|
|
Joshua
Alice's glorious face shone through her miserable state. She looked as if someone had attempted to kill her today.
"I told you, Alice. Unnatural people shouldn't be bearing children naturally," her father muttered. I glared at him angrily, ready to rip him to shreds. "Don't. Speak. To. My. Wife. That. Way." He glared back at me after I finished my sequence, and I hissed in response. "She's my daughter, and I warned her."
"Enough!" Alice glared up at both of us from her bed, anger flaring her eyes to a bright shade of red. Demon trait. "I am tired of you two sitting in here arguing while I am trying to sleep!" Her eyes were a bright, bloody red with lines of black leading in towards her pupils. "I'm sorry, Alice," I thought, repentant for disturbing her thoughts. "Alice, this is your child, and you can't hear what he or she is thinking?" Monique, my favorite in-law, asked. "I can't hear anything. I hear the heartbeat, as you all do, but I can't hear the thoughts.
"Suddenly, joy and happiness shone through her face. "I'm renaming them. Desiree Aimee Matthews and Joshua Adrian Matthews," Alice said, entirely pleased. "Twins!" Monique gasped. Adrian growled under his breath, and I turned to face him. "If you can't bear the fact that your daughter is my wife and the mother of our children, you can go downstairs," I growled, feeling the anger flow thick through my words. "Joshua! Come back here!" She hissed. Adrian glared at me, and he took a swipe for my chest.
I danced out of the way, letting his swipe slash the air, and he turned to face me. I wouldn't hurt him, for Alice and Monique. I'd let him go until his anger faded. Or until Monique restrained him. He lunged forward, hands reaching for my chest, and I ducked, snatching him by his leg and flinging him across the room. "Access denied," I muttered bitterly.
"Joshua! Enough!" Alice begged. "Adrian, please! Stop, you'll hurt Alice!" Monique cried. We didn't listen as he rose out of the broken pieces of the wall and ran at me, full speed. I ran and closed the distance, smacking into him full force. The impact threw pain through my whole torso, and I took Alice's charm and threw it to her. No need for her to die with me in a fight. I heard it meet her palm and felt for the broken ribs. Being part human was really starting to kill me, literally. I stumbled, letting the pain throb through me. "Josh! Move!" Alice screamed. I looked up, seeing Adrian running at me again, and it was so hazy. All of my ribs were broken, I felt them, and I fell to the floor. I felt Adrian's hands on my back, and I knew it was over.
Adrian pulled me up, and I stood. He held his teeth just an inch from my neck as Monique and Alice stood still. Any movement would kill me now, his teeth then met my neck.
"Adrian, you don't want to do this," Monique whispered. "You'll hurt Alice. She'll hate you, Adrian. You can't kill Joshua. Release him." Adrian's teeth tightened up. I insulted his pride, he was going to kill me. "Alice, I love you so much. It's over for me. Please, stay with the twins. They'll always love you. I'll always love you," I thought. She screamed, falling to her knees and sobbing. "Dad, I swear it on my own life that if you kill him, I'll kill you. I'll make your death slow and painful, I'll make you wish I had enough love left for you to make your death quick," she said darkly. I felt the world's worst pain, a knee to my spine, and I felt the sickening crack. I couldn't breathe, my ribs and spine shocked me with so much pain. I gasped, closing my eyes so I wouldn't see Alice watch me die. "Alice, look away!" I shouted. I saw my death coming through her eyes. "No! Josh! My Joshua! Adrian Brown, you won't live to see another year with Mom or Celeste if you kill him! I swear on Desiree and Joshua!" Alice was a fighter. "Joshua Matthews. No middle name, Josh. I love you, and I won't have the name of the fool who killed you tacked on to your name!" She vowed.
Adrian's teeth tightened, and the pain was gone. "My Joshua! No!" I heard Alice running now, but it was fading. I felt her loving hands as Adrian dropped me as she held me up, holding me to her.
"Don't leave me, Joshua! I love you so much, you can't go! I won't let you!" She screamed. It was so far away, it sounded like she was whispering. "Alice. . ." I whispered, opening my eyes to see her one more time. "Josh," she breathed. "I love you. I'd rather die than let him talk to you that way," I whispered. Somehow, she had me laying on the floor. I felt her comforting arms around me. "I don't want to live alone, Joshua! Don't leave me, please!" She said again, crying hysterically. "Alice, I don't want you to die alone. I don't want to die alone," I whispered.
Her arms tightened around me. "You're not dying alone. I'm right here. I won't leave you, Joshua. Not until. . ." She stopped halfway through her promise. Not until I was dead, was what she wanted to say. My eyes closed, I couldn't fight the night anymore, and I heard Alice's sobbing. She leaned her head against my chest, listening to my soft breathing.
Alice
Josh inhaled one last time and exhaled, a deep, final breath. I screamed and Mom pulled me away from him. "I'm sorry, Alice. I really liked him, too. But he was your soulmate, your perfect match, and I never want to see you in that pain again. What kind of funeral arrangements should we make?" I ignored her, staring at Joshua. "I loved him so much. What are we going to do?" I asked, looking at her with a hand on my stomach. "I don't know. Maybe I could. . . Bring him back?" Mom stared at me, the question lingering in her eyes. "The barrier! Open it and pull him out, you've done it for me," I reminded her. She smirked, her usual successful gaze, and looked away at Josh.
"Joshua, even with you laying here, still and lifeless, I love you. I always will. And don't pass through those gates, sweetheart, we're coming to get you," I whispered to the stars.
I felt Josh with me, telling me it would be okay. Bringing him back would be easier said than done.
|
