Never Look Back

Eurydice
We arrived at some warehouse in the middle of nowhere. They tied me up and I kicked and screamed the entire time.

Aristaeus laughed and stood in front of me. "This one's feisty. When I get rid of your little boyfriend, you'll be mine for sure."

I spat in his face. I couldn't take it anymore. If these were my last few hours, I would go out with a personality as fiery as my hair.

I was taken by surprise at what Aristaeus did next. His hand came down hard across my face as he slapped me. He grabbed me by my jaw.

"But first, you're gonna have to learn your place." He walked away, clearly proud of himself. We waited about an hour or so.

"Looks like he doesn't want you," Aristaeus smirked. "Will you take me now? Or do I have to put you in your place once more."

I didn't answer, but I stared him down. And I won.

Just as Aristaeus broke my glare, Orpheus ran through the door, carrying a briefcase.

He took one look at me, and went crazy.

"You tied her up?" He dropped the briefcase and ran over to me.

He kissed me, whispering in my ear that everything would be okay, that he was going to fix everything.

He saw the hand print on the side of my face then. "You hit her?"

He ran toward Aristaeus. "Orpheus, don't!"

Aristaeus pulled a gun and aimed it at Orpheus' heart.

Orpheus backed away, hands in the air. He bent down, opening the briefcase.

"$5,000, just like you wanted," he said. "Take it and let us go."

"Oh no, we do this my way," Aristaeus responded. And this began my last few minutes on earth.

Orpheus
I was livid. He'd tied her up, hit her and now refused to let us go. Unless we did what he asked.

"Here's how it goes," he said. "You start on your way out and she will follow you. You look back at her before she's out of the warehouse, you lose her. Forever. Make sense?"

I nodded, teeth clenched.

We made our way toward the door, Eury behind me. I couldn't hear her steps, but I had to believe that she was there.

We walked slowly, time dragging on. I finally reached the door, seeing the sunlight.

I was out in the open, the sun beating against my skin. I turned around, arms open to embrace Eurydice.

She was still one step inside the warehouse. She realized as I did and looked at me sadly.
"Goodby, Orphee," she whispered. "I love you."

I ran toward her, ready to grab her. I wasn't going to lose her.

Suddenly, a bullet went through her heart, making her fall to the ground. She cried out one last time.

"Goodbye." Tears came to my eyes as I ran to where she lay. "Go," she breathed. "Nothing can be done."

I kissed her one last time, my tears running down her cheeks. My hands soaked with her blood as I held her in my arms. I saw the bullet sitting right next to her and picked it up, putting it in my pocket.

It would be a constant reminder of all that had happened. It would provide me with a memory of her.

But what I didn't realize is that it would give me a mental picture of Aristaeus' smug look in the background. It would make me feel that bullet go through Eury. It would make me regret.

It would make me regret looking back.