#last event

Dead Man Walking

After Colin Page came to see them, Rory knew how dire this situation really was. It didn’t change her mindset on anything, but it made her realize that they probably weren’t going to be able to get out of here very soon. That corner of the room, filled with smells from all of their bodies, was going to become a place that she had to frequent more often than she would have liked. 

But a hand grabbed hers, and she looked up into the eyes of her brother, and Rory had a feeling that despite all of the things she hated the most about this, she loved it as well. 

She didn’t love it because of what it was. She hated that everyone had to be a part of this. Rory couldn’t swallow the fact that they were being used against their parents, and that it actually made work in Falsdom’s favor. She couldn’t imagine her father, or any of their families, letting his kids be hurt just because he wanted to save other people. He’d been fighting it when it was just Brian gone, and now that it was both of them... he’d sell his soul, Rory knew, to save them. Falsdom could win this, because he was willing to play cards that didn’t belong to him. 

But despite all of the bad; despite the fact that her clothes were stiff and smelly, and that the room was cold, and her hair was ratted and stuck to her face, and that it was getting harder to see because the candles were burning lower, and that they hardly had any food even with his gift, and that everyone was scared and rightfully so. Despite all of that... she had a hope. Maybe it was a foolish one, and she was wrong to have it. But it was there nonetheless, sparking in her heart and helping her understand that if the most unbelievable thing had come true, if her brother was really there squeezing her hand, then maybe it was a sign that her darkest fears weren’t a reality. 

Rory squeezed his hand back, and then he was pulling her into his side, holding her close. She cried, for multiple reasons, able to put a reason to almost each and every tear. This one was for her parents, and how horrified they must be to learn that he had taken her, too. Her mother would be sick with worry, and her father would feel guiltier than anyone ever had. 

This one was for Ethan, and how terrified he must be to notice her missing. He would be beside himself, and she was the same, hoping that nothing had happened to the other kids at Hogwarts. It was impossible to know, and likely in both ends. She wouldn’t have been surprised if they were hurt, or if they were safe and fine. Either could have been the answer. 

This tear was for all of the people here that didn’t have someone to hold their hand, making them feel a surge of safety. All of the kids who never asked for any of this, who tried to stay away from it, but who were dragged into it anyway. Another tear for all of their own loved ones, because Rory knew that she wasn’t the only one affected by this. 

One tear for her brother, and what he had been through. One tear for the fear they would die here together. One tear for how this whole thing felt like a nightmare, or a horror story. More and more, falling down and dripping onto what rags were left of Brian’s shirt, staining it worse than the dirt and grime that was already there.