Retrospect

Fifty

   "Who's the weak one now?" Hale spat, his head tilted back to look at me. Miles, Murl, and Ana still had a firm hold on the man, forcing him back to the floor whenever he tried something.

   "I'm sorry you couldn't get to them in time. What a shame," he said, smiling. He watched me as I bent down and picked up a sharp, glass shard in my hand. When I stepped lightly over the debris on the floor and stood over him, he snorted. "Oh, Cavey, you wouldn't do it," he drawled, eyeing the shard in my grasp.

   The others' eyes were on me too as I fell to my knees beside Hale, bringing the glass up above the man's neck. I was sweating uncontrollably, my heart thumping furiously as I shut my eyes and took a deep breath.

   Then I dropped my hands to my sides, still holding the glass.

   Hale started laughing. "I knew it," he cackled, staring at me and the shard, "you can't do it. Poor Cory. Thought she was so tough, that she could do anything. But she couldn't save her parents, now could she?" he reminded. There was a beat of silence where we just watched each other, waiting for someone to make the next move. He suddenly lunged for the glass in my hand but I was faster than him.

   I swiped it out of his reach and brought it slamming down into Hale's neck, making my stomach churn and my hands tremble, still clutching the glass. My eyes were closed and I was terrified to open them, scared of what I'd see. The man had gone quiet and I knew it was finished.

   I couldn't move, every inch of my body numb from the thought of what I'd just had to do. I had felt the shard plunging into him as I killed him and I wanted to just run away now.

   I shuddered, daring to look at Hale as I pulled the crimson glass from his neck. He was staring up at the high ceiling, eyes unseeing, frozen in time. Blood trickled out of the wound I'd created, the smell of iron flooding my nose and making me cough and cover my mouth. Nausea rolled through me and I had to look away.

   No one spoke, not even the officers who were still recovering from the shockwave, observing everything that was happening from afar. Malachi was hobbling over to us, calling my name, but I could barely register what was going on around me.

  It was all muted: the building falling apart, the questions the others were asking me, the sizzling of the wires near the cube. I was shaking so much, I didn't know if I'd be able to walk for the next few days. I really couldn't feel anything.

   Both of my parents were dead, Reeves was dead, and if that wasn't enough, Hale's lifeless face now haunted my thoughts constantly. It was all too much to bear at once.

   I managed to stand on weak legs, trying my best to take at least a few steps and push down all that I felt inside. I needed to leave. I didn't where I would go. I didn't know if the officers would come over and take me. I just knew I needed to get out of here. As long as I kept facing forward and ignored everyone, I could get away before the memories consumed me.

   Unfortunately, as I avoided looking at the others staring up at me from the floor, I only stumbled a few feet before Miles reached up from where he was kneeling and took my hand in his. Instantly my legs gave way and I completely forgot that I should've kept walking, that I should've kept myself together. I felt like I was made of sand and I was crumbling apart, getting smaller and smaller until I was just a sad, little heap on the floor.

"Cory," Miles said softly, looking at me like I was gonna die right there in front of him. I could tell he was about to say more, but decided against it and pulled me closer to him. This just made me feel worse.

The tears kept flowing and I wanted to escape from his arms so I would stop crying. Except I couldn't even bring myself to move or speak or think. Over Miles' shoulder, Malachi's eyes met mine.