Chasing the Stars

To Switzerland We Go

Shock overcame everyone. Nico's dead. Two dead in two minutes. I started shaking. I couldn't cope with this amount of death. But that's what is happening everywhere. We're in the middle of a war, and I'm worrying about two people. There are soldiers out there watching people fall every second, and they carry on.

I sat there paralysed while Lucy jumped up, barrelling towards Carmilla.

"You killed him! You and your stupid stones. He's dead!" she spat, face red; if we were in a cartoon, there would be steam coming out of her ears. Carmilla seemed lost for words, panic was flashing in her eyes. The walls had come down again, and you could see her brave face cracking. Everything inside me wanted to run to her and help her, but I couldn't I was still paralyzed, blood drying on my face. Evan stepped in.

"She didn't kill him. They did." He said, pointing at the dead man next to me, "If it wasn't for them, we wouldn't have to have had to fight in the first place."

She swivelled around, voice shaking "Yeah, but they weren't the ones who threw the stones. The stone that cracked his skull open." She grabbed at him, pushing him back into a tree, "He's dead and none of you seem to care."

"We do care, Lizzy." He replied, voice soft and soothing, trying to calm her down, "But I know anger changes nothing. He's dead. Nothing can bring him back. And he wouldn't want you to be angry and sad. Just accept it."

"No. I won't. This didn't have to happen. I'll see you back at camp." She asserted, before storming off, "and don't touch him. You don't deserve his love, not you Carmilla, or you Evan, or you Susan, you psychos."

I carried on sitting in the ground, paralysed, blood drying on my face, as the commotion happened around me. Luke seemed shaken up. No one should have experienced murder at this young an age. As Evan was busy talking to Carmilla, and Susan looked shocked, staring at the man she just killed, I finally came out of my stupor and walked to over to Luke.

"You okay? Need a hug?" I asked him cautiously; knowing the blood on my face wouldn't do anything but scare him more. After examining me quickly, he nodded. I stepped forward, as he wrapped his arms around my waist. He clung onto me like a bear, who had finally found his parents. Tears were streaming down his face, and his sobs were getting louder and louder. I decided to use this time to cry myself. I just wasn't strong enough. I kept repeating, "It'll be okay. Everything's okay. You're okay" quietly, half for him, half for me.

He pulled away as Evan approached.

"The others are going back to camp to pack up, and then we'll decide what to do next. Also can you cover his body in a few leaves?" He said, nodding at Nico, "We'll have a proper burial later. And also try and calm Lizzy down, she doesn't seem to be as angry with you and you have a way with words. I know you can do that, princess. You fought excellently. See you in a bit." He walked away, Luke in his arms.

The sharp smell of death was everywhere. Silence was ringing in my ears.

I scuttled over to Nico's body. His skin was already paler than before, nearly white as a sheet. He was too young to die. He had so much potential, so much love left to give. This was so unfair. Why did he have to die? There was still a heavy blood flow from his head, and it was a parallel with the man Susan shot. That reminded me that while we thought of him as the villain, he's also someone's family. He cared and loved, lived and learned, and we snatched his life away from him. All of a sudden I felt sorrow and remorse for the man who would have killed me.

My emotions were getting the best of me so I carried on with the task, I picked up some leaves from the orange-red ground, scattering them over his corpse.

"May we meet again." I whispered, leaning down to kiss his freezing forehead. In my mind he replied. And then I left; not looking back.

I noticed Lizzy sitting on the outskirts of the forest, crying. As she felt me approach, her glance shot up. When she didn't roar at me, I decided it was safe to approach. She'd become like a wild animal; you never knew what to expect. That's what death and destruction leave behind: instability and pain.

I sat down softly. Her eyes were red and puffy, her cheeks tear-stained. Her lips quaking and her arms were shaking.

"How dare they? They killed Nico, and now they are just going to carry on? Why don't they care?" She said, sobbing into my shoulder.

"They do care. But everyone shows emotions differently. Some people see weakness in kindness; they bottle up all the pain and love, to come off as a cold slate. But there's always a place where you can see them breaking, no one can fully shy away from emotion. And they carry on because Nico would want them to carry on. He wouldn't want you to waste away in grief."

"But if you don't fight and rebel then he died in vain. And that's not allowed. They were his cousins, Evan and Carmilla, he loved them, and she killed him."

"I know how you feel, and I won't deny the pain you must be going through right now, but she didn't mean to kill him. She did it as protection, she was helping."

"Yeah, but-"

"Look I don't expect you to forgive them, but at least try to understand that she didn't mean to kill him. Don't let your demons win."

I grabbed her hand, placing Nico's rope bracelet, which I'd taken off his dead body, in her hand.

"He would want you to be happy." I whispered, before walking away, "We are going to discuss what we are going to do next. You can come if you want."

Walking back through the forest, I noticed all the tents were down, and everyone sitting around the unlit campfire. Evan patted a space between him and Carmilla.

"So we have all witnessed the horrific accident that has just happened." He started, and I could tell he was using all his concentration to not breakdown, "We can't stay here. They know where we are, any ideas?

"I know," came a voice from the outskirts of the circle, one with red, puffy eyes and shaking hands, I felt Carmilla tense up next to me, hand reaching aimlessly for mine, "This morning when Nico and I came back, Rebecca was leaving, and I think we owe her for helping at the fight instead of just hiding. So, why don't we go to where she wants to go?" All eyes turned to me, and the hand disappeared from mine, and in a way I just wanted to disappear into the ground.

"Umm-" I stuttered.

"She wants to go to Switzerland." Carmilla said blatantly. What how did she know? Did I tell her? Maybe I did when I introduced myself? Why would she remember that? I thought she wasn't listening.

"I do." I said, confidence coming back, "I think my family escaped to Switzerland, and I want to find them again." I said.

"Sounds good" Evan said, seemingly happy this result had been reached. "Now we have to bury the two dead, and then we'll leave. Any questions?" Everyone one remained silent. I decided to ask who the people chasing them were another time, because now I was going home.

I was going home, and I had help!

Qy,<