No sleep for the wicked

chapter 40- I Killed Her By Being Selfish, I Killed Her By Loving Her.

Scarecrow’s POV

I reached my hand out to Ashleigh, her pale frail hand reached out to grab mine only to be brutally pulled back by Bane. He grabbed her waist which made the coat she was wrapped in become soaked with dark blood from her side. I ran up and planted my boot firmly into Banes side with for, causing him to collapse onto one knee. Pain was slowly but surely seeping into his senses, each move he made he faltered. I whipped round my scythe aiming the butt of the scythe into the mask of Bane, but this time his grip on Ashleigh didn’t falter, it only grew tighter. Suddenly the realisation that Ashleigh was screaming, as Banes grip dug deeper into her side, I pulled my scythe away from Bane but his grip didn’t loosen. Soon blood was running from Ashleigh’s lips, and it grew heavier and heavier. I stepped back from the woman I loved and the man who was killing her slowly. “How does it feel to see the person you love slowly dying in front of you?” Ashleigh’s lips moved rapidly, she was pleading. “Stop this, please!” tears flooded my vision, as I looked into Ashleigh eyes. They were filled with so much fear and pain. Suddenly she gasped as Bane released his grip, on her side only to lunge towards me with eyes filled with determination. He hands grabbed my neck as he forced me into the wall of the tunnel surrounding us; I lifted my booted foot to kick him away. Only to feel blows to the back of my head as I was pulled violently back and forth from the wall, Then Ashleigh’s strained voice cried out, “God please stop it.” Bane pulled away from me, to see Ashleigh fall into the water beneath her. I raised my fist as Bane looked away and forced it into the back of his mask. He fell forward, in pain as one of the many clasps had broken. His mask had loosened, suddenly a black boot slammed into Banes face from in front of me, it was the Batman. I kicked Bane further into the tunnel floor, before rushing to Ashleigh’s helpless state.

I her breathing was wheezy and light, she smiled slightly as I picked her up out of the cold rushing water, her eyes were dark and her pupils were wide. I avoided her waist as I could feel the thick dampness of her blood already on my skin. Tears flowed down my checks, as I walked through the chaos which was scattered around us. She was growing cold, her once blush skin was now pale and like snow. Her lips grew darker as I began to run through the tunnels. I could hear the jokers laugh surrounding me along with the deranged cackle of Harley. Soon they were running with me towards the exit of the tunnel, I could feel Ashleigh’s blood running slower through my hands. “Stay with me.” I cried as my fears of Ashleigh impending death were turning into a reality. Soon there was a dim light in front of us, I looked down at Ashleigh to see her looking up at me smiling, “you came back for me.” She whispered faintly as tears flowed down her pale skin, soon the crashing of water soon left our feet and turned into the crunch of gravel. I slowed into a gentle walk, as sirens filled my ears, then I could hear the drops of rain hitting the ground around us. “I’m sorry I could protect you.” I could feel that vice like grip once again tightening around my body as I held Ashleigh in my arms. I slowly lowered myself to the uneven ground as my legs felt collapsing as tears poured from my eyes; Ashleigh smiled brightly up at me as blood still poured from her side onto the gravel beneath her. “You protected me as much as you could.” She didn’t look away from me as she talked to the joker and Harley, “all of you protected me as much as you could.” I couldn’t help but feel this was the last time I would ever talk to Ashleigh, “I love you Ashleigh.” She smiled gently, as I placed a hand on her cold cheek, she turned her head and kissed it, “I love you too Scarecrow.” Soon her eyes began to close under the rain; I felt the life wash away from her in the rain.

“Don’t do this to me.” I pressed my hands against her chest and pressed hard, as her heart lay still in her chest. “Don’t do this!” I screamed into the Gotham air as denial hit me square in the chest like a hard blow, I pressed her chest once again hoping to god she would wake up. But there was no signs of life, tears and screams poured from me as arms restrained me and took me away from the body of Ashleigh. All I could think was I could of saved her, but I let her die. I cried out louder as the rain ran heavier, I struggled against my friends who tried to take me away from the pain of loss. But all I wanted was the pain, as it reminded me of Ashleigh and what she meant to me. I kicked and screamed trying to pull away from the jokers and two faces grasp as they pulled me further away from Ashleigh’s body. I saw the black mass which was the batman picking up Ashleigh limp and lifeless body, before disappearing into the shadows. Soon my body became numb as I was pulled into two face’s van, and was taken away from the scene of devastation which was in front of me. The tears had now dried and had been replaced by the numbing feeling of loss as we travel through Gotham city. Silence over took my scenes like shell shock, as people around me cried over the death of Ashleigh, while I could only sit and watch as the shattering numbness made me feel inhuman. I could see Harley was crying into the shoulder of joker as he also aloud tears to flow as he comforted her. Poison ivy comforted Catwoman as she cried harshly in her hands. Each of them blamed themselves for the tragedy, but I knew it was mainly my wrong doing. I could have saved here, I could have protected her, I could have let her lead a normal life, I could have never taken her from Arkham. Tears rolled down my cheeks as we travelled through the police ridden streets. I killed her by being selfish, I killed her by loving her, and now I’ll never see her alive again, I’ll never be able to show her my love again.

We stopped outside of the house with a screech, as we came to a dramatic halt. As I stepped out of the van I collapsed to the tarmacked floor, the rain pounded against me like a heartbeat. The lighting cracked the skyline like a knife as I screamed loudly as the fast fading numbness revealed my pain. I screamed louder and louder until my throat became raw, my anger, my pain, my longing showed itself as I screamed into the sky. “Why did you do this?!” I screamed into the night sky at whatever being or god was there. Soon the dark looming shape of the batman was standing next to me, “I took her to the Gotham police station, a declaration of her death will be announced on Gotham news at 11pm.” I looked down at the water covered ground and sighed, “I could have done more to save her.” batman laid a gloved hand on my shoulder, “no you couldn’t have.” I shook my head and stood up, “you aren’t the only one who has lost someone they love.” I nodded and made my way inside of the house, I looked back at the lightning covered sky and could only think that Ashleigh would be at peace now, no matter how much restlessness I would face.