He has his hood up, and he’s keeping low, using the bushes whenever he can to keep out of sight.
Even so, it’s undoubtedly Ben.
Those long, thin legs. The height. His easy, loping gait, so recognisably Ben’s when he swiftly moves from one clump of bushes to another.
Yep, it’s him alright.
May’s slipping in the mud. She’s fallen a couple of times, almost fallen even more times.
It’s all slowing her down.
Fortunately, Ben’s attempts to remain hidden are slowing him down even more.
We’re actually catching him up.
‘Don’t shout,’ I warn May. ‘God only knows what his adrenalin levels are this close to the hill top. If he’s got his gun with him, it might panic him into firing.’
Ben disappears into a heavier clump of blushes.
We keep on running.
Next time we spot Ben, he’s a hazy shape at the very top of the hill.
He moves quickly, suddenly crouching as if he’s about to lie down.
He suddenly jerks almost upright – and at last we see it in his hands.
In this blur, it looks like nothing more than a heavy stick, its clubbed end resting on the floor.
But, of course, we know what it is.
It’s a gun.
*
Chapter 34
Just as it had earlier for May, Ben’s hood acts like blinkers.
He doesn’t know May’s there until she quickly draws up alongside him.
Ben’s still holding the gun by its muzzle.
May grabs at it, realising it’s probably the best chance she’ll have of getting it off him.
It slips easily from Ben’s unprepared hands.
‘What the…?’
May frowns, puzzled, the gun somehow sticking as she tries to pull on it.
Kerrrrbbbblllaaaammmm!
The gun goes off.
And May crumples to the ground.
*
Chapter 35
‘I didn’t mean to do it! She pulled on it!’
‘You should have let go of it idiot!’
Ben’s distraught, his eyes wild with worry.
He’s leaning over May, trying to stem the blood pouring from the top of her head.
‘Call an ambulance!’ he cries. ‘She’s dying!’
An incredibly skinny guy rises up from the floor. He’s shaking.
‘It wasn’t my fault! My finger was stuck in the trigger!’
‘Shut it! You came here to kil– just phone for help, can’t you?’
The other guy’s not bothered. He’s glancing everywhere about him, nervous as hell.
‘Someone will have heard the shot! They’ll be coming soon…’
He starts sloping off, skidding down the muddy hill.
‘Eddie! Call for help! I haven’t got my phone!’
Eddie’s not listening to Ben anymore. He’s a grey blur vanishing into the haze.
Is Ben crying?
Or is it just the rain trickling down his face?
*
It wasn’t Ben who’d come here to kill.
It was Eddie.
A guy so invisible at school, neither I nor May had noticed him.
Yeah, figures, don’t it?
A guy like that, ignored even by those ignored by everyone else; how cut off from life did he feel, eh?
Fortunately, Ben hadn’t ignored him.
Perhaps Ben had been watching him closely, perhaps he’d recognised something odd from his actions – no, wait!
Of course!
That’s why I’d seen the light of recognition in Ben’s eyes, when May had mentioned the school massacre she’d seen in her predictions!
He did believe May had seen the future!
Only he knew he wasn’t the culprit, of course.
But he knew the most likely person to do it – Eddie!
So why the heck didn’t he just come out and say that to May?
Ah, of course.
Because he didn’t want to endanger her.
Because he didn’t want it to end up like this – with May dying on this rain swept hilltop.
*
Chapter 36
After all the deaths May had seen in her visions, the one she hadn’t seen was her own.
Because, of course, her own life was a blank.
So she also hadn’t seen that it would all be down to a stupid accident.
Ben had followed Eddie, almost got the gun off him too – but when May had snatched at it, Eddie hadn’t been able to let go of the gun before it went off.
Oh May May May; why hadn’t we seen this?
The girls, they aren’t dead.
They’re just dead to you May.
That was what the prophecies meant.
*
‘That can’t be right.’
‘What? May, you’re still here?
‘Course I’m still here. Well, I can talk to you anyway.’
‘Sure, sure, that figures; as long as you’re not completely unconscious.’
‘Well, if it were, I presume you wouldn’t be around any longer either, would you?
‘Possibly, possibly; yeah, I suppose that is true. So, what do you mean? What can’t be right?’
‘I saw them being killed. So, sure, I agree with you that if I die, they’re dead to me – and that’s one possible outcome. But there’s still another outcome, the one I saw clearly in my predictions – I live, but they die.’
‘Impossible; Eddie’s gone. Eddie was the one who was going to kill them; Ben was trying to stop him.’
‘Hah!’ She laughs. ‘Good old Ben.’
‘He’s caring for you now. He looks distraught. I think he loves you.’
‘Does he? He never let me know.’
‘Do we ever let people know we love them? But – back to what you’re saying, I’ve just noticed something.’
‘What?’
‘The gun. Eddie’s taken the gun.’
*
Chapter 37
‘May, Ben’s going to stay here, looking after you. He’s not going to go chasing after Eddie.’
‘Which means I might live, but the girls die.’
Ben’s frantically riffling through May’s pockets.
‘He’s looking for your mobile.’
‘No no! We’ve got to stop him; tell him he’s got to go after Eddie!’
‘Can you speak? Can you tell him?’
‘No; the bullet. It hit my side of the brain.’
‘But not mine, right? Let me speak to him; through you. I can speak to him through you.’
‘Okay; give it a go.’
‘Ben.’
It isn’t as easy I thought it would be.
May’s voice comes out all desperate, quivering, faint.
Ben eyes widen in both hope and fear.
‘May! You’re okay! I–’
‘No, no; I’m not okay, Ben. But look – Eddie. Eddie’s still got the gun!’
Ben glances about him frantically.
‘Damn! That bloody idiot.’
‘You have to stop him!’
‘No, I’m staying with you! He won’t use it! He knows I saw him with it!’
‘You die as well, remember, if the other girls die.’
‘It’s wrong; your prediction’s wrong…’
He’s shaking his head, not wanting to believe what I’m telling him.
‘You believed it enough to come up here and try and stop Eddie. You did the right thing, Ben. But you need to stop him again.’
‘But you’re dying, May!’
He knows the truth. He can see the blood pooling around her head.
‘It can’t end up like this! It makes no sense; you dying! Your prediction, it said–’
‘It said the girls and you would die. And if I die, Ben, then they and you are dead as far as I’m concerned, right? So this way, my prediction comes true; but for the cost of one death, not ten!’
‘But May??
?I…I love you!’
‘Hah, now you tell me! I love you too, Ben!’
(Yeah, she does; I know.)
‘May!’
‘Perhaps we should have got together a little earlier, eh?’
‘Yes, yes; but it’s still not too late, we can still–’
‘No, Ben, it is too late. But it’s not too late for you to stop Eddie!’
‘I can’t stop him now, he’s gone–’
‘You can stop him – but only if you leave me, Ben!’
‘Leave you to die, you mean?’
He says it bitterly. He doesn’t want to leave her.
Even if it means the other girls die.
Even if it means he dies.
‘I’m sure…sure I’ll be alright.’
Oh just great; I tried to say that as reassuringly as I could, only to find myself spluttering and gasping.
‘No you won’t May, you won’t!’
‘My mobile’s in my left bottom pocket. Call for help – then leave me! Please!’
He grabs the mobile desperately, pushes the buttons frantically.
‘Okay, okay; I’ll call for help – then I’ll go for Eddie!’
‘Thanks Ben; it’s the right decision. Honest.’
*
As Ben reluctantly slopes off into the veiling drizzle, May lets her whole body relax with a sigh.
‘We don’t know how deeply the bullet’s gone you know. How badly it’s hurt you.’
She rewards my stupid comment with a bitter laugh.
‘Sure, it’s amazing what a modern hospital can do these day, right?’
‘Sure is; you’ve still got a choice I reckon, May. Way I see it, it’s not a done thing that you’re going to die. You can choose which way it’s going to go!’
She gives me another weak, bitter laugh.
‘No no; not this time, not this time.’
Oh oh. She’s slipping away.
She’s dying.
May’s dying.
*
Chapter 38
Remember what I said earlier to May about how amazing the brain is?
How it can store the most incredibly detailed memories?
Memories so precise that, if you could somehow bring them up, you’d swear you were actually living through the experience once again.
I take it you’ve heard too how people who are dying can see their whole lives passing before them?
That’s the brain on overdrive, linking into all those stored experiences.
Every experience you’ve had throughout your life.
Letting you live your whole life all over again.
To the outside world, it might be nothing more than a few seconds of time that passes.
To you, it’s an entire lifetime.
Played out second by second.
Sight by sight.
Taste by taste.
Scent by scent.
Touch by touch.
Feeling by feeling.
A lifetime of sensations so accurately stored, so accurately recalled, that you wouldn’t even realise they were memories.
You’d presume they were happening right there and then, right now.
And that’s what May’s going through right now.
What, in fact, she’s been experiencing throughout the entire time you’ve been with us.
Flashbacks of all the events leading up to this event.
The event when May’s about to die.
Trouble is, see, May’s brain is just a tad damaged, isn’t it?
(Okay okay; have it your way! It’s seriously damaged, right?)
So how many of all these flashbacks are an accurate reflection of everything that happened?
How many have suffered a slightly faulty recall?
I’m not sure.
We can never, ever really be sure.
All I can say is that the vast majority of it actually happened.
Most of its true.
And that’s why May’s here.
On top of a hill.
Dying.
*
Chapter 39
Of course, you could leave us now, if you wanted.
You know, go back to your own world of TV and trips out and falling in and out of love with guys at school.
But what about May?
Don’t you care for her?
Don’t you care for me?
If May dies, I die with her, don’t I?
How unfair is that?
I mean, can’t you do something?
Didn’t you ever read Peter Pan? You know; the bit where you can save Tinker Bell, just by clapping your hands.
Can’t you do that?
Or something like that?
See, okay, so I know May’s worried that if she lives, the girls die.
So she’s made her choice; she’ll die, so the girls can live.
But what about me?
I don’t want to make that sacrifice!
Sure it’s selfish; but I don’t even particularly like Sammy.
Or Pat.
Okay, okay; so some of the others are alright – but I mean; would you give your life for them?
Yeah, thought not!
I want to live, thank you very much!
So come on May; this isn’t how it’s got to end!
There must be another ending!
A happier ending!
*
‘May, May, it’s me. I’m back!’
Ben.
As he says, he’s back.
He’s leaning over us once again.
Yeah, fat lot of good that’s going to do us Ben!
He throws aside the gun he’s managed to get off Eddie.
Oh hooray! All the other girls are safe!
Ben’s looking everywhere about him feverishly.
‘Where’s that damned ambulance? It should be here by now!’
He’s weeping bitterly.
I don’t think May can hear him.
I’m not even sure that she’s aware that he’s here.
Perhaps she’s…
No; wait a minute.
If I’m still here…
That means May’s still here.
Still hanging on.
‘Kiss her idiot,’ I try and scream at Ben.
But it’s no good.
Poor old May’s so gone, I can no longer speak through her.
You know; I thought, heck, if it worked for Sleeping Beauty, just maybe…
Even if it’s a slightly less than handsome prince.
He bends low.
He kisses May.
‘Oh May, May! Please don’t die! I love you! I love you so so much!’
He kisses us again.
I can hear a siren.
See flashing lights.
Rushing towards us.
The ambulance, racing and skidding up the hill.
Who knows; perhaps May’s going to be saved after all.
Know what?
If you’re living your life all over again, you can let it end how you damned well want to, right?
End
If you enjoyed reading this book, please remember to click that you liked it on the Kindle Rating icon.
You may also enjoy (or you may know someone else who might enjoy) these other books by Jon Jacks.
The Caught
The Rules
Chapter One
The Changes
Sleeping Ugly
The Barking Detective Agency
The Healing
The Lost Fairy Tale
A Horse for a Kingdom
Charity
The Most Beautiful Things
The Last Train
The Dream Swallowers
Nyx; Granddaughter of the Night
Jonah and the Alligator
Glastonbury Sirens
Dr Jekyll’s Maid
The 500-Year Circus
P
The Endless Game
DoriaN A
Wyrd Girl
Heartache High (Vol I)
Heartache High: The Primer (Vol II)
Heartache High: The Wakening (Vol III)
Miss Terry Charm, Merry Kris Mouse & The Silver Egg
Coming Soon
The Wicker Slippers
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