Chapter fifty-two – How Many Times

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In case you forgot what happened in the previous chapter, please take the time to re-read the last section before reading this chapter. Thank you.

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In initial reaction, everyone moves down to the floor – even Marco. I know one thing for sure – the bullet didn't get me. But I'm terrified about who it did get.

None of us are moving, from the pure shock of what's just happened. After a few moments, over my rapid breathing (and everyone else's), I hear movement by my side. My head lifts up, and I see Marco standing himself up. Without saying a word, he flees the house, obviously unharmed.

Meaning the bullet either missed everyone, or ... it caught one of the other three.

Knowing I'm okay, I rush to my feet, before tapping Michael's shoulder. He twitches, before rolling over onto his back. He seems okay ... which admittedly, I'm super relieved about. I just hope Reiss and Clover are okay.

"I can't believe that just happened," Michael mutters, his voice shaking excessively from fright. He stands up, placing his arms around me. "Are you okay, Angel?"

"I'm fine," I breathe, before averting my eyes to Clover and Reiss. A rush of urgency then overwhelms me. "We need to check the other two; make sure they're okay!"

He kneels down by Reiss' side, whilst I bend down to Clover's level. Clover lifts her head as she realises we're safe. "Is he gone, Citria?"

"Yeah; he's gone. Are you okay?"

She looks down at her own body, frantically using her hands to feel for any blood. "Y-Yes; I think it missed me."

"Good. Good." A sigh of relief passes my lips, before my attention moves to Michael. "Is Reiss okay, Michael?"

He acknowledges my question, and in order to answer, he looks down at Reiss, and taps him gently. "Uncle Reiss, are you okay? Marco's gone. He just left."

Reiss doesn't respond to Michael; he remains still. Michael furrows his brows, clearly feeling a little worried, before shaking his uncle. "Uncle Reiss? Did you hear me?"

He then forces him to roll over onto his back, and that's when we all catch sight of the crimson blood that stains his hair.

"Oh my God!" Clover cries; and she and I both gather around Reiss, along with Michael. "Reiss! Reiss! Please don't be dead!" She desperately shakes him, in attempt to wake him up ... but to no avail.

Reiss is gone.

"No!" Michael screams, taking Reiss by the back of his neck, and lifting his head gently. "Uncle Reiss, please! You're the only biological family I have left! Don't do this to me!"

"Michael! ... Michael." My hand carefully rests against his shoulder, as a tear falls down my cheek. "He isn't coming back, sweetie."

He shakily sets Reiss' head back down on the floor, and he trembles over the body. His lip quivers at the realisation that his uncle is gone, whilst tears form thickly in his glazed-over eyes.

"No ... " he pleads, almost silently. "Not now, Uncle Reiss. Please ... " His face contorts in emotional agony, as he swallows back his cries. His lips part to breathe, just as his tears fall down his cheeks. A loud sob sounds from him, as he breaks down into tears. "Please, n-not now ... "

"I'm so sorry, Michael," I frown, moving from one side of Reiss, to the other – where Michael is knelt. "I'm so, so sorry." Not knowing what else to say, I bring him into my arms, running my fingers gently through his curls.

Clover comes to his other side, also hugging him tightly. It isn't hard to tell she's crying, too. Reiss made a big impact on our lives – in some good ways, and some bad. But there's no doubting that nothing will be the same without him.

But my heart breaks for Michael; Reiss was the one and only family member he had left. He literally has no blood relatives any more. At least when Reiss was here, Michael had a Jackson to help him cope. Now, he's the only one remaining. That must hurt more than anything in the world.

After a few moments, Clover speaks through her cries. "W-We need to call an ambulance to take him ... to the mortuary ... "

"Yes ... " I murmur in response. However, judging by how I reacted when dad died, this will be easier said than done for Michael. "We need to get him there, Michael ... "

He lifts his head from my shoulder, revealing his bloodshot eyes and red-tinted cheeks. Seeing him this way breaks my heart; it really does.

"I know ... " he answers, his voice no louder than a whisper. I don't blame him for being in no mood to talk properly.

He tries to stand up, but wobbles a lot, so I stand up with him, supporting his body to keep him upright. It's really unbelievable how many losses we've had between us just in the past year. 1987 is not the greatest year at all. In fact, you could say it's one of the worst.

"I'll call the ambulance," Clover decides monotonously, heading to the hallway where the phone is. Whilst I'm helping Michael, I hear her conversing dejectedly with the operator.

"I hate everything," Michael states sadly; he doesn't even seem angry or anything – just helpless, and hopeless.

"This really isn't fair," I add, shaking my head slowly in dismay. To comfort him just a little, I pull his head to my height, and kiss his temple – where the gun was once pointed.

Without thinking, he forces himself away from me. His expression becomes one of disgust – not at me, but at everything that's happened. "And you know what the worst part is?" he challenges, pacing around the room. All signs of weakness are gone from him now, judging from his body language.

"No ... " I reply honestly.

"Well, Citria, the worst part is that Uncle Reiss died for me. I was supposed to be shot. I was meant to die today. Me. It was me. I was supposed to die. But—" He pauses mid-sentence, watching his hands ball up into fists in frustration. "—But instead, he had to suffer. He had to suffer for me!"

In a sudden outburst, he struts angrily over to my father's chair, and starts hitting it harshly. Had this have been any other situation, I would have stopped him from abusing my father's property by now. But I can understand his pain; I wanted to break everything in my path right after dad died. That's, of course, if you factor out the space of time in which I drank water, threw up from grief, and cried non-stop.

Clover returns from the phone not long after, and finds Michael striking the chair. "Oh, Michael ... " she sighs, the saddened expression she has on her face giving away her sympathy. She then averts her eyes my way. "They said they would come within the hour. We have to be prepared to answer any questions they have."

"Thanks, Clover," I respond wearily, overwhelmed from the events which have unfolded just in the past hour.

She nods in acknowledgement, before changing the subject. "Are you going to let Michael keep hitting Uncle's chair?"

"I don't blame him for doing it," I tell her – perhaps not answering her question directly, but implying I'm okay with it.

"Fair enough ... " she replies, sitting down on the floor by Reiss. She doesn't speak any further; she just watches over him; examining his still body.

*  *  *

We're all at the mortuary, now. It's eerily quiet around here. It brings back the events of a month ago, when dad died and was brought here. I can't believe that, out of the five of us that lived in this countryside, only three remain. And the two that have gone only left a month apart from one another.

We had to answer quite a few questions concerning Reiss' death before we arrived here. Questions concerning what we saw, and the events leading up to it. It doesn't take a genius to work out that it was a tough ordeal.

Michael is sat by Reiss' side at the moment; Clover is standing by the door; and I'm stood against the wall. I didn't want to be in here at all; because I wanted Michael and Clover to have some privacy ... but Michael wanted me in here, and Clover didn't object, either.

"Look how still he is," Michael murmurs, leaning over his uncle. "Just look."

"I know," I frown, not quite sure on whether he heard me or not.

"How many times? ... " he begins to say, but his grief causes him to pause. "How many times will I have to go through this? ... How many times? ... H-How many times will any of us ... have to go through this? ... "

"There's only three of us left, now," Clover speaks. "So hopefully ... no more."

Though his back is facing me, I hear Michael sniffle loudly, and a few quiet sobs sound from him. These sobs sound like little breaths, but rather than the sound of air passing through his mouth, his vocal cords provide the sound.

In reaction, I walk quickly over to him, embracing him from behind. My head leans against his shoulder, whilst my hands grab his; and I lace my fingers with his. Because of my failed attempt earlier, I kiss his temple again, and this time he accepts it without moving.

"I've got you, Michael," I reassure him, kissing his hairline over and over, moving down to his neck. Then, my head moves back up to his cheek, where I plant one final kiss, to soothe him.

Over his shoulder, I'm able to see him close his eyes. This causes more tears to fall down his beautifully-chiselled jawline, before slipping onto his shirt, and dissolving into the material.

"He's been gone less than two hours, and I already miss him ... " he admits softly, otherwise remaining silent.

"Of course you do, Michael." Right now, I'm all out of advice. It seems that this always happens when I need to give it the most.

"I'll head home; give you guys some alone time," Clover decides, grabbing her jacket from the chair next to mine. "I'm really, really sorry Michael ... " She approaches us both, hugging me, and kissing Michael's cheek. "I'll see you very soon. I promise. We need to stick together now."

I can't help but nod in agreement. "Right. We'll see you soon, Clover. Have a safe journey back."

She gives a half-hearted smile, sliding her jacket on as she leaves out the door. Now, only Michael and I remain. If it wasn't quiet before, it's certainly quiet now.

The both of us sit silently for a few moments; Michael simply staring into space, and myself looking down at my hands. I wish I knew what to say to help him; just lately, I've lost that spark within me that is so-easily able to give advice to people. It makes me disappointed in myself, really.

I then look up, just as Michael snaps out of his little trance; and tears form in his eyes as they widen. His gaze shifts to me; his lips part to breathe. He seems scared.

"I'm next," he gasps. "I'm next."

"What do you mean?" I question, confused as to what he means. "What are you next for?"

"I'm the one after Reiss!" he elaborates, genuinely looking terrified. "First your father; then Uncle Reiss – I'm next. I can feel it!"

"What? No, Michael! No ... " I frown, bringing him into my arms. It's horrible that he thinks this; and it isn't right that he must live his life thinking this way. "You're not next. You're not ever going to be 'next'."

"But I can feel it." His brows furrow sadly, as he blinks back his tears. "He wanted to kill me today, but he got Reiss instead. I'm next. I've got the tape. He's out to get me, now!"

"Don't get yourself worked up," I advise him, using my thumb to caress his cheek and jawline. My eyes are fixed on his face, but he's looking down at his uncle. "You're all up in your emotions because you've just lost someone. It's understandable. Honestly ... "

"He was the only one I had left ... " he murmurs, changing the subject a little. "Now I have no biological family. Nobody ... "

"And that makes my heart break for you," I admit, my fingers sliding through his curls. "And I wish I could turn back time and stop Marco from doing any of this."

"But you didn't do anything," Michael answers. "Y-You know Reiss helped Marco to find us ... "

"But I started it. I told him we were in America to start with ... "

"Hey ... " He turns around in his chair, so he faces me. For the first time in quite a while, he gives a faint smile. "It wasn't you. And ... I'm sorry for—" He's forced to pause for a moment, because he chokes up, and his eyes cluster thickly with tears. He then lets out a loud sob. "—I'm sorry for blaming you, and breaking your vase over it, and for arguing so badly because—of—it, and—" He pauses once again to sniffle, so I take that as my chance to respond.

"Michael ... " My hand rests upon his cheek. "Don't apologise. You didn't know; I didn't know. None of us knew apart from Reiss. And we know he was sorry for that. We can't go back and change it. Life is ... it's too short." Simply from seeing Michael cry, that causes me to become emotional. A single tear falls down each side of my face as I continue speaking. "We can't stop to worry about the past any more. We need to think of now; the future. Okay? ... "

He closes his eyes, as his face contorts in emotional agony. By now, our faces are only centimetres away from each other's. "I love you," he whimpers through his crying.

"I love you too," I answer. He then moves forward, pressing his lips against mine in a kiss. The kiss isn't romantic like our normal kisses; it holds a little sadness; I can feel Michael tensing up as he holds me. This has to be one of the most bittersweet feelings I've ever experienced.

The kiss finishes as suddenly as it started. Our eyes meet for a moment, so I try to smile, in the hope is causes him to, as well. He gives a half-hearted smile in return, which is better than I thought I was going to get.

"Are you ready to go yet, Michael?" I ask him softly, taking his hand in mine. "Because ... even though this is hypocritical of me to say, we have to at some point."

"I know," he answers, standing up. "Leaving now or later would have the same outcome, anyway. Might as well get it over with." He looks down at his uncle, heaving a gentle sigh through his nose. He has a saddened expression on his face, and it remains there as he kisses his fingers, before gently pressing his hand against Reiss' forehead. "Goodbye, Uncle Reiss. I'll see you later. I love you."

As we walk out of the mortuary, his sad expression still doesn't fade; he looks on the verge of tears, but yet those tears don't fall, or even form in his eyes. He looks so helpless, and hopeless.

I can't believe what has happened today ...

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So, Reiss was killed! Were you expecting that?
Anywho, happy (haha) new year, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! :)