Chaos surrounded them as their breath got weaker and words became indiscernible.
"I can't do it without you! You can't leave me! Haru is going into martial arts! And-and Nabi is going to take ballet! You have to be there! You have to see Yejun's second birthday and the kids' first day of school! You can't lea-"
Valena's voice was rushed and broken as she collapsed beside her parents. Putting their arms around their daughter, their whisper was almost unheard.
"We are so proud of you."
She felt their final breath on her cheek, and their bodies go limp beside her.
"No, no, NO!"
Her scream cut through the air and ripped at her throat. The surrounding people turned to stare as they watched her hug the lifeless bodies of her parents. Sitting up, sobs shook her body uncontrollably, like waves crashing against the shore. Lifting her head, Valena's eyes were black and lifeless. The onlooking people were frightened by the look in her eyes, and even the paramedics were hesitant to reach out to her. A bloody handprint was smeared on the side of her face.
Her white shirt was ripped multiple times, and black bruises were visible. You could see a deep wound on her side, and blood splattered across her shirt like blooming flowers. Her hair stuck to the corner of her mouth and splayed on the bodies beside her as blood dripped from its ends. The scene was picturesque, as if it were from a movie set. Snapping out of their haze, the paramedics tried to transport Valena to the ambulance, but she fought back. Thrashing as hard as she could, she managed to escape the crowd and started running. Tears blurred her vision, and her mind was dazed as she ran.
The young man had tried to look for the girl who had helped him but to no avail. His manager had pulled him away from the crowd before anyone could recognize him, gave him a quick check-up, and drove to the hospital. Staring out the window, he couldn't get her strong form out of his head and was surprised to see her bloodied figure running through the streets. He rolled down his window to call to her, but the car turned, and she disappeared into the crowd.
Her breathing began to get heavier, and her world started to spin. She kept running until she was inside the hotel, supporting herself on the wall. The receptionist tried to keep Valena from falling as she led her to the bathroom.
"Give me a black jacket. I will pay you back later."
The woman couldn't bear to hear the young girl's voice coming out in pants and clearly in pain. With tears in her eyes, the woman borrowed a jacket and helped Valena into the restroom. Leaning against the counter, she splashed the cool water on her face. The icy liquid forced her to take in a sharp breath. She gently pried her blood-crusted shirt from her body and tied it securely around her wound. Her bralette did nothing to hide the black bruises from the old woman's eyes. Hearing the woman's gasp, Valena carefully put on the jacket and finished cleaning the visible blood. Trying not to pull on the wound, she stood up as straight as she could and masked the pain in her voice.
"Thank you."
Looking at her now, you would never think she was actively bleeding or in pain of any sort. She had pinched her cheeks and bit her lips so they were rosy and plump. Her hair was pulled back in a messy bun, and the jacket was unzipped ever so slightly. Her black pants and boots hid any trace of blood, but her eyes looked soulless.
Nodding in reply, the woman opened the door and watched as Valena slowly inched her way to the elevator. She stopped on the second floor, stepping out to grab dinner and a large tray of cookies for her siblings. Taking the bags up to their room, she took a deep breath before she opened the door.
"Guys, I brought lunch and cookies."
Valena's soft voice was heard through the room as the kids yelled.
"Cookies!"
Placing the bags on the table, she placed the kids' food on the table as they went to wash their hands. Peeking into the kid's room, she saw the baby still asleep with pillows surrounding him. Moving to her room, Valena pulled a small military-grade med kit out of her backpack, and her steady hands quickly removed her clothes. As she started to clean her wound the sting of the alcohol made her bite down on a towel to prevent herself from screaming. The throb she felt from her back and shoulder slowly became worse as the adrenalin wore off as she hurriedly finished treating herself and changed her clothes before heading to the other room. The stares of her siblings gazed up at her expectantly as they waited with patient smiles.