The Fawx Bite

XXVI.

I might've been crying. I don't remember much except Viola's back as she turned from me and exited the apartment. It felt as though my mind – my heart – was in the middle of a violent earthquake, or a furious tornado. Something catastrophic was going on inside me. I was drowning. I was falling. I was slowly shattering into a million pieces while burning at the same time.

I noticed numbly that my hands were still outstretched in front of me. As if Viola was still nearby and would grab on to them. My fingers shook, or maybe they appeared to be simply because of the endless tears that were falling down my cheeks. I could feel Marek gently reaching out to my mind but I slammed the door shut. I didn't want him. I wanted my sister. And she had left me. Just like our parents had. Just like Echo had when she made the choice not to reach out to us. I closed my eyes, resisting the urge to scream. I wouldn't be able to; it was as though a piece of my broken heart was stuck in my throat.

"Scar?" it was Echo's voice. Yet it was also a stranger's, the tone was incredibly gentle and kind.

I looked up dimly at Echo's concerned face, not registering it as her. "Liane?"

A flicker of hurt flashed across her features. It was gone a moment later to be replaced with a tentative smile, "Come on, Scar. We need to go."

I nodded stupidly and let her guide me to my feet. Her strong arms wrapped around my waist, pulling my close to her. She began to guide my through the apartment. I noted that Paiute was leading the way, slipping through the open door and into the hallway. I looked around, "Marek?"

"He's waiting for us by the door," Echo said quickly, hauling me so that my feet were barely touching the ground. Why was she walking so fast?

We slid into the hallway with Echo pausing to throw me over her shoulder before she began to run. I wanted to protest against the fact that she was carrying me, but with her shoulder digging into my ribs, it was a little difficult. A door with the glowing sign stating EXIT was already propped open, letting us slide through. Echo let me back to my feet, quickly closing the door. She grabbed a steel bar and wedged it in the frame. Paiute was staring at her as though she was stupid, "You know that won't keep them back."

"I know," Echo proceeded to manhandle me as she guided me down the stairs, "But as long as it slows them down by a few seconds, that should be fine."

I opened my mouth to ask what was going on, only to scream as a gun fired. Both Echo and I ducked, only to fall as I slipped on a step and we rolled down the stairs. We hit the wall, making us stop abruptly. I felt dizzy and nauseous. I struggled to get to my feet only to fall again. Echo heaved me to my feet, lifting me up and throwing me over the railing. I screamed, hitting flat hard ground that was only a few feet past where I had already been. No broken bones, but for sure some hefty bruises. I used the wall to help me only to flinch and cover my ears as gunfire echoed in the confined space. I looked up to see Echo locked with a man, the gun aimed towards the ceiling. With a snarl, she kneed his thigh, before beginning to punch him repeatedly in the ribcage. There was the snapping of bone and then gun fell from his useless arm. She spun on her foot and kicked him in the head. He collapsed limply.

There was a bang from above and the clattering of metal. Echo picked up the gun, checking the see if there was enough ammunition. She looked at me, "Get out of here. Now."

I tried to step forward but she aimed the gun at me. I stopped, startled. "What about you?"

"We will find each other, we seem to have that habit. Now go," she turned away from me, aimed and fired. I recoiled from the noise and began to run down the stairs, my heart racing as I could hear fighting begin. I hoped that Echo's suspicions would be true and her and I would find each other again. I was about to reach the last step to get to the next exit when it opened, another man stepping through. I grabbed the railing to get myself to a halt. Right now, I really wanted the gun that Echo currently had. I glanced over my shoulder, realizing that I was trapped.