Somewhere
"I never thought you, of all people, would act so stupidly, Bill. What the hell were you thinking? I was working on it. You ruined everything." The younger man fumes at Bill, who is sitting on the sofa looking triumphant with a smirk on his face.
"Do not fret, boy. She will not be a problem anymore, you are getting worried for nothing" He gloats at his victory over Rachel, who has ruined his life and all his endeavors. The loss of quality merchandise, his backers have left one by one, and cops investigating him.
"You are obsessed with Amber, she was never a problem Bill if you didn't pick that bitch of hers. She wouldn't have been a problem if you didn't poke her with your video charade and just killed her then and there. Yet you like to play. You see a girl and you want to break her. What is this obsession of yours?" The man says through his irritation.
This time bill frowns, "Only if you hadn't killed that dyke whore of hers, she would have never known of any of this. But now, it's all over. We can start over, with her gone off our back. I will get that bitch, Max, back again. And she will feel everything, ten folds. I will make her scream,"
"You are obsessed with one little girl. What is she to you, she is a lost cause now, she will break and will be of no use to us. If you wish to continue this endeavor. You have to let this one go and look for another one'
"NEVER" Bill growls, startling the younger man. He breathes and calms himself down, "Max is unique. She is strong, she can endure it. I went farther on her than any of the subjects before yet she never broke. You say I am obsessed with her. Yes, I am. I am obsessed with her, I did everything that I have been doing for past twenty years to break this one girl, yet she was strong and never gave in to me. I am obsessed with her strong will and it makes me want to go farther, to work on her even more, and she will break. She will be mine to fiddle with, I will rip her to pieces and mend her again, mold her to my liking, she will become my masterpiece. You will never understand that because you are just one tracked, based on a single progression. You will never understand what I am trying to do here,"
"And for that, you put everything at risk? For that one girl. Fine, I understand, I will help you get her, but that will be it. That will be the last thing I'll do for you, after that I don't want any connection with you. I don't want the pigs to knock at my door. If they do, I will tell them everything. I will drag you with me. Understand, you, sick fuck!" The younger man loses his calm
Bill gets up and walks around, grinning, "Oh, yes you do. You will work for me, as long as you are alive, you will be connected to me. You cannot escape this. This thing that I've thought you, that you so wanted to perfect, that you failed and killed on an experiment. Do you think I just bluff? I've everything on you. All your side businesses with them, all those side projects. You think I don't know? I have them all. And you cannot touch me. If anything happens to me, all of the data will be exposed and handed to the feds. Your life will be over."
"Do not test my patience with you. Do you think I will threaten you for no reason too? You once thought me everything, but those were bygones, obsolete. I have more means, resources, and ways to turn a subject. I am telling you, you will regret this Bill. You shouldn't have done this. This will come back to us. I am telling you."
Bill gets agitated and glares at the younger man who clenches his mouth shut and cowers at the gaze, "Boy, you are being delusional, it's done. She is gone. Nobody knows who did that, nobody will found out. And by the time they will find Amber, she will be long dead."
"And what about that junkie? Did you really have to do it in front of him? What if he goes to the authorities. Couldn't you kill that one too," He asks cautiously, trying not to agitate the older man?
"I still need him, he is the only supplier of the things we need. But once we have no use for him, we'll deal with him too. Right now, he's stuck with us. He owes us, thanks to you, he cannot get out of this," a usual malicious disdainful grin is formed on his face.
"Just a few photographs of him dealing at a school will not stop him. If he is willing, he'll go to jail at best. And if he opens his mouth, then it'll come to all of us"
"We'll see about that, he's not the first associate who will or will not try to cross us. He knows it very well and is not stupid to cross me. Anyways, enough of that talk. Which one have you decided for the next project? Show me."
The younger man sighs, "Three, but we have pick one only, we cannot be taking any more as it is risky. Here are the photographs" He spreads three photographs on the table. Bill leans in and picks each photo one by one, he drops one without interest, and picks the other two and compare them. A grin grows on his face, a malicious, vile and disgusting grin as if the hyena found his new prey, and he drools on the pictures.
"Beautiful, exquisite, you sure know how to pick them. They are not on the level of Max, but I can see what you are thinking, so we will start here with just one?" He looks inquiringly towards the
He nods towards Bill, "Yes, any more is risky, we do not yet have the means of transportation, and operating in the same town is going to be dangerous."
"Fine, I understand. But I am telling you, I still want Max, and once I have her, you can keep this one and do whatever you want," Bill still looking at the photo but with little interest now, recalling Max, and her tormented screams giving him the ultimate pleasure and he has almost lost interest in all of the subject.
"Do not worry, I have lost interest in Max already, she is on the verge of breaking, and I do not want another broken subject, but..." he pauses and thinks, "... if you think that she is still strong and can endure, perhaps..." a smile forms on his face, similar to the hyena sitting on the sofa.
Bill looks at him with a scowl, "Take that thought out of your head, boy. We agreed that only I will work on her, she is not part of any deal now. You understand?"
"Yes. I understand, Bill" But there is a hint of hesitation found in his tone, which he tries to mask, "So, which one?"
"This one is kind of rustic, I don't think she is a worthwhile project. I think this one. Yes, she will be perfect,"
The man picks the picture, and a glint shines in his eyes along with a sadistic, grin of a hyena.
Max's Room
Chloe's phone vibrates and the alarm blares in the silent room, which makes her jolt out of her sleep and almost slams at the phone and puts it to snooze. She squints her eyes as sunlight hits her face, and groans with a curse, "Fuck, too bright". She tries to get up but feels a weight on her chest. She looks down to see a patch of red hair and arms wrapped around her torso, 'Oh, so you like your new pillow, you punkster'
Her eyes follow the sleeping red head's naked upper body. Traces and marks on her body bring sadness in the punk's eyes, but also a fury ignites. 'You son of a bitch, I will get you, Bill. I will mark you, scar you, and chop your fingers for hurting my Max'
Chloe's furious thoughts stop when Max murmurs and shifts in her sleep, which makes her perky mounds brush with the punk's abdomen, the thin layer of fabric does little help and she feels the stiff buttons on her mounds. A blush creeps on the punk's face, 'It's cold, probably the cold. She's... uh... fuck. I want to gobble her' Her heart thumps and her heavy breathing causes her chest to rise up and down, which makes the redhead squirm and her breasts rubs more on the blunette's body, who gasps 'Fuck, fuck, fuck, stop teasing me Max or I won't be able to stop myself. Staph!'
The second wave of alarm jolts the blunette again, also making the freckled face jolt also and she groggily opens her eyes, only to see the blunette looking at her.
She smiles sleepily at Chloe "Morning, Che" and leaves the embrace. Still, in a sleepy stupor, she gets up and sits, stretching her body. Chloe goes full red with record less than a second looking at the redhead's naked chest rising up with the stretching and she swallows dryly.
"M-morning, Max" The blunette replies, with a flushed face and averting eyes. 'Fuck me, why am I getting so flustered like this. I mean she looks cute when dreamy, and hot and… gaaaah, stop it Price'
Max looks at her confusingly, "Chloe? What happened?" but as soon as she finishes her sentence, she feels a chill and a realization struck her. Her face goes red and she quickly covers here bare chest,
"Oh Dog, Che! DON'T LOOK!" She quickly takes the blanket and covers her body, face red like a ripe tomato.
Chloe laughs nervously to lighten the mood, "Thanks for the peep show, Max" though her own face is still flushed.
Max hides her face under the blanket and groans, "Ugh! Shut up, Che. Don't look" 'Dog, this is so embarrassing, Bad Chloe, why did you wake up before me'. She recalls the event from the last night and her face flushes even more and from under the blanket, she touches her bare skin where she felt Chloe's lips 'oh my dog, oh my dog, oh my dog'
"Max, I… uh… I'm gonna turn around, you change" Chloe says, although nervously and turns around completely, flipping her mobile and starts fiddling with it.
Max doesn't say anything but peeks her head out of the blanket and look at Chloe, who's looking on the mobile turned around. Max looks for her bra and the tank top and picks them up, quickly gets dressed, though her hands tremble with shyness and embarrassment.
She takes a few deep breaths to control her thumping heartbeat and composes herself, "I am done, Chloe" she says to the blunette, who turns around. Also, composed a little, she smirks at the red head.
Max glares at her, "Don't"
"Maxi," She grins,
"Don't Chloe, don't say anything," she scowls but a flustered grin grows on her own face.
"Chill out Max, already got my morning fill," Chloe winks at the redhead which makes her rolls her eyes and groans,
"Ugh! Bad Chloe!" and the blue haired punk chuckle.
Max gets up and takes a look at the clock, 6:17, 'Still early, but good time for a shower, this blue demon will not let it go if I stay here'
"Che, am gonna go take a shower," she says to her girlfriend while picking clothes from the wardrobe and walks towards her.
"But, we didn't sweat much, Max," Chloe smirks at her with an eyebrow raised
"Dog! Stop it, Che!" Max pushes her playfully,
"Fine, Fine, won't say anything, I'll chill out here till you are back," Chloe lies down on the bed again.
Max moves towards the door, and looks back with an all serious face, "I'll be back"
Chloe rolls her eyes, "Okay, Maxinator."
Max leaves the room, Chloe looks at the photo wall and starts thinking, 'I am glad she is okay, at least for now.' She recalls the scars and how to hurt Max felt, her eyes well up, but she quickly wipes them 'No, Chloe, you have to be strong for her. She is still weak, afraid, not herself. You have to protect her, from Bill, from these assholes at the academy. From everything' Thinking about Bill, a darkening bile rises inside her 'That fucking motherfucker, soon, we'll find you soon. I and Rach and we will fuck you up so much you are going to regret you were born in this world. You will regret every soul you have hurt Bill Ernest. You are getting ten, no hundred folds of every mark you left her body. I will tear you apart, and rip you, piece by piece.'
The room suddenly feels stuffy to her, and she gets up to open the window and peeks out, 'So, Rach and Kate huh, who would have thought. They are like total opposites of themselves, yet they suit each other, Like water and fire. If Rachel is the sun, Kate must be the sky. Really Chloe? Poet much? Ugh! Who's rubbing at you' Chuckling at her own thought, she looks around the lawn and see a head peeking out, she squints her eyes to see the brown-haired boy Warren peeking out of the corner, 'What the fuck? what is that fucker doing? Peeking at Max's window. Is she being harassed by him too? Fucking, classmate or not. I'll have a word with him. What? Just a word, nothing else. Promise. Don't want Max to feel bad for this fucker' She chides herself.
Her phone rings by the bed, she turns around, "Who'd call me at this time?" She moves towards the bed and picks it up, the id says David calling,
"Hey, David… yeah… I am at Max's… yeah… WHAT!?" She falls on the bed, "No… no, no, no… h-how? How did this happen, No... not Rach, how David? She was with you… fuck you, David… no... I am coming, and you will answer for this…" her eyes start welling up, "W-what am I going to tell Max, and Kate… What do you mean don't tell them…? I- I… okay, I will be there soon… David, please tell me this is not true… god… no, please… no…" tears start falling from her eyes, "I am okay… she's gone to take a shower… oh my god, what I am going to tell Kate… she… okay… okay… I am on my way" She disconnects the phone, and takes her head in her hands and looks down, tears stream down her cheeks, 'No, no... not you Rach... please not you…I have to go, to… to see her…'
She sniffs loudly, wiping her eyes and gets up, she takes on of the notepad and writes on it, 'Ron called, urgent stuff. Will call you, luv u' and leaves the room. Before she leaves the dorms, she looks at Kate's door, her eyes sadden and tears again prick her eyes.
"Chloe," Chloe turns towards the voice to see Dana, at her door, hair unkempt, probably late sleep, "H-Hey Dana, how are ya?"
"Chloe? What happened? Why are you crying?" Dana's sleepiness is gone, and a worrisome frown is on her face, she quickly strides toward Chloe,
"Dana, it's Rach. She… god," Her eyes well up again, this time another stream of tears flow down.
"What happened? What happened to Rachel?"
"She... She's been shot, she's…" Chloe stops talking, couldn't bring herself to finish her sentence.
"WHAT?! OH, MY GOD! H-how?"
Chloe sniffs and wipes her eyes, "I don't know, David called me, they… found her by the beach. I am going there, Max is in the shower. She mustn't know Dana, and Kate also. Oh God, what am I going to tell them both."
They hear a clanking sound and a thud, and quickly turn around to see Kate, leaned to her door, eyes wide open but dead, despondent, looking at nothing, her toiletries fallen next to her and she's gasping and clutching her chest, and slides down, almost falling.
Dana quickly runs toward her and calls for her, "Kate! Kate!"
"D-Dana," she gasps for air, with hitched breath, "…can't… can't breathe…"
"Kate, sweetie, it's alright, try to breath slow, you are alright, you are okay, Kate"
Kate tries but her face turns pale and blue with the lack of breathing, "Ra…Rachel…"
"She's okay, she's fine Kate…" Dana tries to console the Christian girl,
"No... no… Race… D-Dana, Chloe… Rach" Kate's chest rise and fall faster, trying to breathe, "Chloe, take me to her… please" she says with her short breaths.
"I will Kate, I will," Chloe nods frantically.
"Kate, Chloe will take you there. Breathe Kate, breathe with me, slowly. She's fine, she's going to be okay" Dana emulates slow breathing with Kate while rubbing her back, who tries to regulate her breathing, but tears are already falling from her eyes.
"S-she called me, last night. She was hurt, said… she… fall off… and hurt herself. Oh, no! no, it can't be. She's… no, please Lord, no.." and she starts crying. Dana quickly hugs her,
"Rachel… Rachel…" Kate cries and calls for the blonde girl.
Chloe just stands there, confused, angry, and in a shock, she leans to the wall and sits down also, put her head between her knees. 'What the hell is happening. What should I do? Someone, please tell me'
"W-what going on, Che?" Chloe looks up, only to see Max already out of the shower and looking confusingly towards her girlfriend sitting down with her head between her knees. As if all of this was not enough, fate again plays a dirty hand on Chloe's life. She is lost, don't know what to do anymore. She knows telling Max will break her again. Every time she tries to make the girl whole, something happens. It's always something that is against Max. Always ready to destroy her.
She has already lost her family, and she is afraid to lose her second family, her girlfriend and her friends. Chloe is distraught, just looks blankly towards the red head who looks back at her still with a confused frown, until she sees the crying Christian girl.
"Kate? Kate!?" Max quickly kneels down and hugs the crying blonde, and looks towards Dana, "What h-happened Dana? Why is she c-crying?" she asks Dana, who looks towards Chloe for an answer, but the punk stays silent, she has no answer to this, she is worried about Max's mental state. But all is for naught as the Christian girl speaks,
"Max, Rachel… it's Rachel… she…" she tries to breathe, but her breath hitches
"What happened to Rachel, Chloe?" Max looks confusingly towards them.
"Max…" Chloe looks towards her, and Max notices her teary eyes.
Max realizes something, and starts shaking her head, 'No, this cannot be happening, Rachel, no…'
"C-Chloe…please tell me, w-what happened?"
"Max, she… I… I don't know... David called me, she's…" Chloe's eyes tear up "she's been shot and she's..." Chloe shakes her head and looks down
And a silence falls on Max. Rachel, the strongest one of them all. The one who saved Max from the hell, who vowed to keep her safe and avenge her Shelly. Max shakes her head "No…"
"Max…" Chloe looks towards her with worried eyes. 'Not again, please spare her. Please spare Max, God'
"No, no… no… Che, please… no… not her, Not Rachel. Please no, no. C-Chloe, h-he did t-that to Rachel, he hurt her, h-he took her away, l-like my parents," Max's eyes show nothing but fear and sadness and she looks towards Chloe, again with those eyes, which would rip Chloe's heart out of her chest. Again, the scared, despondent eyes.
"H-he comes for e-everyone. H-he does that. C-Chloe, he wants to d-destroy my life, he s-should've just ki-killed me. All of this is because of m-me. I shouldn't have come h-here, Che" her lips tremble but she tries to hold her tears at bay 'I knew it. It was a mistake to come to Arcadia Bay, so many people are getting hurt because of me. It's all because of me'
"Max! no, baby. It's not your fault, none of this is. It's always that sick bastard, don't say that please." Chloe holds Max, and puts her hand on her cheek, "We'll go together, we'll go see Rachel. She will be okay, we don't know the situation yet. Let me, you and Kate go, Dana will tell the teachers. Okay?" she tries to console the confused and distraught girl
Max only nods at this, she through her, yet again given up eyes, looks towards the Christian girl, whose face is smeared in tears and her heartbreaks, and she tries to be strong, "K-Kate, she will be okay, let's go t-together,"
Kate sniffs and Dana helps her up, "I'll get her changed. Can you guys wait by the lot," Dana tells the punk and the redhead, who only nods and gets up to step outside the dorm building.
Arcadia Bay Hospital
The ride to the hospital was heavy. A crying Christian girl, a still distraught and given up redhead, and a silent punk, who have no words to console the two girls. For one, Rachel is a savior, just like Chloe, who saved her life and took her out of a shit pit. For the other, she is a hope of a new and better life, who also has become an anchor for that bundle of rage, a solace. For Chloe, she is a friend and a figure of utmost admiration, who's life has been filled with only wrongs and one hope in her life has been crushed, yet she kept on fighting back. But Chloe has no words. She just drives towards the hospital with a dread looming on her face.
They reach the hospital and park the truck. 'It's this place, it's always this fucking place. How many times do I have to be here? Dad, Max, and now Rachel'
Kate opens the door and almost jumps out of the truck before the punk even turn off the engine, Max follows suite and runs towards the building. Chloe turns off the engine and gets out too, running after them.
They enter the building together. Max and Kate run towards the reception. The elderly receptionist recognizes Max and Chloe and smiles at them at first, but her smile wanes when she sees the worried faces and a teary blonde girl.
"Hello Max, Chloe. How are you both? Is everything okay?" She asks the trio girls.
"Hi, Beth. We are here for Rachel Amber,"
Beth, the receptionist's eyes turn sad, which makes the girls feel the dread, and Kate almost on the verge of crying.
"Chloe! Max!" They turn their head to see David and Nick coming towards them.
Chloe marches towards them, "David, what the fuck happened? You both were with her, right? What were you two doing?" She almost yells at them. Max and Kate get behind her and looks at David and another older man they've never seen before. Max's eyes meet Nick's, who is looking at her attentively.
David tries to pacify the raging punk, "Chloe, calm down. I will explain everything," But Chloe sees the dread and sadness in his eyes and her heart keeps falling. Kate is again on the verge of a breakdown, which the redhead sees and tries to be strong and console the smaller blonde girl.
"Where is she? Please take me to her," Kate says through her tears. David looks confusingly towards the blonde girl and tries to understand why she is crying.
"She's… She's in the ICU. Doctors say her condition is… critical, they are doing their best. But... I'm sorry… Chloe, Max, I shouldn't have left her alone" David looks towards
"S-She's gonna make it, right, David?" Chloe asks her step-father, who in return stays silent. Kate, getting no answer from the Blackwell security guard, backs away a few steps, shaking her head in denial.
"No… she's s-strong, she… she will be fine" she looks with empty eyes filled with denial and fear of losing her own hope, "She'll be fine, right? Max? Chloe, she…" and Kate falls on her knees, hold her face in her hand and starts bawling.
Max's lips tremble at her graceful friend's condition and quickly hugs her, "She will be okay, Kate, you said so y-yourself, she's strong,"
Chloe looks sadly towards the fallen girl and tries to console her, "Yes, Kate, she's stronger than any of us think, she will be okay, she'll make it," Chloe turns her head towards David, and nods at him.
David nods back, while Nick keeps on looking at the distraught Christian girl and her consoling friends, "Yes Kate, she will be fine, she is a fighter."
Max picks up Kate and they walk towards the ICU and sees Ava, Alvin, and Joyce waiting by the door. Alvin, sitting on the floor, Joyce is rubbing Ava's back, who is sniffing.
"Ava! Joyce!" Max calls for them, which makes the older women look towards her, Alvin also gets up and runs towards Max.
"Max, Rach is… Rach," the boy's eyes tear up again, and he looks down.
Max has no words to say, her own dreadful thoughts are occupying and looming on her and she is trying her best to keep everything at bay and not break down again. She has to stay strong for Kate, and for Rachel and everyone else. Yet, she feels a darkening sick feeling in her stomach, 'He will kill them, he will kill my Chloe too. I cannot let this happen. What does he want from me? If he is hurting everyone to get to me. What if I…' Max frowns at her thought, 'But I have no other choice, what can I do to save everyone from his clutches, Ava, Alvin, Joyce, Chloe, David, Rachel, Kate, Dana. All of them are in danger because of me. If it's me, he wants, perhaps it's the only way. What a single life of mine is against all of these people who are suffering because of me. I cannot put Chloe in danger, he'll leave everyone else alone if I… just gives up.'
The doctor and some staff come running towards the ICU, which piques almost everyone's attention.
"What's going on? How is Rachel? What happened?" Chloe grabs one of the staffers, who looks confusingly towards the punk.
"Please calm down Miss. We are trying our best," He says to the punk but his eyes show otherwise. Chloe realizes and shoves him and burst into the room, shocking the doctor and other staffers. Almost immediately, everyone flood into the room and the staffers are unable to hold them off.
Kate's eyes fall on the thrashing body of the beautiful blonde and her heart sinks, "Rach," She starts crying. The doctor ignores and calls for a nurse, almost shouting medical terms which they don't understand. The monitoring device keeps showing a hike and fall of the heart beat but keeps getting lower by every second. More shouting, injections, the heart rate keeps dropping as everyone keeps watching, Kate joins her hands together and starts praying through her tears, 'Please lord, take my life but please save her. Please save Rachel. She doesn't deserve this, please Lord, I will not be able to live without her."
Nowhere
Rachel opens her eyes slowly, the excruciating pain she was feeling in her abdomen is gone, in fact, she feels lighter. She slowly raises her head propping her upper body on her elbows and looks around to see… nothing, there is nothing but all white. A warm yellowish light which makes her own skin glow. Confused and still hazed, she gets up and takes a deep breath. The light feels familiar, calming, nostalgic even. 'Am I dead?' she thinks
Remembering the moments from earlier, a sudden surge of frustration and rage takes over her 'Fuck! FUCK, FUCK, FUCK! FUCK YOU BILL! FUCK YOU! I WILL HAUNT YOU, I WILL HAUNT YOU IN YOUR DREAMS, YOUR EACH AND EVERY DAY, I WILL HAUNT YOUR FOREVER, YOU MOTHER FUCKING SON OF A BITCH! I WILL STILL AVENGE HER.' She fumes and rages. All of a sudden, she feels another calm inside her, her rage dissipates, 'If I am dead, where are the fucking angels or the demons. Where is this? Where the fuck am I?'
Through her confusion, she hears a chuckle behind her, "Still got the dirty mouth on you, Rachel".
Rachel's eyes grow in surprise, her brows raise, and she turns around quickly, all the confusion and rage and anger she was feeling are gone. Calm… no, not calm, but a bliss falls on her, yet her jaw hangs and her eyes still wide. She slowly walks towards the figure, with each step she takes. An emotion grows inside her, a step and her eyes starts brimming, another step, her ears ringing, another, her heart thumps, another, lips tremble, another, hands shake as she slowly lifts it up, and another step, raising her trembling hand to reach the figure, a cold sigh, and slumped shoulders.
With her tear-filled eyes and looks at the face she so longed to look at, same features, same dirty blonde hair she saw last time, same soft and compassionate hazel eyes, same angelic face. A beautiful radiant smile, which melts Rachel's hearts and she leans in and puts her forehead on hers, joined. The figure smiles, yet the blonde shed tears.
"Why did you leave me?"
"I wish I wouldn't"
"I was so alone,"
"Not anymore,"
"I missed you, angel"
"I missed you too,"
"Shelly,"
"Welcome home, my love" Michelle smiles towards the blonde.
And then there is silence, broken by a flat continuous beep, nothing. Max slumps on the floor, Chloe swears and punches the wall in agony and pain and anger, Alvin embraces his mother tightly and weeps, who also shed tears. Joyce eyes brims, Nick shakes his head, David tightens his jaw. But Kate, sweet, graceful, Kate, Rachel's solace, her light in her darkest days, just looks at the lifeless body of the one who just last night professed her love to the Christian girl through her pain.
Kate gets up slowly, Max also gets up tries to hold Kate but she softly shoves Max aside and walks towards the sleeping beauty. With each step, a thing breaks inside her, her heart twists and sinks deeper into the darkness, the abyss grips her whole body, yet she still walks towards her. She lifts her shaking hand and cups on the bigger blonde's cheek and puts her head next to hers, tears flow like a river from the Christian girl's eyes. And she holds the limp hand of the sleeping girl and twines her fingers with hers. They are still warm. She weeps and starts talking through her weeping.
"Rach… please, don't do this to me. Please, come back to me. Don't leave me like this, Rach. Please. I will not be able to bear it. Please, Rachel, please wake up. I love you. Yes, I love you a lot. Rachel, please…please wake up, my love."
But her pleading is answered by sobs of other people in the room. Doctors stand aside giving space the Christian girl, who keeps weeping and shedding tears.
"But, my love. Now is not the time, you still have something to do. You must help her. You must avenge me, and all the girls, whose lives he destroyed."
"Shelly…"
"Rach, she needs you. It's you, you have to fight for her. And for Kate,"
"Kate…"
"Yes, I know, Rachel and I am happy for you. You have suffered long enough being alone, she is an angel. Cherish her, keep her safe, love her just like you loved me,"
"I will miss you, Shelly,"
"Me too my love, we will be together someday. Close your eyes, and don't forget about me,"
"Never, I love you, Shelly,"
"I love you too, Rach, goodbye, for now"
Rachel closes her eyes, and yet another calm fall all over her, and through tear filled eyes, she smiles brightly, not the sad one she always had or a mocking one, or a fake one. But a smile which makes her feel happy, free and alive.
*Beep*
*Beep*
Kate feels a squeeze on her hand and she looks up with her tear-filled eyes, the darkness surrounding her dissipates, the abyss she kept falling with every step is pushed down and she feels herself being lifted. Shock turns to relief, denial to acceptance, sadness to a bliss, desperation to calm, and a smile forms on her face through her tears.
"I love you Rach"
"I…love you… too" she whispers.
EN: Back with the chapter.
Okay, uhh... yeah... not sorry about that. You all thought I'd kill her just like that? Well, the dangers are not always over. But, I just had to do it. I have my reasons, swear. I wanted to show Rachel as a human being, not a machine, she could get hurt, and almost die. Her irrational behavior tells us she is still a nineteen-year-old naive girl, and putting herself in danger. Though this ordeal brought Kate, even closer to her. But will this make her stronger or all of the rage she has is gone?
What is Max thinking about, surrendering herself to Bill, to save her loved ones? That could go really wrong since Bill is not even more obsessed with her and want to destroy her mentally and physically. Will Chloe come to know what Max is thinking? Now that Rachel is injured, who will protect her? Chloe? Nick?
Also, we are seeing a dispute between Bill and the seventh man. Is this also paving a way of unbecoming of a fragile alliance? And who is the girl they want to hurt next? I could hint to you but that's for the future to figure out.
Next, what will Nick do now, will he gather up his bearing and start thinking rationally too, instead of going haphazard. Has he lost his touch for recon? Something must be bothering him.
I just love to dramatize simple stuff, my kind of thing. And yeah. Rachel's heart stopping and a little heart to heart with Shelly could mean something. I've read that a person who's heart stops and declared dead only to beat again and live. Maybe the thoughts of revenge had her keep going, to avenge Shelly, and protect Kate and Max. Only thing is, in the last chapter, Bill said he is closer than they think. Is the seventh man always near them? That's for you guys to figure out.
I think the shock from the last chapter undermined a lot of stuff I wrote, I'd love to hear about those, about Victoria, Kate's insecurities. Please do share your thoughts.
Reviews and feedbacks are welcome and encourage me to understand where I am going with my story.
P.S: More project days and weekend ruined. I'll live with that. Happy smiles all.