Ty looked around the darkened garden. He was lost for a moment before his eyes caught sight of Sky, laying still, arms still up, and face twisted in agony. Ty ran over to Sky's side and knelt next to him, before reaching out a hand and shakily touching Sky's left hand. Almost immediately, Sky's hands dropped and his face relaxed. Ty heard Sky groan and retracted his hand. Sky looked up at Ty and then he looked at himself, his eyes unfocused and sad. He began to sit up and then groaned, laying back down as the world spun around him.
"Where's the creature?"
Ty looked at Sky and bit his lip.
"It's gone."
"Gone? Where did it go?" Sky asked.
Ty sighed, "It sort of left, I guess."
"What?"
"Well, it just, like, vanished. Faded away."
Sky looked at Ty with calculating eyes.
"Do you know why it left? Or what it wanted in the first place?"
Ty swallowed and felt his heart beat faster. Lying always did this to him.
"No."
Sky sighed and closed his eyes. His heart was hammering from what he had just experienced.
The creature dove a transparent hand into Sky's head and his world went dark. He awoke in the garden again. He stood up and looked around. Then he remembered that Ty was being chased by that creature and he turned to run into the house. He stopped when he saw that there was no house behind him. He was lost for a second before he heard a laugh. He shielded his eyes from the bright light that now engulfed him. When he opened his eyes it was day and there was laughter all around him.
At first, he didn't recognise where he was, but it all came back to him when he saw two boys running around the park. Both had brown hair, but one had curly hair and the other lighter shoulder-length, straight hair. The taller, curly haired one was chasing the smaller one, their smiles matching and bright. Sky smiled as he relived the memory. That was, though, until grey clouds blotted out the sun and black mist began to sprout from the ground. The mist wove around like tentacles and towered over the two boys. Sky watched in horror, his feet rooted to the ground, as one of the black tentacles wrapped around the smaller version of Ty and pulled him up into the air. Sky's smaller version tried to grab Ty's hand, but he missed and grabbed at thin air. The older Sky closed his eyes as he heard the screams fill the air. He opened his eyes just in time to see the blood splatter at his feet. He was too scared to look up, but horrific images flashed through his head. That's when a bright, white light entered his vision and he felt his body lift into the air.
Sky opened his eyes and looked around to see where he was now. He was standing on the other side of a road. He could hear someone jogging towards him. He looked up to see Ty and Songbird. Ty was jogging towards him from the other side of the road, Songbird flying beside Ty. He put his hand up, smiling as he waved and yelled out. Calling to his best friend. He smiled and watched as the pair neared, he tried to step forward, but his legs wouldn't respond. Then he thought back to what had happened before. He looked up and saw Ty jog to the edge of the road. Look both ways and start to cross. Then Sky heard a honk and turned his head to see a car speeding towards Ty. He saw Ty stop and turn, frozen like a deer in headlights. Sky tried to run, but he couldn't. He closed his eyes and heard a squeal of tyres, a thump and…silence. Sky opened his eyes and saw Ty's limp body, on the ground, unmoving. He wasn't breathing. And Sky screamed. Calling for Ty. Then a light appeared and blinded him.
When Sky next opened his eyes, he shut them again as fast as he could. He was in the garden. Standing up. And Ty was there with the figure. Sky screamed, he pulled at his legs, he tried to get to Ty. But the figure was advancing and Ty was too scared to run. He saw Ty drop to the ground and look directly at him. Then the figure drove a hand forward and pierced through Ty's flesh. Ty fell forward and Sky watched as yet another version of Ty died. Then he was encased in white light.
Sky felt himself drop to his knees in the white room. He looked up as a shadow came over him. Ty stood in front of him, with a hole going straight through his chest.
"Why didn't you save me?"
Sky looked behind him, a smaller Ty covered in blood and an older Ty with his neck bent.
"Why didn't you save us?"
Sky looked back to the other Ty.
"I tried, but I couldn't! Please understand, I tried, Ty. But I couldn't…"
Sky began to cry.
"You're so pathetic. Why did I ever believe you could help me? Save me…"
Sky let his head look up at the Ty in front of him.
"Because we're friends and because…I…I…"
"You what?"
"Because I lo- "
Sky looked out at the flower bed. Ty had woken him up about ten minutes ago. But he felt like he had only just woken up. Those memories and the twisted versions of Ty remained at the forefront of his brain. He still couldn't get Ty's words out of his head. "Why didn't you save us?" Everything they had said. "You're so pathetic." Everything Ty had said. "Why did I ever believe you could help me?" Everything he had thought. "Why did I ever believe you could save me?"
Ty looked over at Sky. The silence had hung in the air like the sword of Damocles. Heavy and deadly. Ty sighed and got up from where he had been laying. He walked over to Sky and sat next to him. Sky shifted away a little, his eyes unfocused, unfazed at his friends' presence. Ty looked up from the ground and stared at Sky. Suddenly he launched himself at Sky, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him into a hug. Sky stared out at the flowers, his eyes beginning to water. Ty pulled away slowly; as Sky didn't hug him back, he realised that Sky might need some alone time. Ty got up and gently called to Songbird. The two left moments later, and Sky was alone in the garden.
Sky watched as the sun began to rise. He hadn't felt the cold until Ty had left. But he hadn't wanted to go in and see Ty so sad. He blamed himself for that. Ty was probably sad because Sky didn't hug him back. Or maybe it was because the creature had tried to hurt him and Sky couldn't help him. Whatever it was, Sky knew it was his fault. He was the reason for Ty's sadness, or that's what he believed. He didn't save Ty. He tried and failed to help Ty. And now Ty had been hurt, physically and probably mentally as well. Sky felt the wet trails beginning to form on his cheeks. Tears dropping onto his knees, making small wet spots on his jeans. Negative thoughts began to cloud his mind. His heart plummeted and smashed into millions of little pieces. He couldn't protect his friend. He couldn't save the one person he cared about most. He couldn't save his Ty.