and moans. She was hysterical and barely able to speak. The girls had lit a couple of candles when they first woke, and in the dim light I could see Emilie lying down at an awkward angle , halfway on an air mattress.
“Oh God,” I moaned. “Emilie…” I walked as quickly to her as I could, and sank down beside her on the mattress. “Em,” I sobbed. “Oh God no. Em, wake up!” I flinched when I heard a gunshot from outside.
“Don’t shoot me!” screamed Sadie. “You have no right!”
Her words were followed by another gunshot, followed by Nathan cursing.
Susan and Gus were already beside me. I was kneeling over Emilie’s body, my head on her chest. She was so incredibly still, and already so very cold. I had no idea where Boggs and Nathan were. At the moment I didn’t care. I knew already that the strangers were all dead, unless there were more hiding.
Someone was crying and I was growing irritated. The sobbing was hurting my head, and then finally I realized it was me. I felt someone’s hand on my shoulder and knew by the feel it was Gus. His hand was trembling.
“Emilie, wake up,” I moaned. “Wake up, please, wake up… Emilie… wake up!”
“Zoe, darlin’, she’s gone. She can’t wake up.”
“No, Gus. No. No. She has to wake up. Please, Em, please! You can’t go…”
Gus placed his other hand on my remaining shoulder and gently pulled me up and away from Em’s body. I turned into him and let him hold me.
“She can’t be gone, Gus,” I groaned loudly. “What happened? What happened to her?”
“That first bullet must have hit her, Zoe. She died instantly. She didn’t feel any pain.” He also had tears streaming down his face.
“Noooo,” I wailed and shook my head. “Not Em.” I closed my eyes, willing my head to remain free of any spark beautiful Emilie might cause in my mind should she wake. I couldn’t bear losing her twice.
“Gus, I can’t do it if she comes back…” I let my thought trail off.
“She won’t be coming back, Zoe. The bullet that hit her already took care of that. She’s at rest now, with her brother Joey. Please believe that.” He was stroking my hair gently.
I lay my head on his chest and shook my head. I suddenly felt selfish. She was my best friend, but she was Gus’ lover. I should be comforting him now, not the other way around.
“I’m so sorry, Gus.”
“We all loved her, Zoe. We all loved her so much. We need to go outside now, and talk to the others.”
I hadn’t realized we were alone. Susan must have taken the girls out.
“I want to bury her, Gus. We can’t just leave her.”
“Of course we will.”
I wiped my tears and turned back to the body of my best friend. My sister. Her beautiful freckled face was marred by blood that trailed from a single hole in her temple. She was such a beautiful person, inside and out, and never deserved to be harmed like this. I felt faint, so leaned down to rest my forehead on her again. I grabbed one of her hands. Her skin was ice cold, and felt waxy. It was one of the worst feelings in the world. She was completely and utterly lifeless. I stared at her chest, and I could swear I saw her breathing. I had to feel for myself. As I kept my forehead against her chest, I felt absolutely nothing. Even in the dim candlelight I could see that she was a deep shade of blue-gray. Her eyes were lacking the sparkle I had grown to love.
“Zoe.”
I finally looked up at Gus.
“I need a moment with her. I’ll meet you outside, ok?”
His words stung, but I nodded and respected his wishes. I stood up on wobbly legs and walked outside. As I looked back under the tarp, I could see Gus leaning down giving Emilie a final kiss goodbye. I choked back tears despite wanting to cry for the loss we all had just suffered in losing a true friend.
I turned and walked back to the
“Oh God,” I moaned. “Emilie…” I walked as quickly to her as I could, and sank down beside her on the mattress. “Em,” I sobbed. “Oh God no. Em, wake up!” I flinched when I heard a gunshot from outside.
“Don’t shoot me!” screamed Sadie. “You have no right!”
Her words were followed by another gunshot, followed by Nathan cursing.
Susan and Gus were already beside me. I was kneeling over Emilie’s body, my head on her chest. She was so incredibly still, and already so very cold. I had no idea where Boggs and Nathan were. At the moment I didn’t care. I knew already that the strangers were all dead, unless there were more hiding.
Someone was crying and I was growing irritated. The sobbing was hurting my head, and then finally I realized it was me. I felt someone’s hand on my shoulder and knew by the feel it was Gus. His hand was trembling.
“Emilie, wake up,” I moaned. “Wake up, please, wake up… Emilie… wake up!”
“Zoe, darlin’, she’s gone. She can’t wake up.”
“No, Gus. No. No. She has to wake up. Please, Em, please! You can’t go…”
Gus placed his other hand on my remaining shoulder and gently pulled me up and away from Em’s body. I turned into him and let him hold me.
“She can’t be gone, Gus,” I groaned loudly. “What happened? What happened to her?”
“That first bullet must have hit her, Zoe. She died instantly. She didn’t feel any pain.” He also had tears streaming down his face.
“Noooo,” I wailed and shook my head. “Not Em.” I closed my eyes, willing my head to remain free of any spark beautiful Emilie might cause in my mind should she wake. I couldn’t bear losing her twice.
“Gus, I can’t do it if she comes back…” I let my thought trail off.
“She won’t be coming back, Zoe. The bullet that hit her already took care of that. She’s at rest now, with her brother Joey. Please believe that.” He was stroking my hair gently.
I lay my head on his chest and shook my head. I suddenly felt selfish. She was my best friend, but she was Gus’ lover. I should be comforting him now, not the other way around.
“I’m so sorry, Gus.”
“We all loved her, Zoe. We all loved her so much. We need to go outside now, and talk to the others.”
I hadn’t realized we were alone. Susan must have taken the girls out.
“I want to bury her, Gus. We can’t just leave her.”
“Of course we will.”
I wiped my tears and turned back to the body of my best friend. My sister. Her beautiful freckled face was marred by blood that trailed from a single hole in her temple. She was such a beautiful person, inside and out, and never deserved to be harmed like this. I felt faint, so leaned down to rest my forehead on her again. I grabbed one of her hands. Her skin was ice cold, and felt waxy. It was one of the worst feelings in the world. She was completely and utterly lifeless. I stared at her chest, and I could swear I saw her breathing. I had to feel for myself. As I kept my forehead against her chest, I felt absolutely nothing. Even in the dim candlelight I could see that she was a deep shade of blue-gray. Her eyes were lacking the sparkle I had grown to love.
“Zoe.”
I finally looked up at Gus.
“I need a moment with her. I’ll meet you outside, ok?”
His words stung, but I nodded and respected his wishes. I stood up on wobbly legs and walked outside. As I looked back under the tarp, I could see Gus leaning down giving Emilie a final kiss goodbye. I choked back tears despite wanting to cry for the loss we all had just suffered in losing a true friend.
I turned and walked back to the
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