The Perfect Machine: Kingdom Of Glass (GxG

47. I'm not ready

I find myself in a bright white room. Harlow turns to me in a heartbeat, gazing at me coldly, and I can sense she doesn't recognize me. She wouldn't look at me as if I were a lamb who just came into her cage if she knew me.

"Harlow," I say softly for, holding my hands up in the air, hoping I won't startle her.

"It's me, River," I said, standing on my ground. She constantly looks at me, venomously, as if I were a threat.

"I need you to come back," I said, taking a step forward, which was a huge mistake as she came to me quicker than I could turn. Harlow is pulling me to the door with his arm around my neck. My back leans against the door, and I'm not able to get the oxygen back into my lungs.

"H-Harlow," I try to call her name as I try to force her arm away from me, but she's not going to budge. Her eyes are blank as she smiles at me. I lift my foot and stamp on hers, she stepped backward and gave me a few seconds to breathe again. Before she could catch me, I turn to the left.

"I need you to come back!" I scream at her as I walk back onto the other side. She's going to follow my lead until I can't go any further.

"Don't do this to me," I feel tears slid down my cheek, wishing, praying that she'll come back to me. I can't do this anymore, her turning, her being in pain, and her death. I really can't do this. There's a hole that keeps digging into my heart that never ends. The agony she's feeling is too difficult to endure.

A tug on my shirt makes me collapse to the ground, but I get me on my feet. Standing with my back to her, and I sprint to the door. She's preventing me from the bottom of my shirt, and I'm down on the ground, crawling away from Harlow.

"Please," I beg you, waiting for her to come; she. I know she'll do that because she always does it. I'm standing up, my back to the wall, and she is rushing towards me.

"Harlow!" I screamed, shutting my eyes, tears running down my cheeks, raising my arms in front of me to shield myself. Yet nothing is happening. I opened my eyes, and I saw a very puzzled Harlow in front of me, her eyes softened.

I run up to her, balancing on my toes so that I can wrap my arms around her neck.

"I'm not ready," I whispered in her shoulder, tears streaming out of my eyes. I feel the strong arms that hold me tight.

"You're not ready for what?" She wonders her hold tightens around me. Feeling as if her pressure were the only thing that could hold me together.

"I'm not ready to let you go," I hug her so tight that I'm afraid she'll vanish if I don't.

"I'm not going anywhere," She whispers.

"I'm right here," Harlow assures me calmly, sinking into the warmth and protection that she's always provided. Then I feel her hands on my hips, pulling me back, I let my arms drop from her neck, and I look right at those stunning black eyes that look right back at me. They may be dark, but I can still see softness and affection in them.

"You're bleeding," She says, stroking her thumb against my cheek.

"I didn't know that," I smiled lightly, but then she glanced down at her knuckles and saw the bruises and the blood covering them. Harlow is looking around the room, and there's blood on every wall. I can see that the fear in her eyes is building up.

"Hi," I said, touching her face to make her glance at me.

"It's all right," I smile gently.

"We can't," she said, taking a step away from me, and I take her wrist, hold on to it as I walk toward her.

"I-I can't hurt you," Says Harlow, swallowing hard.

"You're not going to hurt me," I said, but she shakes her head.

"I'm going to die, River," She argues, her lower lip shaking, tears forcing themselves out for a long need for comfort and affection. Everything she didn't have.

"There's nothing I can give you," Harlow utterly falls apart, and I lay my arms around her again.

"You can push me away as much as you want, but I won't let you go,"