Reliving the Nightmare
By Kuro Kin'youbi

Chapter 14


Tess could only watch, horrified, as the bullet slammed into Torn's chest. He fell back in a dead faint, growing paler.

"Ashelin!" Tess screamed.

Ashelin dropped her gun. It was all too confusing. Her revenge over Torn was instantly quenched as soon as he hit the ground.

She ran to his side, and knelt down beside him. "Wh- what did I do?"

Tess covered her eyes and sat down on a seat. She had no energy left for Ashelin and her mood swings. First she was your friend, second she was shooting you in the back. Then, when she shoots her ex-lover, she goes all hysterical and emotional.

"Torn! Speak, please!" Ashelin said.

Maybe she just didn't want to be framed for murder, Tess thought to herself. After shooting Tess, Harmony, Errol, Jinx and Torn, maybe Ashelin finally saw that what she had done was wrong.

Torn opened an eye and saw Ashelin kneeling by him. "What do you want?" He rasped.

"I want your forgiveness." Ashelin said. "I know that what I did… it was wrong, and I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten mad over you."

"Spare me." Torn coughed.

He rolled onto his side and coughed some more. He went still. Ashelin's eyes widened.

"Torn!" She cried, moving closer to him. "Torn!"

How he was holding on for life no one knew. But as Ashelin approached him he reached for his gun, which had fallen, by his side when he was shot, and fired it blindly at her. He heard something hit the floor. Then the sound of footsteps rushing over to him.

"Torn!" Tess squealed. "How did you do that? You managed to shoot Ashelin in the stomach without even looking at her!"

Torn said nothing for a short while. He just looked at Tess, and smiled.

"Just wait there, I'll call an ambulance!" Tess said.

She started away, but Torn grabbed her arm. "What?" She asked.

Torn thought a moment. "I… just want you to know…" He coughed. "If I die… just know this…"

Tess looked at him, confused. "Know what?"

"… I love you."

Tess smiled, and took Torn's hands in hers. She kissed him softly, and stood back up. "I'll be right back!"

Torn could only smile with content as Tess went to make the call. But he noticed how distant everything seemed too. He just lay there, waiting. A used gun in his hand, his ex-girlfriend lying with a bullet wound, if she was dead he couldn't tell.

Across the room was the body of his war-partner Errol, with 3 bullets to the chest. Lying by his side was his girlfriend of old times, Harmony, with at least 10 KG bullets to count and a head wound.

And up the stairs, lay Jinx. He had died due to a fatal bullet in the back of the neck. Torn wondered that – if he lived – what would become of them. Would they stay in the city, or find a new life in the Wasteland?

It was growing darker. Torn knew that he was either about to die or pass out. So, he closed his eyes in anticipation as to what would happen next.


Tess stepped over Jinx's body as she came back from the phone. Her mind was filled with thoughts she couldn't describe. She went over to where Torn lay to find him unconscious. She knelt down by him and rested her head on his chest. There was a heartbeat still, so he wasn't dead.


When the medics came, Tess had wrapped Torn up in a blanket to keep him warm. Haven City medics were the best for a long way around, so she knew he was in good hands. She waited in the waiting room as the doctors revived Torn, and removed the bullet that he had.

"Miss, you may see him now."

Tess looked up as she heard the doctor address her. She thanked him and went into Torn's room. She sat on a chair by his bed. He was awake.

"How are you?" Tess asked, suddenly feeling emotional again.

The tears welled in her eyes and she buried her face into the blankets on his bed, crying openly.

"You worried me so much!" She said before he could answer. "I thought you had died!"

"Nah, I'm not dead." Torn smirked. "Wh- why are you crying?"

"Because!" She said, wiping her eyes. "If something had happened to you, I never would have forgiven myself!"

He smiled. "Really? You think that much of me?"

She glared at him, and playfully punched his shoulder. "Of course I do!"

Torn looked down at her, and grinned. "What should we do once we get out of here?"

Tess closed her eyes and thought a moment. "Rebuild the Underground with the Insurance."

"Insurance?" Torn scoffed. "There never was Insurance."

Tess smirked, and Torn looked at her oddly. She started to laugh, and finally stopped, saying: "Of course you wouldn't know – you know all those papers I had on my bunk? Those were the Insurance papers. I filled them out over a couple of months."

Torn brightened immediately. "Well, aren't you a little genius!" He said, kissing her. "Imagine how good things could be if you ruled!"

Tess blushed and rested her head up against Torn's arm. "Aww, you're too sweet Torn. What happened to you? You've gone adorable!"

Torn grimaced, but Tess didn't notice. "Have I now?"


It was close to a week later. Torn was finally allowed to leave, and Tess had hardly left his side that whole time. Just as they were leaving, however…

"Torn! Tess!"

Tess turned. The Shadow was there, walking up to them. Torn turned and noticed him, too.

"Why are you here?" Torn asked.

"Why? To see the two survivors of the massacre, my friends, you know."

Torn nodded, he understood the basics of what the Shadow was talking about. Tess, however, was on to what he was saying.

"So you mean…" She said, causing Torn to look at her strangely. "… Ashelin's dead?"

"Yes, she is." The Shadow replied. "She was brought in here about an hour after you, in a Coma. She died about an hour ago."

Tess was thoughtful. "Well… while she was sane, she was a good friend."

Torn nodded. He was a little shocked to hear that he had KILLED her in the end, but he still agreed with Tess. "Yeah, a good friend."

Samos thought a moment. "Their funerals are today." He replied. "Are you going?"

"What, all of them?" Tess asked.

The Shadow nodded. "We'll be there." Torn said.


Torn linked his arm with Tess' as they made their way to the cemetery. Tess had a long black dress on and Torn was wearing a black suit. Just to suit the moment. They both hated the colour, they feel it didn't suit them.

They arrived to see a whole mass of people there. Some for Harmony, they knew her a while ago, many KG members for Errol and Ashelin. Tess recognized a few Underground members who had come in honour of Jinx, too.

"From here it seems the whole city turned out!" Tess remarked as they made their way into the church.

"Hmm, not quite." Torn said. "Although I can't really see the point of having all the funerals together."

"I guess cos they all happened at the same time." Tess said, frowning. "Though I see your point."

"Hey, there's Praxis." Someone said behind Torn.

He froze. With the tattoos on his face he would be sure to be seen by Praxis. Sure enough, the Baron came walking over.

"What is it?" Torn asked.

"KG… members… are… supposed… to… be… in… KG… uniform!" He barked.

"You're right." Torn said solemnly, looking at the ground and closing his eyes. "KG members should be in uniform. But not ex-members."

Torn looked then, at Tess. "Let's go inside."

Praxis glared after Torn as the two walked into the church. "I know who you are."

Torn froze. He turned around and looked at the city's leader. "Really?"

"Yes. Torn. And when I get my hands on you, you'll wish you had never met Ashelin."


I don't know about this chapter. Maybe it's the holidays that are making me all weird. I just feel weird about this chapter. Please let me know what you think!