Evanescent

The Fourth Chapter

Razor was dead. They found her two mornings ago. No pulse. Lavender hair this time. Freshly dyed. I loved her but I couldn't mourn. I wouldn't. For her. She'd hate it. There was going to be a funeral, of course. But, would I go? Maybe. I should, for Hero. She'd hate that too.

Poor Hero. I turned my head. He was on the black couch behind my favorite chair. Dressed completely in black. Head in hands and weeping. It was a terrible sound. A boy weeping over the girl he loved. Love... What a silly word.

A black shirt blocked my vision. I refocused, looked up. Reid. He held out a hand and I stared at it. I took it. Stared at the wrist attached to it. At the thick, pink scars winding their way into his sleeve. Similar to mine, yet so different. So many more. So deep. I met his nervous sapphire orbs and saw the pain. I finally understood. For the first time in days, I spoke.

"Torture."

It was soft. A whisper. But he heard me. His eyes widened with fear and anger. Yanked his hand away from mine. Left. Reyes appeared after. Saw the emotions swirling in my eyes. He lifted me from the chair and took me to my little room. I didn't protest. 

"You shouldn't be in here."

Another whisper. He ignored me and went to my closet. Searching for something. The metal hangers scratching against the metal bar. Finding it, he threw a black dress at me. He walked to the doorway and pulled the door.

"Get dressed, Lapis."

He shut the door. I eyed the black garment in my lap. Held it up. It was pretty; knee length with lace sleeves. My scars peeked through. Angry and Red. I put it on slowly, trying to avoid reality. Trying to avoid death. The old urge reared its ugly head. The need to cut. To bleed. To focus on something else. I couldn't breathe. Suffocating.

"Don't even think about it, Lapis."

I turned. Reyes stood in the doorway. I tilted my head, eyebrows furrowing. Confusion. How could he possibly know what I was thinking? He read my mind. He must have. Curious.

"I could see the look on your face. That, and you were rubbing your wrists."

I looked away, shameful. I'd been doing so well. I couldn't help myself. I missed her. Reyes reached out. Grabbed my hand, led me out to the waiting cars. We arrived rather quickly. The church grounds full. Immediately, I was able to locate Hero. I tugged Reyes' sleeve. Indicated Hero's shrunken frame. He nodded and nudged me towards him.

"Hero."

He looked up. His chestnut eyes red rimmed. Swollen.

"I miss her, Lahn. Real bad. I never got to tell her... We grew up together. Few houses down. We even set our first fire together," he chuckled, an empty and meaningless sound. "What am I going to do without her? She was my everything."

"Tell her," my words were so soft, I thought he didn't hear. His head shot up. Without a look at me, he headed for the church. I followed a few feet behind. A hand gripped my wrist. Rough. Benson. He cocked his head. Eyebrows furrowed.

"What?"

He signed to me. About how sad Razine had been lately. Asked if I noticed anything strange. If she said anything. I pondered this. Strange? Like how she'd said to take care of Hero? I blinked. She was trying to tell me. Guilty... Oh, no.