Chapter 21

What do you fear the most?

I hear a knock on the front door so I open it. All I see is a young police officer standing on my doorstep and a police car in the distance. "Yes?" I ask.

"I'm really sorry," he says, giving me a sad look. "Your parents were in a head-on crash with a drunk driver who fled the scene. The paramedics were trying to resuscitate both of them for a full hour but despite their best efforts they passed away. I'm really sorry."

I slam the door in his face.

I am now completely alone.

###

What do you fear the most?

My house is burning. The fire is everywhere – it's coming out of the windows, and covering the roof. There are several fire engines and lots of firefighters. The whistles are wailing. The lights are blinding me.

I come closer to the building, looking around. "Is the house empty? Have you found anyone inside?" I ask the nearest firefighter, trying to shout over the noise.

He glances at me and says, "Two teenage girls. They are both dead." Then, he runs into my burning house.

I am now completely alone.

###

What do you fear the most?

"Miss, you have to answer my questions," the police officer says, gazing at me with annoyance in her eyes.

Feeling wet and cold, I'm looking around. It's dark and chilly. For a moment, all I can hear is the lapping of the nearby water. "But I don't know what happened," I whisper.

The officer huffs. "You were sailing in a boat with four people, two women – one with dark hair and one with fair hair – and two men, both with dark hair. The boat belonged to Mr Archibald Bailey. According to the witnesses, you were all drunk and under the influence of drugs. Suddenly, your boat capsized and everyone fell into the lake. You are the only survivor. What happened there?"

"I don't know." I cover my mouth with my hand.

I am now completely alone.

###

What do you fear the most?

It's pitch dark. The only sounds I hear are the whistles of invisible arrows that are flying above my head, but I don't know where the archers are. I need a place to hide or I may end up dead like the blond guy next to me. Shaking, I emerge slowly from behind the huge rock and then I see her.

With her long dark hair pulled back in a ponytail, she is fighting a hooded man twice her size. She's really tired and barely standing, though her two daggers are still covered with fire. I notice that her right wing is seriously injured and that's probably why she can't hide both of them.

Suddenly, the hooded man punches her in the face and she falls to the ground with a cry of pain. In an instant, he puts his sword in her belly and lets out a victorious laugh. With tears in my eyes, I watch her trying to gasp for air and cursing the hooded man who spits on the ground and leaves.

My legs are shaky when I approach her and kneel on the ground next to her. Tears are running down my cheeks but I don't care. I grab her hand and she looks at me.

"Go," she says. "Save yourself. Don't be stupid. Run… Tell him that–" Her eyes become glazed and she's staring into oblivion.

"No," I whisper, shaking my head and not letting go of her hand. "Please, don't…"

There is nothing I can do when she takes a breath but doesn't exhale. I close my eyes, sobbing.

I am now completely alone.

###

What do you fear the most?

Hiding behind a tree, we are standing next to each other and looking frantically around. She is panting loudly, clenching her fists and readying herself for the next fight. I know we used all our bullets to kill those creatures, and we must find some ammunition as soon as possible.

"Let's go," I say, grabbing her hand and leading her deep into the forest. "We have to draw away from the cave."

"I know." She nods and only now do I see that her blond hair is dirty and bloodied. "Do you think we will find the others?" she asks and glances at me.

I shrug. "I hope so. Maybe your brother has some–"

The air around us gets chilly and we know that they have found us. There is no use of escaping as they are faster than humans and enjoy running after their prey. We've seen that many times before and surely don't want to find out the hard way.

"Stay calm," I tell her, looking around. "I have a knife in my pocket so I can use it as a last resort. Unless someone comes to help us." I flash her a sad smile.

Suddenly, a blurred black object springs out of the bushes that are in front of us and pins her down, thrusting me aside. I hear her screams and cries for help but another black object lands between me and her, blocking the way.

Standing up, I take the knife out and say, "Let her go."

The doglike creature opposite me growls and bares its teeth, preventing me from helping her. I notice its long shaggy hair is covered in blood, so that one must have killed our friends. Shouting and still holding the knife, I take a swipe at it and it backs away. I repeat the swipe but the creature doesn't move. Instead, it growls again and glances at the second one as if telling it something. Before I'm able to move or say something, the second creature sinks its teeth into her neck and she shrieks in terror.

"No!" I scream at the top of my lungs but it's too late.

I am now completely alone.

###

What do you fear the most?

It's a perfect day. The sun is shining in the clear sky, the lilacs are blooming all around us and the man I was born to be with is standing opposite me and smiling.

His blue eyes are fixed on me and I feel like the most beautiful woman in the whole world. Holding the wedding ring, he says, "With this ring, I marry you and bind my life to yours." His hand is warm when he touches my finger and slowly places the ring on it. "It is a symbol of my eternal love, my everlasting friendship, and the promise of all my tomorrows." He gives me another smile that melts my heart away.

I don't take my eyes off him when I reach for the second weeding ring and repeat the same words, "With this ring, I marry you and bind my life to yours. It is a symbol of my eternal love, my everlasting friendship, and the promise of all my tomorrows." Finally, the ring is placed on the fourth finger of his left hand where it would stay for the rest of his life.

Our eyes meet and we smile at each other.

The wedding celebrant grunts and says, "You have made a statement to those around you of the relationship you wish to cherish and share." He smiles and continues, "A strong marriage is formed by love and friendship, by learning to compromise, and by caring for one another. This is the core of your marriage and the reason you are here. Today marks a new beginning for you both as a married couple and I hope you will look back on this day with happiness, love and laughter."

My handsome dark-haired husband, who is still holding my hand, gives me another smile and winks.

The celebrant goes on, "You have both made the declarations prescribed by law and have made a solemn and binding contract with each other in the presence of the witnesses here assembled. Therefore, I am delighted to announce, that from this day forward, you are now husband and wife. You know what to do, don't you?" He grins.

In one swift motion, my husband embraces me and leans me back. Staring into his blue eyes, I flash him a smile and put my arms around his neck. Then, he kisses me passionately. I hear clapping and roars of laughter.

When he lets go of me, I fix my eyes on him and whisper, "I love you."

"I know." He leans his forehead against mine. "I love you, too."

I close my eyes. "I know."

Inhaling deeply and still pressing my forehead to his, I'm about to open my eyes and give him a smile when I hear the sound of a gunshot.

There's a dreadful cry coming from behind me.

In a daze, I lift my head to look at my husband who is staring at me with disbelief in his eyes. I frown and peer down at him. Only then do I see a big stain of blood on his chest that is growing with every passing second.

Gasping, I look at him again and feel that my eyes are filling with tears. "Honey?" I ask, cupping his cheek but he doesn't reply. Instead, he leans forward, pressing his limp body onto mine and forcing me to sit on the ground.

Clumsily, I embrace him and stare at his handsome face, looking for anything that can tell me what is going on. I barely notice that my shaky hands are covered in his blood. "Honey?" I ask again but his eyes become glazed and there's blood coming from his mouth.

"I've already called 911. They are coming," someone says but I don't take my eyes off him.

With tears slowly running down my face, I put my hand on his cheek and whisper, "Don't go, my love. Please, don't leave me alone."

He fixes his blue eyes on me but I see that he can't keep them focused. "I love you," he says, closing and opening his eyes for a couple of times.

"No," I whisper. My white wedding dress is slowly getting soaked with his crimson blood. "Please, don't go. I love you, too."

He coughs and looks at me, flashing me a small smile. Then, he stares into oblivion and his chest stops moving.

I let out a cry, cuddling his limp body.

I am now completely alone.

###

What do you fear the most?

"They passed away. I'm really sorry."

What do you fear the most?

"Two teenage girls. They are both dead."

What do you fear the most?

"You are the only survivor."

What do you fear the most?

There is nothing I can do when she takes a breath but doesn't exhale.

What do you fear the most?

The second creature sinks its teeth into her neck and she shrieks in terror.

What do you fear the most?

He stares into oblivion and his chest stops moving.

What do you fear the most?

He kisses her passionately, saying into her mouth, "I love you."

"Fuck."

"Lexi, wait."

"Lexi, please. Let me explain."

"Lexi, darling, wait."

"Lexi, I'm begging you. Wait."

"Lexi, wait."

I'm on my knees and let the tears fall.

What do you fear the most?

I fear being alone.

IMPORTANT INFO

The story about Lexi and the Night Court guys will be updated in August. Thank you all for reading ;)