The sound filled my ears. The continuous high-pitched sound of flatlining. I'm not sure of what happened after that. The next thing I knew, Will's arms were wrapped around me and the wind buffeted my face as he flew me home and settled me on the bed. A dawn was breaking, I don't know which one, and the sky was pinky-grey.
He left the room quietly and closed the door behind him. Even though I was exhausted I couldn't sleep. My mind was racing. Images of Warren flashed across my eyes. Him in the cafeteria trying to kill Will, him at the Homecoming Dance, him in Save the Citizen, him at the Paper Lantern, him at his graduation and finally him in his bed and that tiny butterfly.
And then it hit me that I would never see him again. Never hear his voice, his laugh, feel the warmth of his hand again. All these things had died with him but I knew it would be a long time before I forgot them.
At this thought my lower lip trembled and my eyes filled with tears as I lay on the bed and cried. My throat constricted as the sobs racked my whole body. My chest was tight, my stomach cramped and it felt as though someone was squeezing my heart. The sorrow was crushing me as I thought of the pain he must have been in for so long without anyone knowing. Without anyone who cared for him to be there with him. Blood pounded in my ears and my head was throbbing as I wailed in silence, my breath coming in short, ragged gasps as the tidal wave of pain crashed onto me. My tears ran down the sides of my face and into my hair, drenching the nape of my neck and the pillow.
I was so angry at the injustice of it all.
But slowly the sobs subsided and this time exhaustion stopped me in my tracks. Despite the wetness of my pillow I slept through the day. I didn't notice the tiny butterfly reappear at my window or sit on my bedside table until I woke up. I rolled over, my head heavy and my mouth parched from dehydration and reached for water. That's when I saw it. The little butterfly danced around the room before finally settling on my finger where it sat until it disappeared into a puff of smoke almost the same as the one from which it had come.
As I drank the water by my bed I looked out of the window. The sun was setting and the sky was a fiery-red, just as it had looked on his graduation and I knew, that even though he was never coming back, he would never be far.
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A/N: Thank you so much to all of my reviewers! Your words were so nice and this is the best-received story I have ever written. You guys are amazing and I guess it just goes to show that drawing on real life experience really does make you a better writer.