Part blaze (On hold. Sorry)

5. Aftermath

Time slowed down. Or, it seemed like it was. All the talking, yelling or any other noise sounded distant. I could feel myself shaking. How could Perla be dead? She saved my life. She was the first real friend I made after joining the other hybrids. And now, she's dead.

I numbly gave Juli a hug as she continued to cry into my shoulder. She was also shaking. "Tally, I'm so sorry! I tried to help. I couldn't do it! I'm so so so sorry!" she cried. I hugged her tighter. My head felt heavy. I rested it on her shoulder, starting to cry with her.

"C-Can you t-tell me w-what happened?" I asked as we started to calm down a bit. "W-Well, w-w-we were in th-the training area, working o-on stuff w-when we heard an explosion in th-the distance. That's w-when the shops e-e-exploded. We h-heard another one, and that's w-when th-the training a-area exploded. S-Something hit her, a-and she couldn't move. I-I t-tried to help h-her, b-b-but I couldn't move the r-rock. S-She told m-me to run. S-She told me t-to stop t-trying to m-move the r-r-rock and s-save myself. S-She told me her final words, a-and d-d-died holding m-my hand! I-I ran f-for you. I d-didn't know w-what to do. T-Tally, I'm s-so sorry!" she explained, still crying "What...what did she say?" I asked. "S-She said to tell Owen t-that s-she loved h-him. T-That she w-was glad t-they worked t-together, e-even if it didn't a-always seem like i-it." she said quietly.

"Talking about me?" a voice said behind me. I turned. Owen was standing there, looking at us with concern. "Are you guys alright? What happened?" he asked as he saw faces wet with tears. I didn't want to do this. Owen was so close to Perla, hell, her final words where that she loved him. How can I tell him these things? But, I knew I couldn't make Juli do it. She had to tell me, plus she was there. I had to tell, no matter how much I didn't want to.

"Owen, I have something to tell you." I said. "What?" he asked, tilting his head somewhat. I closed my eyes. "Owen, Perla...Perla...Perla didn't make it. S-She...died." I said quietly. His eyes widened and started to water. He was shaking. I could hear his teeth chattering. He fell to his knees. "W...What?" he said, looking distant. "I'm... so sorry." I said, shaking. I started to cry again. Why did this have to happen? Why!?

"What h-happened?" Owen asked, now sitting with us. Juli told him the story. He looked at the ground and griped his knees as the story went on. More tears formed. "What d-did s-she say?" he asked at the end. This would be the hardest part. "She said that... she said that she loved you. She was glad to know you." I said. He just shook his head. "I swear to god, who ever did this is going to die. I don't care who it is or why they did it, I want them dead." he said. He griped his knees harder. All I did was nod.

Person after person came to see us. They asked what was wrong. Most of then were people in our small group, like Zack or Cybel. It never got easier for us to tell them. Seeing them cry, or scream, or the scariest, not make a noise at all. Telling the story never got easier, watching as they slowly broke down. Telling them the final words or any other detail they wanted never got easier. Seeing them just wanting an answer, or revenge, or death.

At some point the enderman hybrids started bringing back the bodies of the people that didn't make it. So many people dead. One I knew was a blaze hybrid. I tried to train with this brown haired, dark skinned girl with the now empty brown eyes. I knew the witch hybrid. I traded with him. I remembered his dark hair and large nose. Even Spencer was dead, with blood all over his navy blue sweater and his black hair. His baseball hat was gone. I saw Cilia crying at his side, shaking.

At some point, they brought Perla. She was on her back like the rest of then. The back of her cream vest was colored red, and so was the white button up shirt she was wearing under it. Her face looked almost calm, like she felt no pain. Her dark eyes were glazed over. Everyone in our group sat with her, crying or just looking at her. Owen was holding her limp hand, whispering things to her. Juli was at her feet crying, apologizing. Cybel had her eyes tightly closed with her hand on Perla's leg. Zack had his hand on her shoulder, shaking his head. Selina had her arm around Zack's shoulders, her head resting on him as she cried. Edward was at the front, and was closing Perla's eyes with a shaky and wet hand. I held Hollie as she cried into my shirt, asking things like "Why Perla?" and "Why not me?" over and over again. I hugged her close, just looking at my dead friend in front of me.