Techno Heroes

Chapter 19 - Open Your Eyes

As I sat in the room of the castle, I let all my tears out, not leaving any of my emotions trapped inside. I let it all out, and tried to wipe away any that dripped too far down. My sleeve was now soggy from the tears, and you could see a darker shade of my shirt. Some tears hit the ground, small pools of liquid visible from how much I was crying. Bryce on the other side simply sighed, pressing his ear against the door, hoping his voice would reach out to me.

Not knowing someone was in here, I kept crying until a chin touched my face. The hand lifted my head to meet the owner of the hand. Blood red eyes reminded me that this was Beetle, the man who had ruined it for Bryce and I. He shook his head with a smile, eyes half closed. Beetle turned to the door to hint off that he knew Bryce was there. I didn't turn my head to look at the door, I just keep a close eye on Beetle to see what he was going to do. "Remember what I said?".

Bryce couldn't hear since Beetle whispered it very quietly. As best as possible, I try remembering what Beetle had said that he would do. My eyes began crying more tears the moment I remembered about it. "Please no" I beg, Beetle shushing my crying with a finger in front of my lips, and him wiping away the tears that pricked my eyes. "I'm sorry, not" Beetle whispered, going through the door in a shadowy form. I keep my head low, praying he did not harm Bryce.

Like a jinx, I hear a scream from Bryce, and then a thud on the ground. under the door, I see red liquid pouring on to my side of the door. I didn't want to believe it, please tell me this is a horrible nightmare. I stand up from the ground, opening the door slowly before looking down and seeing something I couldn't un-see. Right in my very eyes I saw Bryce laying on the ground, eyes closed, him not breathing at all, and a sword in his chest, blood pooling out of him.

"Bryce?" I shuddered, one hand over my mouth trying to hold in a scream, my other hand reaching out for him. I bent down to touch his face, his skin already beginning to get cold from blood no longer circulating. "Bryce, please wake up" I say, hoping he wasn't actually what I thought he was. Bryce didn't respond nor did he budge. "Come on, wake up!" I said, shaking him around in hopes he would come to his senses. Nothing but silence greeted me.

Tears filled my eyes once more, I took out the sword that stabbed him through the chest, holding him close to my heart. "Open your eyes, just one so I know you're still here" I beg, Bryce's head rolling to the side of my shoulder, gravity only controlling his movements. "No.... Bryce?" I spoke, my voice cracking from me beginning to cry again. I choked on my own tears, holding him in my arms realizing his mind is elsewhere. "Why wasn't it me?!" I scream out.

I now began wishing I was the one who's life was in danger. I rather have Bryce alive and happy rather than him dying in front of me, and this happening. Who could even bring him back to life? I know no one with that power, how could I change his fate? Minutes later as I calmed down, I didn't hear anything from outside, meaning that there was no more of Beetle's minions. Or so I thought. "You damn bastards!!" I heard someone yell out. It sounded familiar, I felt worried.

Pulling Bryce in the room I was in, I rest him in the bed, hoping some miracle would happen, and close the door. I ran downstairs to the first floor, open the entry doors to the castle, and outside I see all of Beetle's minions dead all around the place. Even some who got to the bridge were floating in the water, but no longer alive. I hear sobbing from someone up ahead in the middle of all the dead corpses. I notice it was Ridget, this didn't sound good at all.

"Ridget, what happened?" I ask noticing how quiet it was. No one at all was outside or even seeing from their windows. "Ridget stood up, his back turning away, and his arms showing what I felt heart shattered from. "No, not him too!" I scream, Ridget picking up on that last part. "Who else?" Ridget asked, me looking down with tears in my eyes. Ridget got the idea, and sat down with me on the ground. In Ridget's arms was Yanko, multiple arrows stuck in his body.

One of them landed a direct hit on his heart. Two others landed on his leg, and another on his dominant hand, the left one. Yanko had his eyes open still, his pupils shrunk and a permanent face of fear on his face. His mouth was slightly open, blood dripping down from both his mouth, and his heart. Ridget and I held Yanko carefully, crying amongst ourselves for our friend passing away. Preston and Gibson found us outside, seeing all the dead people around us.

"The hell happened here? I heard a yell, and tried to find you guys" Preston questioned, Ridget and I looking up at the two, Ridget holding up Yanko closer to his chest so that Preston and Gibson could see the traumatic scene. The two gasped, tears welling up in their eyes. "I don't understand, how did he die?" Preston said sitting down on the ground like we were. I listen along too, every detail of it making me more sad.

"Yanko was able to take care of a lot of the minions by himself, me being occupied with one person who was a real challenge to fight off. Then, all of a sudden Yanko shouted watch out, but I didn't see where the attack was coming from. Somehow, three archers were on top of different houses, aiming their bows at me. Last second, Yanko stepped in front of me, taking the hit, and the arrows piercing through his body" Ridget explained, all of us looking at Yanko with sadness.

Preston and Gibson hugged Yanko's dead body, the two of them crying out. "Yanko..." Gibson said weakly, speaking using his hero powers to communicate. Ridget carried Yanko in his arms, and stood up ready to head into the castle. "You said Bryce died too, right Paulina?" Ridget said, Preston and Gibson gasping because they just got here. "He's upstairs in a room I was close to" I respond, Ridget nodding and asking me to lead the way there.

Carefully, Ridget placed Yanko on the bed beside Bryce, taking out the arrows as best as possible so that if Yanko toppled over, the arrows wouldn't go further in his body. Preston and Gibson stood in the back of the room, sitting down and fidgeting with their hands. Gibson shocking was the only one making sounds by crying since him and Yanko were very close childhood friends. Preston was quietly crying since Bryce helped him through his depressing times.

I sit in between my best friend and love, holding them close to me in a gentle hug. "I want to wake up from this nightmare already" I whispered, tears going down as I held them both in my arms. Yanko's eyes were still open since he was shot with that face, and Bryce had his closed, him being taken by surprise. My tears fell on to Bryce and Yanko, them being too close so all my tears rolled down from my cheek to their wounds. Ridget sat down, his hands in a praying pose.

"Open your eyes...please" I whisper to the two dead corpses, none of them showing a sign of life.