An Outsider's Call

65

TW // Assisted Suicide

JAMIE

I start to move around, slowly waking back up. I look around, seeing blurred spikes of fire slowly getting dyed out by the rain. My vision slowly clears up, realizing I need to look for Lance.

"Lance?" I call. No response. I begin to crawl even faster, frantically looking around for my brother. "LANCE?!"

I begin to panic, thrashing my head around in the middle of the fire. No no no where is he? He has to be here! The guard may have blown up, but Lance wasn't too close to be blown apart.

I scream his name one last time, until I hear a moan. I look to my left, and see Lance slowly rolling to his back several feet away. Oh my God he's alive!

"Lance!" I exclaim, bolting over to him. I slide to his side, holding onto his shoulders. He coughs slightly, clutching his stomach. I look down at his stomach, seeing holes in his shirt. I lift up his shirt, and I'm immediately losing my breath.

On his hip, there is a deep, carved out-like dent, realizing most of his right hip has been torn off. He has burns all over his chest, his stomach, and many other injuries that he bleeds from.

He's in critical condition. He needs help now!

"Shit..." I mumble. I look up. "Emily! Emily please! Somebody please! Help us!"

No response. Just fire and smoke.

I turn to Lance, tears in my eyes forming. I've started to panic. I don't know what to do! Lance slowly turns his head to his right, and reaches out an arm.

"His knife..." Lance mumbles. I turn to where he's pointing, and see one of the guard's shimmering, metal knives. "Grab it... now..."

I know exactly where this is going.

"Lance... stop." I say as calmly as I can. Lance winces, and reaches for the knife himself. Lance grabs my hands, putting the knife in them, directing the blade to his chest.

"Do it... cut out my heart." he says.

"Lance..." I say, my eyes widening. Is this really about to happen? Is it? I thought we would never reach this point in this conflict. "No... there has to be another way..."

I suddenly hear a wail in the distance, making me bolt my head up.

Several yards away, I see Eli getting tackled by a guard, and Emily getting held back. I look back down at Lance, who looks entirely calm as he chokes.

"There's nothing you can do now. They're getting your friends, they won't get to the doors if you don't do this." mumbles Lance.

I look back up at my friends, seeing Emily get thrown to the ground. Grace charges after one of the guards, and suddenly plunges a knife in his shoulder. I hear a scream, until a guard comes up behind Grace and wraps his arms around her.

"Jamie..." mumbles Lance, in a soft, warning tone. I look at him, my face tensing my how much I'm crying. "I've already done... too many bad things..."

I shake my head at him. He can't blame himself. He can't feel ashamed of himself now. I watch all my friends continue to fight off the guards, and turn to him again.