The Third Word

Chapter 93

"Gwen." There he was, always finding me no matter where I disappeared to.

"Elijah..." I said between sobs. Elijah shifted his gaze to Edwin who still had to be taken care of.

"If you think you found us, you've misunderstood." Edwin said," There was one thing I wanted to take care of before we left." He turned towards me to smile and again faced Elijah," This little pup."

Edwin pulled out a gun which he had tucked behind. He had led Elijah to come there so he could kill him.

"No! I'll come with you." I grabbed his arm to stop him but he pushed me aside so hard that I fell on the cemented ground face first. "Stay out of this." Edwin walked towards Elijah, who too was stepping closer to death. What was he even thinking, trying to compete with Edwin who had a gun? He should've taken cover behind something.

"Edwin stop!" I yelled and cried. Edwin stopped somewhere about five steps away from Elijah, who was staring into his eyes.

He aimed his gun at Elijah's forehead.

This can't happen. This shouldn't happen. I cannot lose Elijah too now.

I got to my feet, grabbed the chair that I was tied to and growled in agony," Edwin!" Dragging the chair towards him, I was so determined to break his skull open. How dare he...take away the little happiness I had left in my life?

He has to die.

Something had gotten into me at that moment that I didn't even think that killing Edwin would be a crime. I just wanted him to stop and put an end to it.

He turned towards me when I screamed his name, and right at that moment, I lifted the chair and swung it with all my strength, hitting his head hard.

It was enough to make him lose foot, but it didn't help. He retained his balance again, now pointing the gun at me.

I was fine unless it wasn't Elijah dying in my stead. I  was the one who deserved to die, not Elijah. I could not take another blame and live in guilt.

I'd rather kill myself right after Elijah's lifeless body touched the ground.

"Don't you want to live?" Edwin chuckled.
Elijah stepped in front of me instinctively, to cover me behind him.

"You've done enough Edwin. You've got to stop now." Elijah warned him.

"What if...I don't want to?" Edwin asked.

"The cops are up there. It won't take long for them to come down. You're done." Elijah said," It's better you surrender now than getting yourself into more trouble."  He was trying to calm Edwin down. One pull and it could take his life. But he still stood in front of me to take the bullet for me.

Why...

"Good that you told me." Edwin put the gun down," I suppose I gotta run." He said, and when I thought he was actually considering what Elijah had just said, I think Elijah and I both put our guards down. That's when Edwin hit, with an unexpected blow of his gun, on Elijah's head.

The noise itself was so loud that I could feel the intensity of the blow. Elijah fell on the ground. I screamed his name. He wasn't moving. His head started to bleed, near his eye. His eye was severely hurt.

Every inch of my body was frozen. I couldn't take my eyes off Elijah. I wanted him to move even a finger to show me he was alive. I couldn't dare get to my knees and shake him. I couldn't.
Only tears trickled down my cheeks. I cried silently. Had I lost him? Would he suffer severe injuries and have chronic illness even if he survived...because of me?

"El...Elij--" I managed to utter when Ediwn grabbed the back of my neck and pushed me to get moving. He was almost dragging me, while I couldn't turn my head forward. My head was turned behind, eyes fixed on Elijah...Elijah Berryman, a beautiful boy, a beautiful soul, who had helped me get so far, who never once abandoned me like Stace did...like...Ethan did.

The sudden agony made me scream. The pain that I had suppressed was coming out all at once. I stopped walking. I resisted Edwin pulling me and attempted to run to Elijah.
Edwin grabbed me by the waist, wrapping both his arms around it while I kicked in the air and tried grasping onto an invisible rope to get me closer to Elijah. I was screaming. Not for a second did I quiet down. I pierced into Edwin's skin. He tried to shut me up but failed. I cursed him out. I screamed Elijah's name to wake him up.

But it all stopped with a thud. I didn't even realise what happened because it happened in a juncture. My head lolled on the side and I touched the ground. Edwin hit me the same way he hit Elijah.

When I woke up, I felt a sharp pain in my head. The cold, cemented godown was somewhat warmer. There was a golden glow in front if my eyes.
After I adjusted to the bright light, I realised what it was. Flames.

I lifted my head from the ground, using my arms to lift my torso, when I actually saw what was happening. My mouth gaped open. My words were stuck in my throat.

The petrol Edwin had splashed around me in a circle was on fire and in the middle was Elijah, unconscious and bleeding more than earlier, like he was beaten up badly.

The flames werenot high enough. I yhough I could jump in and wake Elijah, when the godown was filled with a rhythmic whistle.

"Turns out he came alone. We have plenty of time." Edwin was just behind me.

"Don't you feel even a little bad doing all this?" I questioned as I shifted my position. I couldn't get up yet. I laid on my back on the ground and Edwin was sitting on the chair right next to me, leaning down, looking at me and smiling.

"Honestly, no. Why should I be sorry?" He asked back.

"Your brother died...and all we did was try to help him. You should be helpin--"

"I'm not sorry for his death. I won't be sorry for anyone's death and I have a good reason. I don't fucking care about anyone else but myself." He sounded relaxed.

"At least let Elijah go. I told you I'd go with you wherever you want." I pleaded.

"He's already half-dead. If he lives, he'll be bedridden for years ninety percent. Can't leave him alive just because of that ten percent, right? If anything, I'll end his suffering." He stood up, grabbing the petrol can. There was still some left in it.

"Please spare his life--" I held onto his leg with both my hands.

"Really? Are you stooping down to this level for him?" He pulled his leg away," Close your eyes. That way you won't see him burn alive."