♡♡♡

It's true what they say. Your life really does seem to flash before your eyes. Maybe not in the sense where you see parts of your life flickering like a slideshow, but as Andy steps closer to me, gun pointed at my temple, I remember things.

I remember my childhood. Movie nights as a family when mum was still around, silly games of truth or dare with my friends. Crying myself to sleep after my mother left, getting the flu on the first day of high school and being behind for a week. Breaking my leg when I was nine while I accidentally rode my dirt bike into a ditch.

It's almost overwhelming. The breath is knocked out of me. I can't believe what's happening. I thought I was safe, I thought we were going to be alright. I didn't think Andy would get to us ever again.

"Did you really think you could outsmart me?" Andy chuckles, walking even closer to me. The gun is now plastered to my forehead, the cool metal of it sending a shiver down my spine.

I'm shaking all over and I can't seem to control it. I've never felt more scared in my life than right at this moment. I would rather be beaten up by Andy a hundred more times than have this piece of metal loaded with bullets pressed against my forehead.

No one has said anything. Hunter and Ridge can't seem to move. Dad and Noah are balling their fists, knowing that if they make one wrong move I'll be long gone.

Suddenly, Andy grabs me by the shoulder, spinning me around so that I'm pressed up against him. He pulls the gun to the side of my temple, grasping my throat with his hard forearm, nearly knocking the breath out of me.

"Now, where do we start?" Andy says, and I can practically see the smirk playing on his lips.

Andy has always been unpredictable, but not like this. I'd never seen the inhumane, faraway glance in his eyes that he had as he walked out from the trees, gun in hand.

"How about we do this," he snarls, his grip tightening on my throat. I cough, instinctively throwing my own arms up to try and stop his hold on me from tightening any further.

"Damon, you'll get back in your car, call the police and hand yourself in. Only then, will I let Ellie go."

"Dad," Hunter says, calmly. He steps forward slowly. The look on his face is composed,  but I notice the subtle shake of his hands. "Dad, listen to me. You don't want to do this. This isn't you."

"Shut the fuck up, Hunter! Shut up!" Andy roars, his grip loosening on my throat as he swings his head around to glare at his son.

"Dad, what happened to you?" Hunter says, his voice breaking. I realise that he's trying his hardest to sympathise with his father so that I have an actual chance of getting out of this alive.

"What happened to you after mum died?"

"Do not bring up your mother! How dare you! You're nothing but a pathetic piece of shit. Get out of my face. You're a disgrace to this family and you're a disgrace to The Razors."

I watch Hunter stiffen, his eyes suddenly seem to clear. It's like he finally realises that his father cannot be saved anymore. Somewhere along the lines, he became a cruel, scheming man who only thought about death and destruction. It's like Hunter is finally realising that the man standing before him is not his father anymore, but merely a stranger.

"Hunter," I whisper.

He doesn't seem to hear me and I suddenly realise why in a moment of horror.

Sirens. The police are arriving.

I feel Andy behind me shaking with anger. "You—you pathetic son of a bitch!" he roars, and I cover my ears at the rage surrounding me.

He knows. He knows his sons have betrayed him. He knows that the police are going to arrive any minute now and that he is trapped. He knows he's lost. He realises he's desperate.

Hunter's eyes widen in horror, meeting mine. Time seems to slow down, just like it had when I ran into the arms of my brother. Only now, it isn't a happy moment. I know as soon as I look into Hunter's eyes what is going to happen. Andy has nothing to lose anymore.

"No!" Hunter says, letting out a blood-curdling scream.

He runs forward, reaching for the gun and trying to tackle his father to the ground. Andy's grip loosens on my throat and I cough loudly, buckling over to regain my breath.

Time stands still as I bring my hands to my throat, trying to soothe the scratchy feeling left behind. I don't even register the gunshot firing or the searing pain gaining strength in my abdomen until I hear the scream.

"Ellie!"

I've never heard such pure anguish in someone's voice. I've never heard so much pain and sadness overtake and break someone. I've never heard Hunter sound so hurt.

Ridge is holding Andy down, the gun has been thrown a few metres out of his grasp. The police have finally arrived, raising their guns, shouting orders at us. I can't seem to hear what they're saying. My head is starting to feel foggy and I don't understand why. I wince, feeling a stinging sensation spread through my stomach and I look down.

A bloodstain is spreading quickly along my stomach. I gingerly place my shaky hands over my tank and then my legs give way from under me. I fall to my side and hit the ground hard. I gasp, the pain so intense that I feel a scream rising up my throat. I lie down on my back, turning my head to find my family.

Noah and dad are both in handcuffs. Police officers are talking to them. They're both shouting at the officers, trying to get out of being held.

"Help her! Help her!" Noah screams, his voice breaking.

Ridge is being led away too and our eyes meet. He's screaming something, tears gathering in his eyes, but I can't hear him. My hearing is coming in and out in waves, like the ocean crashing to the shore. I look up at the sky and someone is hovering over me. Hunter's hands grasp the sides of my face, cupping me gently. He pulls my head to rest against his knees, brushing my sweaty hair out of my face.

I blink up at him, my breathing shallow.

"You're okay, you're okay," he says, painfully. I don't know if he's reassuring me or himself more.

I try to find his hand, wanting to grasp onto his fingers, but I can't seem to move. My body feels too heavy. "H...Hunter," I gasp, quietly, fighting the current that wants to pull me under. Black spots are starting to fill my vision.

"You're okay," he says, his voice cracking.

My eyes are fluttering closed and I can feel myself slipping further and further from Hunter's grasp.

"El, please. You can't do this to me. I need you."

I'm suddenly dragged back to a time last year. I'm standing in the school hallway, talking to Stacey. I can hear people yelling and suddenly, Carmen is behind me, her eyes widening.

"It's your brother again," she says, and I instantly knew what she was talking about. Standing at the end of the hallway, was Noah and Hunter, fists raised at each other.

"Your a piece of work, Haswell," my brother snarled, grabbing at the collar of Hunter's shirt as blood trickled down his nose.

A crowd had already started to form and I knew that if I didn't do something to stop it, Noah would probably have been suspended that day. He has already been in trouble several times, and I didn't want anything on his permanent record that could jeopardise his future.

Before Stacey or Carmen could even reach out to stop me, I had already walked through the crowd. I was in front of Hunter in an instant, just as he was drawing his fist back to hit Noah. Suddenly, his eyes had landed on me and grown an inch. His hand pulled back quickly and his gaze never seemed to leave mine.

It was like we couldn't stop looking at each other. Like we both realised that something more important than just a stupid fight had happened here.

As I look up to the stars now, I realise that the memory that has flashed before me is when Hunter became a constant part of my life. I've thought all along that our story began when I stepped foot on this farm, but I couldn't be more wrong. Our beginning started way before this disaster. We began before we even knew it. 

We've been apart of each other's stories for years.

"Hunter, I—"

"It's okay, you're alright," he whispers, tears streaming down his cheeks as he kisses my lips softly. I watch the stars twinkle and I suck in a breath. My lungs feel heavier. The pain seems more intense.

"I...love you," I whimper.

"Ellie, please. Please don't," he sobs, leaning down to meet my forehead.

He cries into my hair, his whole body shaking. He moves his hands to my stomach, applying pressure to my wound. The stain only seems to be growing more when I briefly look down at my shirt. I bring my shaky hands to his hair, softly running my fingers through his golden locks.

"Ellie..."

Hunter kisses me again, his salty tears reaching my mouth. I kiss him back with all the strength I have left in me, knowing it will be the last time I ever will.

I intertwine our hands briefly, but his hold on me is suddenly yanked away. Even though my eyes are starting to blur, I notice Hunter being handcuffed. His hands are roughly pulled behind his back. His face is twisted in the dirt and he's watching me, his lips screaming my name over and over.

"Fucking do something! She needs help!" 

Hunter is forcefully yanked up. He's kicking and screaming and suddenly a sob breaks through me. The pain is unbearable and I'm starting to swim in the colour of black. Dots are dancing everywhere, and I can't tell if I'm still looking at the stars or not.

I can't see Hunter anymore, my vision is too blurry when I try to look around me. My breathing is so harsh that I'm rasping. My body starts to convulse and blood drips out of my mouth, hot and sticky as it runs down my chin.

A person suddenly comes into my blackening view. At this stage, I don't know whether they are real or not. They place something over my face, covering my mouth. I feel like I can breathe slightly better now, but it doesn't help with the darkness.

It consumes me and I openly welcome it.