Story of Us

Winners and Losers

*Author's Note*

It would mean a lot to me if you had a listen to the songs at the start of some chapters. Sorry if it's annoying, but it really helped me empathize with my characters. Chapter based on the songs 'Ocean and Atlantic' by Mayday Parade, and, 'Youth' by Foxes.

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We landed on a gigantic grass hill, it had no end and it lasted as far as the eye could see. The sky was stormy grey, and drops of rain splattered in my face. I couldn't help thinking how much the sky represented how I felt. It was the fluffy grey clouds, that were smudged across the stark white sky like charcoal. Black birds swooped across the sky, not paying attention to the terrential rain. I suddenly remembered Lloyd.

I pivotted round and saw Lloyd standing there, his face a mask of confusion and fear.

"Run! Just run!," I screamed as loud as I could.

The rain battered down the grass of the hill, saturating the ground to a muddy paste. Lloyd leaped into action, sprinting up the hill, putting as much distance he could from Harper. I followed soon after, my school shoes slipping and sliding in the mud.

Harper screamed in frustration as she struggled up the hill, as it got more and more treacherous. I was nearing Lloyd, when I slipped on a large clump of mud and fell face first into the mud. It clinged to my skin, and threatened to make its way into my eyes and mouth. I wiped it away angrily and pushed myself towards Lloyd.

"Clarrie here!" he yelled, throwing out a hand for me to take.

We ran and ran, struggling through the mud. Faces plastered with dirt, which was soon washed away with the rain. Harper was on our tail, and I noticed she was wielding a large knife in her hand. I tugged on Lloyd's sleeve and his face was creased with worry. There was no hope and we knew it, all we could do was run. We neared the top of the hill and the above us, birds circled and shrieked. Then I saw Harper crawling up from the bed.

"Don't you dare hurt her!" shouted Lloyd, pushing me behind him.

"No Lloyd, she wants you. She's Miriam's descendant and she wants to kill you here and now," I whispered in his ear, tears streaking my mud-stained face.

Lloyd swallowed hard and nodded. I let go of his hand and stepped forward.

"Don't you dare come any closer Harper!" I yelled.

Harper laughed hysterically and charged forwards with the knife. I grabbed her wrists and tried to loosen her grip on the knife. It fell from her left hand but she smoothly caught it with her right. Before I had time to register, before I could shout for Lloyd to duck or to run. It lodged itself right into Lloyd's chest.

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(If you play '3 Rounds and a Sound' by Blind Pilot here, the one Clarrie sang to Lloyd earlier in the story, it may make you cry)

I screamed in horror as Lloyd collapsed to the ground.

"This is going to hurt," I apologised as I swiftly removed the knife from Lloyd's chest.

He gasped in agony, but the adrenaline surged through my veins, like a flood sweeping through a village. Harper had a satisfied expression on her face and I couldn't help but destroy it. I shifted the knife in my hand, which was behind my back. Then, I calmly walked up to her.

"I'm sorry Harper. But I'm not the only one loosing a fight. You've had everything, won everything. I've lost so many fights. I lost my Dad, I lost my Mum, and now I lost Lloyd. Now it's your turn to lose, now it's your turn to lose a fight," I whispered, a tear rolling down my cheek.

I took a deep breath and plunged the knife deep into Harper's chest. She let out a cry of horror, pain and shock, then she was silent. I was shaking, but I forced myself to go back to Lloyd. His shirt was drenched in blood from the wound. He was in a plain white (was plain white, now blood red) shirt, and black jeans -  early noughties I guessed. 

I placed a hand behind his head, where his newly cut hair fell.

"Lloyd, Lloyd, stay with me," I mumbled, through tears that almost blinded me.

He simply took my hand and gave me a tight smile. I couldn't help it, I leant forwards and made our lips meet. I kissed him until his grip grew weak and his hand slipped out of mine. I collapsed next to him, drowned in the tears and the pain.

"Together," I whispered in his ear and then rolled up into a tight ball.

I cried and cried, the pain hitting me again and again. EVERYBODY LEAVES ME! The wind blasted my hair around me, the mud caked my clothes and the rain drenched every inch of me. But I was numb to all of it. I closed my eyes and took a deep wretched breath. Why couldn't I just die?