Her Fall

Then, the ground slammed into my side and the world came into focus. My vision was dark and all I could think about was the pain, now an agonizing reminder of how seriously I was hurt. I could just make out the dim outline of a building and at a guess it had to be the outside of the gym.

A hand jerked my arm, which in turn seemed to jolt my whole body and pain seared through me again, making me cry out – god it hurt! I tasted blood as I bit on my lip, but still stray whimpers escaped. Feeling my head shake under the strain, I lifted it and glanced down at my middle. It was a mass of dark, almost black looking blood, glistening slightly in the dim light.

“Cassie…” I whimpered shakily, tears stinging my eyes and spilling down my checks. I was so scared. Was I going to die? After everything…?

“Heather! Oh god – oh shit!” Cassie gabbled at my side and in a flurry of limps she wrenched off her jumper, bundled it up, and pressed it hard to my bloody wound. I screamed in anguish and couldn’t help trying to struggle away but someone pushed down on my shoulders forcibly. Turning my head into the person’s forearms I panted and gasped.

I was feeling so tired! The pain seemed to be the only thing making things sharp and still in focus – I had no idea who was holding me down, what the others were doing, or even if they were okay, but my hands and feet were feeling like ice, and morbidly I supposed it was because the blood was rushing out of them. My hands, which were curled into fists at my sides, were beginning to tremble of there own accord and I couldn’t control them.

“Heather!” Someone’s hands were on my face and I squinted my eyes open, more tears falling down to my cheeks,

“Heather,” The person said desperately and I recognised it was Rosa’s voice, “Heather you have to teleport to the ward!”

The ward? Wasn’t that on the top floor…all that way up…from up there you could see for miles surrounding the school…I remember the yellow sheets they had on several beds; oddly cheerful for such a room. Maybe… that was the point…maybe…

“HEATHER!”

My eyes jerked back open, and I was unaware when I had closed them. Rosa gripped my face harder, “You have to Heather! Teleport! Just you if you have to!”

“I…”My mouth was so dry – it hurt to breath – to talk! My eyes felt so heavy. Maybe if I just went to sleep for a moment, only a moment, then I would feel strong enough to teleport…The world was titling, spinning slowly, strange black patches had appeared from nowhere.

“AGH!” The pain in my middle doubled, no, quadrupled! Surely someone had stuck a knife in it, was twisting it harshly, or had shot another bullet into me?!

Opening my eyes again, I came face to face with someone’s stomach. Rosa’s! Leaning over me she had added her weight to Cassie’s, compressing on the wound.

“Get her up! Carry her there!”

I was being moved; dragged up from the ground and I cried out in pain again – were they trying to rip me in half! My arms over people’s shoulders I could feel my feet scrapping along the ground, that small movement and the motion of walking jolting the gunshot wound beyond belief.

“Heather, come on, stay awake!”

“Ya…ha…” My mouth mumbled back and I struggled to force my eyelids open, the ground was stumbling pasted my eyes, “Don’t…don’t…” I panted, god this hurt! “Wana…die…”

“You’re not going to die Heth!” Two voices said at the same time. The only two who tried to call me that. Small stones and gravel where mixing in with the grass and the squeaking of feet changed to crouching.

“Not…Heth…” I felt the flash of irritation go through me, “Got…to still…fight…”

“That’s right,” The person to my left puffed back, distractedly. Probably the first I had ever heard that tone from Rosa.

I couldn’t die…they would get me to the ward in time…I still had fighting to do. There were so many Bots out there, I had hardly even come close to growing board of killing them – revenge wasn’t served yet.

“You’re a witch – do something!” A muffled thud then a creak of a door swinging open. Warm air replaced the cool damp of the outside.

“I can’t…I don’t…”

“SHE’S GOING TO DIE!” The words echoed in the large room.

“I-I…Oh god…fuck! Please…R-r-remedy this girl’s lost energy!”

My eyes grew ever more heavy. Maybe if I just rest them. Only for a second.

“Heather please!”

“You…hang…six floors! She’ll never…please!...wake…”

The words were all fading comfortably, just as was the pain. Maybe Cassie has stopped pushing on it. The numb feeling in my limbs seemed to be going away, even the cold…my chest was heavy, but that wasn’t a problem. I felt at peace. I’ll just stay here... No more fighting… So comfortable here… so soft…welcoming. Easy.

I never reached even the first floor. There was a trail of blood all the way from where I had landed us, to where my friends stopped. It covered my body and theirs, on their hands, their torsos, their hands, Cassie’s jumper. She would never wear it again, nor touch it. She wouldn’t throw it away though.

Penitent

~ feeling or showing regret that one has done wrong ~

I never meant to hurt her. She might have thought it, but i never meant for it to happen. And i always thought i could say goodbye.

My wildcat was just like a block of wood. Not meaning dense or stupid. But her personaility, her way.

The bark - the hardest outer part. She could fight off an attack by throwing herself against it. There might be small cracks in it, but they were well defended. It was hard and soild.

But if you get through those cracks - wear them down like a water trickle, slowly and gradually, then there was the next layer.

A waxy skin. Harder to seem but thinner.

She easily pushed people away when she realized they had broken through. It was her second defence, repeling kind apraising comments, small brushes into her personal space - a second meaning in words.

And the last part.

The soft middle. The most fragile. The part hardly uncovred and let to breath. A rare moment she would admit her feelings or just stand in the rays of the sun; arms held wide, the soft smile gracing her face.

This part couldn't be smothered. If too many blocks of wood were put upon this, too much attention paied, it would be snuffed out.

At the same time if left alone and open to the wind, it would be consumed by the flames of the fire, snatched away in a few moments.

What i had done to her, was like taking an axe repeatedly to the soft inner most centre. By not working hard enough to peel back the first and second layer.

Rosa had just been there. I simply wanted someone who wasn't so hard to work through, to understand, to love. To go to her after a day with Heather, i would then feel like i had gotten somewhere, that my struggle had been worth something.

Now...Now i had lost her. Lost my wildcat. And she was still in my head, all the time.

Even though her funeral was this afternoon.

Sacrifice

~Giving up of a vauled thing for the sake of something else; thing given up, loss entailed~

Joe was usually always cheerful; smaling, laughing, joking. He seemed to ooze merryness from himself which you could not help be affected by.

Apart from this morning.

He was positivley in a bad mood. He was glowering; his eyebrows over shading his eyes and mouth in a grim line. He was staring down at his bowl of porridge as if it had tried to climb out and strangle him.

In combat lessons he grew worse. He channled his annoyance into his fighting one hundred percent. Not that this was seen as a bad thing by the teachers - it was first thing in the morning and the unspoken rule was to start off gently.

From where i stodd facing off to Cassie i could clearly see his opponant having to fight full force to avoid serious injury.

Raising an eye at my best friend and jerking my head over to the pair i silently asked her if she knew what was wrong.

Glancing over as well she replied, "Not sure. He was fine when we saw him last night wasn't he?"

Nodding my agreement we watched as Joe turned, teleported, reappeared in mid air readily formed to kick out, and hit his partner squarly in the head.

Gaping slightly at Joe's cold expression as he looked down at the guy on the floor, it struck me something really horrible must have happened.

"Come on then - get up!" Joe glowered over his partner, still flat out and panting on the floor.

The guy gave a shaky laugh and said in a septical voice, " Yer right...You can go vent your anger on some other idiot." Stumbling up, he left Joe standing on his own.

Our friend stood there for a few moments, seeming to comtimplate on what to do. I could see he was slowly getting more and more annoyed.

With a snarl which would make any werewolf proud, flames leaped up around him, engulfing him, and he was gone.

"Well," Cassie blinked, "That was very un-joe like."

****************

Rosa sighed as i recounted to her what me and Cassie had wittnessed over a quick snack of stolen bread as we walked up to our geography lesson.

"He was like that this morning at breakfast...would hardly talk to me - apart from illedgable mumbles..." She trailed off in a mumble of her own, watching her feet as we climbed the stairs single file, "I mean!" She suddenly exploded, "I don't get why he couldn't talk to me about it! We talk through everything!"

"Rosa," Cassie's voice said gently and calmly from behind me, "Whatever's wrong, i'm sure it's not your fault."

"Then why won't he talk to me about it?!" She shot back over her shoulder, right at me, and i wished i had teleported to class rather than walk.

"I don't know," Cassie carried on in that same voice, as if she were talking to a young child.

I personally found it her most iritating trait and would have scowled at her if she used it on me - like many times before.

"But it will all get sorted out, don't fret so much about it."

"Yes, i just," Rosa began.

"Rosa just nothing!" I snapped, "Now stop worrying and get up the rest of those stairs and into that classroom!"

Cassie snorted with laughter behind me, "Yes Rosa, do as your commander says!"

Rosa turned and walked the last few steps backward, suluting me and adding a roll of her hazel eyes.

I simply pointed up the stairs with a no aruging expression.

****************

Joe's mood didn't improve at all during geography. He didn't volenteer any answers and shrugged indiffantly when we was asked directly. Rosa took her usual seat beside him but he treated her exactly the same as the questions.

I could tell Rosa was getting more and more confused as to why he was acting like this. They were actually the best out of the ones of us in relationships. When it came down to something serious, Joe could be pretty mature, and Rosa always looked at the situation logically.

At the end of the lesson, Joe pause, looking down at his hands on the yable top. With people getting up and moving all around him, he just sat where he was for a moment, then sighed. Running a hand over his face and through his hair i noticed for the first time how he didn't look angry, but upset.

"Joe?" Standing in front of his, looking down from where i stood above him i bent my head to look carefully into his face.

The sudden pressure of heat was all the warning i had and he flamed out of my sight.

"Did you get anywhere?" I heard Cassie ask Rosa behind me.

"Nope." Rosa replied flatly.

Cassie let out a hollow sigh, "We'll get it out of him later, don't worry.

Later carried on past lunch time, afternoon lessons, and the hour before dinner.

Seeing Rosa look like she was about to burst into frustrated tears, i snapped to the boy,

"Joy Thyris! Stop being so stupid and tell us, or Rosa at least what's wrong!"

He was sitting on my right, head in one hand, glumly staring at his dinner - now a mush of vegtables. He at least had the grace to jump at my words to him.

He meet my eyes, still glowering, "Leave me alone Heather," He said tersly.

"No."

Rosa looked from me to her boyfriend, pinned in the middle.

"You've been a grumpy sod all day!" I continued.

"Well maybe i like being a grumpy sod all day! He shot back, slamming his spoon down.

"Oh really?!"

"Yer!"

We stared at one another over the table top, both glaring. It was an odd situation; i'd had disagreements with Joe before, but most of them were mainly where he joked and had fun taking the piss out of me.

With an indignated growl he pushed his uneaten dinner away so hard it crashed into the others around the table, and stood up.

Shooting out an arm, almost hitting Rosa in the face, i latched onto his upper arm. From the heat icould immedatily feel around him i knew i had been right in the assumption of what he was going to do next.

A rush of heat, the feeling of nothing - a void - and then the slamming of it all coming back into place.

Harshly he struggled off my hand, "What you do that for?! Leave me alone!" He snapped, his voice rising.

"No Joe!" I felt like stamping my foot in frustration, "This has to be bad - you won't even tell Rosa! You guys talk about everything! Why not - "

He cut me off, "Because she won't understand!"

"Of course she will!"

"NO she won't! She's too busy thinking about her sonic power to bother with me!"

"That's not true!"

"YES IT IS!" He bellowed, right into my face. He panted deeply, "You really want to know what's wrong?" His tone was scoffing.

"Yes damn it!"

"My flute's broken! Some little first year lost control of her power and mu intrusment splintered! I've had it for years! It was the first one i got after my power was changed! The one i was playing when i first meet Rosa, the one i had on me when i asked her out! I played it at the last party! And now it's completely broken!

He smirked at my silence, "So yes, my annoying flute you have so many times threatened to us as firewood is gone - Happy?"

I gave him a sad smile, "Of course not. I get why you were how you were today."

He had lost something with so many memories. Something which had survived all mishaps for years. Something he could look at and it would link him to those moments.

"But why not say anything before?" I asked shaking my head.

"Because..." He chewed his bottom lip, "It's childish to get so annoyed and upset over it. I know i can just get a another one...i just couldn't help it though."

Smiling i said, "No Joe, it's not. I think everyone has at least one thing like that."

He shrugged aimlessly.

"Do you know where you can get a new one from?"

"Yes," He muttered sullenly, "But that's not the problem. I don't have anything to trade for one."

Joe was souless without his music. Sure, he could play many other instruments but the flute was his best . Probably because it was the most moveable.

On the next weekend I made sure i kept my smug smile hidden and pretended to groan along with the rest of the floor as a jolly, high pitched and ear ringing loud flute tune passed our door.

I could live without a few of my bedslates for a couple of weeks.