Moonlight, Chad Meeks-Martin. ✓

𝒙𝒙𝒊. the aftermath

❪ ﹟TWENTY-ONE / EPILOGUE ❫ ࿐ྂ
━━ ABANDONED MOVIE THEATER !

     THE POLICE SURGE the building a few minutes after everything is said and done, and the thing that drawls them to Carina and Kirby is the former's maniacal laughing because of their fan-fucking-tastic timing. The two that approach them look worried she might have fallen off her rocker, and she can't blame them. Instead, she just crawls out from behind the seats and drops her knife at their feet.

     "Help her." She motions over her shoulder to Kirby, who paramedics are already pulling onto a stretcher. She ignores the cop asking her to stop and makes her way to the steps in the middle of the stage, collapsing on the two girls there as she cries a little bit more.

     "I love him," she sobs into their legs. Doesn't say loved, because she's never going to stop loving him. "I love him and he didn't know."

     Sam rubs a hand up and down her back. "He knew," she promises. "He knew."

     It takes them a few more moments to coax Carina into standing and leaving the building, but with an arm each around her waist, the two lead her outside and into the sun. Police and paramedics surround them from all angles--some swooping into the building, others approaching them--but the three just walk over to the back of an empty ambulance and take up residence there.

     "Sam." The three look up, Danny running up to them. The aforementioned girl pushes off the ambulance, coming to a stop in front of Danny. Carina smiles at them as Danny hugs her to him, uncaring of her bloody appearance. The still throbbing wound in her chest--the only one she has that isn't visible--pounds, but she does her best to ignore it and be happy for her friend. Next to her, Tara squeezes her hand and smiles at her with wet eyes. Carina frowns at her, shaking her head. She collects Tara to her again, because she knows that her friend knows exactly what she's going through.

     More tears roll down her cheeks, and she shakes her head. "I'm so sorry, Tara," she mumbles into her shoulder. Pulling back, she wipes at her face feebly with her bloody hand. "So sorry," she repeats when Tara doesn't react. After a long moment, she starts crying, and Carina pulls her in again.

     Tara sobs into her. "I'm sorry too, Rina."

     The two stay like that for a long moment, just holding onto each other as they mourn over loves lost.

     In front of them, Danny looks at them and clears his throat. "I called Mount Sinai, Mindy and Gale are going to be okay."

     Carina lets out a shuddering breath at the news, putting her hands on her knees and dropping her head as she tries to control her sobbing. It's worse now that it's a mix of grief and relief. "Mindy's on her way here now. They couldn't stop her."

     Just as she's finished speaking, a car flies in like a bat out of hell, parking erratically. The driver's side door flies open, and Mindy runs over to them. "I think the killers are Ethan and Bailey!" She shouts as she runs toward them, stopping after a moment to take them in. She seems to take stock of them all slowly, and then she's crashing into Carina and Tara, who immediately wrap their arms around their best friend. "And Quinn," Tara cries into her neck.

     "And Quinn," Mindy repeats in awe. "Fuck."

     After a moment, paramedics finally pry them apart long enough to address some of the wounds the group has acquired. As they do, they roll Kirby out on a stretcher, putting her into the back of the ambulance the three had originally sat on. The group all look at her, and Kirby smiles. "If you ever need me, call. We're all part of the same fucked-up family now. And legacy doesn't always have to be a bad thing."

     Carina nods, grabbing Kirby's hand and squeezing lightly in answer. She wants to say more, but she chokes herself up again, turning to sob into Mindy's shoulder. It's the worst reaction to have, but looking at Kirby on this gurney alive and talking--talking about being family--she can't help but picture the next one they roll out being Chad, who wasn't granted the same fate.

     "Hey," Kirby calls softly, squeezing the hand she still has in hers.

     She shakes her head, pushing it further into Mindy's shoulder. She doesn't know if anyone's told Mindy about Chad yet, and she doesn't want her to find out like this if not.

     "Hey, we got another one here!"

     Carina sniffles, face scrunching in confusion. No one else had been in the theater. Pulling her head up from Mindy's shoulder she directs her eyes toward the direction of the voice, gasping violently as they roll the stretcher out. 

     On the stretcher, Chad isn't moving too much, but his eyes are looking around frantically. The sight of him knocks the wind out of her lungs, and she places a hand on her chest as she tries to force herself to breathe. "Chad," she gasps. It comes out so quietly no one would've heard her, but brown eyes connect with hers almost immediately after.

     Pulling herself away from Mindy, she starts running faster than her body can take coming down from an adrenaline crash. Stumbling over her feet, she doesn't stop until he's next to him, the others surrounding the stretcher on the other side of her. "Chad," she sobs, grabbing his arm with one hand and cupping the back of his neck with the other. "Oh fuck, Chad."

     He's smiling lazily at her behind the oxygen mask around his face, and she laughs at the absurdity of him looking at her like that after almost just ruining her life. "You asshole." Her laugh turns into a sob, and she collapses onto his chest. "I thought you were dead. I thought you had died before I could tell you I love you."

     "I'm sorry what?" Mindy asks behind them, sounding rightfully like she's missed a few chapters. The others laugh lightly, but Carina ignores them as a hand softly cups the back of her head. She also decides to ignore the tremble of it, staying like that until the paramedic on the other side of the stretcher clears his throat.

      "Right," she clears her throat, backing off a little. It only succeeds in Mindy swarming her twin.

     "Are you okay? You don't look okay. Why did she say she thought you were dead?"

     Carina laughs at Mindy and shakes her head as she listens to her ramble. Even in the circumstances, it's comforting in ways that should be studied. The sound of her best friend's voice, coupled with the knowledge that Chad is okay--that they're all okay--does wonders to the shreds of her soul. How stupid had she been, thinking that this second round of Ghostface killers had gone and destroyed her for good?

     She should've known better, Should've known that they wouldn't have been strong enough to pull her family apart. All they did today was prove that to them.

     And now that it's over--even while climbing into the ambulance next to her boyfriend who she thought was dead and covered in more blood than is probably in her body--she feels lighter than she has in days.

     Can only hope it's going to last for good this time.

madi speaks! 💌
anddddd ROLL CREDITS!!! thats officially the end of moonlight! thank you to everyone who read, commented, loved, etc. it's been such a journey (for both me & carina and chad) but i'm so glad it's one we took.
i'm so excited not only that this baby gets to be out in the world in its entirety but for my upcoming projects & ideas. i hope to see some of you there ;)
LOVE YA BABES XOXO 💋