Page 7 of Chalk Outline

“After you.” That’s what you said to me when we met. I was a caged bird that couldn’t fly anywhere without permission. But if we’re being honest, I couldn’t fly, period.

My cage wasn’t made of steel. It was a palace-like dream that most people could only fantasize about, yet it was still a cage.

I didn’t realize I wasn’t living until you showed up, took my hand, and taught me how to fly with you through a fractured existence.

I know it wasn’t a walk in the park because we didn’t make it easy, but once you placed your heart in my hands and injected yourself into my veins, I was yours. My chaos was yours.

I can still feel your arms wrapped around me, and maybe that’s the only comfort I’ll find in this world.

I know people hardly say what they mean. Sometimes, we hide behind jokes or metaphors to understand things better or give them greater meaning. But it’s more than that. It’s giving us a chance to explore possibilities and expand our way of thinking.

But you never needed fancy words or grand gestures, just acceptance and affection. You wanted to be chosen.

You were.

I choose you every single day, and I’ll keep choosing you.

My guardian angel.

You’ve always been an angel with a rough exterior, invisible wings, and a soul that dips in colorful shades never to go unnoticed.

You fueled the fire we created to watch the flames grow wilder. But you know, fire is our weakness. When fires grow, they burn brighter. They create chaos. They feed off oxygen and fuel. They leave nothing in their wake.

Death is inevitable; we are not immune to it because it catches up with everyone. It has caught up with you. And love… love is painful because it consumes you when it’s present. It traps you under warm wings, creating a kaleidoscope of emotions that constantly roll and spin you around. But when it leaves, you are left naked, trapped inside an endless void that tears you apart from the inside out.

I wish you could rise from the ashes and return to me because no matter where I go, you’re the ghost haunting me, bleeding me dry, and opening the hollowness I was forced to become.

It hurts to know that I won’t get to share my life with you. Am I crazy for thinking about everything we’ve been through together and falling in love with you even more?

Tears flow down my face, and drops of black mascara stain the paper. There is no world in which I can forget him, no matter how hard I try or where my soul drifts. He is a beautiful dream. A painful reminder. A raw and undefinable story. An invincible memory.

You’ve always lived somewhere between this life and the other. Ready to leave but unable to let go. Maybe now I understand that more than anything.

Even though every waking moment is a battle, I want you to know that I fought to stay.

Do you know what the best part of our story is?

Safety was at arm’s reach. Unconditional love has taken on a new meaning. I was there to absorb the pain with you, even when you refused to share it with me. I know it wasn’t because you didn’t want to, but because you sheltered me from everything. I never knew love like ours existed or how fast it can leave you scarred.

We were just… us.

Until we weren’t.

Chapter three

Winona Bishop

Follow You — Bring Me The Horizon

I fasten the straps of my backpack over my shoulders while I reread the note on the kitchen island.

Killing is part of the game.

I don’t know if someone is trying to tell me something or scare me, but I don’t get scared easily, and I’m determined to uncover what their games are all about.

Sliding my eyes to my phone screen, I watch as 9:37 pm becomes 9:38 pm before the news reporter snaps me out of it.

“Breaking news in Salem, Massachusetts. The Halloween Killers have mysteriously vanished this year. This group of masked killers has terrorized the city and murdered victims on Halloween night for nearly two decades. The local chief of police has repeatedly stated that they believe there are seven killers. Are they changing their tactics? Are they done killing?Are they relocating somewhere else? Right now, we don’t have all the answers. They are classified as an incredible danger to the public. Authorities are doing everything they can to catch these killers and bring them to justice. But is it enough? We’ll have to wait and see.”