He Was Dying

Chapter Thirteen

They were too busy in their own conversation. I leaned against the rough wood of the cabin, picking at my fingernails. I huffed, blowing away a lock of hair that hung over my eyes. "Bryce?"
I turned as Delirious' voice met my ears. I raised my eyebrows at him in acknowledgement, wordlessly asking him to continue.
"You okay, buddy?" Concern laced the man's words, his hockey mask sitting atop of his darkly coloured hair. Ocean blue irises reflected worry.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I shrugged, folding my arms and rubbing my hands along them, trying to get warmth through my system. The nights when you're not doing anything are excruciatingly cold. Smitty had been listening, he, too, noticing my silence. "Is it Omega?" Smitty spoke, shattering the wave of speechlessness that was casted over us.
I looked up. "Ohm?"

He shrugged, slipping his hands into his hoodie pocket. "Well, yeah. I'm not blind, Bryce. I, and everyone else, can tell you two have a friendship." Delirious snorted as Smitty finished his sentence.

"What?" I muttered, sending a glance to my left in his direction. Grinning widely, Delirious raised his hands and, with air quotes, said "Friendship."

I rolled my eyes, trying my best not to smile. Thank goodness it was dark enough to hide the blush that crept up my face. Luke leaned into the semicircle the three of us created, laying down beside Delirious. "We talkin' 'bout when Bryce kissed Ohm?"
My finger shot to my lips in a shushing manner, but Smitty had already blurted out "Bryce kissed Omega?"

This caught attention of Craig and Nogla, who repeated Smitty's phrase in sync. Then Evan quietly chuckled and mumbled "Oh, yeah, he did."

My head dropped to my hands and I groaned into my palms. "Guys..."
Craigs laughed sweetly. "Ah, c'mon, I think it's cute."
Nogla snickered from beside him. "Yeah. So what if he's a.. what, seven-foot tall rabbit monster?"
Delirious elbowed me in the ribs and Luke reached over to ruffle my strawberry blond hair. I shoved his hand away. "Cut it out, guys," I spoke with a small smile wavering my words.

"Oh... Brycey's got a crush?" Smitty cooed in a joking manner. "Shut up," was all I could say to him.

As silence formed overhead, my ears became attentive to everything happening. Crows dangled on the branches of charred treetops, cawing, exchanging conversation between one another. It was like they mirrored our group, but as birds, lost in each others words.

Thoughts were punched right out of my mind as a thud erupted from downstairs. Luke immediately sprung to his feet, guarding Delirious with an outstretched arm as he stood up as well.
"What was that?" Craig rose to a kneel, attempting to angle himself to be able to look down the broken stairwell from his spot.

I stood, insisting everyone were to stay up here, where it's safe. I shuffled across the balcony, making my way back inside and to the top of the stairs. Carefully making my way down, I glanced around the open room. Planks of wood ripped up from the floorboards scattered the ground, dust and dirt littering the area. Not like it wasn't there before.

Thumping of heavy footsteps echoed against the ground, causing the walls to rattle ever so slightly. Turning my head, brushing my bangs out of the way, Omega stood in the doorway.

His head was down, an arm draped over his stomach. The grey fabric of his hoodie was stained, but it was too dark to know what it actually was.

Ohm didn't seem to notice me standing on the collasped stairs. He lifted a foot to step forward, stumbling almost immediately. He knocked into one of the lockers, it falling over from the force of the hit. The cabinet slammed to the floor with a loud BANG.
Footsteps rattled from upstairs, but I ignored it for now.

Omega thudded against the wall, his ears bending over in what looked like.. pain..?
His back slid down the wall, his head knocking against the crumbling drywall in defeat.

As light from the dim moon shone from the glassless window beside him, I could see red stained against his torso and arm, seeping down his stomach.

What the heck happened?