The girl was thrown backward into a glass window. She saw her attacker fall to the ground with a stunned expression, with a knife in through where his heart would be. If he had one, she thought viciously before her back connected with the glass.

She saw the man's gun slip from his bloody fingers and heard the angry roar of his comrades. She heard gunshots and terrified screams. As she fell, she heard the battle cry of the people as they fought back, empowered by her victory. The thunder of hundreds of feet joining together, and fighting together.

It all faded away.

She lay on the cold hard cement, gasping, as her lifeblood drained from her. Her eyes glazing over, but the pain did not end fast enough. Blood oozed slowly, painfully, from the wound in her side, the bullet not having hit anything vital, but close enough for her to bleed out.

She was covered in cuts from broken glass, and the shards tangled in her dark hair. Her body lay broken and bloody outside where war raged on. But she didn't hear it anymore. She didn't hear any of it.

Her vision tunneled, and spots danced before her, forming people who were long gone. The long dark hair of her mother. Her father's proud, strong features. Her older sister's gentle amber eyes. Her twin brother's mischevious smirk. Her two younger sisters and her face filled with joy. Her best friend. They all smiled and beckoned for her to join them. Come on! They said, come with us!

She was quickly forgetting the people who she loved, that were still alive. She was quickly forgetting who she was. The girl forgot her own name. But some things were as clear as the agony she felt.

Her crush who had just confessed that he liked her back and a dog. Not many things to fight for, just two, but those were all that she needed to push against the inky blackness that swirled around her. 

But the harder she tried, the harder the darkness tugged at her mind, taking her to a paradise. It called, it pleaded, it beckoned, and with each cry, she let go, just a bit more. Why should she try?

Two things to live for, a million to die for.

I can't, she thought weakly. Mother would want me to fight...right? But if I go, I'll be with her. I won't have to dream, I'll be with her. She shook the thoughts from her head, but they leaped forth, unbidden, from the depths of her mind. She desperately summoned reasons to fight for. Her dog, the boy, the sky, cloudy days, sunset, sunrise, moonrise, night, day, and...and...and what?

Her dog, Terry. Her soft curly snow-white fur. How dirty it could get if she forgot to bathe her. The way she lay her head on her paws and sat by the girl's side when she read, did her homework, or just when she needed someone by her side. Not talking, not trying to make things better, just there for her. And her dog did just that.

The endless sky, a cascade of colors at sunset. The sunset. Scarlet, rose, violet, orange, gold. All dancing to the same song. All playing as the sun slept. 

The night. A symphony of light as the moon rose. Indigo, navy, ebony, silver. All swirling as the moon gave them silver light to see by.

The girl smiled as she thought of the beauty of both ends of the spectrum. I wanna see the sunset again, she thought with longing, I wanna be washed in moonlight again, if only one more time, she thought with more conviction, and the darkness suddenly didn't seem so inviting anymore.

Him. His sparkling blue eyes. His laugh when she told a shitty joke, but he still laughed anyway. The softness of his voice when he said, I lo-like you too. The way her pulse raced around him. The way he styled his hair, the way he walked, the way he talked.

Everything about him set her heart ablaze. He was going to say, love, she thought deliriously. How she wished she had said that she loved him too. I'll never be able to now, she thought with a detached sort of sadness. 

As though she were viewing the love story of another crumble before her eyes. She felt sad, but the kind of sad you feel for a stranger when something happens to them.

The kind that doesn't quite matter in the grand scheme of things.

The kind that is oh so easy to forget.

She brought forth emotions and feelings that she had kept under lock and key. She used them as her weapons, chasing away the monster disguised with a voice as sweet as honey. Hate, kindness, happiness, envy, pain, longing, love.

The girl fought with everything in her to stay with the living. But it was hard. Sleep sounded so good right now. Just take a break from the pain, a soothing voice whispered in her head, So what if you don't wake up. No one will even notice you're gone.

Suddenly, she felt someone take her hand in theirs. A voice, faraway, but real, called. The girl couldn't make out the words, but she knew they were important. So she fought. She made out three words, Don't leave me.

Although she didn't know who she would be leaving, she knew that she hated to make anyone sad. the had never wanted to trouble anyone. So she poured all of her strength into one last action.

She opened her eyes. And she was glad that she did. She saw two beautiful eyes. A shade of blue that rivaled all the jewels in the world, and put the brilliant sky to shame. But now his eyes sparkled with unshed tears. He seemed to be telling her something, but she couldn't hear him.

She used every ounce of willpower she had, and finally, she heard him.

"Please don't leave me, Marigold," he pleaded, his voice desperate. So that's my name, she thought curiously.

"I need you, I love you," he continued, unaware that she was listening. Marigold jolted, the words, I love you, echoed in her head, until it was all she could hear. But she couldn't fight it. Not on her own at least. But she wasn't alone, she had him.

She finally remembered his name. Timothy, Tim.

So Marigold fought for all she was worth, which wasn't much in her opinion, but she fought. With Tim by her side, she fought back the darkness that swirled in her mind.

She anchored her mind onto the words his lips provided. The blackness swirled around her in a raging river. But the words were her rock. She held on.  

People came to help the girl who turned the tide of the war. They did everything they could, and it helped. Her breathing steadied, her pulse stabilized, and she finally stopped bleeding so much. 

When all of it was over, she asked to be propped up. Tim looked uncertain, but Marigold was stubborn as ever. 

She saw that the people had held out long enough so that reenforcements could come and help. It had all started with her. People admitted that her victory had given them courage, and a reason to fight. 

No one knew her name, yet everyone felt duty-bound to fight because if they didn't, her sacrifice would have been for nothing at all.

Marigold smiled, and she finally let sleep claim her, but this time, she knew that she would wake up. She would wake up to a world, that was just a bit better, brighter, safer. And she would wake up to Tim by her side, and her white fluff of a dog at her feet.

Her eyes closed, and she fell asleep with a soft smile dancing on her bloodied lips.

A/N: This is a contest entry for dailyactivities and go check out their stuff! They have cover contests, writing contests, and much much more! Btw, I hope you enjoyed this, and I hope this was good enough for your contests. I typed all of this today so it might not be that good 11😅