The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller(49)

Glancing at my window, one final spark of hope ignites in my heart.
Kaeleb.
Knowing he’s just inside my room, my need to feel him hurriedly drives my keys into the lock as I frantically turn the knob in an effort to race to the comfort of his arms. I’m teetering on the edge, barely able to breathe as I try to keep my head above the black abyss tugging at my feet. I can only pray his strength is enough to keep me safe as I throw open the door.
Slinging my jacket over the back of the couch, I start to run to my room when Walter barks at me from the floor. His high-pitched whines and needy whimpers pull me from my hurried frenzy. I can hardly make him out in the pitch black room as I crouch down and as he finds his way securely into my arms, the warmth from his drenched paws seeps through my leggings. Nuzzling him, I hold his body tightly while he licks my face, temporarily soothing my sorrow with his kisses. I breathe him in as he continues to stand on my lap and notice a familiar metallic scent coming from his coat.
My head jerks back to look at him, but even now that my eyes have adjusted I still can’t see much, so I lead him into the kitchen and flip on the light. Bending down once again and taking his paw into my hand, a surprised gasp escapes me when my eyes land on the blood coating his once golden fur. I immediately flip his foot over for examination, pressing the pads to see if there’s an open wound somewhere. He doesn’t whine, just continues licking my face as I glance over his other three paws. All coated in blood.
I set him on the floor and turn toward the cabinet to grab the first aid kit. After it’s retrieved, I twist back around, and for the first time tonight, as the light from the kitchen dimly displays the carpet in the living room, do I start to realize that the blood may not be Walter’s. My trembling hand places the kit on the counter as my eyes take in the bloodstained prints all over the beige berber, and with each new discovery, my heart rate picks up. I step out of the kitchen and crane my neck to the left, noting that the darkest and most pronounced of them are located on the other side of the room.
My heart lurches as I follow their trail and end up in front of Quinn’s bathroom.
No.
Swallowing deeply, fresh tears sting my eyes as I lean forward and press the door lightly with the tips of my fingers. It creaks slowly as it drifts, but Walter brushes by me, pushing it fully open as my hesitant steps follow him. The coppery smell of blood saturates the air, the familiarity of it causing my hand to quake as I reach toward the wall to flip on the light.
No. No. No. NO! NOO! NOOO! NOOOO!
“QUINN!!!!!!!!” I scream as I land on my knees, crawling to where she lies limply in the corner, with two pools of blood on either side of her body. Glancing down at her wrists, I can barely see through my tears as I take in the huge gashes running up them, blood still pumping through the gaping slashes. “QUINN!!!!!” I scream again, grabbing the pair of scissors from the floor, yanking the towel off the bar above her head before cutting and ripping it in two. Walter is whining and pawing at her chest so I push him to the side and force him to lie down so that I can straddle her body.
Setting her hand between my legs, my entire body trembles to the core as I clumsily fumble around, trying to tie one of the pieces of towel around her wrist. Sobs rack through my chest and moisture coats my face as I finally manage to tighten a knot, pulling the ends of the towel as hard as I can. Blood seeps through the fibers, its crimson color leaching through it like a rolling wave. I lift my hand and unsteadily swipe my chin with the heel of my hand before working on her other wrist. Walter whines again, his frustration from having to sit still echoing throughout the bathroom, and the sound prompts Quinn to lift her head.
Her voice is weak as she slurs, “I’m so tired, Aubrey.”
“Shhhh. Save your strength,” I warn as I glance at her through my tears. Another cry escapes me when I see the empty look on her extremely pale face. “I’m hurrying, Quinn. Hang on for me.”
She sighs almost drunkenly, her energy depleting with each pump of her heart. “She came back. That girl from the pictures. Always chanting. Whispering. Telling me things.” Her eyes break from the floor to meet mine. “Just let her take me. I’m too tired to her fight anymore…”
Upon the last word, she slumps over and an agonizing scream escapes me, the fire from its launch scraping through my throat as it releases.
Somehow through my wails, I hear a loud crash coming from my room.
Kaeleb.
“KAELEB!” My voice breaks mid-scream and I put both hands on the floor to press myself off of it, knowing that if I can just reach him, everything will be okay. Warmth coats my fingers as I push up and my hands slide forward in the red pools that surround them.
Grunting, I struggle to get my footing underneath me, finally finding some traction and pushing myself into a standing position. My hands rise in front of my eyes and I watch the dark red as it trickles slowly down my forearms, forming fat droplets as they fall and strike the floor.
My vision clouds with the sight of the blood, and as it continues to trail down my skin, the earth suddenly splits wide open from underneath me as my Level 5 memory bin explodes from its burial ground, pieces of shrapnel landing everywhere as the titanium door is blown off its hinges.
Pain and agony from the sole memory held within its casing erupts all around me like a geyser shooting from below the ground, blowing my mind into a realm that I never thought I would be forced to visit again.
My legs lose their strength and I hit the floor, barely finding Kaeleb’s frantic face before my eyes are forced shut, sealing me inside with no escape from my own tortured mind.