Letting in Light ✔️ [Completed] [Book two]

Chapter 62

There is a high pitched ringing in my ears that wails so loudly, I have to clamp my eyes shut to try and dull it. The side of my head bangs like a bass drum from where it smashed against the slate floor. I know my skin must have broken during the impact because I can feel blood trickling inside my ear. Opening my eyes, I cannot see anything at all... the world is now black. In a panic, I begin to blink rapidly through the pain. Slowly, the fog dissipates into smaller and smaller black dots. My vision is blurred, but at least I can tell it is still daytime.

Why am I on the floor? I wonder as I attempt to roll over. There is a weight crushing me into the floor, preventing me from moving. I'm so confused, I just cannot think straight through the pain inside my skull. Breathe... in and out, I repeat rhythmically to calm myself down.

I reach out and feel something warm and wet. Through the shrinking black dots in my vision, I slowly bring my hand up to my face to try and see what I am lying in. The smell of iron wafts into my nostrils as I begin to focus. Without warning, I'm plummeted back to full consciousness when I see that my hands are covered in warm blood.

I realise that Daniel is lying completely still on top of me! Protecting me. His determined expression as he launched himself towards me flashes before my eyes... oh God!

Flipping myself over from beneath his limp body, I cannot catch my breath. My skull feels like it might cave in as I move. The memory of Daniel forcefully pushing me out of the way of the bullet aimed for my chest hits my brain like a wrecking ball. All of my senses seem to ignite at the same time, running on pure adrenaline to save the man I love... knowing in my heart that he's been shot... because of me!

Desperately scrambling to my knees, I quickly realise that I'm covered in Daniel's blood. My cream dress is now smothered in scarlet red. A curdled sob escapes my mouth as I reach for him. Daniel lies on the floor next to me with his eyes closed. His grey t.shirt is sodden with his blood.

Shit! There is so much blood.

He's dead, I think as a wave of nausea crashes into my skull. I force myself to focus on his chest and although blood continues to ooze from wherever he has been shot, I can just about see him taking shallow but regular breaths.

"Daniel." I scream, but the voice sounds so distant I'm not sure it actually came from me.

"You did this." Fay cries out, reminding me that she is still here. "You've killed him." She dramatically plummets to her knees, shrieking like a feral animal.

On shaky legs, I stand up. Struggling to find my balance, I feel Daniel's blood dripping down my legs when I move. The knife block gleams in the sunlight shining through the window, giving me the sign I need to think clearly. This needs to end now... so I can save him.

Georgia turns her head to where I'm staring, and immediately raises her gun level with my chest. "Now, you die." She spits through her tears.

If Daniel is going to die, then I might as well go with him. I don't want to live this life without him.

I lunge forward with every shred of energy I have to try and reach the knife block. A gun shot rings out in my sensitive ears. I close my eyes to brace for the impact, but nothing happens.

Opening my eyes as I crash into the island and scramble for a carving knife, I expect Georgia to be taking aim again. Instead, I hear a thud as she crumples violently against the kitchen units and onto the slate floor. Her body is twisted unnaturally in my lemon summer dress, which is now spattered in her blood.

Looking down, her eyes remain wide open, staring lifelessly out of the window and onto the sunlit garden.

I turn towards the doorway to see Rhys standing there with the gun still pointed at Georgia.

"I heard a gun shot from the car." Rhys shouts. I watch him lower his gun with trembling hands, while he stares at Daniel in the floor. "Are you hurt?" His wide eyes meet mine before glancing down at my now crimson dress.

"No." I say ignoring the wound on my head. "Call an ambulance." I scream before jumping over Georgia's body to crash onto my knees next to Daniel. "Take care of Ben." Rhys is already on the phone before he even leaves the room. I don't have time to worry about Ben now Rhys is with him, so I push him out of my mind.

Lifting Daniel's head onto my lap, I stroke his wild hair. There is so much blood, I cannot see where exactly on his chest it is coming from. "Stay with me." I mumble through the tears that have started to fall down my cheeks. Daniel's eyes remain firmly closed and I can feel that he is now grasping for breath. Watching the blood flow intently, I decide to firmly place my left hand across where I think he's been shot to try and slow the bleeding.

"I love you." I whisper. Softly, I kiss his forehead even though I can feel him struggling to hold on. "Please don't leave me." I plead as I rock backwards and forwards gently. "Stay with me." My words become less coherent as my sobs become louder.

Suddenly, I hear him whisper when his eyes briefly open. His ocean blue eyes look to find me. Once his gaze settles on me I'm sure I see a tiny smile pull at his lips. "I... love... you." He splutters, before closing his eyes again.

"Daniel, Daniel..." I shout while I shake him, but he doesn't respond. "Don't go!" I wail, feeling a tsunami of emotion leave my body.

Abruptly, the sound of sirens engulfs my senses. Without warning the room is suddenly filled with paramedics and police. When I don't move, I feel myself being pulled away from him. I scream for Daniel as I watch a paramedic cut his t.shirt up the middle to expose his wounded chest.

"Get her out of here." Someone orders without even looking at me.

"No!" I shout, but then a police officer bundles me out of the room and into the garden where he forces me to sit on the bench while the paramedics try to save Daniel's life. "It should have been me." I mutter to myself as I stare up at the hill, trembling uncontrollably. I watch the same black horse we saw yesterday begin to trot over the brow of the hill, but he is then startled by all the commotion and turns to flee without looking back.

"Please just stay calm," the young officer says sympathetically. "They're doing everything they possibly can to help. It's best you're not in there..." he shuffles awkwardly from foot to foot. "Just let them work their magic." He presses his hand against my shoulder in sympathy.

I intertwine my fingers and silently begin to pray for both Daniel and Ben, completely ignoring the young officer's attempts to comfort me.  

- hey guys!

What do you think of this chapter?

So... Daniel has been shot protecting Lizzie - what do you think will happen now?

Fay is no more! Hope you like the fact that Lizzie didn't even give her the time of day once she was down!

Please tick the little star too, it means the world to me. X -