So yeah.
It's been a while.
In all honesty, I have literally no idea why this chapter took me so long. Perhaps it's the fact I rewrote it about three times completely through. I don't know why, but I had so much trouble with this chapter!
But three time's a charm, I guess, because here it is! Enjoy :D
Lucy's Point of View
The fire that warmed the room cracked and broke the wood it lit. Silence filled the empty air as I finished my story. One could hear the quiet creaks and stirs of Ian's house early that morning. I sat there, not able to meet their eyes.
When I woke back up, I was being laid gently on Ian's couch by Anthony. I stirred and he almost dropped me in surprise. I took a deep breath. I know what I have to do. "Let me shower," I asked, placing a steady hand up to stop him from interrupting. If anything, I felt like the dirtiest human being alive. "Then I'll explain."
So I did. And here I am, staring at the warm, clean clothes Ian gave me to wear. The clothes were his sister's, Melissa, of course, someone much taller and older than me, but I didn't care. I was finally safe with the guys I loved, though I wasn't sure how they felt about me. Both gawked at me in disbelief at the story I just told them. Anthony sat, leaning against the couch with his knees to his chest. We sat there in silence.
I literally just told two simple Californian boys that I discovered the existence of a world-famous society who have killed two people already and are planning a mass genocide of even more, and they've scared me out of saying anything because of what incredible hell I endured the night before.
Ian eventually broke it with a snort. "You're…kidding, right?"
My head turned to him slowly with wet eyes. Ian quickly shied away at my obvious 'no'. Anthony glared and Ian repented. "I'm sorry, Lucy," he said. "It's just…did all that really happen? There's no way~"
"~It's true," my voice came as a flat whisper. "What happened, who they are, everything." I couldn't help but glare at 'someone' else. "Though I'm sure some of you don't believe me."
Anthony scrunched his eyebrows and began to argue, but sighed and looked down. Knowing neither of us would quit until we fixed the problem, Ian excused himself awkwardly and headed upstairs. Now alone, both Anthony and I grew sheepish. We both knew we were wrong in different ways. But where do we start?
"I~" I breathed, but this time, Anthony held up a hand, and I stopped.
"No, Lucy. I'm the one who should start. This whole…thing started because of me."
"Anth~."
"~No, it is. If I had just listened you, we could have gone to the police, and Mr. Sievers wouldn't be dead, you wouldn't have…you wouldn't have…!"
It always pained me to see a grown man cry, but it was even worse when it was him. My whole body still sore, I crawled over and hugged him. He immediately calmed when I did, and hugged me back. "I'm so, so sorry."
"Don't mention it," I smiled jokingly. "You have to promise me you won't blame yourself, either. It was no one's fault besides mine."
Suddenly tense, Anthony broke the hug and took my face in his warm hand. Sternly, he said, "No it is not, Lucy. None of this is your fault. Don't you dare blame yourself for what happened."
"It's not the only thing I blame myself for…" I mumbled to myself, just loud enough that he was able to hear.
His face scrunched up. "Wha~?"
That's when Ian reentered the room. Anthony remained eye contact waiting for my answer. I ignored it, however, too guilty and humiliated to admit my biggest mistake of the night. I crawled back to lean on the end of the couch as Ian handed me the comforter from his bed. Even with the fire and sweats I wore, somehow I couldn't get warm.
"Lucy, what did you mean~?"
"Thanks, Ian, I snuggled in the blanket as the chills exited my body. "Thanks for everything. Both of you. I don't think I would have lived if you guys hadn't found me."
They both slowly nodded to themselves. "You were already half dead when we did. Then you made us bring you here instead of a hospital, and now you've explained why.'
"So…now what?"
I sighed. "Well, I have to go home before Mr. and Mrs. Lucia wake up. Then I'll change and we'll go to school. I'll continue my normal routine; we all will."
"What?! You can't!" Ian kneeled next to Anthony. "We've all been through a shock, we know that, but we can't let it end here."
"They're planning an invasion on the world that will kill hundreds, maybe thousands of people!" Anthony added with the same level of vigor.
"And from what we've learned," Ian gestured towards me. "They're defiantly capable of it!"
"Yeah, I know that!" I began to grow frustrated with them. "But~"
"Lucy, we know you're scared, but we need to tell someone."
"If we tell the police," Anthony leaned forward and began removing me from my security blanket, "then no one can hurt you anymore."
I pulled away quickly and wrapped myself deeper. Anthony gave up and shriveled back. "I can't tell them. I can't tell anyone!"
"You've told us," Ian reminded me, shyly. That's only because you needed to know.
"Well, you have proof now, don't you?" Obviously still remorseful for his mistake, Anthony raised his eyebrows. "Where we found you, the cuts, the bruises? The police will believe you." This time, he mumbled afterword.
"It's not only that," Word vomit slowly crawled up my throat. I knew I was going to have to tell them, sooner or later. "There's another reason why I can't say anything."
Both of them anticipated for what that was. "I'm not the only one involved in this."
"Of course not," Ian laughed lightly. "Those people~"
"Not them!" I growled and waved around the room. "Us! People on the outside. I'm not the only one involved." The word vomit reached my tongue and stung my words. "Because of me, I'm not the only one involved."
And Ian put it together. Slowly he asked what I was saying, though his sad and scared eyes already knew.
"They said if I told anyone, they would kill me… and you guys, too."
I looked up. Never in my life had I seen such looks of fear and betrayal on someone's face. Both of them turned pale white. Slowly they looked towards each other, wondering if the other could possibly have something to say. But neither did. Ian and Anthony gulped and finally looked at me.
"How…" Anthony stopped, trying hard to not let his voice crack. "How could you, Lucy? I mean, I know you were mad, but~"
"No, no!" Throwing off my blanket, I crawled towards them. "I didn't tell them about you, I promise! I don't know how they found out, I swear!"
I lunged toward Anthony, but he and Ian stood up in an instant. I fell to the ground at their feet. My frizzy, wet hair dangling in front of my face, I looked up to them in pity, pleading for their forgiveness. "I would never do anything to hurt you or put you in danger!"
"But you did."
"No, I didn't!" Crying wouldn't help, I knew, but I couldn't help it. "Well, I did but….It wasn't my fau~!"
"Yes. It was." Ian's head dropped to his chest, and his eyes met mine in a frown.
"Ian, I~,"
He looked down sadly and out of the way. Then I gazed to Anthony, his eyes read the same hatred as they did when we fought, which seemed like an eternity ago. Angry tears were violently wiped away. "You need to go, Lucy. Now. You can't be near us anymore."
My heart sunk. "Anthony…"
His eyes closed and shook his head. "No. Now. Go." Out of desperation, I stared up at Ian, who opened his mouth to say something, but after a glance at Anthony, he closed it, silent.
I had lost, and finally gave up. So I stood up and left out the front door to my way back to the house. I didn't know where I was going, nor did anyone chase behind to tell me. They were done with me, and how could they not be? All of this, everything was completely my fault. I had made such a messy disaster, and ruined everything and everyone around me.
I lost everything; my power, my safety, and my two only friends. One question wouldn't leave my pounding head as I walked in a general direction that warm (but, to me, freezing) Californian morning. Where do I go from here?
Thanks for reading! New chapter every other Friday/Saturday! Peace, love, and all that jazz!