted from the half-lidded look of sarcasm she gave him, "drawing me in, and then kicking me out... you've got my head spinning, no kidding, I can't pin you down..."

It was something about her... she just drew moments like these out of him naturally.

When she showed him that smile, he wanted to sing for her.

Even if it made him look like a goofy idiot.

"Really?" she demanded, leaning forward and nuzzling his nose with her own. "You're gonna sing and dance right here? With everyone watching?"

"Yeah, so be quiet before I chicken out!" he whispered, waggling his dark eyebrows before he cheerfully belted out the next few lyrics. "My head's under water... but I'm breathing fine. You're crazy and I'm out of my mind!"

Just as he took a deep breath to really get into it, she lifted a finger and held it against his lips.

Then, for the first time in almost two years, she actually sang for him instead.

"All of me... loves all of you..." she lightly trilled, smiling with her eyes when he started dancing with her in the snow, weaving back and forth in front of the theater with nearly thirty people who'd stopped to watch them, "all your curves and all your edges... all your perfect imperfections."

Like everything else about her... that perfectly beautiful voice melted into the air with a vibrato that stopped people in their tracks all over the place. Connie looked on with a soft smile when they continued singing in harmony, spinning around like an offbeat version of the dancers they'd been watching earlier.

As they were nearing the end of the song, however, Ella lunged forward and kissed him flat on the mouth. Xaphile ended up slipping on a patch of ice since they were still spinning and landed hard on his back, but he hardly cared.

He merely wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back.

Passionately.

And once again, the flare of desire and deep, rooted love engulfed the core of his being.

All around them, people were clapping and smiling... the end of a wonderful Christmas Eve.

Xaphile and Ella eventually stood up, hand in hand... and Mrs. Richardson started walking over, grinning like a fox... probably already getting ready to scold for the kiss...

But that's when it happened.

Without warning, gunfire erupted in front of the theater, not too far away from them.

People started screaming and running in every direction, trying to get away as the shots continued ringing out. Mrs. Richardson dropped to the ground with both hands on her head.

Xaphile's pulse quickened as he watched five people drop to the ground, screaming in agony.

Then, with another two pops, agony flashed into his arm and he staggered backwards.

Quivering in pain, he looked down at his shoulder, but his heart nearly stopped since there was a gaping hole in his sweater.

A hole that was gushing a river of blood.

He thought he would pass out, and his legs nearly buckled as the urge to scream hit him, but then he felt someone leaning against his stomach. When he looked down... Ella was staring up at him with a tight face that had completely drained of color.

"E-Ella?" he croaked, ignoring his deadened arm and clutching her with his good one when her knees buckled; hefting her weight, he sank to the ground and cradled her in his lap, shaking her a bit.

"Help..." she hissed, eyes filling with terrified tears. "Help me..."

He didn't know what she meant... couldn't comprehend the agony on her face... until he pulled his hand away and realized it was covered with blood.

Blood that wasn't his own.

"ELLA!" he squeaked, stomach dropping through the floor when he carefully lifted her up and looked behind her; his heart very nearly stopped when he spotted a circular pool of red on her sweater... a pool that was rapidly growing bigger before his eyes. "Oh, my God..."

"Phil..." she whimpered, shaking all over. "It hurts... it hurts... help me..."

"Ella... h-h-hang on," he cried, looking at Mrs. Richardson. "PHONE! GIVE ME YOUR CELL PHONE!"

When the woman frantically dug around in her purse, he spotted the man holding the gun.

His eyes went blank when the weapon was turned on Ella's mother.

"Put it down, bitch," the man snarled. "Before I put you down."

That was it: within the span of a second, he was seeing red.

He gently set his bleeding girlfriend against the snow and bolted upright, charging towards the middle-aged man with a savage roar. Lowering his shoulder like a linebacker, he tackled the adult off his feet and smashed him against the wall.

"Xaphile!" Connie cried. "Xaphile, don't!"

"Call someone!" he roared. "Hurry! Call the cops and an ambulance!"

The madman repeatedly bashed the pistol handle against his head as he spoke, but he valiantly fought for control of the weapon.

In the end, he managed to disarm the gunner... and in a fit of unrestrained rage, he gripped the man's head with both of his hands and smashed it backwards, knocking the lunatic out.

Xaphile stepped back, breathing hard. Then, whirling around, he stumbled over to Ella and sank down in front of her, carefully rolling her over and pressing his hand against the gunshot wound in her back.

Connie jerkily dialed 911.

"Don't worry, you're gonna be fine," he told her, cradling her form. "Don't close your eyes! Stay with me!"

"It... hurts..." she wheezed, pupils utterly enormous: she was breathing rapidly and seemed to be struggling with it. "Phil... I... I can't..."

"You can, and shall," he whispered hoarsely, ignoring the blood running down his own arm. "Don't give in, Ella... please... keep your eyes open."

"Help! Please! There's been a shooting in front of the Chicago Metropolitan Theatre!" Connie suddenly squeaked, making him glance at her for a moment. "My daughter's been shot and several people are lying on the ground!"

Xaphile swallowed when she continued explaining what had just happened to the dispatch.

"I..." Ella suddenly panted, breathing growing even shallower, "I don't... think... it'll matter... even if... I do... close them..."

"What are you saying?!" he cried, feeling his heart wrenching. "Ella!"

"I... can't see... anymore... Phil..." she told him. "Everything's... going... fuzzy... and I can only see spots. I can't even... see you anymore... where are you?!"

His face screwed up and he lifted her into his grasp: he held her as tightly as he could, muscles quivering violently. He would hold on until someone came to help.

He had to.

"I'm right here, Ella..." he whispered, tears of fear and hazed pain beginning to stream down his cheeks from under his hair. "I'm right here... don't worry, everything is going to be fine..."

"Oaf!" she choked out, struggling to lift a hand and touch his cheek; a trickle of blood slid out of her mouth when her fingers grazed him. "I'm scared... so you can't cry. Be a man... you big... ox..."

His jaw immediately locked and he rubbed the tears off his face.

She was talking funny, but in this situation, who the hell wouldn't?

Hell, it was probably a direct result of the play they'd watched... oaf, ox... old timey insults.

"I won't cry," he told her, pressing his lips against her forehead. "I promise. Just, stay with me!"

"I... I want to..." she whispered, muscles slowly going slack. "But... I..."

Before she finished, her hand dropped and her pupils expanded.

Then, her irises lost their reflective sheen.

He stared at her with a blank expression... then he shook her a little.

"Ella...?" he whispered, heart going numb; he instantly shook her again. "Ella...? Ella?!"

No response.

Connie, who had been watching them, dropped the phone mid-sentence and froze.

She stared at her daughter's face with huge eyes.

Then she lunged towards them.

"Ella!" Mrs. Richardson screeched, frantically crawling through the bloody snow and clutching her daughter's arm. "Baby, say something! This isn't funny!"

No response.

When it finally hit him, his stomach tightened: he suddenly felt as though a large fist had clutched his heart. As though someone were squeezing it, trying to crush it, trying to destroy him.

Eyes widening and mouth opening as the unbearable pressure filled him, Xaphile let out a raw-throated scream that traveled up and down the streets.

"ELLA! WAKE UP! SAY SOMETHING!" he cried, roughly shaking her body. "OI! COME ON! THIS ISN'T FUNNY! SAY SOMETHING!"

She still didn't move: her face had gone completely slack.

She hadn't even closed her eyes.

"ELLA!" Mrs. Richardson wailed, smacking her arms. "WAKE UP!"

There was no response... no amount of chafing, punching, or smacking had any effect.

In that moment, it hit him.

She wasn't... here anymore.

Her body was... but she wasn't.

The second he realized it, the horrible feeling that took hold of his heart turned everything within him so dark that it nearly crushed him.

For the first time in his life, he felt as though he'd been hit so hard that he couldn't breathe... his tears had started flowing, but his expression had gone blank.

Stayed blank.

"ELLA MARIA!" Mrs. Richardson wailed, voice echoing up and down the streets. "NO! NO! MY BABY! MY BABYYYYYY!"

She sat there, wailing and screaming hysterically, jerkily rocking back and forth with Ella clasped in her shaking arms.

But nobody came to help them.

Blankly, he looked around, trying to make sense of what had happened.

Other people were still lying on the ground, crying and wailing for help.

Three uninjured sorority college girls were trying to calm down their two wailing friends, one who had been shot in the thigh, the other in her stomach.

Two old men, one Hispanic and one white, were lying on the ground writhing in agony.

Another young mother was clutching her crying infant with one hand while trying to staunch the bleeding in her forearm.

Xaphile himself had a gaping hole in his shoulder.

And yet, they had all been abandoned by the crowd.

They'd been left behind, all alone, in that cold white world and they sat there for nearly thirty minutes until help finally arrived.

But by then... no, in the moment it had actually happened... it was too late.

Because Ella... his best friend... his true love... was gone.

Forever.