Well, here it is: the end of the story. Part 1…mwahaha. I will continue it, no worries.
Jason carried her gently in his arms, careful not to cause her any more pain that he already had. He walked quickly, so quickly that Amy had to jog to stay beside him. It had been rough leaving. He had forgotten about the other girl dead by the front door. He simply forced them to keep moving, not wanting to deal with it.
The camp came into view sooner than he thought. Time with Erin was so fleeting, he wished that he could pause and remember the moment forever. She would soon slip from his grip and disappear to…somewhere in the world. At least she would be healthy. Maybe when she healed, she would return.
"We're here," Amy turned to Jason, waiting for him to set Erin down.
He slowly lowered his arms and set Erin down on her feet. She lingered in his arms, holding onto him.
"Jason," Erin whispered, "I don't want to leave you."
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*JASON'S POV
He pushed Erin away, not wanting to hear the last sad words she would speak to him. He could not say goodbye and he didn't want to hear her say it either. She looked at him, hurt.
"Erin, we should go…" Amy shifted uncomfortably.
Erin watched Jason, tears falling down her cheeks.
He refused to let any emotion show. It would be too hard. He was straining to keep his sorrow back. Already, he regretted letting her go. He wished he could pull her back into his arms but he would only be forced to let go again.
Once Erin realized that there would be nothing more exchanged between them, she stepped back, turned and followed her friend out of the woods to the camp.
Once they were out of sight, Jason turned away. He sat beneath an oak tree and, for the first time in many years, he cried.
Within a couple hours, Jason heard the bus start and pull away from the camp, the wheels crushing over the gravel. The sound of the engine faded into the distance. Erin was gone.
What would he do without her? Within the last few days, she had become his world. How could he find the strength to move on? He had let himself become so vulnerable, so open with her; she knew all of his secrets, all of his pain.
Slowly, he stood, holding onto the tree for support. He wanted to get back home and stay there for a little while. How could she just leave him? How could she just walk away from him, knowing all she knew, feeling all she felt? He turned away from the camp that started it all.
His heart leapt when he heard a soft voice behind him, "Jason."
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*ERIN'S POV
He turned towards her. Tears were streaming down her face. "I couldn't…I couldn't leave…" She sniffed, "Jason, I love you…"
It only took three steps for Jason to have her in his arms. She hugged him tightly, feeling like a part of her was restored. She would stay with him. This is where she belonged, where her heart belonged.
With Jason.
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