The Daughter Of

Chapter 24, Little Did I Know.

More and more tears run down my cheeks, I yell, and loudly whimper, I shriek some more... this isn't real.

This can't be... But as I look to Gabes lifeless body, hanging by the ropes holding him up, dark blood oozing from his wounds... I know that it's real.

Gabe... my beloved sibling, one of the only three people I care about, is gone.

I sob. I can barley breathe, my vision is blurry from the endless amount of salty water pouring from my eyes.

He's dead.

Gabe is dead.

I feel the chains bounding my wrists loosen, then the ones holding my feet also let go, and I crawl to Gabe, sobbing.

My bare knees scrape against the wooden stage, my open wounds gush blood as I crawl closer and closer to the small motionless body only a few feet from me.

Drake, Silas, and every other man watch me as I finally reach his body.

How can this be? I cry out as I sit beside him, gently moving his body and placing his head on my lap.

I feel his brown, rough and tangled hair between my finger tips, and looking at his closed eye lids, I'm thankful they're not open, because I know if they were I simply wouldn't be able to go on any longer seeing the brokenness inside of them.

"Gabe..." I whisper, tears pouring from my swollen red eyes. "Please... please wake up."

I caress his cheek, wiping off some of the dirt resting upon it.

I move my hand to his chest, avoiding the knife and put my small palm over his clothes, trying to feel for a heartbeat.

But it's not there... my little brothers heart is no longer beating.

"Ple-pleas-please Gabe, don't, don't leave us." I softly stutter to him, using my hand now covered in his blood to try and wipe away my tears.

I feel the wetness of the red liquid smudge on my cheek, but I couldn't care any less. All I care about now is the boy on my lap, the lifeless boy who used to be so happy, so hopeful, so, so strong.

But he's still strong, for he died strong, he died protecting me.

Guilt hits me hard, almost stopping my own heartbeat. Maybe if he hadn't protected me he would still be breathing, his heart would be racing and his chest would be moving up and down. He'd still be able to play with dinky cars, he'd still be voicing his stubborn opinions, and laughing with Aundray and I at Lucy's ridiculous jesters. Maybe... just maybe if he hadn't protected me, my Gabe would still be alive.

I'm shedding more and more tears, my face soaked in a mix of dirt, salty, warm tear drops, and smudged blood.

I focus on just Gabe, blocking everybody else out, realizing that this may be the very last time I see him, and the very last time I hold him in my arms.

"You know how much I'm going to miss you?" I grab his small hand, the thought of him not being here with us anymore sinking deeper and deeper into my shattered soul.

"I should've told you how much you meant to me more often, you were my brother you know. I don't care if it wasn't by blood, you were my damn brother." I stop, and furrow my eyebrows in dissapointment with myself.

"I'm sorry, I know how much you used to hate when I cursed before we came here. But Gabe... please... "

I watch one of my salty water drops fall onto his cheek. "Please come back. I can't lose you."