2. Betrayal, 14. Confusion & 16. Dream or 17. Nightmare
Angst Prompt Writing Drabble Challenge
2, 14, 16, 17
"C-Clay! Please!! Please, no!!"
It was useless. No matter how much he yelled and screamed for help, it wasn't coming. No matter how much he tried, Clay's wound wouldn't stop bleeding, and bleeding, and bleeding. All Apollo could see was shades of red as it trickled down his sides, seeped onto the floor, spread against the walls. Everything was red. The screens, their clothes, only Clay's face and Apollo seemed to be spared, and even then, Apollo could feel the warmth of Clay's blood, soaked into his socks, his pants, anywhere the pool had reached.
"I'm... so tired..."
"Clay!! Listen to me, you're fine!! YOU'RE FINE!! JUST STAY WITH ME!!"
Tears streamed down Apollo's cheeks, form trembling as he tried to sink more of his weight into the wound to stop its bleeding. "Clay!!"
"'Pollo... I'm going into space..." It was one of the last things he said to him, what prompted him to throw that party in his flat before the big launch. He was so excited then. Now his voice lacked everything, energy, excitement, joy, the only thing he could hear was the fact that it was Clay's voice, and what he was saying made no sense to Apollo.
"Clay, please...! Please, just hold on a little longer...!!" He couldn't lose Clay. Clay was the only past he had that was worth remembering. Clay was his best friend, when he had nothing else, he had Clay! Without him, he'd have nothing.
"Hey... 'Pollo..."
"Clay..."
"I'd save yourself... See you, space cowboy..."
Apollo could barely hear that last part, but he wouldn't have the time to ask. There was a massive explosion that shook Apollo's entire world. He whirled his head around, watching as the room began to collapse. Chunks of concrete hit the ground, falling from the roof of the courtroom.
"Go..."
"I'm not leaving you! You're my best friend, I won't leave you behind!! Clay!!" Before he could say or do anything more, a woman's arm reached around his arm and yanked him to his feet with surprising strength.
"Come on, Apollo, we have to go!!" Athena...
"No!! No!! Let me go!! I have to--!! I have to do this!!" Despite his protests, Apollo was being dragged away from the collapsing courtroom and away from Clay.
Apollo looked back to yell at Athena, but when he did, a shadow made it so he couldn't see her eyes. What he could see was a horrifying smirk. Athena...
Apollo managed to yank his arm free, and made a beeline back to Clay. He had to save him! He had to save him!! He had to save him!! He rushed, as fast as his legs could carry him, but felt a hand on his lower back shove hard enough to throw off his balance. Apollo toppled over onto his front, he glanced back at Athena for a second, but didn't see her and quickly tried to push himself back up. Before he was successful, a heavy chunk of the building crashed by his left side, followed by another that rolled off and impaled Apollo's right side and lower back, thanks to a metal support embedded into the structure. The man screamed in pain, unable to get up now. He was screwed.
"Clay--!" Tears continued to fall, and even though it hurt, Apollo still tried to reach out to Clay. "Clay!! Clay!!" More and more pieces of the building fell onto Apollo, his shoulders were soon pinned down as well, his arms soon individually followed, before long, Apollo couldn't tell if the blood was his or Clay's. He tried to get up, desperate to save his best friend. Apollo looked up, just in time to see one of the wooden supports falling towards where Clay was. He couldn't see him anymore, but he knew he was there!
"CLAY! CLAY!!! CLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!"
Apollo woke up with a scream, tears already streaming down his face with panicked breaths and a heaving chest. He trembled, lowering his head and running his hands through his hair like mad. His back felt like absolute fire, and the wound his stitches kept shut were throbbing with a certain tightness that threatened another pop. Even his arms felt a, now familiar, agonizing pain, some scabs even having been scratched open in his sleep.
"Clay..."
Apollo soon began sobbing, quietly, not wanting to wake his neighbors more than he already had. He didn't want the Gheazers to call the cops on him again, if they hadn't already, he just wasn't ready to deal with that...