She Will Be Loved

She Will Be Loved - Finale

Chapter 27

"Students! Students I need an orderly exit of the Gymnasium!"

Somewhere in the distance, I could hear Principal Wilson's voice ushering an evacuation but that was the extent of my current abilities. Every part of me felt numb. Despite my best efforts, I couldn't move even a finger. The evacuation sent loud echoes of footsteps darting by me and even louder screams from no doubt terrified students.

What the hell just happened...? What was that pressure that kept me pinned to the floor?

In all the chaos, one scream stood out, Sydney's. It was so close to my ear that it was almost deafening. "Jayden! Jayden wake up! Help! Somebody! Please! Jayden!" She must have been shaking me because I felt myself moving but for the most part, something kept me firmly held in place. "Seth, Kyle! Come quick, help him! Please be okay, oh please please please."

Everything was a haze. One minute there'd been a large explosion and the next things began crumbling down—Erin! She'd been about to be hit. I tried knocking her out of the way. I tried mustering enough strength to get my eyes open but it was no use, my body was no use to me.

"Oh God, he's bleeding! What'd we do? Oh God, Jayden, hang in there. "

"Get out of the way! Let me see!" Erin. She was alright. "Jayden, you are not allowed to die! Wake up! Someone get this thing off him!"

That was the last thing I heard before my ears too decided they'd had enough. After that, there was nothing to darkness.

---Kai's POV ---

Without really noticing when, my feet slowly took me over to the girl I'd tried my hardest to hate since she'd gotten here. I didn't know I'd been holding my breath until I saw her chest heave heavily; that was when I released it.

"Kai...help me..."

If only I knew how. "Where's Emi? Where's Cynthia?" Even as I asked, I grabbed my phone, ready to call for the paramedics. It was hard to tell the extent of her injuries by just looking at her but I could tell that she would be needing medical attention. "Dammit!" I cried in frustration. No signal. She must have had frequency disruptors around the place. It was something I should have seen coming but I'd been so hasty, so foolish. Dammit all! "Hang in there, Shyla, it'll be fine, I promise...it'll....just hold on."

A frail hand reached out to grab at my hand. "She has Destiny; help her too...please."

"Yes, of course. Don't worry. I'll figure something out."

"MOMMY!"

I bolted upright, my head turning from one direction to the next. Emi! She was up here somewhere. "I'm coming Emily! Don't be afraid, Mommy's here!"

A loud scream rang out just seconds before the piercing sound of a gunshot; one at first, then another and another. Without thinking, I made for my old room. The door was left open. On the bed, Emi sat wide eyed and face stained with tears. "Mommy!" She made to get off the bed but Cynthia turned the gun to her.

"No no Emily, remember we said you have to stay right there on the bed. You don't want me to get mad at you too, do you?"

She shuffled her way onto the bed again, hugging her feet with her gaze locked on the gun the entire time. My heart did a furious sort of pounding in my chest. Cynthia had all the cards in her hand and she knew it. "Cynthia..." I barely managed to breath. "I'm here...let Emi go."

Cynthia surveyed the barrel of her gun for a moment, as if contemplating my words before shaking her head. "We both know I can't do that. Emi's a big girl now; she may say things she shouldn't to any number of people she might come across. That would defeat the purpose of the silencer on this gun." It hadn't occurred to me that I'd only heard the shots because of the deafening silence that doubled as contrast but I suppose it was too much to hope she would be careless enough to make loud enough noises to alert the neighbours.