42. August 14th

42

August 14th

T he gun drops from Darius's hand.

Rayden falls to the ground.

He rushes over to his wildflower.

She's face down in a pool of her own blood.

His own pounds in his ears, his hands shake in anxiety.

He doesn't even look up as he hears the sound of a vehicle approaching. She can't die. He can save her.

He looks for the wound, swallowing down bile as he moves her hair coated in wet dark crimson.

"Darius, we have to go, they can't catch us here. They'll lock us up and throw away the key. You killed him. We have to go and wait for this to restart." Axel rushes to his side, his voice is monotone. Emotionless.

Darius pushes away Sunday's curls and he finally spots it. "Her shoulder." Hope ignites in his belly, a spark of possibilities. This is new, she had never been shot there before.

"What?" Grayson is kneeling beside them now, he leans forward, finding what Darius had. "Just her shoulder? But this never happened before… What changed? Is she… is she going to make it?" His voice pitches in swelling emotion.

The sound of sirens ignites into the air. "I called them," Darius states, trying to maintain his composure. He would need it for the next few steps. "I knew this time would be different. You two need to leave. Axel take the gun, get rid of it. Figure this out. I'm not leaving her side until they make me. Find her at the hospital. It's going to be okay, I can feel it."

Grayson and Axel look like they want to argue, but Darius pushes them both away, keeping his eyes on Sunday.

"Go! Axel can't be caught here and Grayson, they'll lock you up or kill you. I have a chance. Please, Sunday needs to wake up to someone. She needs protection." The words seem to finally knock sense into them and Axel reaches down taking the gun Darius dropped.

They don't say anything else. Axel grabs hold of Grayson and offers Darius an unreadable look before driving as far and as fast as he can away.

Darius has an idea, something that might just help him. This town is corrupt but the one thing about that? They want to keep the underbelly hidden from the public. He quickly sets up his phone camera on a live feed. He isn't sure it will be enough to keep him alive, to get Sunday the help she needs, to keep him safe. But he can hope.

It isn't two minutes later that the sirens approach from the opposite direction that Axel and Grayson made their retreat.

"Show us your hands!"

An officer rushes to Rayden, but Darius can see his head shaking.

Dead.

Darius's hands shake, this is the first timeline he had killed someone himself. It was always left to Axel or Grayson. Another change.

Darius does as told, lifting his hands and staring down the sheriff. "She's bleeding out, she needs a medic." He tries to keep the unease out of his voice, but Sunday hasn't moved since he found her.

"I don't fucking care! What have you done?!" The sheriff is a bulky man, full of anger and distrust. He keeps his gun pointed on Darius as he slowly walks over.

Darius can tell the moment he sees the camera.

"Fuck! Get her some help!"

Thank fuck. It worked to get Sunday help, but would it work for him?

The ambulance has just arrived.

They drag Darius away from Sunday, taking him into custody, but he doesn't care because he is able to see through the window of the back of the police squad as they connect her to the equipment. Hear as it beats to the tune of her heart. Feel as the day shifts. Instinctually, he knows a new timeline solidifies.

They won't be going through this again. She is finally going to make it past today.

Make it past her day to die.

It is not her day to die.

Darius watches as the woman he loves is driven away in an ambulance, readying himself to face whatever comes his way, even with the anxiety of all the new thousands of what ifs that are forming as he marches on this new timeline.

He can't help but feel relief. He has finally escaped this hell they had been caught in for what was the equivalent of years.

Above, a star falls from the sky.

He doesn't think.

He makes a wish.