Dust to Dust

Opening up - 1 / 3

The ground rumbled before the sky opened.

The eye contact you'd shared with your Lieutenant — your fiancé, ended quickly as the ceiling caved in between you both, an almighty secondary boom filling your senses as the entire building shook and continued to collapse above you, flames raining down along with chunks of wood and debris.

You'd been seconds - mere steps ahead, and that moment you'd spared to glance back at him had stopped Ghost in his tracks, a subtle fond smile cracking through the stoic, professional demeanour.

The imprint of his face was still there in your vision, as if there wasn't a crushing, agonising weight, pinning one of your legs to the ground, concrete and iron filling your lungs.

You spluttered out a wet cough, dragging in a sharp breath after as you twisted your body, eyes landing on the chunk of ceiling that was keeping you immobilised, before turning back to face the doorway.

Skin tore with each anguished drag of your body and scuffle of one foot against the ground, palms bloodied from your efforts at freeing yourself, a faded crackle - the muffled, broken scratch of a voice barking in your ear, mixed with white noise, along with a metal scrape, a twinge in your stomach.

All of the sounds were jarring.

Sharp feedback enough to make you want to rip your own eardrums out - still sensitive and ringing from the blast, but now the adrenaline was beginning to wear, and your stomach felt oddly sticky. Warm.

A glance down provided the answer as you lifted your hand to pull the earpiece away — a blunt metal rod protruding from your abdomen, crimson leaking and staining the torn material of your uniform.

Nausea was the first to settle in as you became painfully aware of the heavy thumping of your heart, one hand clasping to try and stem the flow, while the other found a hold against the wall, watching the smoke seep into the room.

This isn't happening.

Denial was always the first stage.

Tight, shallow breaths were the only thing keeping you afloat as you stumbled towards the doorway, before the tremor in your knees became too much.

Sinking back to the ground felt like failing, and as the sharp impact shocked your system, a sudden groan fell from your lips.

Static crackled in response from the broken earpiece that dangled from your chest-plate, a familiar tone paired with the buzz of a broken receiver caused you to draw in a short, winded breath, resisting the urge to cough as his name fell from your lips, settling back against the wall.

"Simon?"

"It's me, sweetheart."

Just the sharpness of his voice, the clarity, you could have sworn he was right in front of you - eyes snapping open to reveal an empty hallway, vision blurring as a chill swept your body.

"Y/N, I'm coming. H-"

You looked down as his voice cut off, the dull buzz of static returning, fingers moving to lift the small device up as a frown settled on your features.

"Simon.."

In a hollow repetition you called for his voice to respond, croaking as tears flooded your vision, tired eyes turning to the hand that remained tight around your midsection, wet fingers slipping against your own skin.

Just clinging on desperately to the shallower breaths that accompanied ebbing pain and the hot haze of the room coming in and out of focus as fire crept up the walls.

Wasn't dying supposed to be easy?

A trickle of perspiration ran down from your hairline, stinging the cut on your cheek, face turning to wipe it on your shoulder, before resting your head back against the concrete.

Dark skies hung overhead, and the hole that had been blasted through the building allowed a breathtaking view of the canopy above - twinkling stars, a stunning waning crescent.

Pretty enough to bring a smile instead of a pained expression, you barely heard the crashing footsteps down the hall over the crackling of the flames consuming one end of the room, half lidded eyes beginning to give in to the pull of the darkness in your peripheral vision.

"Don't you dare give up on me! Open those damn eyes!"