Chapter Text
His vision blurred. Ringing throughout his ears. The last thing Billy saw was Max, he saw the tears run down her face as she gently shook his shoulders whilst crying out his name. He wanted to reach out and comfort her, but his body wouldn’t move. Billy’s eyes felt heavy as he let them drop, his voice was dry and rough from the screaming.
“I’m sorry…”
His eyes opened. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Billy was supposed to be dead. He sat up and looked around. Starcourt. Everything was how it was earlier except no one but him was here. Billy’s injuries were still littered all over him but he hadn’t died. Maybe he had just passed out from blood loss? Light was shining in from the windows, maybe he was dreaming? Pushing himself to his feet, Billy wandered out of the mall and onto the streets. The fire brigade was parked outside, he kept walking until he saw someone.
“Excuse me, have you seen a girl? Redhead, snappy. About this short?” The elderly man turned to face him and his mouth gaped when seeing his injuries. He fled before he even bothered to process what he had been asked. Billy kept walking and asked the next woman the same questions.
“No, sorry dear. Oh my! How’d you do that?” He looked down at his stomach before looking back at her.
“A monster took control of me and I fought back.” Billy didn’t understand why she walked away after he had said that, she asked how it was done?
Around ten minutes later, he was surrounded by the police and paramedics. They were asking him all sorts of questions, which he answered honestly. Why wouldn’t anyone believe him? He was taken into hospital to be treated for his injuries. Billy overheard doctors talking about ‘sectioning’ him, he wasn’t sure what that meant but he assumed it wasn’t the same as being discharged. Maybe they would call Max and tell her that he was fine, he hoped they would at least.
It turns out sectioning means something very different.