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"Astria," Dorian called, "Are you ready, I want to take you somewhere." After my little crying session we had retreated to the spot on either side of the headstone. We were sitting silently beside our father, lost in our own thoughts and grieving in our own kind of way.

"Right now?" I asked, my voice a little hoarse as I craned my neck towards the side to look at him.

"If you want to," He replied, assessing my reaction. I looked down at the headstone between us as I bit my lip. I didn't feel like doing anything right now but I knew he would have wanted me to mend my relationship with Dorian so I looked up and softly nodded my head. A small, almost nonexistent smile appeared on his face for just a moment before disappearing. He stood up in a jiffy and offered me his hand. Accepting his hand, I stood up and we paid our last respects before exiting the premises.

My stomach grumbled loudly as we walked towards the car making me go red. The was now directly above our he'd meaning it was either my lunch time or past it. Dorian head snapped to me the moment my stomach released that beastly sound and I looked away too. I was now hyper aware of his gaze at the side of my head and my hand in his.

He kept his silence as we settled in the car and I fastened my seat belt. It wasn't until we were about a mile past the cemetery when he asked, "How does spaghetti sound?" He asked, glancing at me.

I was hungry but the sound of pasta and rice right now, just made me want to throw up. I don't know why. Maybe because it was one of the first memories I have of me with dd or maybe I just didn't feel like it. But I didn't want put more of a damper on Dorian's mood so I said, "Uh, it's sounds fine."

I think he caught on because he did not reply until a couple minutes later, "Chinese?" He asked, his eyebrows raised. I just shrugged in reply. I didn't feel like a proper lunch right now and if I even forced myself to have it, I might just throw up.

"Mexican?" He asked and I just gave him a black look in return. Out of the corner of my eye, a bright yellow sign catches my attention.

"McDonald's?" I asked.

"Not that godawful place," He groaned before turning to me, "We are not going there. That food is not healthy for a growing child like you."

"Um, Subway?" I asked.

"Ugh, that's way worse," he muttered before pulling into the McDonald's driveway. "What do you want?" He asked, turning to me.

"I'm not sure, can you recommend?" I asked softly. It was embarrassing to admit that I haven't had McDonald's since I was six. Mum said that money was tight so we couldn't afford any of it and I agreed with her. So, I had just seen the boys and girls at my old school saying how they will be going to a McDonald's drive through to get lunch.

Dorian eyes narrowed as I shrunk back into my seat. He analyzed me, before his eyes widened in realization. Instead of commenting on it, he turned to huge menu, "I think a happy meal would be nice. Maybe extra chicken nuggets and fries," He replied, still looking at the menu.

I sighed, relieved. I already had a lot on mind today and handling Dorian's anger was not something I was looking forward to. "Okay," I whispered.

"You're ordering," He muttered before slipping on some black shades, a black face mask and a bucket hat.

I looked at him with amusement in my eyes as he sighed and explained, "I don't want to be noticed today, I'd rather look like a burglar than smile for pictures today of all days." I nodded in agreement and proceeded to give our order to the waiter.

After collecting our food, Dorian pulled out of the driveway and swerved on the road that directly led to the national expressway. I handed him his hamburger as we drove on the almost empty expressway. Light music played in the background as we shared the meal.

A couple minutes turned into a couple hours and the sun was now covered by the clouds. It wasn't evening persay, it was definitely mid-afternoon, but the clouds played a huge role in darkening the surrounding. There was enough natural light to drive so the lights weren't on. I softly rested my head against the back of my seat and closed my eyes as the sweet melodies filled my ears.

My eyes fluttered open and I looked outside to see us surrounded by trees. I quickly reach for the phone on my lap as I realized that i was covered by the blck jacket Dorian was wearing. My head whipped to the side to see Dorian focused on the uneven, rough road in front of us. Wordlessly, I picked up the phone and realized another hour had passed. It was getting darker and darker and I was officially scared now. We were in a forest, off roading, with no cars around us. My phone had no signal and Dorian's face was hard set.

I slightly craned my neck to look behind us. I could barely see anything except the trees but a shiny object in a small compartment behind my seat did catch my eyes. My curiosity got best of me as i shifted a little, as saw a long black metal object, with a very clear trigger. My breath stuck in my throat as i paled. My heart thumped loudly as blood rushes to my ears. I knew Dorian hated me but I did not realize how strong it was. I had no way of contacting anyone with no signal on my phone and we in the middle of nowhere.

I stayed in the weird, twisted position as I tried to calm myself down. Dorian extended his arm, landing on arm as I flinched away. My labored breathing reached his ears as his eyebrows furrowed. "Are you alright?" he asked. I don't know if i was imagining it but I saw his eyes shine evilly as he took a sharp right making me sit down properly.

"Y-yeah," i stuttered. I couldn't go down this easily and this way of all things. I was supposed to go to university and make friends and party and now I'm stuck in the middle of the forest with no certainty of my life. "Are you sure you want to do this?" I asked, still in shock as I squeezed the life out of my phone.

"Yeah, I've been wanting to do this for quite a while now," He muttered, his face blank.

"I don't think you're thinking this through, Dorian. You don't have to do this," I muttered, pressing against the door.

"I know, but I really want to," he said looking straight ahead at the road. Accepting my fate, I slumped against the seat as my eyes filled with tears. I closed them as I tried to hide it from Dorian. I was finally starting to mend my relationship with Octavian, Zion and Zane were becoming more of friends than brothers, I finally met Ana and i was back among my friends, new and old. I was even starting to develop crushes much like any another normal teenager but her I was. Everything is going downhill again.

I subtly snaked my hand to the handle of the door and pressed softly, but instead of opening, it gave a small indication sound that someone was trying to open a door. Dorian's head snapped to me as I recoiled and froze in fear. "What do you think you're trying to do?" he asked as a hint of anger in his voice, "N-nothing. I was going for the window, wrong button," I muttered.

I don't think you should be doing that," He muttered. His face expression never changed as his eyes stayed fixated on the road. His jaw hardset and i could see the wheels turning in his head.

"Why do you want to do this today of all days?" I asked as I rested my head against the window. A single, miniscule while, cotton-like particle fell on the glass of the window, melting right away as many others followed it. In a couple minutes, the trail ahead was covered with a white blanket as the wipers worked to keep the windshield clear.

"Thought it would be more significant to you and to everyone else as well," he muttered and out of my peripheral vision, I saw his lips curl into a small smirk.

I did dream of this day many times, thought that it would be a pleasant escape from everything going on but as I sit here right now, staring right into the end of my existence, I realize that this never what I wanted. I wanted to finish a part of me. End that part of me which caused problems, I never wanted to end my life. Because if I did, I never would have seen those dreams. Never would have waited this long. I had numerous chances to end this miserable life but that is not what I wanted.

My eyes followed the shadowy figure that ran parallel to our car. My eyes widened as my mind lit up with an idea of an escape from the awful fate I had been waiting for. My mouth fell open soundlessly as it stopped but our car didn't. And then it turned, as it eyes shone like two alarming red lights among the white shimmering snow. The sight elicited a small scream from me.

Dorian was quick and his hand was already behind my seat as he hit the breaks making me lurch forward. Hesitantly, I turned around and the sight just had me stumbling on my words as my breathing stopped.

There Dorian was, his eyes wide as his finger rested on the trigger of the shinny black gun.

***

A/N

Well, I'm just saying that I'm rethinking the extent of Astria's story. I might end it here. I mean, i feel like this should be a fitting end for her? How do feel about that?

Anyways. I hope I did justice to how scared and utterly hopeless astria felt. Also, I need y'all to confirm this but writing the last couple of chapters, since Astria told the truth, I feel like it wasn't emotional enough. I mean, I don't think I've properly explained how she felt and just that they weren't emotional enough.

So yeah um, I hope you like this chapter, if you did, please vote and share and comment and tell me about the faviourite part of this chapter.

I need help...

I'm thinking of changing the cover so choose whichever one you think looks best!!

QOTD: Do you write?
AOTD: I mean, this is a question in the book I have published so um, yeah.

Sibling meme lol

Toodles

~Ash