Sequel: Their Rebellion ›
When the Sun Goes Down
Death
I ran my tired fists along my red, swollen eyes as quiet foot steps appeared at my side. I whimpered quietly into my clenched fists before allowing them to fall into my lap. The sun had gone down for the night, leaving a dark, cool breeze to keep me company. I had shoved my pistol back in between my jeans and hips, knowing very well that I would not be able to trace my finger along the trigger and know that the next bullet to come out would be for Mama.
I looked down at her and felt my eyes water with warm, salty tears once more. It must have been nearly a half hour of me sitting by her side. She had grown so cold and lifeless now. Even though Mama was no longer with us, I had a heavy feeling of knowing that she was in peace. Yet even knowing just that, I couldn't help but be angry. Not angry at the group, or a single person within it. Only at myself. It was my fault that Mama had ended up like this.
If I had stayed back with the group while the brothers' went to the crash site, I could have prevented her infection. I would have been able to save the one life that meant the world to me. I choked back on a sob as Noah knelt beside me. He brushed the hair from Mama's eyes as he whispered, "Oh, Angel."
Noah turned his attention on me and forced me to swallow back my tears. His facial features, even in the dim moon light, held all but happiness and joy. His eyebrows had furrowed together in slight disbelief at Mama's status. In a calm, cooling voice, he said, "She's in a better place, Adrienne. Ya just have to make it permanent."
I nodded my head in his direction and felt myself cupping a hand over my mouth. Noah shifted himself onto his knees and gently pulled me into his chest. His warm touch felt fatherly, so despite me wanting to hold onto what pride I had left, I gave in and cried. I dug my face further into his cotton weaved sweater and cried for as long as I could. Noah knew just as well as I did that I needed to put Mama out of her misery before she woke up.
She wouldn't wake up as a new person. She would wake up as a monster. Yet what Noah didn't know just yet, was that I was physically and mentally incable of doing that one simple action. I pulled away from Noah and wiped angrily at my eyes. I ran my fingers along my glock and felt a lump of fear form in the back of my throat. I felt like someone were wrapping their hands around my wind pipe and squeezing as hard as they possibley could.
Noah rested a warm hand on my shoulder and looked intently into my eyes. In a hushed whisper, he asked, "Can ya do it, Adrienne?"
I stayed silent for a moment, because I was unable to find my voice. My bottom lip began to quiver and I quickly shook my head. I cried out, "I can't, Noah! I can't do it."
Noah snaked an arm over my shoulder and hugged me once more. I could hear the shuffling of feet behind us as he tried to calm me down. He squeezed my shoulder tightly before shifting closer to Mama. I pulled away from Noah and caught my breath. I took in a few deep breaths and slowly calmed myself down. Noah turned back toward me and offered me a stern, important look.
"Why don't ya go sit with the boys, lass?"He stuck his hand into his breast pocket and pulled out his silencer.
The calm that had come over me had suddenly drained from my body. I swallowed hard and felt a tinge of anger crawl through my veins. Noah was insisting that he himself help Mama. A low growl formed in my throat as I shook my head at him.
"No, Noah."I spat."You ain't doin' this."
The shuffling of feet grew closer and I felt warm hands clutch my shoulders. I looked up slightly and found that Connor and Murphy had come to us. Murphy nodded to the side and asked, "Why don't we take a walk, Adrienne? Get yer mind off of this."
"So Noah can,"I whimpered quietly."kill her?!"
Noah sighed quietly and cocked back his gun. I pushed forward and reached out for his weapon. He pulled his arm away as the boys pulled me back into my seated position.
"You can't do that!"I cried."You can't kill her! She's dead! She's gone!"
"We all know what is going to happen."Noah assured."It has to be done, sweetheart."
"No."I shook my head angrily.
I could feel the twins' fingers digging into my skin. I wanted to keep my temper, but I felt as if Noah was trying to take away my living, breathing mother. Noah rested his pistol to his side and turned toward me. In the calmest voice he could muster up, he said, "Best to say yer goodbyes, Adrienne."
I felt my eyes water once again and I ran my fingers along Mama's cold hand. I wiped my eyes with my free hand and said, "I love you, Mama."
"Come on, Adrienne."Murphy tugged slightly at my shoulder, but I only pulled away.
"Adrienne,"Connor went to pull me to my feet as Noah reached down for Mama's hand.
"Noah, don't you dare!"A yelp escaped past my lips as I was yanked to my feet.
I dug my shoes into the dirt as Noah readied his pistol. I pressed my hands to Connor's chest and roughly pushed him away. I brought my elbow back as Murphy reached for my arm and hit him hard in the jaw. I jolted toward Noah and Mama when I saw my opportunity. I was only inches away from the two when Connor and Murphy grabbed me by my arms. I tried to pull away from them, but even when angered, I could not muster up the strength to do so.
I felt my feet slide against the dirt ground as I shouted out to Noah. I watched, in horror, as he rose his gun to Mama. He hadn't taken aim, but it was enough to make me panic. In a loud cry, I shouted, "Noah!"
"Adrienne, ya don't want to see this."Murphy pulled back again, forcing me closer toward the van.
I stopped fighting the boys, however, when Mama's hand twitched under the small light we had. Murphy and Connor still held their grip on me, but watched on as well. I opened my mouth to question what was going on, but I was at a loss for words. My eyes welled up in tears, blurring the vision I had of Noah and Mama. I watched as she twitched slightly again and whimpered. The boys' pulled me closer to them, giving them the better advantage.
They slinked their arms in my own, but kept their gaze heavy on Noah. He ran his fingers along Mama's temple and forced a hurt smile. I knew exactly what was coming as her eyes slowly opened. She was no longer the Mama I once knew; she was a monster. Noah rose his pistol and pressed it tightly to her forehead. Quietly, he said, "Goodbye, Angel."
"Noah!"I jerked forward, taking the boys by surprise."Mama!"
I pulled my arms forward, making the boys' stumble forward just slightly. Noah traced his finger over the trigger and within a few seconds, pulled the trigger. The quiet shot was drowned out by my angered and hurt screams.
I looked down at her and felt my eyes water with warm, salty tears once more. It must have been nearly a half hour of me sitting by her side. She had grown so cold and lifeless now. Even though Mama was no longer with us, I had a heavy feeling of knowing that she was in peace. Yet even knowing just that, I couldn't help but be angry. Not angry at the group, or a single person within it. Only at myself. It was my fault that Mama had ended up like this.
If I had stayed back with the group while the brothers' went to the crash site, I could have prevented her infection. I would have been able to save the one life that meant the world to me. I choked back on a sob as Noah knelt beside me. He brushed the hair from Mama's eyes as he whispered, "Oh, Angel."
Noah turned his attention on me and forced me to swallow back my tears. His facial features, even in the dim moon light, held all but happiness and joy. His eyebrows had furrowed together in slight disbelief at Mama's status. In a calm, cooling voice, he said, "She's in a better place, Adrienne. Ya just have to make it permanent."
I nodded my head in his direction and felt myself cupping a hand over my mouth. Noah shifted himself onto his knees and gently pulled me into his chest. His warm touch felt fatherly, so despite me wanting to hold onto what pride I had left, I gave in and cried. I dug my face further into his cotton weaved sweater and cried for as long as I could. Noah knew just as well as I did that I needed to put Mama out of her misery before she woke up.
She wouldn't wake up as a new person. She would wake up as a monster. Yet what Noah didn't know just yet, was that I was physically and mentally incable of doing that one simple action. I pulled away from Noah and wiped angrily at my eyes. I ran my fingers along my glock and felt a lump of fear form in the back of my throat. I felt like someone were wrapping their hands around my wind pipe and squeezing as hard as they possibley could.
Noah rested a warm hand on my shoulder and looked intently into my eyes. In a hushed whisper, he asked, "Can ya do it, Adrienne?"
I stayed silent for a moment, because I was unable to find my voice. My bottom lip began to quiver and I quickly shook my head. I cried out, "I can't, Noah! I can't do it."
Noah snaked an arm over my shoulder and hugged me once more. I could hear the shuffling of feet behind us as he tried to calm me down. He squeezed my shoulder tightly before shifting closer to Mama. I pulled away from Noah and caught my breath. I took in a few deep breaths and slowly calmed myself down. Noah turned back toward me and offered me a stern, important look.
"Why don't ya go sit with the boys, lass?"He stuck his hand into his breast pocket and pulled out his silencer.
The calm that had come over me had suddenly drained from my body. I swallowed hard and felt a tinge of anger crawl through my veins. Noah was insisting that he himself help Mama. A low growl formed in my throat as I shook my head at him.
"No, Noah."I spat."You ain't doin' this."
The shuffling of feet grew closer and I felt warm hands clutch my shoulders. I looked up slightly and found that Connor and Murphy had come to us. Murphy nodded to the side and asked, "Why don't we take a walk, Adrienne? Get yer mind off of this."
"So Noah can,"I whimpered quietly."kill her?!"
Noah sighed quietly and cocked back his gun. I pushed forward and reached out for his weapon. He pulled his arm away as the boys pulled me back into my seated position.
"You can't do that!"I cried."You can't kill her! She's dead! She's gone!"
"We all know what is going to happen."Noah assured."It has to be done, sweetheart."
"No."I shook my head angrily.
I could feel the twins' fingers digging into my skin. I wanted to keep my temper, but I felt as if Noah was trying to take away my living, breathing mother. Noah rested his pistol to his side and turned toward me. In the calmest voice he could muster up, he said, "Best to say yer goodbyes, Adrienne."
I felt my eyes water once again and I ran my fingers along Mama's cold hand. I wiped my eyes with my free hand and said, "I love you, Mama."
"Come on, Adrienne."Murphy tugged slightly at my shoulder, but I only pulled away.
"Adrienne,"Connor went to pull me to my feet as Noah reached down for Mama's hand.
"Noah, don't you dare!"A yelp escaped past my lips as I was yanked to my feet.
I dug my shoes into the dirt as Noah readied his pistol. I pressed my hands to Connor's chest and roughly pushed him away. I brought my elbow back as Murphy reached for my arm and hit him hard in the jaw. I jolted toward Noah and Mama when I saw my opportunity. I was only inches away from the two when Connor and Murphy grabbed me by my arms. I tried to pull away from them, but even when angered, I could not muster up the strength to do so.
I felt my feet slide against the dirt ground as I shouted out to Noah. I watched, in horror, as he rose his gun to Mama. He hadn't taken aim, but it was enough to make me panic. In a loud cry, I shouted, "Noah!"
"Adrienne, ya don't want to see this."Murphy pulled back again, forcing me closer toward the van.
I stopped fighting the boys, however, when Mama's hand twitched under the small light we had. Murphy and Connor still held their grip on me, but watched on as well. I opened my mouth to question what was going on, but I was at a loss for words. My eyes welled up in tears, blurring the vision I had of Noah and Mama. I watched as she twitched slightly again and whimpered. The boys' pulled me closer to them, giving them the better advantage.
They slinked their arms in my own, but kept their gaze heavy on Noah. He ran his fingers along Mama's temple and forced a hurt smile. I knew exactly what was coming as her eyes slowly opened. She was no longer the Mama I once knew; she was a monster. Noah rose his pistol and pressed it tightly to her forehead. Quietly, he said, "Goodbye, Angel."
"Noah!"I jerked forward, taking the boys by surprise."Mama!"
I pulled my arms forward, making the boys' stumble forward just slightly. Noah traced his finger over the trigger and within a few seconds, pulled the trigger. The quiet shot was drowned out by my angered and hurt screams.