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T h e   H o l l o w s O f
H    I    R    A    E T H
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T h e E n d:
Denouement
Part Five/Seven

And so fall away from happiness is what I did. But it turned out this bitter way: that was never the reality. This is the reality. This is my God forsaken life. All of this danger, this bloodshed, this pain—this is the reality.

And, in this reality, I can't escape my routes—what people before me have had to deal with. Just because of a stupid tale. These are the times where you realise, there is nothing humane about some of us humans. I resent them for what they've done to me. I resent them for what they've done to my life.

My blood denies me the reality I thought I had. I don't belong where I thought I did. With a reality worse than a nightmare, I wonder when I'll wake up. I can't breathe. All these uncovered lies are suffocating.

But the worst of all are all the problems built up in my life over the past five months. All the natural teenage drama, all those bumps in the road that made all the drops seem that much scarier. Carter was my best friend. He loved me. And I couldn't return that. I knew I couldn't. And now, I'm just as bad as those other monsters, creating downfalls after hazardous bumps in the road. What have I done?

I've hurt more people than I've helped. Every time I've been saved, someone else has suffered the damage. I'll warn you, please keep your distance. I am an explosive. I am a ticking time bomb. And the next time I explode, it won't just be one or two people falling, it'll be the whole city.

—Sky Forest, twenty-four hours post reality.

Once submerged into our safe room, I became aware of how awkward the atmosphere was now that everyone had heard Carter and I fighting. Jameson had met me by the door, looking concerned as his eyes met mine, but I saw the rage as he looked behind me and into the room. I ignored him, and everyone else, and paced restlessly in front of the curtained window.

I could feel that something was coming for us, and as I gnawed on my fingernails, I felt the pressure of our forthcoming vulnerability. I could sense that everyone's mental states were beginning to languish from the tiresome wait.

And then the storm erupted. A tumultuous thunder tore through the tunnels, echoing through the halls and the rooms, crashing into us and shattering our thin sheeted shield of protection.

I lost both Jameson and Carter in the chaos that followed, and, having no one to hide behind, I followed the crowd, accepting a gun that was thrust into my hands. It seems these days I'm tethered to danger.

And so we ran, fleeing from flocks of monsters. Tunnels and tunnels away, there was a bright light, that is what I am sure of. Whether that bright light is a safe haven, or a raging explosion, is something we won't know until we reach it.

I wasn't really sure of who was who as I sprinted, but I suspected that they were guardians who I just hadn't met yet. Kai and Harry were nowhere to be seen, and I had given up on searching for both Carter and Jameson; I could barely make out my right foot from my left when I looked down.

My group dispersed into the night and I slowed down, unaware of where to turn. I gripped my gun tightly, my hands clammy and my breath shaky. What do I do? Try to not get myself killed. But how do I do that? I have no bloody clue.

"Sky!" I spun around, glancing around frantically, trying to look for the person who had screamed my name. I recognised the top of Jameson's head and yelled out his name. The boy waved around for a while, then gestured to the double doors in front of him; they were going into a hall to eliminate the threat.

Arms grasped at me, restraining me and tugging me backwards as I watched many familiar faces walk into a hall, prepared for battle. I stayed down and out of the way whilst an army of soldiers marched in. The next thing I knew, shots were being fired. I cringed. That could be the death of any one of those familiar faces I saw go in. Harry went in. Kai went in. Kate went in. Kim went in. Carter went in. Jameson went in.

"Move, move, move!" Yelled a guardian as she shoved me forward, "Run round that corner!" She ordered to me over the shouts in the other room. "Don't stop until you reach the post, go!" She screamed and I stumbled forward, sprinting for my life down the dark corridor.

I supposed this was the safest route for me—there was nothing but guardians at either entrance of the tunnel—still, I would've preferred some company.

Suddenly, just as I was around three metres away from my destination, one of the doors in the corridor swung open and whacked my left arm, sending me flying into the wall on my right, jolting my right shoulder into a weird place. I winced as I stretched it out, probably only going to gain bruises from the doors assault.

Then I noticed something something eerily odd. There was no noise. No gun shots. Aside from the shouts of a team trying to organise itself, nothing sounded to be dangerous. In front of me was a man, seemingly the one who had pushed open the doors, laying face flat on the ground, but he wasn't a guardian, and he was bleeding out from a wound in his back.

I stepped around him, peering into the room. I spotted Harry and Kai, but no Jameson or Carter. My heart thudded in my chest. They're okay. It's Carter and Jameson. Of course they're okay.

I took a deep breath before pattering into the room, conscious of all the dead or brutally injured bodies around me. I just about tumbled over a body before Kai spotted me, rushing over and holding his hands for me to grasp onto.

"Thank you," I smiled at him when I had made my way around all the bodies without trampling on them. It was a horrific sight as I finally stood still and mentally registered the death count. Even if the fallen weren't on our side, they were still human beings. It was horrible to have witnessed.

A sick feeling rose in my stomach as I felt Kai pat my hand. I turned to face him, raising an eyebrow, feeling that I had missed part of what he had said.

"It's safe here now," He told me, fishing a small notebook out of his back pocket. "The enemy is either dead or unarmed." Kai assured me with a rueful smile. He counted the few guardian bodies that were swarming around our feet. I felt dizzy just thinking about it.

"Where are Jameson and Carter? I didn't see them when I came in." I asked Kai, turning around to do a quick once over of the room.

"That's because they went through there with five other guardians," Kai pointed to a room across from me and I tried to make out what was inside as I peered in.

"We may have killed the enemy, but I'd rather be completely sure that you're safe." I glanced back around to see Kai handing his gun to me.

I smiled but shook my head. "It's fine, keep your gun," Kai looked unsure, "Carter will have one," Kai gave me an uneasy glance, visibly biting on the inside of his cheek as I watched him decide on what to do. "And Jameson." Kai's face seemed to relax as he gave me a silly smile.

"Bye, Fiancé." He joked but glared at him.

"Never use that joke again." I threatened before I was on my way.

I pushed open the door and stepped right in. First, I was aware of all the bodies on the floor, mostly enemies. But then I was aware of one in particular.

And it felt like the world shattered around me.

It wasn't happening. This isn't real.

I repeated those words in my head as I took a hesitant step forward.

He's okay, Sky, look at him. He's fine.

This isn't happening. This isn't real.

I blinked.

It still isn't real.

Sky, this isn't happening.

But it was. Of course it was.

My shocked brain wouldn't register anything else except the fact that he was dead.

Until my eyes rose and I saw Jameson.

I should've felt relieved. I should've ran into his arms and cried.

But his hand held a gun. And his face held an expression full of panic and regret. And when his eyes met mine, they widened until I could see into the depths of his heart. Then I began to question it.

"What happened?" My voice shook. Jameson clutched the gun.

"Jameson." I was trembling. It was uncontrollable. I was uncontrollable.

He wouldn't say anything.

"Jameson, what happened?" I repeated, but my voice never rose. I barely had the brain capacity to shout.

"Sky, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I don't know–I–I–"

"What did you do, Jameson?!" I screamed. I felt a shiver come over me as the trembles quaking my body became too fierce.

Jameson noticed this. "Sky you're–"

"Jameson!" I shrieked. The tears escaped. Of course they did.

I could barely look at the body as my lip quivered.

"I– I didn't mean to I–"

"You killed him."

It all set in.

It all happened.

I sank to my knees in front of Carter's body and touched the side of his face. A pulse. There has to a pulse. Just as I was checking, I sensed as someone crouched behind me.

"Sky–"

"Go away!" I shouted, "You killed him!" I continued to beat him with my words. "I hate you!" I shrilled, slamming my fists into his chest. "I hate you!" I repeated, kicking out at him. "I hate you!" I couldn't stop. I struck him once more before guardians walked in.

I ignored everyone and turned back to Carter.

There was no pulse.

"I'm sorry, Carter. I'm so sorry." I whispered to him as I cradled his face in my hands. His eyes were still open as I pulled his cold body into mine, letting his head rest on my thighs.

It hurt so much. I couldn't control it. I can't control anything. It hurts too much.

"Sky." Many voices whispered that name. But I knew that a female guardian was closing in on us.

"We have to go." She told me softly and I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping to shield her out as I felt tears escape my shut eyes.

I opened my eyes and faced a boy lost to a loveless world. All he wanted was my love.

I planted a soft kiss on his forehead. Then one on his lips. I could whisper nothing else to make it feel better, my previous apologies would ghost around his body, never being heard.

I stood up, untangling myself from Carter. The cold I felt from his freezing body was replaced with the cold of sneering shadows as they covered me.

Hands pressed onto my shoulders, steering me away from him.

"But-but what about his body?" I asked them, sudden panic jolting my nerves.

"The guardians will take him, we'll receive his body when we're back at the academy." The woman told me as one of her arms snaked around my waist.

"He should be buried back home, he should be–"

"We'll worry about that later."

I barely tuned in to anything once I had tuned out. Reality became too much and I couldn't breathe. I couldn't function. I couldn't do anything. Talk of getting me back to the academy, and further plans circled in the van I sat in, with my face buried into my arms.

I didn't know where Jameson was. I didn't know what would happen to me now.
But I knew one thing: I just lost my best friend. Carter is dead.

(A/N: you can play the song now :) ☝🏼☝🏼)

I picked up the plate of sausages from the countertop and threw a smile over at Carter's endearing eight year old cousin as she used my brush to comb through her knotted dirty blonde locks. Lexi's cousin, who was a boy of ten and a tedious task to handle, walked right on up to her and grinned. I smiled as I watched them giggle and joke around. I'm sure they'd make the perfect couple in the future. In the far-off future.

I walked outside with the plate, admiring the beautiful barbecue that Lexi, Carter and I had set up at Carter's uncles. The sunlight streamed in, nearly blinding me as it hit the bunting, reflecting off the crystal fairy lights that wouldn't come alive until the evening rolled around.

"Boo!" Someone yelled and I jerked around. Then I smacked my head into a rough surface. I groaned, dropping the sausages, hoping to God that they wouldn't ruin my skater skirt as I clutched my head. My flower crown dropped to the floor, almost as if summer had ended and all the petals had drooped. Like they were dying slowly.

I recognised Carter's cackles as I frowned, the action only making my head ache further. So I closed my eyes. Tears sprung to my eyes as I continued to moan and groan in pain. Carter's laughed ricocheted off the brick wall, like my head had down moments before, and it was carried in a swirl above our heads by the wind.

Someone was clutching me, but still laughing, holding an ice pack to my head. The cold chill hurt slightly, but I knew that it would help. The laughing never stopped. It whirled around and around my head, wrapping it's ribbons around my blonde hair, weaving itself in between my fingers, brushing over my eyelids. Then it shot me right in the heart. If I hadn't been in pain, I would've been laughing too.

I opened my eyes. But I couldn't see a thing.

"Carter?" I asked, feeling around, but only touching wisps of what once was a laugh. Where did he go? The laughs were echoing in my ears, but I didn't know if I was making them up or not.

"Carter?" I called. No response. The silk of the laugh that had shot into my heart became a bullet and it twisted and cut through my vessels.

It hurt. "Carter, this isn't funny!" I shouted. It just echoed. Like I was the only one in a mile long, deathly dark, tunnel.

"Where are you, Carter?" I asked next. No response. Where is he? I clutched onto my head and chest, trying to contain the pain. But I couldn't work out why it hurt my chest so much.

"Carter!"

"Carter!"

"Carter!"

"Carter?"

"Carter, come back."

Then I realised. Something was missing in my chest. A piece of my heart. The bullet had dug out a segment of my heart, and it fell to the floor and shattered. The tears that had welled up fell, and they hit the shattered glass one by one, like rays of sunlight reflecting off fairy lights.

The pain never subsided.

"Carter, come back."

His laughter echoed around me, ribbons and streamers of love. They froze in mid air and shot at me from all kinds of distances. I crumpled over with every shot. Until I fell to the floor.

"Carter?"

"Come back." I cried.

"Carter."

He laughed.

And it echoed

And echoed

And echoed

And echoed

And echoed

Until there was nothing else to echo.

He was gone.

Carter is gone.

Carter is dead.

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#longestchapteroftheyear

#sorry

OKAY FOR PEOPLE WHO WILL SAY THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT HIS DEATH (ChloeMartinez I see you)

We saw that Jameson held the gun
Did he kill Carter?
Sky said he hated him
If he did, he just murdered her best friend
Not exactly boyfriend goals
This will cause problems in their relationship and why am I still explaining this just keep reading bruh

-bra

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Next update: Monday
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CHAPTER ONE-HUNDRED PART ONE SPOILER:

Do you think that Jameson killed Carter because it was so heavily hinted at?

What happens now?

Sky will have to go back to the academy, knowing all that she lost.

Who will be there to comfort her?

Sinister secrets reveal them self at the very last moment.

And, sometimes, you'll find that the author hasn't done quite enough damage yet.

😈😈😈