Noah's Sacrifice

A stunned silence followed his words. The only sound was the ticking of a nearby clock. A gun lay ominously next to the card, its cold steel catching the dim light. The three of them stood there, staring at the card and the gun, refusing to accept the reality of the situation.

"Noah...?" Ava's voice barely made it out, her body frozen in fear.

Noah lost it. His usual calm shattered. "LISTEN, YOU MOTHERFUCKER! YOU BLOODY BASTARD! YOU SON OF A BITCH! YOU BIG PILE OF SHIT! YOU JEALOUS SPIRIT! I AM NEVER GOING TO KILL MY LOVED ONES. SO TAKE YOUR SHITTY CARDS AND GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!"

"Noah, calm down!" Lily's voice shook. She could see him spiraling and knew they needed a plan. "We need to think this through. If you don't do the dare—"

The haunting, female voice of the spirit cut through the air like a knife, cold and unfeeling. "The dare does you. You have exactly two minutes."

Time seemed to stand still as the words sunk in. They looked at each other, helpless. Two minutes. Two minutes to make a decision that could cost one of them their life. Noah had no good choices—kill Ava or let the spirit do it. His mind raced, but there was only one thing he could do, the only thing that made any sense.

"Lily," Noah's voice cracked as he spoke.

"Yes, Noah?" she replied, fear making her voice tremble.

"Gulp... Take Ava out of here. Now."

"What?! No! What the hell are you talking about?" Lily blurted out, confused and scared.

"I don't have time to explain. Just go!" Noah's voice took on an urgent edge as the seconds ticked by.

"Noah, what do you mean?" Ava asked, panic rising in her chest.

"If I don't kill you, the spirit will. It'll make sure you die anyway," Noah said, almost choking on his words. "But if you leave, maybe... just maybe, we can beat this thing."

"What are you planning to do?" Ava's panic turned to horror as she realized what he was implying.

"I'm going to kill myself," Noah said, the weight of the words crushing him.

"W-what?!" Ava and Lily gasped in unison, disbelief flooding their expressions.

"Are you serious?" Lily asked, her eyes wide in shock.

"LOOK, IF I KILL MYSELF, I WON'T HAVE TO DO THE DARE ANYMORE, AND YOU WILL SURVIVE. SO JUST GET OUT OF HERE NOW. I'M RUNNING OUT OF TIME. I DON'T WANT YOU TO SEE ME DIE," Noah shouted, his voice breaking under the pressure. Tears streamed down his face as he looked at them.

"FUCK YOU, NOAH! I'M NOT LEAVING YOU! I WOULD RATHER DIE THAN LET YOU DIE!" Ava screamed back, her fists clenched in defiance.

*****

Oh my... such strong language right before death...

What if Satan decides to punish you more for it?

At least try to use some good words next time.

Ah well... your choice, I guess. Let's keep this going, shall we?

But I liked your choice of words...

What do you think my fellow watches??

Yes, you. I am talking to you, the one who is reading this novel.

You don't know me?

It's me, your favorite buddy, THE WATCHER.

I guess the author probably told you about me in the prologue. Just go there and read it.

Let's see what will happen next.

*****

"Lily, please, just get her out of here," Noah begged, his voice barely a whisper now, desperate.

Reluctantly, Lily nodded and tried to pull Ava away, but Ava fought back, breaking free from Lily's grip and running toward Noah. She grabbed the gun out of his hand in one swift motion.

The two of them struggled, each trying to wrest control of the gun, while Lily watched helplessly, too shocked to move.

Fed up, Noah gathered every bit of his strength and pushed Ava hard, sending her sprawling to the floor.

"AH!" Ava cried out, her body hitting the ground with a thud.

Lily rushed over to her side, "Ava, are you okay?!"

.

.

.

The clock was ticking down. Only ten seconds remained. Noah turned the gun on himself, his eyes filled with pain but also a twisted sort of peace. He gave Ava one last look, his voice gentle now, full of regret and love.

"My dear Ava, I hope you and Lily make it. Just know... I LOVE YOU SO MUCH," Noah said, the finality of his words hanging in the air.

"No, Noah! Please, don't do this!" Ava begged, her heart shattering as the reality set in.

BANG!

"NOOOOO, NOAH!" Ava's scream pierced the air, filled with anguish.

Lily covered her mouth, her eyes wide with horror as she whispered, "Oh my god."

Noah's body crumpled to the floor, the gun slipping from his hand. His sacrifice echoed in the room, leaving only the sound of Ava's heart-wrenching sobs behind.

"What the hell, Ava? Leave it!" Noah yelled, reaching for the gun.

"NO! NEVER!" Ava screamed. Her voice was full of raw emotion as she clutched the weapon.

Ava sprinted toward Noah's lifeless body, her screams tearing through the silence of the house. She dropped to her knees, clutching him tightly, her sobs echoing around the room.

"Nooo! Why, Noah, why!" Ava wailed, her voice raw with grief. She buried her face in his chest, as if holding him close would somehow undo what had happened. "You promised me, Noah... You promised you'd stay with me forever. Then why... just why?" Her words came out in broken gasps, each breath catching painfully in her throat.

Lily stood nearby, her own tears streaming down her face. She couldn't watch her friend suffer like this anymore. Taking a deep breath, she knelt behind Ava and wrapped her arms around her, pulling her close. "Ava, please stop crying," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ava shook her head, her sobs growing even louder.

"Lily... He left me. He left me all alone. How could he do that?"