Petra mourns the fact that she is too late.

Petra sniffled, rubbing her red rimmed eyes for the hundredth time. Tears leaked from the corners, staining her delicate, slightly freckled face. Her father shot her a saddened glance. "Dear...I'm so sorry. Everything will be okay."

The auburn haired girl shook her head, the tears falling faster. Nothing would be okay. Not now, not ever. How could it be, when he was...

...gone.

And he was never coming back. Not anymore.

She buried her face in her hands and sobbed. The salty droplets dripped from her chin, wetting the loose black dress she wore.

Hands reached out to her from all sides, voices murmuring their well-wishes, but they fell upon deaf ears. She could hear nothing, feel nothing.

The only thing Petra could see was the dark red liquid that had flowed from his body, the cold, filthy slush that had formed his tomb, the wail of sirens that marked his final moments.

Because of her.

Her selfishness, her stupidness, her spoiled mind and anger.

It was her fault he lay in the coffin in the center of the dark, dreary room they were in, his steel eyes closed forever.

It was her fault he would soon be buried in the ground, when he'd had so much, such a promising future, such a wonderful life ahead of him.

What had she done?

It was her fault, all her fault...

Petra sat in her room, fixing her short, auburn hair in front of her mirror. She smiled at her reflection, pleased with her appearance. She'd braided it the way he'd liked it, in a crown around her head. Glancing outside, she gazed happily at the mounds of fresh snow that had fallen the night before. The trees were heavy with white powder, and the roads were slick with ice.

The ding of the doorbell made her head perk up. She sprang up from her seat, hurrying down the stairs to the front door. Pulling it open, she smiled up at the very person she'd been hoping to see. "Levi!"

The black haired boy, only about an inch taller than her five foot two frame, gave her his signature half smile. "Hey, Petra."

She grabbed his hand, pulling him inside. "Come on, get inside! It's really cold out there!"

He followed her into the sitting room, and they both took their seats on the plush red sofas.

"So, what's up?" Petra asked. "You didn't call."

"I wanted to tell you in person," Levi told her, pushing his jet black hair out of his eyes.

"Tell me what? What's the news?" Petra's green eyes stared brightly into his.

Levi smiled, a full smile. Petra blinked in surprise. He rarely did that. "What is it, Levi? Tell me already!"

"Well...I got accepted!"

"Accepted...to a college?"

"Yeah, and you'll never believe where!"

Petra grinned. "Where?"

"Cambridge! It's amazing!"

The grin slowly slid off of Petra's face. "...Cambridge? That's...in England, isn't it?"

"Yup," Levi continued, oblivious to her change in mood. "I'm leaving next month. This is a huge moment for me! Do you know how many opportunities I'll have there? This is the chance of a lifetime!" His usually pale cheeks were flushed, his gray eyes glimmering with excitement.

Petra's green irises, however, had dulled to a flat, dejected tone. "Ah...you're really happy about that, aren't you?"

"Of course!" Levi laughed. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Petra stared at her toes. "Cambridge is really far, Levi."

Levi's eyes dropped, realizing what she was getting at. "Petra...things will work out. I'll call you every day, and we can write if you want. Nothing will change between us!"

Petra snapped up, scowling. "Nothing will change!? We'll be thousands of miles away, Levi! What do you mean, nothing will change?"

Levi stood up. "So...you're saying that I shouldn't go? That I should throw away years of hard work and studying? This is my big chance, Petra!"

"But what about us, Levi?!? Should we throw away all those years of our relationship?"

"We won't be throwing them away, Petea!" Levi said, frustratedly running his hands through his hair. "This doesn't change anything! I'll always be there for you, no matter what!"

"Not when you're living in some high class dorm in Cambridge!" Petra cried, standing up as well. She stormed towards the door.

"I can't believe you're saying this!" Levi said angrily, following her. "This is my one big opportunity, and you want me to blow it? They've offered me a full ride scholarship, Petra! You know I could never afford something like that on my own!"

Petra ran outside, tears of anger forming in her eyes. "Well, I guess it's more important than the two of us, isn't it!"

"Petra!" Levi called after her exasperatedly. "Listen to what you're saying!"

She ignored him, running as fast as she could, the anger flaring up inside her. How dare he walk in there, so happy, when he was about to break to pieces everything they'd so carefully put together for years?

"Petra!"

She could hear his voice, louder now. Glancing back, she realized he was chasing after her. Jerking her head back around to the front in disgust, she sped up, running towards the main intersection in the road.

The light had just turned red, and all the cars slowed to a stop. She jogged across, wiping her face with her hands.

Then she heard the loud beep. Startled, she jerked her head up, staring in horror at the enormous truck that was barreling towards her, unable to stop as its wheels slid across the icy roads.

Petra screamed, a loud shrill sound as the vehicle rushed her head on, sure that she was about to die.

Suddenly, a huge force slammed into her from her left, and she flew to the side, landing safely, albeit a bit roughly, on the snow...

...and stared in shock as Levi's body collided with the mass of iron and metal.

"LEVI!!!" His name ripped from her throat, leaving it raw and sore, but she didn't care. "LEVI!!!"

The roads were a mess, people shouting and clamoring out of their cars to get to the fallen boy.

Petra dragged herself to his side, her breathing ragged. "Levi!"

She reached him, lying motionless on the slushy road, a puddle of something dark seeping out from under him. "Oh god! Oh god!"

She was openly sobbing now, the cries tearing themselves from her throat in an animalistic, hysterical way. "Levi! Please look at me! Someone, call an ambulance!"

"I've got it!" Someone shouted from the crowd.

The truck driver scrambled out of his truck, kneeling beside Petra, his eyes filled with worry. "Oh no..."

"Levi! Please look at me!" Petra screamed.

The boy on the ground took a shuddering breath, his steel eyes barely open. "Petra..."

"Just hang in there!" She cried. "Help is on the way! Don't leave me..."

"Petra..." He coughed, blood dribbling out of his mouth. "I...won't ever...leave you..."

"You better not, Levi Ackerman!" She sobbed. "You're staying right here! Help is coming! Keep your eyes open, look at me!"

Levi stared up at her face, his eyes wide as if he was memorizing every detail, though he already had. "I...won't go to Cambridge, Petra...I can stay...if you want..."

"I don't care about that anymore!" Petra wailed. "Please Levi, don't talk, don't talk, the ambulance is coming..."

The next few minutes were a blur. The sirens came screaming down the street, and soon the medics were there, shoving bystanders out of the way and lifting the black haired boy onto a stretcher.

One of the medics asked her if she was family, and she nodded faintly, since it was close enough. They'd taken her with them, and she insisted on staying by his side, numb with terror, her heart stopping every time the heart monitor hooked up to him dropped.

She prayed the whole way to the hospital, her eyes closed, knuckles white as they pulled in.

He was taken to a room, but when she tried to follow, they stopped her, telling her she had to remain outside.

Her parents were contacted, and they came rushing there without delay. Her father held her hand, while her mother rubbed her back soothingly as she sat there, terrified about why it was taking so long, yet afraid to hear the answer.

Hours later, a medic stepped out of the room, his face grim.

Petra's world went black.

She sat on her cold, hard bench at his funeral, listening dully as a few acquaintances spoke about him and his accomplishments. She had tried to speak a few words earlier, but nothing had come out but dry squeaks.

It was sunny outside, despite the snow. That wasn't right, Petra thought. Why was the sun shining, when her world was so gray?

And when they placed the covered coffin in the ground, she couldn't turn away, though the tears cut trails down her face. The men began to throw shovelfuls of dirt over the grave, and each crumbling thud clenched her heart, squeezing it with a cold fist, until her whole body was shuddering and she couldn't bear the noise any longer.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

Petra sobbed.

End.