Color blind // Thiam

Chapter 39

I run into the woods, my heart racing as I search for any sign of Mason and Corey. I try catching a scent, try finding a trail to indicate where they went, I try to hear a heartbeat, I try hearing out for anything unusual.

I begin to take panicked breaths, unsure what to do. I continue to look for any sign of them, my eyes stinging with tears as I begin to lose hope.

We're not going to find him. The dread doctors are going to find him before us and I'm going to lose my best friend. The one person I never imagined losing, the one person I never wanted to lose.

I run a hand through my hair, vile burning the back of my throat as a wave of nausea rushes through me. I swallow hard, refusing to throw up right now.

"You okay?" Theo asks me, a soft expression on his face.

"What do you think?" I ask him, shaking my head.

"Everything is going to be okay, Liam. We will find him, and we'll figure everything out." He tells me, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I shrug off his hand, looking over at him angrily. I laugh slightly, rolling my eyes as Theo looks at me, a confused and sad expression on his face.

"Why are you even here, Theo? Why are you even helping us right now?" I ask him, anger slowly rising in me as he looks at me, confused.

"I want to help, Liam. I really do," he tells me, furrowing his eyebrows.

"I don't want you here!" I yell at him, taking deep breaths, trying my best to remain calm. "No one wants you here, Theo. We don't need your help."

Theo takes a step closer to me, reaching out towards me. I push him out of the way, continuing looking around for any indication on where Corey and Mason were. I hear Theo walk after me, clearly not getting the hint that I want to be left alone.

"I'm not leaving you, Liam. Not again," he tells me, his voice stern and clear.

I shake my head, turning to face him. I bit on my bottom lip, the anger continuing to rise as I look at Theo and think of everything that he's done. It's his fault this is happening to Mason. He was working with the Dread Doctors, he knew what they were planning on doing, and he told no one.

He only told people when it was too late. He told us about the 'perfect chimera' after the Dread Doctors had already created it. If we knew about it earlier, we could've avoided all of this. Mason could've been safe and with me right now, but he's not. Instead he's out there, unsafe and unprotected.

I curl my hands into a fist, the anger now boiling. Before I could register what, I was doing, Theo was on the ground, holding his nose. He looks up at me, his eyes glossy with tears. He gets up, wiping the blood from his nose.

"I'm not leaving you," he repeats, looking me dead in the eyes.

He takes me hand, walking with me through the woods. I look down at the blood on his shirt, a slightly feeling of guilt washing through me.

"You know it's too late," I say quietly.

"Too late for what?" He asks me.

I think carefully about what I'm about to say next. I don't want to hurt Theo, I have never wanted to hurt Theo. Even when he hurt me, I never wanted to hurt him. I can't do that to him. I can't do that to someone who I love so deeply, even though I know I shouldn't.

So, I think about how to deliver the next sentence to him, without hurting him too badly.

He kicks a pile of leaves, looking for a trail of footprints. I look down at our hands, to which were still tightly interlocked with one another. He refuses to let go and I'm not ready to let go. Not yet.