The first thing I noticed was the blood.
It soaked through my clothes,warm and sticky, pooling beneath us like proof that time was slipping away faster than I could stop it. My hands trembled as I pressed them against her wounds, as if pressure alone could undo what had already been done.
"Stay with me," I whispered.
My voice sounded wrong - too distant, like it didn't belong to me. "Please. Just stay. "
Cindy's breathing was shallow, uneven. Every breath felt borrowed. Every second felt stolen.
Tears blurred my vision, but I refused to look away. If I stopped looking at her, I was afraid she would disappear completely. I didn't care that my knees were soaked in blood. I didn't feel the cold night biting into my skin.
As long as I held her, she was still here.
Her fingers twitched weakly against my wrist.
"Anna...." she murmured.
"I'm here," I said quickly. "I'm right here."
Her lips curved into something that tried to be a smile and failed. Her eyes- dark, frightened, apologetic- locked onto mine.
"They lied " she whispered.
My chest tightened "who lied?"
Her grip tightened for a heartbeat, desperate, painful.
"Kill them."
Then her hand went slack.