Die for me - Post Malone

37

Angel watches in horror as Austin retreats into the darkness. She knows what he intends on doing, she could see it on his face. She screams and fights off Armleg as hard as she can in an attempt to get back to Austin, she will go back in there - she does not care. But, Armleg has a grip on her like a vice grip and she can't get away from him as he pulls her further and further from the house. She can hear Lia screaming like an insane cat and she can hear things getting thrown around inside the basement. "Let go of me! I need to go back!" she screams, her tears burning her cheeks as she continues to struggle and fight against Armleg. "Angel, calm down. There is nothing you can do now," Armleg tries to calm her. She hates him. She knows he is just doing what Austin asked of him, but she hates him.

"Please, Mathew, please," she begs him. "You first, Angel. It was Austin's only demand...you first," Armleg whispers in her ear. She knows. She also knows that Armleg will remain loyal to Austin under any circumstance, even to his detriment so she stands no hope in hell of getting out of his suffocating arms. Her eyes flick to Brice who is still standing next to the thin crack in the wall Austin has managed to push her through. "You promised...you promised me," she whispers to him. It's evil of her, callous. Brice had promised to take a bullet for Austin, and while it may have been said in jest back at her parent's house - she is prepared to sacrifice him. She is prepared to sacrifice anyone. Even herself and that means her baby too. It's a horrendous thought but, she does not make the rules around how she feels about Austin. If that makes her a bad person then so be it.

"Brice..." she pleads hoping he can hear the desperation in her voice. But, he doesn't because he is already prying more wood from the split, and when it is only just big enough for him to fit through, he throws his body through and disappears into the darkness that had swallowed Austin. Lia is still screaming and Angel can still hear things being thrown around and torn apart inside. Austin is putting up one hell of a fight that Lia is not backing down from. Hopefully, Brice's presence makes a difference.

But, then Angel screams and her knees give way when there is a sudden whooshing sound and the darkness she sees through the split turns into a bright orange flame. Lia has set the basement alight. "Fuck," Armleg breathes out and then starts walking them backward as the flames start licking the house walls causing the peeling paint to melt and drip down. Armleg pulls them further back when there is a sudden massive explosion that engulfs the whole house in a raging furnace as the windows explode and the walls start to fall in on themselves.

Angel can't scream, she can't cry, she can't move, and she can't breathe. "The police are here," Armleg says. Angel can hear police sirens in the distance and she can hear them running up the driveway. But, she can do nothing but stare at the enormous angry blaze in front of her. "Are you alright, Miss Knite?" a policeman asks as he gets to her side. "No..." she whispers, still staring in front of her. "We have a medical team, they will look you over," the policeman says. "Austin...and Brice are still in there. Get them out," she says turning to look at the policeman. He looks back at her, bewildered, then shakes his head slowly. "It's too late. The fire would have consumed them already," another policeman says reaching out in an attempt to comfort her. "Don't touch me," she mumbles then turns away and into Armleg's arms. He snatches a blanket from a police officer and wraps her in it, holding her close to his chest. "Shhh, Angel," he whispers in an attempt to try and soothe her as her silent tears come again.

They all watch as the fire slowly burns the house until there is nothing but a pile of smoking black wood. When the fire department arrived they checked the rubble and confirmed that no one could have survived the inferno. The police start walking around the property like lost wandering idiots and when one of the paramedics tries to take Angel to get checked out she bats him away and refuses to move out of Armleg's arms. "You are in bad shape, Angel. Let them check you out," he says softly. She does not care what shape she is in. She is numb. So very numb. Every breath she takes in is painful and she hopes like fuck she dies. She wants to die. She has never had such intrusive thoughts before, and she has certainly never felt like this before. But, she wants to die.