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Everyone thought their death was funny, and sure, on paper it seems funny, but in reality it was pretty fucking far from it.
It hit Reggie first, just minutes after his infamous last words. The gang were waltzing slowly towards the Orpheum, cracking jokes, and generally having a good time until Reggie suddenly stopped, a grimace on his face.
Alex furrowed his eyebrows staring at his bandmate with concern, “Reg what-”
He was cut off by Reggie vomiting uncontrollably, his legs gave out and he fell to the floor, feeling the rough concrete scrape at his knees. Everything hurt, his stomach was in knots, and tears pricked at his eyes.
Luke and Alex had only a moment to share a bewildered look before it hit them as well.
Alex let out a genuine scream that was muffled by the bile leaving his mouth.
Luke grabbed at his stomach, moaning in pain, “Fuck, oh god, fuck make it stop.”
He held out for a few more moments before chucking up his dinner, just like the others.
They stayed like that for minutes on end, until there was nothing else to leave their bodies. Chills racked the young boys, and they were all covered in a cold sweat.
Reggie felt like he was on fire and had just taken an ice-bath all at the same time. He was starting to wish for death, anything to end the pain racking his entire body in ever-stronger waves.
Alex clutched his stomach, tears freely streaming down his face, “I don’t want to die.” He sobbed, terror evident in his voice.
Luke, after his body had run out ways to empty his insides, started to cough. He brought his hand to his face, pulling it back in surprise as he felt a wet substance land on it.
His hand was painted red, for a second his brain struggled to process this information, it felt like the world was getting fuzzier, but then it hit him.
Blood.
He was coughing up blood.
Luke gagged from fear, “Help!” He screamed at the top of his lungs.
A familiar figure appeared from a side door… Bobby. Luke felt relief wash through him, they were saved…
Bobby’s eyes widened as he took in the scene before him. He pulled out his phone, dialing 911, explaining the situation in a shaky tone.
Then Luke and Bobby’s attention were drawn by a guttural noise coming out of Alex’s mouth.
Alex had been startled out of his panic when Luke started to yell only to look to his right and be filled with a much worse sense of dread. Reggie had collapsed on the ground.
He was shaking slightly, Alex thought he might be seizing, but he wasn’t sure.
He grabbed at Luke helplessly, who quickly turned to their dying brother…
“Reggie!”
“Reg, please!”
Their overlapping cries were useless, Reggie was dead to the world around him. He started to shake more violently, and if he wasn’t seizing before he definitely was now.
And then he was still.
Alex’s heart shattered.
“NO!” He shrieked, gripping onto Reggie’s leather jacket as if it was a lifeline, sobs ripped through him. It made the pain a million times worse, but he couldn’t stop it. Beside him Luke was just still, staring in disbelief.
Just as before it took a moment for Alex and Luke to catch up, but suddenly they fell flat almost simultaneously.
Luke half-registered Bobby kneeling beside him, but he was using all his energy to keep his eyes open.
He saw blood trickling down the side of Reggie’s mouth, and shifted his eyes away from the horrible sight… only to be greeted by Alex’s eyes, blown wide, but lifeless…
And then he couldn’t fight it anymore, and he drifted off, but it wasn't peaceful. Everything still hurt, he was terrified, and in pain, and heartbroken.
Faintly he wished for it all to stop, he couldn’t take the fire ripping throughout his body.
And then it did.
And he floated away.