A figure crouched, huddled in its own deathly warmth. Claws racked across his skin, soothingly at first as if to create the illusion of sympathy. They felt cool and calming, bracing his back as the tired boy stiffly laid against the icy concrete he sat upon. There was a flash of light, darkness then busy honking that drowned out everything else. Cars drove above his head, not even noticing the small bundle laying in liquid under the bridge, lifeless orbs unblinking and clouded. Something lay limply in his right hand; the other gently stroking it for console as the still comforting nails dragged down across deathly ashen skin and to the gun that shone from flooding lights on the highway overhead.

Go ahead the invisible voice hissed in malice, giving the metal a small and convincing shove. It did you good with them. They may have not died but why live when they're alive. It continued; shifting to his shoulder and whispering into on bloody ear take the pain away. Erase the hurt they caused. The death they caused. Join the people you lost.

The brunette stared lifelessly ahead, fingering the trigger in silent wonder, lips parted. His vision was midnight red in one eye, making everything seem as a fantastic horror movie. Another loud blare from above in the intersection of cars and midnight drivers roused him albeit. The voice died away woefully on the wind, leaving nothing but him, the crisp air and patches of grass swaying around, dancing and mocking the youth with catlike shadows. Giggles could be heard, in and out, fading back in hallows of his mind, resting and a small smile quirked his even paler lips. Tendrils of sticky crimson slowly trickled from forearm to fingers, dripping onto the pavement in a carpet all around.

A clatter could be heard, the gun falling from its owner's grip. Caked, sickly brown dripped from chocolate bangs, covering his eyelids and dripping into his mouth. A tongue peeked from them. Collecting the stray droplets, he smiled wider, almost cynical. More voices streamed from near by, blue lights flashing upon him and then disappearing.

Dank silence followed as the people nearby dismissed the dark lump deposited on the side of the road. And the boy was alone to wallow in self-pity and death opened to him with loving arms, him returning the gesture, leaning forward and tumbling down with a sickening crack as forehead met sidewalk. Darkness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~sorry....~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ashley!" A short blonde-haired girl laughed jubilantly, waving at the taller girl across the room. She jumped from a small flight of stairs, long, button-up shirt billowing around her as she landed and approached her friend.

The taller girl turned slightly, placing street-style headphones on her ears. But she left one down to show that she was listening to the petite girl at her side. Bluish strands of hair fell across hazel eyes, baggy pants and a Plastik shirt her attire.

The shorter girl giggled again, pushing stray, straight tresses from her face. "Your bro was just wonderin' where you were going." She jerked her head toward a table two boys sat at to emphasize her point. One unruly brown-haired boy blinked then lifted a hand to wave.

Ashley waved back. "I'm just goin' outside for a few, 'k Em?"

Emily nodded; giving Ashley's brother thumbs up and bounded to them. She plopped down and ruffled the other boy's hair playfully. He merely growled and pushed her hand away.

Ashley sighed, shoulders sagging. Pushing through a small jostle of prep girls, she finally reached a door and kicked it open. A rush of refreshing air greeted her welcomingly and she spread out her arms to receive it willingly, closing the door behind her in the process. Neon azure lights filtered down onto her hair, casting a glowing hue unto the silky curls. She glimpsed up jadedly at the sign that read Harvest Bible Chapel.

Another gust of brisk wind picked up and played with trees, fluffing up her large shirt and whistling quietly in the distance. Her walkman hummed quietly on hold and she pressed play while walking to a small parking lot in the rear of her church, stopping at a small overlook of the lot and the train rails right behind. The one reason she was glad the worship team at her church was so loud was that it muffled the roaring of trains as they passed by. Stars twinkled from the pitch-black firmament, casting across the sky and she leaned on the bar of the overlook, a hidden weight upon the girl. She drowned silently in the sea of black as her favorite song played.

From the road that led to the vacant lot there was a shrill screech of tires. Ashley's head wiped to the side in surprise, her heart skipping a beat. Silence followed and she slipped off the headphones to see if it was trick of the air or in the song itself. There was a struggle and what sounded like gunshots but they were so soft as if muffled by something. She strained to hear over the bar, almost falling over. There was nothing that followed, maybe shouts but nothing recognizable. Fear weld up and a sob pierced the night.

Some teenagers pulled up in the lot, shutting their doors and marching up the slanted walkway to the church, watching curiously as the young freshman girl leaned further over the railing intently listening for something they couldn't hear. Some sophomore girl giggled and whispered chattily amongst her friends before vanishing inside the hardware church building.

Ashley listened again, ignoring and shutting out anything else, only an inaudible thud heard from the same spot again. This time she didn't hesitate and leaped over the beams, landing gracefully on two feet and sprinting hurriedly to the source of the disturbing noises. Sneakers ran wildly, eyes scanning furtively, breath coming in short puffs. She stopped midway, seeing nothing at all but road that lead to the horse racetrack near her church. Beeping from the bridge overhead stirred her thoughts and she looked up at the traffic out of habit before running back down the road and into the parking lot.

That was before something caught her attention, making her halt abruptly and pacing her tracks to a still form. Dark circles encased it and in the fading light red flashed in her eyes, making her gasp, clutching the CD player tightly. Knuckles turning white, bending down and deftly holding the unconscious boy's wrist. Panic was her first reaction. Then complete worry, feeling no beat of life. Nothing but freezing hands and a thumb absently rubbed his knuckles as if that would bring him back to life.

All sanity left her and she put two fingers to his neck and then wrist again. Her own heart leaped with unbidden joy as a small badump could be felt, just barely there. But she clung to that small hope and hefted him up, bringing an arm around his shoulder, ignoring the blood, caked on his face and chest, seeping into her clothes and shoes. All thoughts of high school youth group left her, replaced only with hospital care, doctors, please live...don't die...I'm so glad I found you...Memories flashed in her mind, whirling and distorting her.

A young man with brown hair, grinning shyly, wrapping slender arms around a robin egg blue-haired girl. She chuckled, pushing him away and his hold tightened teasingly as she turned around and kissed him on the lips.

A slightly younger girl bounded up to them and the older girl's boyfriend bent down to hug her, followed by another dirty-blonde boy their age as they sat contentedly at a park and the brown-haired boy looked over at the young girl he hugged earlier. She remarkably resembled the blue-haired beauty that appeared to be his girlfriend but was crowned with golden locks. Their eyes met and....

Ashley's brother appeared from out the door to the small high school room and eyes widened in mute shock. Emily popped out in suit, glancing at her boyfriend and then leading her gaze to his. And went slack jaw. Steve, the boy that Emily annoyed from before stopped dead in his tracks outside. Kyle rushed first, latching onto the dieing boy before Ashley's strength gave way. Then the other two recurred from their bewilderment and helped their friend out, dragging the young boy in and ignored the confused stares, setting him onto one of the couches before Emily nearly ripped out her cell phone and stumbled in dialing 911.

Ashley panted quietly, setting herself next to the boy and laying his head in her lap.

Kyle tried to remain calm and asked nervously, "Where was he? Do you know what happened?"

His little sister shook her head numbly, fingering the boy's hair lovingly, an almost mother like quality in her gaze. "I just found him...out by the road under the highway bridge..." Silence... "I wonder..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~so sorry...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

@_@; First AU fic...not bad...but I'd still like some reviews please so read and review! It turns out really sweet and morbid so angst lovers enjoy! First real angst too...^-^; Heheh...It has a very interesting plot. Just gimme a chaaaaance *pouts* There's yaoi...*blinks and waits for responses*