Caladrius (EDITING SLOWLY)

Chapter twenty-four- A numb goodbye

Hey guys. Above is "how to save a life" by The Fray. I know it's not the best version since its live but it's the only one that would work and I know it doesn't go 100% with the situation but...It's a very emotional song. This is going to be an emotional chapter...
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Dovelyn's pov

I woke up with a pounding headache. I struggled to open my eyes and soon did. I was greeted with the familiar walls of the cell. I was numb. I could feel nothing.

I heard the rattle of chains and my eyes shot open. Turning my head I saw Avery being unchained by Ashwatthama. She had tears rolling down her face and a bruise was starting to decorate her cheek.

"What are you doing?" I mumbled weakly, sitting up slowly.

"Looks like you need more convincing," he smiled maliciously. My eyes widened.

"No! No, please! Anything but this!" I panicked. Avery couldn't die. She was like a sister to me! We had been been friends since the second grade!

"Sorry Charlie!" He smiled holding a gun to her side. She would bleed out if he shot her there.

"Please no!" I pleaded, tears streaming down my face.

"Give me what I want and I'll let her live!" He shouted.

"No Dovelyn. It's okay. It's my time. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't," Avery said softly giving me a truthful smile.

"No! Avery you can't die!" I shrieked, stumbling to get up. She just shook her head, tears glistening in her eyes.

"Why don't you just take the power huh?" I screamed at Ashwatthama.

"It's not that simple you dense little girl! You have to give it willingly!" He spat, glaring.

"Avery! Avery baby! It's okay!" Lucas said with tears threatening to spill before his face twisted into a vicious glare,"Ashwatthama! Kill me! Not her!"

"No. I'd much rather have you see her die before you do," he said thoughtfully before he cocked the gun and shot....

The sound rang throughout the cell.

The world around me became a blur as I scrambled to Avery, catching her head before it hit the ground. I put a shaking hand over the would in her abdomen and screamed at Ashwatthama, "What the hell! Help her!"

"No can do," He tsked, leaning up against the wall and watched me as I sobbed.

Lucas screamed and thrashed in his hold. Ashwatthama sighed before pulling a piece of duck-tape from nowhere and walked toward Lucas.

"I love you Avery!" He shouted before the tape was placed over his mouth. He continued to thrash but fell limp, giving up completely. Tears slid quietly to the ground and silent sobs came out of his mouth.

"H-hey L-Luke," she stopped for a breath, "I love you too."

Endless tears cascaded down his cheeks and he looked into her eyes. Undeniable love shown there. Avery gave him the same look before returning her eyes to me.

"L-Lyn. I-It's okay n-now," she stuttered through the pain.

"No! Don't you dare die on me Aves!" I sobbed. She was slowly dying and I couldn't do anything about it. I hated this feeling

The feeling of being worthless and having your heart slowly break; crack by crack, price by piece.

"Sing m-me to s-sleep," she whispered looking at me. I let out a shaky breath. This was our promise to each other. We made it in the sixth grade. If one of us was on their deathbed, we would sing the other until they went. We decided a song then and there. We decided on 'How to Save a Life' by The Fray.

I took a shaky breath and started, silent tears still tracing paths down my face, "Step one, you say we need to talk
He walks, you say sit down, it's just a talk
He smiles politely back at you
You stare politely right on through," tears slowly trailed down Avery's cheeks and I wiped them and continued.

"How to save a life," I sang the last line with a sniffle as I saw Avery's eyes begin to close.

"I-I see a light Lyn," she whispered. Her breathing was ragged.

"Go to it Avery," I whispered back. I knew there was no saving her.

"I love you D-Dovelyn, always will, e-even when y-you eat a-al m-my Oreos," she said the last line with a sad smile. A last line tear, escaped from her closed eyes before she took a deep breath and went completely still.

"No, no, no, no," I sobbed rocking her body back and forth.

I had just lost her.

My sister.

My adviser.

My secret keeper.

My sarcastic loon.

My best friend.

I heard the rattling of chains and another gun shot and snapped my head upwards. Lucas lay dead..on the cell floor, a bullet in his head. I cried harder and shook violently.

This was truly a numb goodbye.

"You've taken all you can, but you're still not going to take the only thing I have left right now," I had lost all hope of Raven finding me. The only thing I had now was my power.

"I can't still take one more thing," he grinned.

"And what's that?" I sniffed.

"Your life," he said like it was obvious. He was expecting a big reaction, but no.

"Go ahead. I'm already half way dead. Plus if you kill me you'll just be helping me. You won't get my power and I won't have to live with these memories," I whispered.

Ashwatthama's grin faded and he looked furious. He wales over to me and brought his hand down, slapping me. My head cranked to the side but I just turned it back and stared at him blankly.

His face morphed into horror as he saw he had broken me, but not in the way he wanted. He pulled me away from Avery's body and began landing punches, fervently. He was hoping I'd say something.

Hoping I'd cry out.

Let out a scream.

Leave a sarcastic remark.

Spill a treacherous tear;

But I gave him absolutely nothing. I couldn't feel at all. He became frantic and landed a punch on my face. I laid there silently staring at him. He backed away and slid against the wall, holding his head in his hands.

I continued to stare at the ceiling, thinking of absolutely nothing but Avery's voice. Her last words words filled my mind.

"Sing m-me to s-sleep."

"I-I see a light Lyn."

"I love you D-Dovelyn, always will, e-even when y-you eat a-all m-my Oreos."

Her last words were supposed to lighten the mood. That was part of the deal. Say something amusing to be remembered by.

"I'll always remember you Avery," I whispered.

I was now a shell of my former self.