Ghouls

I woke who knows how many hours later, exhausted, still in the gutter of the alleyway that I’d been saved in the night before. My vision was blurry and I couldn’t hear so well but I could make out a body leaning over me, holding me close, I think he was talking to me. Eventually my sight came into focus and I could see who it was that was with me; it was Jimmy.

I let myself fall into his hold, ‘oh my God, am I glad to see you,” I said weakly.

“It’s alright, Lau, let’s get you out of here,” he told me sweetly as he wrapped my arm over his tall shoulders and aided me to walk before taking me to a hotel he was staying in a couple blocks down. It was nice, though not as nice as I expected; maybe it was difficult to get a good room at short notice. I didn’t know for sure, but what I did know was that I hadn’t felt this rotten in months; since before I moved to the States. I figured Jimmy could sense it as he spoke to me, “how’ve you been coping?”

“Shitty,” I answered bluntly; I was honestly still pissed at him for lying about our conversation on the cliffs.

“Got ya... glad to see you and Brian are getting along again though; you worried me when you weren’t talking,” he said carelessly as he re-tied his loose shoelaces.

“What do you mean by that?”

“I asked you to look out for him, Lauren, I haven’t go long left,” he looked me dead in the eyes, his face expressionless.

“Why can’t you just tell them? Rather than dumping this on me and expecting me to be okay with it,” I scorned, sitting up on the bed Jimmy had laid me on.

“That’s rich, coming from the one that’s left them in the lurch for months. You know they think you’re dead?” he spat right back, taking me by surprise. I wasn’t going to show how upset that last bit made me.

“Then why are we still bothering? You don’t want to carry on and they already think I’m dead,” I continued to stare him out.

“Because they can’t lose us both.”

“They haven’t lost us both. They still know you’re alive, at least,” I broke the eye contact and looked out of the window at the Manhattan bridge. There was a silence for some time, allowing my imagination to wander, as it did when I was in states such as this. What would it be like to fall? To hit the water? Would I even make it to the water? Would it be easier to use a rope? When would it be best to go, to keep as many people away as possible?

“Why don’t we both go?” he spoke out of the silence, pulling me from my dreaming.

“They already think you’re gone. If I disappear, what difference will it make?” It took a long while of further silence before Jimmy stood, taking my hand and leading me out of the room, out of the hotel and towards the bridge, where we soon found ourselves surrounded by by-standers and reporters as we both stood high on the towering overpass.


Brian’s POV

“Guys...” Lacey spoke, her voice shaking tremendously.

“What’s up?” Jade went to her side, trying to console her as she cried before looking towards what it was that Lacey was crying at, bursting into tears herself.

The crying girls made us all turn around, looking into the building that they were fixated on. It was an electronics store; TV’s lined the shop window, all broadcasting the local news. It wasn’t long before we were all in tears, Cameron shaking in fear, as we witnessed Lauren, our Lauren, standing alone in the night threatening to jump from the Manhattan Bridge.


Lauren’s POV

It wasn’t long before Jimmy was egging me on.

“I’ll go if you go; we’ll go together,” he told me, holding my hand. I closed my eyes for just a second to catch my breath, opening to find myself alone, with no evidence of Jimmy ever being there, causing me to panic.

I was there for what felt like forever, wondering whether I go and find Jimmy or just went for it. I was so desperate for a release that jumping felt like the easiest option, but knowing Jimmy was alone put fear in my very bones. My body shook and the sweat was falling from me, mixing with my tears. I found myself scratching at my arms as I did back when I was in the UK, as if I was picking at the scabs of my self-inflicted wounds. I wanted so desperately to be rid of this world and to leave without a trace; I had no home, my parents didn’t care, all the ones who I loved thought I had already passed, so what was the point? I could finally get my own way; I had no one to support, no one to care for anymore, so I was going to go. I was going to jump.


Brian’s POV

My heart seemed to almost break through my chest. I couldn’t allow her to go, however selfish that may have been. I needed to save her. We all ran as fast as our feet could take us to get to her. We all loved her, more than she could ever realise.

We got to the river and it was completely blocked by cars and bystanders as they watched as my love contemplated jumping from the famous landmark. All seven of us barged our way through the crowds, myself, Cameron and Mikey leading the way before we broke through the police barrier, pushing myself through as Cameron assaulted the cop that was keeping me back.

I raced to the edge, my adrenaline taking me further, her adrenaline taking ger further as she leant over, falling. Everything seemed to go into slow motion, falling to the floor and leaning down, catching her hand to keep her from leaving us. There was screaming, crying, but all I remember is the look in her eyes as she looked up to find me, a confused look of pain and relief, both of us crying as I dragged her into my lap, holding her as tightly as I could. I swore never to let her go again as she sobbed into my shoulder, shaking.

Notes