Chapter Twelve

Moonbeams shined down sadly on the horrible scene. Zigzag, kneeling before Elizabeth's fading body, while Zack snickered cynically from a short distance. The light bounced off both the tears from Zigzag's eyes and the bloody weapon held by Zack. With a scoff, he kicked off the alley wall and started told Zigzag.

"You're weird you know." He hissed, stopping right behind Zigzag, staring down at Elizabeth. "You barely know her, why do you care?"

Zigzag bit his lip and refused to answer. In all honesty, he didn't know why he cared, and to him it didn't matter. All that did matter was the fact that he did care, and whether she cared for him or not didn't matter; he wanted her to be okay.

"ANSWER ME!"

Wind blew through the alley, wiping tears right off Zigzag's cheeks. The wind died and Zigzag barely turned his head toward the ghostly figure.

"What would you know about caring?"

He heard Zack's laugh, and then heard him slither back to the wall.

"Doesn't matter, I'll just wait here and watch you both suffer."

Silence settled as Elizabeth's breaths descended slowly. Zigzag reached out to touch her pale face, and was surprised when his fingers went past her skin. He felt a rushing sensation, a magnetic feeling pulling him closer to Elizabeth. He pulled his hand back, afraid, but then, an insane idea struck him, and he slowly, as not to possibly hurt her, abandoned himself to the sensation.

The world around him began to spin. He wasn't moving toward her, she had disappeared. He panicked, thinking she was gone. The world around him was fading to black, and he could hear Zack screaming in the background. He closed his eyes, hoping it would all stop and he would find her.

It did. The spinning stopped, and trembling, he opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by nothing. Every way he looked, if he was really looking a different way, was darker than star-less night. He shut his eyes again, trying to find his body in the blackness. Once he could feel his legs, he tried to stand. The first time he fell back to the darkness, but the second time he stood. He got his balance, and opening his eyes, he ran. Ran as fast as he could in whatever direction he could. He had to find her, she was here, he knew it.

He feet found something, and he fell back to the darkness. Quickly, he turned, squinting through the darkness, but he didn't need to. For at his feet, glowing feebly was Elizabeth.

"How much of that damn stuff did you shoot him with?"

The Warden paced around her cabin as Zigzag lay knocked out cold on the floor. Dr. Pendanski stood on the other side of the room, holding a tranquilizer gun in his hand, inspecting the inscriptions on its side.

"I don't know, it doesn't say! I only shot him once! He should have woken up by now!" He squeaked, panicked.

"I think he's a faking it." Mr. Sir mumbled, looking Zigzag over quizzically. The warden sighed.

"Whether he's faking it or not, it doesn't matter! Do you know what would happen to us if the state finds out we possibly overdosed a juvenile? Instead of running the jail, we'll be in jail!"

"Stay calm!" Pendanski said, shaking. "There's no proof yet! I only shot him once, at least, that's the story we're keeping to."

Both Mr. Sir and the warden turned to glare at him.

"What?" the warden hissed.

"Well…I-I don't exact-t-ly r-r-remember…" He stuttered, fumbling with the tranquilizer. He yelped as Mr. Sir dived at him and grabbed him by his shirt collar.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T REMEMBER?!?!" Mr. Sir yelled, shaking Pendanski until the gun fell out of his hands onto the floor. The vibration from the fall set off the trigger on the tranquilizer, and it shot right into Zigzag's arm.

The cabin fell silent as they stared.

Zigzag, shaking uncontrollably, lifted his hand toward Elizabeth's face. His fingertips brushed her skin. He could feel her. They were real.

He caressed her luminous cheek with his hand, her skin was cold to touch, but he felt warm inside. Just to feel her, to touch her, gave him hope that she was all right.

His eyes welled up with tears, as the memory came back that she was not all right, she was dying. His hand grabbed hers, and he laced his fingers with hers, wanted only to hold to, just to make her passing a bit more peaceful. He knew he couldn't stop it, but he could try to make her happy.

From beneath his hand, he could feel her veins pulsing weakly, trying hard to carry blood from her slowing heart to the rest of her fading body. He looked up to her face, and almost ran when he saw her silver eyes staring back at him.

"Zigzag?"

Her voice was the sweetest music he thought he'd ever hear. Just to know she was alive, he fought to contain himself.

"Elizabeth, I'm here for you. Don't fear."

"You've been invading my dreams."

The words shocked him; they weren't exactly what he had expected to hear, though, to be honest, he hadn't expected anything.

"I-I'm sorry, I haven't been mea-"

She stopped him by clenching his hand tightly, her face twisted in pain. He watched helplessly as she writhed in pain. Slowly she idled again, her eyes holding more pain than seemed possible.

"Zigzag, I don't know how you're here, and I don't know why, but…" she took a deep, painful breath and continued, "I'm glad you are".

And she smiled.

More tears swam down Zigzag's face. He knew what she was saying; she was starting to say good-bye.

"I'm not going to make it Zigzag."

The words stabbed him in the heart. He gulped back a sob.

"No, you are Elizabeth, be strong! I'm here with you, I'll help you."

She twitched again, twisting and screaming from the volts of pain. This time, Zigzag let go of her hand, and wrapped his arms around her. He held her tight, trying gentle to will away the pain, to transfer it to himself, anything but this.

He felt a pain in his gut as he held her, pain quickly racing through his body.

He glanced down to see the knife protruding out of Elizabeth, and into him.