Snippet #1924249

She could hear the pounding of feet behind her and in the seconds that she was about to turn his strong hands gripped her shoulders and twisted her violently around. Her grip on Vivian broke and she was faced with pure fury. He started yelling at her, his voice rising at each word.
"Don't you DARE speak of my parents like that! Don't you DARE call me a Perfect! Does a Perfect do THIS?" He tore off his sleeve, revealing a pleathera of scars, no longer hidden by a skin dye. "Does a Perfect sacrifice his very BEING to learn about the corrupt system that surrounds him? Does a Perfect live without a Father to be PROUD OF HIM?"
His hands were shaking, she could feel his grip getting tighter and tighter. Pain started to lace her shoulder and she winced. All she could do was stare into the eyes of this deeply wounded beast. Despite everything he was screaming at her she saw the tears that were beginning to form.

"DOES A PERFECT WATCH AS HIS MOTHER IS MURDERED?"

Before she could even blink his hand came up to strike her. She was too astonished to even flinch, her brain hadn't even registered the movement but there she found his hand inches from her face shaking uncontrollably. She knew her face was one of shock but it was his that was more heartbreaking. From the great fury that had taken control of his features to the sudden guilt and regret that morphed his face he seemed to break down. All that energy was expelled in that one moment that he caught himself about to do an act of violence. His breathing was ragged and harsh.

"...oh God..." It was barely audible but being so close to him she could hear it and with each breath he took her heart cracked just that little bit more. She knew he would never want sympathy or pity nor would she ever give him that but a feeling that she couldn't describe overwhelmed her. His hold on her weakened and as he dropped to his knees she heard him say,

"God."

On his knees his whole body like a limp doll, Pearlie was too overwhelmed to do anything but she strained her ears to hear him,

"...I'm the monster..."

Every part of her screamed to reach out to this broken soul and console him. To mend him and relieve him of all the pain he had ever experienced. But her limbs were like rock, unable to move.

Slowly he stood up again and without looking at her he turned but before he started walking away she heard him.

"I..." She could see his shoulders shudder and pictured that they carried a burden that far outweighed his years, "I apologize..."

Everything inside of her shattered like glass and melted in the burning hate that she had for the world that did this to this undeserving boy. He had started to walk away, heading straight towards the electric fence. Towards his death. Barely an arms length away he seemed to be getting crushed with the weight of the world as he sat down. It was in that moment that Pearlies body obeyed her. Her mouth was the first to react,

"NO!" She cried and swiftly her legs carried her to where he sat she saw that his arm was slowly rising. She prayed for every goodness that is left in this forsaken world that she would reach him in time. Her feet were pounding the ground, the quick beats matching the rhythm of her heart. There was no way she was letting this boy die. If it was the last thing she did she would make sure that he got out and found himself a life where he would no longer have to run or fear for being different.
Time seemed to slow as she reached him she dropped onto her knees and with the momentum slid to his side and forced him away from the crackling fence. She pushed him all the way over until she was on top of him, his arms pinned down by hers. She just stared at into his eyes. Both their breaths heavy and ragged.

"You don't deserve to die," she whispered her hair falling over them creating a barrier against the world, "you life is worth so much more."