Hi, sorry for not updating sooner, I'll try to improve that but it's hard right now, a lot of work and a huge exhaustion I can't swing out of me. But, I'll try to do better and update soon again . So this chapter will start the same night of the robbery on the pharmacy (see previous chapter)
NOTE 1: Everything in bold italics, it will be the character's narrative, I mean, like an internal dialogue, their thoughts. And everything in italics, it's just the words in which I want to emphasize
NOTE 2: The * X * it's to mark the beginning of a new scene, I mean, a change of scenario and everything between parentheses () it's to describe the scene.
I hope it's clear and thank you in advance if you have the time to leave a review! Have a great day!
Chapter 10
*** Alison's narrative ***
The universe is a funny thing, no matter how you see it, how much you study it, the universe will always be a huge mystery... so, why we worry about fully understand it? Why we try to control it? Why we consume our precious time making questions we will never solve...? Why?! Why we can't just close our eyes, and breath it in? Why we can't just live...? Live... because life is a mystery you can't control, it's a game you must play till you can't anymore... and when the endgame comes... it's always when you least expect it...
The Fields rushed inside the police station, worried for the blonde who has become like another daughter for them, they rush inside the building filled with cops, looking for Emily & Alison, they were there to comfort the blonde who just experienced an awful robbery but, the one who was more needed of comfort, it was another girl...
Emily was still shaking, looking so pale that Alison was affraying the brunette would get sick after so stressful night. Yes, Alison was the one who lived the scary events but, the one who was more tormented with it, it was Emily. The Fields find the girls and they get more concerned when they look at a pale, very pale brunette, glued to Alison...
Pam. - "ALI! You're..."
Alison. - "I'm ok, you don't need to worry about me..."
Wayne smiles. - "We're so glad nothing bad happened to you..."
Pam. - "I would never forgive myself if something bad would happen to you..."
Emily grips harder on Alison and says. - "Neither, I would..."
Pam feels worse, hearing Emily's sharp words and, Alison doesn't approve Emily's behavior...
Alison scolds. - "Emily! You've no right to say those words to your mom!"
Emily doesn't reply, her lips just quivers like she was going to cry, but she doesn't, she just buries her face in Alison's neck and grips harder on Alison.
A police approaches and says. – "Miss DiLaurentis, we need your statement, please follow me…"
Alison nods. – "Off course…"
The blonde tries to unglue Emily from her and follow the cop, but she can't…
Alison. - "Em... I need to go with the cop... please let me go..."
'Let me go...' those words resounded inside Emily's mind and a terrifying fear possessed the brunette. For Emily, there was nothing scarier than letting Alison go…
Emily grips harder on Alison's and says with a broken voice. – "No, no, no… I can't…"
Alison and the Fields gulp hard, they have never seen the brunette like that…
Wayne pats Emily's arm and says. – "Emy, it's ok…"
It's not ok! Emily thinks; she recalls all the times she has lost Alison, the 1st time when A happened and everybody thought she was dead… the time when Alison died, really died and, gave her heart to Wayne… and the 2nd time the blonde died, in the kissing rock… yeah… Emily recalls each moment, each painful moment and she can't let her go… no again…
Alison stands up, but she can't move since Emily hugs her tight from the waist. The blonde sighs heavy, she doesn't know what to do but thankfully, someone else does…
Toby. – "Hey partner, I'll take it from here…"
The other cop nods and leaves. Toby gives a sympathetic smile and, looking at Emily, he says…
Toby. – "Why I don't take your statement here? What do you say?"
Alison smiles to Toby, she sits again and hugs Emily while she mumbles a 'thank you', Toby just nods, and he takes Alison's statement…
*X*
That night was an awful night, but between all the bad, Alison decides to focus in the good part, in the part of surviving, of living after that… feeling the need to meditate, to deal with her feelings, the next day, Alison goes to the only place she finds peace...
Alison says while putting some flowers over the grave. – "Hi mom… it has been a while since the last time I came, isn't?" (She sighs and knees in front of the grave and keeps talking) "I'm sorry, I've no excuse, I guess that happens when you lose track of time…." (Sighs) "I've a lot of things to tell you…"
The blonde talks for hours, something about talking to the grave of her mom, it helped her to feel better. Walking on the cemetery, towards her car; the blonde notices she has not her phone with her; her phone must has dropped when she was in front of her mother's grave; Alison turns back and for her surprise she finds something else beside her phone… well, actually, someone else…
Alison frowns. – "Hey… what are you doing here?" (She looks at the flowers, this person has in its hand, and the fact they're standing in front of her mother's grave when she says) "Are those for my mom? Did you know her?"
Time sighs heavy, he wasn't expecting to get caught by the blonde, but it was too late to hide…
Time says while putting his flowers beside Alison's flowers. – "I knew your mom, I thought about passing by and say 'hi'; I hope you don't mind…"
Beside the flowers, Alison's phone was there, lying down on the grass; Time takes it and gives it to Alison. Time stretches his hand towards Alison, with the phone in the palm of his hand, he waits for the blonde to take it, but Alison doesn't take it immediately; no, she can't, for some reason she's entranced in Time's look…
Time raises an eyebrow. – "Something wrong?"
Alison mumbles, still staring at Time without blink. – "I'm not sure… there's something familiar in your eyes I can't explain… I…."
Time gulps hard and avoids eye-contact. – "Take your phone, I need to go…"
Alison nods, she takes her phone and puts it in her bag. Without looking at her into the eyes, Time looks at the blonde, who's standing in front of him, by the corner of his eyes and says…
Time. – "How have you been? I mean… after everything that happened that night…"
Alison sighs. – "I'm alive, so, I guess, I'm fine…"
Time. – "You don't sound fine…"
Alison stares at the grave, at the flowers of the grave and replies…
Alison. – "I'm worried about my girlfriend, she's… she's having a bad time dealing with everything that happened…"
Time. – "I see… and you aren't?"
Alison. – "I've lived worse things…"
Time gulps hard, looking down at his fists, he closes them tight, feeling so angry with himself, for all the times he could help the blonde, he could avoid all the bad things she lived but, he didn't stop it, he did nothing beside watch…
Alison looks at her watch and says. – "I should go, Emily will freak out again if I'm not at the house before she comes back home…"
The blonde starts walking back at her car, and once again, she stops and turns back; Time stares at her and he gasps with surprise when the blonde hugs him without a warning…
Alison hugs him tight and says with a big smile. – "Thank you for saving me that night, really, thank you…"
Time's breathing becomes erratic, his blue eyes are blurry with tears, his throat is blocked with a huge wave of feelings he can't process; this is the 1st time he's this close to the blonde, to his child; he doesn't know what to do, besides, hugging her back. He hugs her for the 1st time and tears fall without stop, he closes his eyes, but the tears keep flowing. He hugs her tight and wish he could stop time and stay like this forever, but he knows he shouldn't, so, he just breaths deep, taking this moment in. For a reason she can't understand, Alison feels extremely emotional with that hug and tears fall from her eyes too…
Alison mumbles with tears, while hugging Time very tight. – "Thank you… thank you for being there for me…"
Time hugs her very tight too and mumbles with tears in his eyes and a heart wrenching voice. – "I'm here… I'm always here… for you…"
*X*
It had been an emotional evening, visiting her mother's grave, seeing her savior again. Feeling exhausted for all the feelings around her heart, Alison sighs when she arrives home; the only thing she wanted to do, it was to take a bath to relax but sadly that wasn't going to happen…
Emily rushes towards Alison and snaps. – "Where were you?! Why didn't you call me if you were going to be out?! Wh…"
The brunette shells Alison with so many questions that it brings Alison over the edge…
Alison yells. – "EMILY, STOP! STOP! STOP!"
Emily steps back, she gulps hard, this is the 1st time that Alison has ever yelled at her like that. Alison sees pain in Emily's eyes and she feels bad but, she can't keep living in these conditions, having Emily always breathing over her neck, not feeling free to go out without texting Emily or having her permission. Emily's behavior since the robbery is suffocating her and, Alison needs to stop it, for the well-being of their relationship; she just hopes Emily will understand it…
Alison. – "Emily, I can't do this anymore…"
Emily gulps hard, she feels broken hearing Alison's words. And Alison notices how broken Emily feels…
Emily says with a broken voice. – "What do you mean? Are you… are you…" (hard gulp) "Are you breaking up with me?"
Alison. – "What?! NO! Off course not…"
Emily can breathe again with Alison's reply…
Alison. – "When I say I can't do this anymore, I mean, I can't keep living like a prisoner, Em…"
Emily. – "What do you mean?"
Alison. – "Em, since the robbery in the pharmacy, if I go out, I need to do it with you at my side or I need to text you for permission, and when I'm out for school or shopping or for whatever the reason, each minute, I receive a text from you, and if I not reply, you snap, you get mad!"
Emily looks down and presses her lips together, the blonde is not lying…
Alison grabs Emily by the arms and says. – "Em, I love you a lot, I love spending my life with you, you're my forever but, you're suffocating me, this has to stop, it's not healthy for you neither for me…"
Emily stares at her into the eyes and says. – "I know… but…"
Alison. – "But, what?"
Emily. – "I'm scared, I'm terrified of losing you…"
Alison sighs. – "Em…"
Emily. – "Ali! You can die, at any second!"
Alison. – "You can die, too, at any second! But, you don't see me chaining you to the bed!"
Emily pouts. – "I've not chained you…"
Alison. – "It's a metaphor, mermaid… what I mean, we can't live in fear… we deserve better than that…"
Emily sighs, she knows what Alison means, and she whishes it could be so easy to just let it go, but she can't find the way to do it…
Alison hugs her and says. – "Please, Em, you need to stop being so overprotective…"
Emily pouts. – "I'll try…"
Alison chuckles and kisses her in the lips. – "Well, that's enough for me…" (She holds her hand and says) "Come on, let's relax with a bubbles' bath…"
Emily teases. – "I thought you said you needed more space…"
Alison rolls her eyes. – "I wasn't talking about that!"
Emily giggles and like always she follows the blonde, her Queen… because she would follow her till the end of the world… even to the afterlife…
*X*
A week after their talk, Emily was in their house, staring at her phone and eating her nails; not texting Alison to check where she was, it was harder of what the blonde can imagine; but, Alison was right, Emily breathing over Alison's neck is not healthy and Emily is doing her best to don't overwhelm the blonde with her constant fear…
Staring at her phone without blink; Emily jumps from the sofa when she hears a knock; she rushes towards the door, thinking it's Alison who just forgot her keys but, it wasn't the blonde…
Emily. – "Did you forget your keys?!" (She opens the door and frowns) "What are you doing here?" (She looks at the red-haired boy beside this person and says) "And who is him?!"
Cupid stretches his hand and says with a big smirk. – "Hi! I'm Cupid… nice to meet you and, you're welcome, by the way…"
Emily. – "Huh? Why I should thank you?"
Cupid. – "Why?! Do you've any idea of how many arrows I used in that cold pretentious blonde?! Geez… pass through all her walls and, made her feel something, it didn't go easy…"
Time stares at Cupid with a look and the little brat just shrugs…
Cupid. – "What?! I'm not lying, it's true… she's just like her Dad, too stubborn to show her true emotions…"
Time squints his eyes to Cupid and both start a stare-off…
Emily says, still confused. – "I've not idea what is happening, here! What are you doing in my house?"
Time comes in without an invitation while he says. – "We need to talk…"
Cupids follows him and nods. – "Yeah… we need to talk… mmm… hey do you've something to eat? I'm hungry!"
Both entities get inside, and Emily stays speechless in the door…
*X*
Cupid eating chips was the only noise in the house, silence was filling the room and Time doesn't know what to say after the revelation he just did... he just stares at Emily and looking at her face, he can see the impact of his words on her...
I'm in Death's list... I don't have a lot of time... Emily says to herself, she gulps hard while she's processing everything that Time just revealed. A lot of questions emerge into her mind...
Emily gulps. - "So... so... I... I'm going to..."
Cupid says while eating chips. - "Yeah... you're gonna die..."
Time hits Cupid head and says. - "Hey! Use a little of tact and delicacy when you speak!"
Cupid looks down. - "Sorry..."
Time sighs heavy and says while he approaches to Emily. - "Look, nothing is decided yet... we can prevent it..."
Emily says hysterically. - "How?! How are we gonna prevent it?! Do you know how I will die?!"
Time shakes his head. - "No... I never know how time ends for anyone... I just know when..."
Emily gulps hard and asks with fear of what will be the answer... but at this point... she needs to know...
Emily asks. - "W... W-when?"
Time gulps hard...
Emily insists. - "Come on! Tell me! Wh..."
Time cuts her off. - "Today..."
Emily drops her jaw open and with shaking legs she steps back... she can't believe she's out of time…
Emily mumbles. - "How... why... why I'm in its list? I wasn't supposed to die now..."
Cupid says while eating chips. - "Well... you weren't supposed to travel in time and, rewind it either so... my guess is: you mess with the time line of life... and you mess with your time too... every action has a reaction and, this is the reaction of your actions, this is life saying you: 'fuck u'..."
Time hits again Cupid's head and scolds. - "You have a big mouth! Shut up!"
Cupid whines while rubbing his head. - "Hey! That hurts!"
Emily mumbles. - "I did this?! I provoked my own Death sentence?!"
Time. - "Look, looking for a responsible will help no one..."
Emily gulps hard and nods. - "You're right... so, what then?"
Time. - "I don't know... but one thing is sure, if you are Death's new target, we need to put you as far as possible from Alison... it's too risky for her to be around you... she can…"
Emily cuts him off. – "She can ends hurt because of me or worse… no, that can't happen… nothing bad can happen to her because of me… If my life is in danger, I need to put distance between us… I need to be sure she's safe…"
Time smiles. – "Glad to see, we're on the same page…"
After a lot of thinking, Emily decides that the best way to protect Alison of whatever danger is near her; it's to leave. In a rush, Emily makes a bag, throwing inside, the 1st things she finds in their room. A photo of them in the night table almost makes Emily doubt about her decision but, her instinct to keep Alison safe is stronger so, in the end, the brunette leaves but not without saying a word. She leaves a note saying…
'I'm sorry Ali… I can't stay close to you now… I can't explain it, I just can't… please don't look for me and, just be safe… With great love, Emily…"
*X*
At night, in the Hollis Bar & Grill, Emily raises an eyebrow since she's shocked of how much Cupid was devouring…
Emily. – "OMG! How much you can eat?!"
Cupid. – "Hey! Don't judge me! You've no idea how much energy it takes to make people fall in love!"
Emily shakes her head in disbelief; to be honest, now she knows Cupid, it's nothing like she imagined; but right now, Cupid is her last concern for her; the brunette looks at her watch and her heart beats faster each time she sees the hands clock turn; each second, each minute it's feel like the last and Emily doesn't want to admit it, but she's terrified of dying. Completely consumed by her own fears, Emily jumps scary when someone pats her shoulder…
Time. – "Hey, relax… you're not alone, we'll protect you…"
Cupid says with food in his mouth. – "Yeah…"
Emily smirks looking at Cupid. – "Honestly, I've no idea what you're doing here… how a brat like you can protect me or help me…?"
Time smirks. – "I told him the same…"
Cupid pouts. – "Hey! I can be useful…"
Time and Emily laughs, they keep teasing Cupid till Emily asks something to Time…
Emily. – "Why are you doing this?"
Time smirks. – "What? Teasing Cupid? Because it's funny to mess out with him…"
Emily chuckles and shakes her head. – "No, I wasn't talking about that… why are you doing this? Why are you here? Helping me, helping me to keep Alison's safe, why you're always around us?"
Time avoids eye-contact, he doesn't want to reveal anything, but he's short of words. Emily stares at him and she waits for an answer but, the only thing she gets it's to see Time walking away of the place…
Emily. – "What is he doing?!"
Cupid smirks. – "What he knows to do best… run away…"
Emily and Cupid, both think Time was just avoiding to reply, Emily's questions, but it wasn't that, no, Time walked outside the place when he noticed the presence of a black hoodie…
Time says angry. – "What is your fucking problem?! Why you can't just let them be happy?!"
Death replies with a lot of serenity in its voice. – "I'm just doing my job and, you should do the same…"
Time groans angry
Death. – "You're too emotional, what is coming on with you?"
Time doesn't reply Death's question, he just grabs the hoodie from the arm and tries to drag it far from there. They're just able to cross the street when the angel of death stops their track and pulls back…
Death. – "What are you doing?!"
Time. – "Taking you away from Emily… I can't let you take her soul…"
Death. – "Why?"
Time snaps. – "Because I don't wanna see her in pain, losing the person she loves the most, it will kill her!"
Death frowns, the angel of death has just realized who's the real concern for Time…
Death. – "So, all of this… it's because of her… because of that blonde…"
Time gulps hard, realizing he might overshared or say more of what he should but, it's too late to take back his words and worse… it's too late to stop what will happen next…
*X*
Alison huffs, she talks with herself while she's driving around Rosewood, looking for Emily.
Alison. – "Really, Em! I said I needed space, but I didn't mean you to leave! Why you take everything to the extremes!" (She sighs) "Geez, where are you?! Why you leave me like that?! I'll kick your beautiful ass for leaving me like that! Just wait for when I find you…"
The blonde drives around the town till she's hungry and decides to make a stop to the 1st restaurant she finds open.
Looking for Time, Emily gets out of the restaurant, her eyes gets bigger when she sees at the other side of the street, Time discussing with Death. The brunette is determined to confront Death, Emily believes she needs to do something, she was in the corner of the street, ready to cross the street and confront Death when someone confronts her…
Alison yells. – "Emily!"
Emily turns around and gulps. – "Ali…?!"
*** Alison's Narrative ***
I'll do it tomorrow, I'll finish later… I'll tell her how much I love her someday… I will be better someday… yeah… we make promises to ourselves, to the people we love… we promise and promise 'cause you never think that the last time is the last time, you think there will be more… you think you've forever… but you don't…
Alison says when she hits Emily's arm. – "Idiot!"
Emily rubs her arm. – "Augh…"
Since the moment she read the note of Emily, Alison was decided to kick Emily's ass, to yell, to snap hard on the brunette but, now that she's in front of her, now that she sees those beautiful chocolate's eyes, her emotions take over her body and all Alison can do is to rush towards Emily and hugs her.
Emily freezes with the hug and gulps. – "Ali?"
Alison sobs with tears in her blue eyes. – "You promised me to love me! To always be with me! You can't leave me like that… you can't…"
Emily says with watery eyes. – "Ali… I love you, it's because I love you that I left…"
Alison. – "That makes no sense, Emily!"
Emily says with a broken voice. – "Ali, I promise you, I'm doing this for us… you might don't understand now, but I promise, that I'll explain you everything… but no now, now you need to go and stay far away from me…"
The brunette sees the broken facial expression of the blonde and tears fall from her eyes; Emily can't look at the broken face of Alison, but she needs to face Death by herself. Overwhelmed with emotions, with feelings; Emily crosses the street in a rush without putting attention on the road…
Alison sees the love of her life, once again, walking away from her; Alison is staring at Emily and her eyes get bigger of fear when she sees a car driving very fast towards the brunette…
Death looks at its watch and says. – "It's time…"
Time gulps hard. – "No, please…"
Death turns in direction of Emily; the angel of Death sees the car which is driving fast towards the brunette and the black hoodie takes out its list… ready to cross Emily's name but… Death just frowns confused…
Death mumbles. – "Wait… the name of my list is changing…"
Time. – "WHAT?!" (He stares at the new name which is appearing and mumbles) "No, no… she's too far from her! She can't arrive at time… she…"
Alison screams. – "Emily!"
The blonde is in panic mode, she doesn't know what to do beside wishing to stop it, and for her surprise, she does it… she stops time…
Everything is frozen… the car… Emily… the people in the restaurant… it's like someone just pressed the button of pause, and now everything is frozen, everything… except two entities…
Death. – "How did she do that?!" (She stares at Time and asks) "What you're not telling me?!"
Time is speechless, he wasn't expecting this, no one was expecting this and especially no one was expecting what was coming next…
Alison looks around and frowns. – "What is happening?!"
The blonde has no idea of what is happening, she doesn't know how everything is frozen in time except her, little by little, everything start moving in slow motion; Alison doesn't have enough power to freeze time for a long period of time and even if Alison don't understand what is happening, she knows she doesn't have a lot of time, so, she rushes to do what she wants to do…
Time screams with fear. – "NO! ALISON! NO, Please!"
Alison says while she rushes towards Emily. – "I'll protect you from any harm…" (She stretches her arms while she's running and says) "I've to protect you…"
In slow motion, the car starts moving, and just in time, Alison reaches Emily to push her out of the road…
Alison says with tears while she pushes a frozen Emily away from the road. – "Em… I love you… I lov-…"
(Sounds of a car's horn and screeching tires)
Time resume its course, nothing is no longer frozen; and Emily shakes her head with confusion as she can't understand what just happened; one second, she was in the middle of the street, and now… she's lying down in the ground without being hit by the car…
Emily rubs her head. – "What… how…?"
The brunette looks around and when she stares at the spot where she was just seconds ago, when she sees the blood, when she sees the bleeding blonde, Emily screams with pain, with so much pain…
Emily screams with tears in her eyes. - "ALI! NOOO!"
*X*
*** Alison's Narrative ***
Assumptions… so many assumptions… so little we know about how life really works. We make promises, we make plans and then life happens, death happens, and when it does, the real question is… what to do from there? What to do when you're facing death?
Disoriented, feeling dizzy, Alison opens her eyes and she looks confused when she finds herself in a white place, she looks around, there's no walls, no doors, there's nothing… till someone appears…
Death. – "We need to talk…"
Alison looks at the hoodie in black and frowns. – "Who are you? Where I'm? What happened? Wh-…?"
Deaths gets closer till they're face to face…
Death cuts her off and says again. – "Like I said, we need to talk…"
*** Alison's Narrative ***
Assumptions… so many assumptions… we assume we know everything, that nothing can surprise us and then, life throws us a curveball we can't dodge… something more beyond our understanding… and the real question is: can you handle it? Can you accept your fate? Can you accept your death sentence? Can you leave behind the one you love?