Angel Don't You Cry

Delilah’s POV

The room was silent. I focused on what I was doing, instead of the look on everyone’s face. I didn’t have to look up to see what they looked like, I already knew. I took a deep breath.

“Now,” I repeated angrily. Scott slowly turned around and stood up. My hands shook nervously as I continued to hold the gun in my hand. Now, since Scott had gotten up, it was pointing at his chest. I looked up at him.

“You better be careful before someone gets hurt. You and I both know that guns aren’t toys,” he said. I glared at him and slightly turn turned my head. I wasn’t afraid of him. I was afraid of what could happen, but what ever it was I had to be prepared. I said nothing. Scott stood there… still as a statue. I gulped and thought about all the things he’s done to ruin my life, my friend’s lives, and even Libby’s life.

Scott walked towards me slowly. I backed up on step at a time.

“Just… just give me the keys,” I said softly.

“Over my dead body,” he replied. I bit my lips and looked over at Ashley. She was looking up at the ceiling just waiting for this nightmare to end. I looked back at Scott.

“Let them go,” I whispered. I looked at Frank and smirked. That let him know that he could help out his parents now. I looked back at Scott.

“You’re really gonna place this game, Scott? Right now? I’m holding a loaded gun in my hands and you’re gonna play this game with me?”

“So what if I am?”

“You’re making a mistake.”

Scott chuckled. I rolled my eyes and stepped towards him. He was too busy laughing to worry about how close I was getting to him. When I was close enough I grabbed his collar on his shirt and pulled him down. I held my gun at my side and looked Scott right in the eye. I was no longer afraid of eye contact. I just smiled. He stopped laughing.

“You think you’re stronger than me, don’t you?” he said.

“I know I’m not.”

“Then what are you doing?”

“Can you say revenge?”

“Can you say good-bye?”

“Gladly,” I replied as I started to lift the gun. Scott grabbed my arm and threw me at the wall, making me pull the trigger. It zoomed passed Scott and hit the ceiling. I looked at the spot where it had hit and looked back at Scott. Quickly, I got up and pressed my back to the wall pointing the gun in Scott’s direction. He walked towards me. Suddenly, a chair collided with his head from behind, making him fall face flat on the floor. I blinked at looked up to see who did it. I smiled at Frank’s dad, who was standing at the back of Scott toes.

I moved fast before Scott got up and grabbed the keys from his pocket. As I walked over to Ashley, Frank yelled my name. I looked at him questioningly and then looked behind me. Before I knew it, Scott’s hand was wrapped around my ankle. He pulled on my leg, and made me fall. The gun and the keys flew out on my hands and slid across the floor. I turned and pulled and tried gripping the floor, but nothing worked. The kicking didn’t work, the punching didn’t work. Then my wrists were trapped between the floor and Scott’s hands.

I realized something immediately and smiled at Scott.

“What?” He asked, “Why the hell are you smiling?!”

“They have the gun, and you’re right in front of them about to break their best friend’s neck. You do the math for once,” I replied. His eyes widened, noticing I was right. I looked over at Frank and his parents. Frank’s dad was restraining Libby. Lord knows what she was trying to get over here for. Frank had no idea what was going on or what he should do as he held the gun in his hands. Frank’s mom was trying to figure out what key unlocked the handcuffs.

Scott stood up and bolted for Frank. I never knew if Frank knew how to hold or shoot a gun, but he better have hurried and learned how. I watched as he quickly gripped in gun in the most comfortable way. Scott was too fast, or Frank was too slow to shoot. Scott grabbed Frank’s arms and fought to get the gun away from him.

“Frank, don’t let him get it! Don’t let him get the gun!” I shouted. I didn’t doubt for a second Frank didn’t know that. Sometimes when you’re scared, you don’t think before you say anything. I got ready to stand up but I noticed that the gun had been pointed towards me. A shot rang out and I ducked to the floor just in time. If I was kneeling like I was I probably would have gotten hit.

An extremely loud ringing went on like a broken school bell in my ears. It was soft before, but it got loud. I could still hear everyone though.

Suddenly the boys turned toward the wall where I sat hand cuffed with my friends. My heart beat faster, but I was frozen. The memories of mom getting shot instantly played in my mind. It happened like it was in slow motion. The same feeling of fear I had now, I had then. Then I noticed, not only was the flash back going slow, but so was everything around me.
Why was this happening? Why do I always freeze? Can I ever make it on time and not to save the people that saved me? Stop asking questions, Delilah, and find the answers.

Another shot went off as I snapped out of my thoughts. I noticed Frank had stopped fighting. I looked at he was looking at. I looked at what everyone except Scott was looking at. I was too shocked to even know what to do. I didn’t know what to think.
What I did know was sickening. What I was watching… made me freeze.

What I saw was blood, pain, shock, and fear. With out being able to wrap her hands around her throat where blood was just pouring out, Ashley looked at me for help. I was still frozen. My legs were numb. Everything that had been going in slow motion picked up at normal speed. Frank went on fighting, now that he was furious. I started feeling my legs again and crawled speedily towards Ashley.

“Keys,” I said, where are the keys?”

Frank’s mother tossed them to me. I quickly flipped though looking to the right key. I remember it was the smallest one on the ring. I looked at Ashley. Her check was on her shoulder as she looked at me. I put my right hand over the wound in the front of her neck, trying not to put so much pressure that I chock her but enough to keep her alive.
Mrs. Iero took the keys and asked which on it was. I told her it was the smallest. I wrapped my other hand around Ashley’s neck and talked to her.

“Ashley, you can do this,” I said. She tried to talk but she couldn’t. Air just came out and went back in. Blood was starting to drip from the sides of the mouth and then soon dripped down her chin. Tears flowed down my cheeks. I continued talking to her.

“Look at me. You’re a great friend. I love you with all my heart. I’m sorry for guilt tripping you into coming back. I’m sorry for talking you into coming with us. Please, just try and make it though this. You were always there for me. Always. You sat by my side in the kitchen, I told you not to let me die. You promised you wouldn’t. And you didn’t. I can’t let you die. I’m sorry, Ashley. I’m sorry. You can pull though. You can. Please. For me. I’m sorry.”

I got the feeling she wasn’t listening. Then she looked at me and tried to say something, but more air just came out. She smiled slightly.

“I love you. Don’t forget that,” I told her. Mrs. Iero unlocked the handcuffs and grabbed Ashley’s hand. She had told us that she went to vet school and then dropped out a few years ago. I figured this would be almost the same thing considering people are mammals, but when Ashley closed her eyes the only thing Mrs. Iero said was “She’s…gone.” She checked Ash’s pulse and shook her head.

I frowned and looked back at Scott. I glared at him, actually. I got up and went behind him as he continued to fight Frank. My fingers were curled up into a fist. I glanced at Frank’s dad and then back at Scott.

“Frank get you finger off the trigger,” I demanded.

“It is!” he replied. Scott turned around with Frank quickly to look at me.

“Let her go,” I directed to Frank’s dad. Before I knew it Libby jumped in the middle of the fight and peeled Scott off Frank. Frank still hand the gun in his hand.

“Give me the gun. Go help out your mom and Jen. Have them help you move Ashley to the farthest corner or out of the room. In fact get them out of here. Grab your dad, too,” I said quickly. Frank handed me the gun.

“What about you?” He asked.

“Don’t worry about me.”

“I'll get them out but I’m coming back.”

“No, Frank, just go!”

“You’re not doing this alone,” exclaimed.

“Just get them out of here!”

Frank leaped over to Ash, Jen and his mom. I looked at his dad who was already scurrying over there.

I looked back at Libby and Scott. They were really fighting. I mean like bar fight fighting. Libby swung at Scott’s face. He pushed her down. Libby grabbed the closest thing to her, which was the rope. I didn’t know what she’d use a rope for but it was the only thing in her reach. I looked back over at the crowd of people taking Ashley’s body out of the room.
Frank looked back at me, smirked and then continued to walk out the door. I wiped the tears from my cheeks and looked over at Libby and Scott.

Delilah, You have a gun in you hand. Use it.
What if I shoot the wrong person?
Just take a chance! Besides why does it matter who you shoot?
Libby, she’s helping. She’s actually helping me. She’s helping us. She’s nicer now. Don’t let that fool you. Just shoot.
No.

Libby stood up. She was close to the old fragile window. It was cracked and it looked like if you were to just poke it with enough force, you’d break it. I couldn’t do anything. I refused to shoot.
Scott pushed Libby again so she faced the wall. As she went to turn around Scott put her in a choke hold. Then he snatched the rope from her hand and put it across her throat where his arm was. He shortened it in both hands, making it tighter. She realized the more she struggled, the more change she had of choking to death.
Scott grunted angry as Libby wrapped her fingers around the rope, trying to loosen it. I watched Libby remove one of her hands and reach for her pocket. Slowly she removed a red pocket knife and held it at her side.

Scott pulled back farther. Libby angrily bent over quickly and stuck the knife into Scott’s leg and pulled it out. He screamed in terror and pain. He did the complete opposite we expected to do. He pulled back harder on the rope. Libby dropped the knife and struggled to get the rope off her neck. Scott quickly tied the rope tightly and continued to fight with her. She kicked him in the place where men shouldn’t be kicked.

Scott dropped to his knees, letting Libby go. Libby threw her hand behind her head and played with the knot that Scott tied. I took a step forward, and then I saw Scott grab the pocket knife.
Frank barged back in the room and ran over to me. We didn’t want to interfere… we didn’t feel like getting killed today. Libby backed up to the window as Scott stood up. He Held the pocket knife firmly in his hand and walked towards Libby. He grabbed the slack of rope that Libby hadn’t untied. She loosened it, but she didn’t untie it.

Scott pushed Libby, breaking the glass-only window behind her. It broke. He pushed her again.

She looked at me with the words sorry just scrolling all over her eyes. She tried to fight back but even Frank knew it was no use. Scott gripped Libby’s shirt, stabbed her in the temple, and pushed her out the window. He still held the rope in his hands that was like a matching leash to the rope collar around Libby’s neck.
Scott dug the knife thru the rope and into the window sill.

I shook my head.

“What do you have to live for now?” I said. He looked back at me. I took a deep breath.

“Are you asking for a fight?” He replied.

“I’m asking for your life. You killed my best friend, you killed my aunt, and you killed my dad, and practically killed my mom. You put my boyfriend’s life in danger along with his parents. And all I want to know is why?”

“You really want to know?” Scott replied. Frank grabbed my hand.

“Yeah, I do.”

“To get to you,” Scott said sternly, “you’re special. Everyone knew you were going to be something big. I didn’t want the to happen. Your parents raised you to be this way. They raised you to care about everyone. I’m sick of these kids getting famous for no reason. I knew you’d be the one to go out there and try to help everyone.
Your dad always talked about you. He always said how you were doing and how much he believed you would be something big. I was… I am jealous. My son…my daughter… my wife were all killed in a plane crash. My daughter was you age, she was going to be something big. It’s a big deal to me that daddy’s little princess doesn’t rub it in my face when she’s touring around the world.
Now, I have you right where I want you.”

“If all you wanted was me, that’s all you had to say instead of putting me though all this,” I replied. Gerard appeared on the other side of me and peeled my fingers off the gun.

“Give it to him,” he whispered in my ear. I looked down at the gun and smiled. I stretched my arm out towards Scott, offering him the gun.

“Take it… get it over with,” I said.

“Delilah,” whispered Frank, shotting a fearful look at me. Scott took the gun and pointed it at me. I hopped he’d just get it over with like I told him to. I’d have to live with this for the rest of my life and I didn’t want to.

“Now,” he said, “I realized that it doesn’t matter. It’s better putting you though the mental pain.”

Scott put the gun to his side and stepped closer to me so he was pretty much on my feet. Then turn the gun on himself and pulled the trigger. Brains and blood was sprinkled over my clothes and hair. Frank pulled me back as Scott fell to the ground. Blood was all over the walls, all over me, and all over Frank.

I looked at Frank and smiled. Then I embraced him tightly and started crying. We stood there for about 10 minutes.

The house was silent again. All I could hear were police dogs barking, shouts from police officers and sirens in the distance. I could hear Frank’s heart beating fast. I could hear the airplane flying over the house. The one thing I’d hear for about 4 more hours was the ringing in my ears.

“Hey,” Frank whispered. I looked up at him.

“Hmm?”

“Let’s get out of here.”

I smiled and nodded and started walking towards the door with Frank.

“Wait,” I said stopping. I turned around and took a look at the room before it was filled with police officers. I looked at Scott’s body with my dad’s gun. I looked at the broken window that my aunt hung out of. I looked at the wall where I was chained to for a while. I looked at the flickering candle that still burned bright. The candle that gave me hope and told me that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

I sniffed and walked over to the candle.

“Do we still have flash lights?” I asked.

“Yes,” I heard Jen reply.

“Get them ready,” I commanded for the last time for the night. I bent over and blew the ever lasting candle out. This wasn’t the end of the tunnel for me, not yet at least.