tw// blood, death

P H I L ' S  P O V

"If you don't choose, I'll kill each and every one of you. It'll be just like the day you killed Wirrow," Ross hissed. Dan stirred in the corner, but stayed limp.

"Bryony, why are you doing this?" I murmured, turning to face her. She gulped and averted her eyes.

"Don't you get it? Chloroform? I was the one that took Dan to the forest that day, the day his mother and Wirrow died. Guess it didn't click for you."

My lips formed in a tight line. "But why? Wirrow hit you before I got there to save my love. You would've done just the same to me if it meant saving Wirrow, regardless of how Dan would feel. You do crazy shit for love, you and I both know that."

"Bryony, please don't do this," Nyla sniffled. "This isn't you. We can all make it out of here if you just trust us. All those things you told me at that bar that night, that was the real you. . . . not when you're like this."

"Shut up," Ross growled.

"How did you get here?" I asked Nyla.

"I didn't want to be, Phil- I swear. That night at the club, Bryony and I were talking. She went to the bathroom and she was taking a really long time, so I went to go check on her. I caught her installing the bomb. Alec came in and he knocked me out, and I ended up here. They threatened me, Phil, I promise I wouldn't hurt anyone. I was scared-"

"I get it. I was the same."

Nyla let out a sigh of relief.

I nodded towards Bry, but she simply gazed past me and at Nyla. "Bryony, you don't have to be like them. You never have been and I've noticed that. You've always had a soft side, whether you'll admit it or not. People change, you can too."

"Bryony, shoot him already!"

Bryony's eyes began to water and she shook her head, raising the gun back towards my head. "Shut up."

"Please do the right thing, Bryony," I told her calmly, my hands raised. "You're not like them. I know you aren't."

"Shoot him," Ross growled.

"You don't get to tell me what to do," Bryony cried, shooting the female member before I put Ross in a chokehold.

She stomped over towards Nyla, untying her. They hugged, an embrace that seemed to piece back together everything Bryony let fall apart. For once, she had someone that was genuinely a friend, and already she had to surrender it.

"Run," Bryony commanded after pulling away then raised her gun, shooting Ross in the stomach.

"Bryony-" I started, but I listened and let go of Ross. He stumbled and I picked up Dan. We ran, leaving Bryony behind. I turned around as I ran to watch it all unfold, seeing Ross move towards Bryony. She backed up.

"If I'm gonna die, it sure as hell isn't gonna be you that gets to kill me," she told Ross, putting her gun to her head and pulling the trigger. I winced, listening to the gunshot that ended her life.

She had saved us, and maybe saved herself. Maybe a part of her felt undeserving of life, undeserving of the potential friendship she could've had with the girl that went by the name of Nyla. Maybe this was her finally ending her suffering of a back and forth hell, and maybe going somewhere better.

I looked over at Nyla to see her hand over her mouth, holding back tears as we ran. She knew Bryony was dead. Everything they could have gotten to know about each other had vanished into the thick, muggy air that surrounded the abandoned building.

I had to save the last two people in my life that cared about me.

"You can't run forever, Philip!" It was Ross. How the hell was he still alive? "Bulletproof vests really do come in handy, am I right?"

We froze when the lights went out. "Shit, he powered off the lights, didn't he?"

Nyla panted behind me. "He knows the way around and we don't."

"Who's up for a game of hide and seek in the dark, huh?" Ross yelled out. I frantically searched around for an exit, squinting my eyes when I spotted a closed door on the left. I pulled Nyla with me, Dan still unconscious on my back.

I pulled her along and into the room, cautiously shutting the door, locking it, then blocking it with a chair. Dan shifted behind me. "We need a way out, Phil. Look for a lantern or something."

I tilted my head when I saw light peeking through a hole, tiptoeing over to it and moving the curtain to find it was a window.

"We climb out here."

"I hear youuu!" Ross sang.

"Oh n-" I threw my hand over Nyla's mouth, the two of us freezing completely as we listened to his footsteps. Our breathing was shaking as well as our bodies, fear filling us head to toe.

"Come out come out, wherever you are!"

Then it went silent. Too silent.

Without warning he was banging on the door, jangling with the lock and kicking at it. "I know you're in there!"

Flashbacks of when I used to lock myself in my room to hide from him as my boyfriend came into mind and I shook them away, rising and taking Nyla by the arm.

"Help me get Dan over the window," I whispered to the scared girl in front of me. She nodded and we hoisted him up, cringing as we heard his body hit the grass outside. "Alright, c'mon, I'll help you over."

She shook her head. "If anyone's making it out alive, it's you. Dan needs you."

"Nyla-"

"The more you talk, the less of a chance all three of us will live. I'll be fine. Now c'mon." She squatted and put her hands out. I exhaled before stepping into her hands, grabbing onto the windowpane and sliding up. Once on top I leaned down to grab her arms, but in front of my eyes I watched as the chair went flying across the floor and the door flew open.

Ross waltzed in, immediately spotting us and stomping over. "Nyla, fuck, hurry up!"

She took my hands and I pulled her up. Ross was limping, blood trailing from his chest all the way down to his legs. He wasn't going to make it. She wasn't going to make it.

We weren't going to make it.

Her knees touched the pane and Ross took a step. Ross took another, then her leg slipped, and he caught her.

I let out a scream as I reached to grab at her, snatching her hand. We intertwined fingers and I pulled at her, desperate to save her life. Ross was stronger, however, yanking on both of her legs. My free hand had to keep the window up to prevent it from locking us in.

"Ten seconds, kiddos!" Ross laughed. "Then we all go up in flames!"

Nyla locked eyes with me. "Let go, Phil."

My eyebrows furrowed and eyes watered. "No. No, are you crazy? I'm not leaving you," I sniffled. I felt tears began to roll down my cheeks. "I'm not."

"Five seconds left! It'll be just like the club bombing, except no one lives!"

Nyla put her hand on my cheek, wiping at a stray tear with her thumb, flashing me a sad smile. And as I looked into her eyes, I could no longer see the hopeful blue color that was once present- instead a dull gray. Only now did I notice how truly broken she was, as if I was a magnifying glass looking at her for the first time- finally seeing every inch of internal and external pain she was facing.

Like a book without words, all she needed was the touch of ink, but nobody had a pen.

Her lips parted and I squeezed my eyes shut, letting tears fall freely.

"I'll be okay," she had told me.

And then I felt it. Her hand leaving mine, her sweaty skin rubbing against mine as it was removed. I watched as she was torn away from me and the beeping of the bomb rang in my ears.

I fell backward and landed next to Dan, who was staring right up at Nyla as she was pulled away.

The last beep chimed, and then it happened. The explosion. Glass shattered and flames erupted from the windows and holes, doors and objects breaking into pieces. My ears rang and I looked at Dan one last time to see it.

A tear. A tear was rolling down his cheek.

He was crying. He was finally crying.

My eyes widened and he threw himself at me, and not even needing permission or any denying, he began sobbing onto me. While I could not hear him considering my ears were ringing, I could feel him.

Not only externally could I feel his body tremble and shake in my arms, but I could feel his pain. Like sun to a plant, his sadness was in rays against my skin, burning me with sorrow and lighting me with heartbreak.

And like that, my vision went black and white, just like the boy's mind in my arms.