She fainted again behind the staircase
started falling
she grabbed the edge of a stair
squzeeing her eyes shut
clenching her teeth
the world still spun
the back of her eyes hurt
she saw him in the road
bleeding
she saw herself screaming
Don't go... Don't go...
she felt her fingers
first on his deadening pulse
then the sting of them slipping across the grooved wood
the wood dug into her skin
her fingers let go
her arms flailed wildly as she tried to steady herself
and at the same time wipe away the horrible memory
her fingers bled
she hit the floor
she heard the gunshot one last time
sobbed into the rug
digging her nails into the fabric where blood and tears mingled
she felt his arms around her
felt her fingers in his hair
she heard the sirens
he hands opened
crimson-stained fingers stretched
grabbing at nothing
she got up
stained, scarred
and continued death in life
without him