Elena.

Time had run out, and I'd realized that I had made a choice and I had just been in too much denial to admit it...I would choose Leverett over Ryan in the end. It was inevitable that that would happen. It sickened me, and had resulted in making me distant and reclusive towards Leverett and Molly for the past month.

They were both aware of this, so they gave me my space, which I was grateful for.

"Love, please tell me what's wrong." Leverett said, sitting by our bed. I couldn't look at him, so he gently took my chin to face him. He pecked my lips and searched my eyes for a reply. I shrugged, but I knew that wouldn't suffice, but still, I gave him a weak smile and said nothing.

"You know, Lucerne was my best friend," he began, looking down at the carpet as he held my hand, "and when I lost him, and they turned him into-that in their labs, I thought my life was completely over. He was the only friend I had left, and we'd gone through so much that when I was betrayed by him like that- I just saw no point in living. Everything up until then seemed to be so meaningless to me after that happened. If it wasn't for Molly, I would've ended my life, but I'm obviously still here," he chuckled a little then, so I squeezed him hand lovingly, and he continued; "and you have absolutley no idea how happy I am that I'm here, because if I wasn't, I never would've met you...all I'm trying to say is that you can tell me anything. I'm just not as affectionate as you deserve-"

"Leverett, you are, don't blame-"

"Just know that I love you more than I show you. My life hasn't allowed me the privilege to be how I know I want to be with you. And I want that to change, it's almost been a year since we've been together this way, and that's the least I could do."

I was lost for words. I started to say something, but I choked up. We looked at each other in happy silence for a few moments, we understood each other, and what I would have wanted to say to those loving words. I knew I wasn't required to say anything, so I didn't. I knew I could show him instead.

I woke up to find Leverett sleeping by my side. His arm was completely around my torso, and his mouth was slightly open as he shifted a little. I smiled as I pulled up the sheets around my body a little more.

The phone started ringing. I quickly picked it up in the effort of not waking Leverett.

"Hello?" I whispered, slipping on my dress as I quickly tip toed out of the room. There was shuffling noise on the other side, nothing coherent. I was about to hang up when I heard someone yelp in pain. It sounded like Ryan. "Ryan? Ryan is that you?" I asked, gripping the phone a little tighter.

"Don't kill- don't kill him for me! They're going to-" He was interrupted and I heard him groan in pain. Then I heard an all too familiar voice on the other line.

"Now listen to me. We changed our minds, If you don't go through with what we told you to, we aren't going to kill your friend. Instead, we're going to torture him and-"

"No," I yelped, holding onto the phone as if it were dear life, "please, please don't. I-"

"He's going to wish he were dead with all the pain we're going to put him through. You know you can get him out of this, and time is running out."

"Wait!" I pleaded, tears staining my face.

The next thing I heard was the dial tone.

I leaned up against the wall and slowly let myself fall on the floor. I don't know how long I was there for, but I finally got the strength to get up and go towards my old room. I went to the closet and took out a small box I'd hidden there since Mrs. Goodman had dropped me off in the rainstorm. I took out the dagger. it had a fluid in it, that was what did the actual damage, not the metal.

As I made my way back to where Leverett was sleeping, I held the dagger in the folds of my dress, making my way towards him. I could barely hold the dagger. I was about to step back and stop the whole thing, but all I could hear were Ryan's cries of pain in my head. His cries got so loud in my mind that I felt they could somehow wake up Leverett at any moment.

I had to do this.

I have...to...do...this.

I felt tears roll down my face as I raised the dagger up in the air.

But I couldn't. I couldn't bring myself to do it. Just as I brought the dagger back down so I could put it away, I felt a strong grip on my wrist. Leverett's eyes flew open, his expression contorting from sorrow into anger in an instant.

"...Why?"