EVERLASTING (Charlotte's Story)

Chapter 1/148: Aftermath

Long time no see, loves! Here's your long awaited chappie!
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His body swayed at me, and I stumbled a few steps back, until I collapsed down on my knees, with him above me.

Some steps before me now, the president Rickard Ellington Conway had already raised his gun up in his left hand, and I caught the deadly murder glinting in his eyes, as he pressed the trigger.

BANG!

He pulled the hammer back, and BANG, another shot.

Again, the hammer back, and BANG!

And again, and again.

The shooter shuddered as four bullets invaded his body, and he collapsed to the ground, an unmoving corpse.

I saw how Rickard Ellington lowered the gun at that, his chest rising and falling, as his expression reflected complete brutality, as though a murderous beast was awakened by what just occurred.

And then he turned towards me, burying his gaze into me with an emotion I couldn't hope to fathom at that.

It was something close to... close to... compassion?

Huh?

Slowly, reality started falling on me again, as voices started coming back from the world around me, and my blurry vision slightly decreased.

My clothes suddenly started getting soaked, and my shoulder ached at the weight above me.

His weight.

In a race with time, and like some legendary superhero, Ben Thorne, none other than my dad, had jumped right before me, receiving three direct shots in my place.

His chin was against my shoulder, and his arms were around me in protection.

My eyes were wide, and my mouth was open, as my expression remained blank in lack of registration.

My whole body was numb, and I couldn't move a limb.

And I remained unregistered.

I simply stayed the way I was, as my father's blood soaked me.

It has been like a minute, and a loud commotion was going on around us.

I could hear Theo's screaming. My mom's cries. Katherine sobbing my name as she tried calming my mom down. Jaden trying to take Theo away from the scene. Leonard Beards calling on for sirens... and the sounds of sirens.

The man above me let out a shaking breath, as he shifted.

I shuddered, my blank expression still as it was.

"Ch-Cherry..."

The name escaped him in a shaking, fading voice, as he struggled to lift a hand up, an I felt it run over my hair.

"M-My... Cherry..." His breath faded mid-words.

I struggled to form words like 'don't speak, it's bad for you' or 'please hang on', but couldn't utter a letter.

Shock had left me in deep, deep numbness.

I couldn't even find my tears.

Nothing.

Not. A. Thing.

My eyes remained wide, and my lips kept shaking as though I were in a freezer.

More blood soaked my clothes, as the world around us felt so busy, and yet the loudest sound I could hear was the beat of my heart.