Darkness.

I turned around on the spot only to be greeted by nothing. Just darkness and nothing else.

I clenched my eyes shut as pain shot though my head.

But when I opened them again, I saw light. Just a small flicker of hope.

"You shouldn't have done what you did." Someone said, making me jump.

I turned around.

"Grandpa?" I asked, already ready to cry. I moved forward to hug him.

He raised his hand in the air. I stopped, taken aback. "I've never been so dissapointed in you, princess. You keep playing with your life. If it doesn't affect you, if affects us. Badly."

"I'm sorry." I said, looking down at the floor, which was actually just darkness.

Silence.

I looked up again to find him gone. I looked around frantically.

Now I'm scared. I want my Grandpa.

I turned around and almost shrieked. Dad stood there with an angry look on his face.

"Why would you do that to me? I got you after fifteen years. Who gave you the right to take my blessing away?" He said.

"I'm sorry." I muttered, feeling too guilty.

Right. Who gave me the right? They could've probably handled it better.

"I'm sorry if I ever made you feel neglected, Evvie. But I can never even think of losing you. It'll break me. I won't live through it."

"You don't make me feel neflected." I mumbled, looking to my side, where light was appearing.

That small flicker of light was slowly increasing.

Again, Dad had vanished when I looked back again.

What kind of a weird dream is this?

The bright light engulfed me completely, painting the black around me into blinding white.

I squinted my eyes, before I heard someone calling my name.

I turned around abruptly.

"Mom!" I exclaimed, running towards her as she opened her arms. I wrapped my arms around her, sobbing loudly.

This feels so real. I don't want it to end. Her hug feels so real.

"My baby." She kissed my cheek.

I could feel it! She's here.

"How are you?" She asked, wiping my tears away, with her soft hands.

"I-I kinda killed myself..." She cut me off.

"That I saw. I mean, how are you feeling inside? About everything that has happened in the last year and half?"

"It's good." I said, as she sat me down on a bench, that appeared out of nowhere. She took a seat beside me. "They love me endlessly."

"Yet you went and killed yourself?" She asked. I nodded, guiltily.

Thankfully she changed the subject seeing my reaction.

She stared ahead, kicking her feet.
"I knew you wouldn't hold grudges for too long. Your brothers can't bear losing you. Don't ever leave them and don't let them leave you. I know they love you endlessly. I'm always up there watching you all loving each other and being happy." She said, smiling and kissing my cheek once more.

"We are happy. I just wish you were there too." I mumbled. She chuckled and ruffled my hair.

"If I wasn't on my death bed, I wouldn't have had the courage to send that letter to your Dad. It all happens for good." She said, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "I was considering asking my brother for help, which, we both know, I'd hate doing."

I nodded.
"Dad is sad sometimes. I try my best though."

"You are his happiness. Your best is more than enough for him to be happy. He may be busy but he cares. That reminds me, ask your Grandpa to smack some sense into him. He's hurting himself. That old man."

I smiled, almost chuckled, but couldn't. I couldn't get past just a smile. I couldn't laugh. There was this sadness inside me that kept on growing every second. I don't know what.

"About you and Zack. You have my blessings. I'm happy you found someone to spend your life with. Thanks to Dad for that. Your Grandpa, I mean."

Yeah. Grandpa was the matchmaker.

"I want to see your kids. I love you and I'm always watching you from up there. Although I know I should give you and Zackie privacy while you eat each other's faces off but a little peek won't hurt." She winked while saying the last part. That's where I get my humor.

But wait. Something isn't adding up. Zack.

I gasped as my eyes filled with tears.
"But Zack is dead." I cried out. "He got shot and fell to the floor. Mom, he was so still. He wasn't breathing."

A sob escaped my mouth.

No. How could he leave me so soon?

We were supposed to go on that date this weekend. We were supposed to get married. He was supposed to see me in that short outfit I bought.

How could I let that happen? I knew it would end wrong. I knew he'd get hurt and Salvatore will kill him.

I shouldn't have ran and try to distract them. No! He shouldn't have ran to save me.

"School was great. We miss your pranks though." A voice echoed around me.

I looked up. Mom was gone.

"Mom." I called out, still crying. I need her. She can't come back then vanish like that.

"Evvie?" Someone called out. What is happening?

"Nathan?" I said.

The voices echoing in the background did not stop as they went on and on about how school was. I could hear some things that someone has said to me before. But who and when, I didn't know.

I turned around, towards the source and saw Nathan standing there. Looking to his side, I saw Zack standing there, with Mom standing behind him. She was smiling.

This is so confusing.

"Zack? I'm so sorry." I cried, rushing forward towards him, but something stopped me from moving forward and I fell to my knees.

"I'm so sorry." I choked out. "I didn't want that to happen. Please don't leave me. I won't live through this. I can't live without you." I begged, clasping my hands together.

He just smiled a little and shook his head.

"Let's go, twinny." Nathan said, extending his hand.

I shook my head and choked back a sob.
"Please. I can't leave you." I pleaded but Zack just shook his head again.

If this is a weird dream, I don't want to wake up. I can't see Zack so close, then wake up to him not there.

"You need to go, Nerdy. You have your whole life ahead of you. It was destined to happen. It happened. Maybe there's something better for you." He said, making me cry harder. "Your twin needs you. He can't live without his other half either. Go with him."

I just cried, looking at Mom pleadingly, hoping she will put some sense into this pighead's pig head and let me stay with him.

I don't wanna wake up to find him absent from my life.

But I can't put Nathan and my family through this either.

"I'm torn between this." I said, shaking my head. "I don't understand what is happening."

"Trust me on this, Nerdy." Zack said. "You need to go. We'll meet again, I promise. But please, for the sake of your twin, you need to go with him." He said, smiling sadly.

I gaped at him. How can he be okay with this?

"Let's go, Evvie. You created so many memories with him. He'll always be there with you." Nathan said. Looking behind him I saw Elonzo, looking at me worriedly.

When did Elonzo get here?

I got up shakily, staring at Zack and his sweet smile, trying to retain it to my memory.

I walked over to Nathan shakily, trembling from the outburst I just had.

I think again before reluctantly putting my hand in Nathan's. The moment I do, everything turns bright. So bright I had to squint my eyes, but eventually shut them when it became too much.

I heard a deafening beep and people shouting.

"Her pulse is increasing."

It was dark again.
My eyes fluttered open, my breaths heavy.

I could still hear the beeps. As soon as I adjusted to the lighting, I saw two doctors and two nurses looking at me worriedly.

That's when I noticed the wires attached to my hand.

I could feel the tears flowing down my cheeks. I tried to lift my free hand to wipe them away, but couldn't. My hand was stuck.

I lifted my head a little, which took a lot of struggle and looked at my hand to see Nathan holding it tight in both of his. He was shaking violently, sobbing while muttering things.

I moved my wired hand to touch his head, but got interrupted.

"She's safe." The doctor announced, sighing in relief. "We had a safe recovery."

Nathan's head shot up and his swollen red teary eyes met mine a second later.

"You made it." He exclaimed, in disbelief. He wiped at his eyes. "You know, one moment you were laying still and the other your heartbeat raised. They were afriad you'd have a cardiac arrest and won't make it. That you were giving up."

I did give up. Kinda.

I just sniffled.

I wanted to go with Zack and Mom, but the thought of my family stopped me. That's why I didn't give up completely.

So that was actually a decision I made? Between waking up for my family to giving up for Zack. Zack didn't want me to give up. Mom didn't want that either.

The door slammed open as Elonzo rushed in.
"Thank God." He rushed to my side and hugged me, lightly. His arm came around my back, to help me up. My head fell back when he lifted me, so he had to put his hand on the back of my head to support it.

Truck. I'm weak. It's hard to lift my head.

His face was buried in my shoulder.
"I was so worried, baby." He kissed my cheek, before proceeding to shower kisses all over my face. I sniffled again, clinging onto him while he made sure I was real and awake.

I felt warm inside. I wanted this. His hugs, which can provide comfort, loves and safety all at once. So I clinged onto him like it had been years since we last hugged each other.

At one point, he sniffed too, trying to hold back his tears, before he released his gentle grip and helped me lay down again.

"Do you want to sit up?" He asked, sniffling a little, but not letting the tears show. I nodded.

The upper part of the bed raised, making me sit up a little.

Nathan held my hand in his again, rocking back and forth while crying into my hand.

I touched his head with my wired hand and ran my fingers through his hair again.
"Can I have a hug?" I muttered, speaking for the first time since I woke up.

My voice came out cracked and rough. I couldn't even recognise it.

His lifted his head and nodded shakily, before moving forward.

Elonzo put his arm around my back again, to lift me up away from the bed a little.

Nathan hugged me, cautious of not squeezing me too tightly.

I feel like I'd break if he does. That's how weak I feel right now.

Just as I laid back down again, the door slammed open and Grandpa barged in, breathing heavily.

He was followed by Dad and my other brothers and a nurse who came in scolding them that all of them couldn't be in here at once.

A lot of hugs and kisses later, I was sitting up, looking at all of them, as they stared at me like I was some strange alien.

The disbelief was almost painful. The fact that I was so close to death and they were so close to losing their sister.

Dad was right. I didn't have any right to do that to them.

I sighed. I haven't said anything except asking Nathan for a hug. I don't want to.

I don't know how it will be now. I didn't want Zack to leave me.

I was afraid Salvatore will kill him. We managed to save him, but he still left. He still died because of me. He shouldn't have jumped in the way. He shouldn't have taken that one shot.

He would've been alive. I could've took that one shot too.

I couldn't even say goodbye. Not even in my dream.

It's not fair. I wasn't prepared.

My chest tightened. I want this all to be a dream.

Why did those two pigs have to destroy my life like that? Why did they have to ruin it like that?

I sniffled again.

I felt a glass being pushed before my mouth.

"Here. Drink this." Elonzo said, softly.

I nodded and opened my mouth, letting the cool liquid soothe my throat, making it feel a lot better.

But the pain in my chest did not alleviate one bit.

-------
You thought I was that cruel, huh?
😤