Chapter 21: Lost
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Why is it dark.
It’s so empty, this feeling, it’s so vivid, so real… nothing can compare to this pain locked in my chest. I’m blind, so stupid.
Why? I promised her, I swore that nothing would ever happen to her, that I would always keep her safe. What a fool I am.
Why? And yet, I’m running, searching for this girl, with blinded eyes, and no sense of direction.
Where to start? Ryan won the battle after all didn’t he? This… This shouldn’t be happening! I’m I that stupid? To allow all of this to happen, to lose her when she was just in reach? I can’t bear this pain!
The crunch of the earth was nothing more then back ground music, the hollers of my flanks where just a thrumming sound in my head, the Forrest was just a black wall. Nothing… We where running off the southern perimeter, closest to the school, catching her trail, then losing it when it ended back where we started. Now we where off the trail, and somewhere deep in the evergreens, almost approaching the outskirts of the Que Reservation that was owned by a native tribe. Dawn would sometimes ask how I was feeling when I trailed back from my leading spot. I always told her I was hurting. Then she left it at that.
The wind was brittle now, perfect weather to add to my suspense, and the once high sun, was at it’s mid-peak, a bloody rose fanned the whole sky. I flinched, and kept my sight ahead of me. Often when something snapped, or a twig would fall, Dawn ran to the sound, and kicked at nothing, suspecting Ryan to be there. Barry was way over heels, climbing branches to look over the canopy of trees for May. The only thing I helped out was listening for her. But I wasn’t really searching for the sound of Ryan or May, but the sound of a stream. I remembered something from yesterday, what may was whispering in her sleep. It was so strange. And it wasn’t likely for her to talk while she slept, I only heard her from when she napped in the Forrest with me, at the time when me and my dad fought, and at school when she slept on the ground next to Tracey in Bat mitten. Though, at that time she only talked about school, and hoenn. Yesterday she screamed in her sleep, cringed into me when the sentence was out of her mouth.
The water, it’s too cold.
Melaine from a long time ago had a vision of a girl drowning in water. But that was elementary school, she said so herself that the future only opens up to her from at least a day ahead. Mel only laughed and exclaimed. ‘It was only a nightmare, I’m sure of it.’ Somehow it was something that couldn’t go away in my head. And I badly wanted it to vanish, the thought of… that vision coming true. I shivered, and sped ahead of the group again. Barry was staring at his left cocking his ear to the right, Dawn was too. I stopped, and realized that they where not moving with me. They where frozen, eyes wide, hopeful and terrified. I ran up to them with my fists balled up.
“You hear that?” Barry whispered, now looking to the ground. I waited in the quiet, hoping to find what he was listening to. Dawn nodded and gazed on me. Barry’s teeth locked in frustration, “It’s too far away, but… I think, I don’t know if its… Dawn gasped, and faced the wall of trees and bushes. Barry froze in place, “a scream.”
Dawn was a step faster then me, and lunged into the wall, breaking through with speed and strength. Her crunches faintly faded away. I yelled for Barry to follow, and he unglued from his spot, trailing behind me, through the wall. Dawn was faster then any of us, her legs where long, and her feet patted softly against the soil, one foot in front of the other. The branches whipped at our faces and arms, promising a bruise to appear later. She rocketed ahead, dodging trees, jumping over boulders, and climbing hills with accurate effort. It took us a little time to get to the same point as her. Other then our pursuit, new sounds became closer and clearer then before, something was rustling ahead, and the sound of water was with it. I pushed forcefully against my will, and panted more harsher then before. The cold air I sunk in burn my throat, and it bit my cheeks. I didn’t care, only for the opening up ahead. The rustling stopped, and Dawn broke though first before me and Barry.
I glanced over my shoulder to make sure he was still around. He nodded sternly to me and slowed down the same I did, as Dawn hissed loudly on the other side. I huffed, and shook off the sharp heat that tingled down my calf, as I pushed myself through the webbed branches. I blinked and was unable to prepare myself from what I was seeing. Dawn’s back arched, and her fists formed to claws, as her body shook in continuous tremors. I warned her to stay put, and watched in horror of what was finally standing in front of me.
I knew this face.
I loved this face, worried about her, searched for her, hoped for her, promised her… And here she was. I couldn’t do anything, I was stuck. Her Crystal dark eyes stared back at me with fear.
How could I have done this? Seeing her like this punched the hole in my chest deeper. Then when I trailed down, I really did see her. She was crumpled, both arms slung like water hoes at her hips, one leg was broken covered with scratches everywhere, and then her face…
I snarled, and angled my back, to crouch in attack.
How dare he!!! Barry growled beside me, copying the same stance I took. The ******* that clutched May in his grasp laughed, swinging his head up to contact with the three of us. “You three, you made it just in time I see. How was your walk?”
“Shut the hell up!” Dawn was paler then before, and was easily going to snap at any second. “Let go of May or I’ll rip that head off of your shoulders!” May cringed back at the thought. I frowned.
“Oh, Dawn… welcome back.” She took a step, and all of us fallowed her. Ryan backed away with the same smile on his face. “Easy…” Dawn didn’t relax, and her calf rose to take another step.
“Stay put.” I hissed to her. She was mid-step, deciding to ignore me, “Dawn…” My voice was thick. Barry stared at her too, and she relaxed, and glared from across her way. Ryan frowned when she did not go for his bickering, and sighed angrily. The moment of the highest peak. I walked forward, to be in front of our three way triangle, and locked my teeth.
His burgundy eyes narrowed, and he shifted his weight on his right, and leaned closer to May’s cheek. I was having trouble keeping my calm. “Ash, you just had to go and push my buttons didn’t you? Of all the people why does she love you?” That sunk into me… Why does she love me? After all of this for sure I would know that her love would vanish. I glared at my feet, the words towered over me, pushing down on my shoulders. Love would vanish. Ryan laughed, and spat to me again,
“ Ha! I’m quite jealous, I hope you don’t mind sharing.”
“There's nothing to share, Ryan!” I snapped. How could he think of such a thing? Share? She’s not a toy, she’s a human being! Ugh, I can’t take it! “ Let her go! You’ve gone way to far, and after this is over I’ll make sure you’ll never see this world again.” I snarled with true hate. My frame was shaking the same way Dawn was, and the blood ran quickly under my tight fists. Barry hissed at me, but that was it. No words, hisses. I glanced at myself, and straightened up. Was I really going to attack? With May there?
“Let me explain my reasons here, there's no rush.” He mused; Dawn snorted darkly. He ignored her and continued, “If you charge at me, then May here will be thrown into that river there. Then there’s the fact of you allowing me to continue on with my duty….” That was enough for me to take another step, nothing to ague the fact that I was going to charge at this moment. My mind was buzzing, and loud with my emotions and hate bursting into mines.
That ***! You dam, *******! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you in till your nothing but air! After all you done, after hurting her so much, there’s no way I’m letting you to kill her! *******!
Ryan smiled gain, his muscles flexed from the challenge I was putting on the plate. I wanted him badly to charge at me, and I chuckled under my breath.
Come and get some you dumbass. Ryan was willing, and was clutching May’s arm, hinting to us that he wasn’t joking.
“Where I’m I in this?”
I froze in place. Everyone shot there eyes on the voice, ice covering there heads.
“With me of course.” He laughed. Ryan didn’t look down to her, only on my face.
Dawn was on my left, her lips where curled back, and a vicious noise echoes the silence. I was too, and I was so sure that nothing was going to stop me and Dawn from killing this man right here.
May clenched her jaw, and spat in his face, “I’d rather die, then to be stuck with you.”
Dawn was the first to sprung, her legs dashed left right, and her claws extended for Ryan’s neck. Barry, with hand extended, screamed at her with shock, “NO!”
All of this was just subconscious though.
I didn’t care for the others at this moment, for Ryan either. The hole had cut my body in half. Melaine’s vision flashed in my head, and the white light hurt my eyes. How? I was faster then the others, and I targeted on May, who was in mid-air, falling down into the quick river. Dawn was on Ryan’s back, using her arms to head lock him, and she used her teeth to bite him on the neck, for hm to stop thrashing. Barry was locking his hands behind his back. I hoped they would be okay.
I shouted her name, ripping off the jacket from myself. The ledge was close, and I pushed against it with my legs, and extended me arms out, to puncture through the water. May fell in first, and I fallowed her a second after. The rapids where rough, they tried to pull me the opposite way, and take me under it’s blackness. I kicked at it, and punched my way through it, still shouting her name down the bank. She wasn’t in front of me anymore, and must have been dunked under water. The water was not the temperature that was eligible to swimming in, and the ammonia would kick in eventually. I had only minutes. I dunked my head into the black waters, the ice burned my skin, and the water was dimly lighten and blurry.
Nothing. I kicked down, and forced myself under, to search for her anywhere. She could be so far away, and the current was only going to get worse. My head reached the surface again, and the numbness was creeping up my feet.
Sh!t. I yelled again, and circled around, over boulders, fallen trees… Where was she? I gasped, and the Ice rushed over my head. I pulled against it, and kicked at the force, but it sent me lower down the water. Not only that, but something was brushing softly against my cheek. I twirled underneath, and starred at the elegant pieces of brown kelp. It was sort of strange, as that there was no rocks by me, and the kelp came from above me. Aren’t kelp only suppose to be in the ocean too? Confused, I pulled with more force, and was whipped away from the whirlpool. The spin knocked the air out of my lungs. I petaled upward s and found the air again. I huffed and panted, the water that entered through my lungs burned my throat. I blinked starring down at the water, where two pale fishes stayed still underwater.
Hell, it’s been 10 minutes! I have to find her. The fishes turned on it’s side, reveling it’s strange fins. Five total. Wait… these aren’t fishes. They where feet. “MAY!” I pulled on her feet and fallowed down in till I found her waist. The kelp was her hair… Her body was cold, and her face was pale with her arms dangling on my back. I wasn’t going to let anything happen. I fought against the current to drift to the side, where a tiny shore formed. May wasn’t breathing, and it caused me to petal faster. Please, please, please. My feet touched sand, and from there I walked up the shore, carefully carrying her on my back to a dry area a few steps ahead.
I had to work fast. My hands quickly cradled her back, and I used my arms to lower her on the ground. May’s cheeks weren’t the pink rose I loved, and her eye lid where heavy, from the debris of pain. I inhaled a gush of air, and brought my lips to touch hers gently, my hands pumped her chest as I force the air into her lungs.
I’m not giving up on you. I parted, and counted to three, and forced more. After all we’ve been through, I wasn’t letting her die. If she died, I would gradually throw myself back into that river. My world was nothing without May. My life was nothing but pain, and covering up my problems, and when she first came to kanto, she opened up a new world for me.
123…123…123… She still wasn’t breathing, and I worked faster and pumped faster.
I parted our lips again and begged for her to make this through, “May you keep yourself alive you got that?!” I collided again and forced the air. The Forrest was dead, and night drew in. The vision was coming true. No! No, the future changes! And dammit, I’m making it change. “Come on May! Please!”
123…123…123…123…
My head was light headed, and I was sure after this breath I was going to faint. I inhaled anyways, and exhaled with as much power I could, and counted one more time.
1…
2…
3…
I drew back, and broke into pieces. I was working over a dead corpse. No response for 20 minutes. I starred at her face in the white light outside. The light made her face paler, and her lips where red. No… I sobbed, and laid next to her, cradling her back into my chest. Her hair was still wet, and felt rough next to my cheek. The blood was washed away, and her entire body was ice against my skin. I hugged her tighter, and argued the facts In my head that there was still hope. If this didn’t work then I was going to die with her. I rubbed my arms and hands on her’s, hoping the friction would warm her body up. My hands trembled, and I couldn’t close my eyes or blink. I was afraid if I shut her off, I would never see her again.
The full moon replaced the sky now, and the light made everything like it’s skin. May’s skin wasn’t so cold then before, and her cheeks where a shade darker then the scary pale. I hope to god this works. I leaned over her, and punched my lips back, and blew air down her mouth.
1…2…3…
A brilliant blue flashed before my eyes, and her lips coughed up the water that was stuck in her throat and she screamed horrified. “May!?” I wasn’t sure if she was cold still, so I hugged her again. She cut in mid-scream and gazed up to me. Then she coughed again.
“How…
disorienting. I thought I was drowning.”
I laughed, and kissed her cheek, so relived and terrified of her near death. She’s okay, she’s okay… May gasped, and groaned again. I snapped away from her, a wash of guilt running through me. She was still hurt. “I’m s-sorry…” she whispered.
“No, save the talking for later. All you have to do now is rest, I need to get you to a hospital.”
“Through t-the Forrest?” she asked hoarsely.
“I don’t care, I’d carry you through the desert if I had too. Now please be quiet.”
My arms coiled around her legs, so she could wrap them around my torso, then I switched one hand so her head could rest on my shoulder. She sighed deeply, and shut her eyes. The sand was easy when it was dry, so getting up was no trouble at all. I sighed, and ascended over back into the trees. The Forrest was dark, and rays of light was the only thing that helped me see through it. A wind bristled the tree’s and shivered the leaves to scatter away. The path for sure would lead back to the school. We must have traveled down the river pretty far. May’s easily breaths calmed me, and sent me into a restless trance. After all of this the war was over, and neither sides won. No one was killed, and no one was left behind. Another breeze rustled both of our hair in the wind, and May crystal eyes peeped through her black lashes, starring at my face.
I wanted her to rest, and to not worry about me, but I couldn’t argue with her instincts. We both continued down the dirt road, still together under the twilight sky, and green canopy of cold trees. May’s cheek nustled into my ruff, and breathed in my ear before falling into slumber.
“My wolf.”
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I was surprise to see that no one was outside once we broke through the bearer and entered outside of the parking lot. Mine and my dad’s car where the only two that never left their spots, two spots away from each other. I sighed, and ran carefully across and reached over to my car. I forgot about my keys when we I was in the nurses office, and groaned when the reality hit. Now what. May woken up, and stretched her neck to see where she was. I took a breath and counted the math in my head:
an hour? Two?
“Where are we going? Aren’t we going in the car?” May asked when I was walking away.
Wasn’t it oblivious? “I’m going to take you to the hospital, where else?” She gasped, and started to protest, “Listen, I just walked through the Forrest with you on my back. Don’t question my methods, at least where going there.” May nodded reluctant, and placed her head on my shoulder. I looked both ways and crossed the street. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.” She whispered.
“Don’t lie to me. Does your head hurt?”
“Yes… but I’m okay right now too.” I didn’t get what that meant.
Something splashed on my neck and arm, and the warmth felt nice. She sighed deeply, and splashed another tear, “I’m happy knowing that I can still live on this earth, with you as my guardian angle. I really thought I was going to die today, and in that term, I felt sad that once I gave my last heart beat, I wouldn’t have the opportunity to be with you. I knew it was for your sake, but…” she thought about that for a second, and answered in a happy tone, “How will I ever find heaven without your hand to guide me? I’d be a lost soul.”
I laughed softly, and continued down the long sidewalk, with her giggling on my back. I guess I do have a purpose on this world after all. Joggers, and people in their cars starred at us while we walked down the main roads, and asked us if we were okay. We laughed and told them we where healthy as a horse. Though they didn’t get what we meant, we ended up asking if they knew where the closest hospital was-that the one in downtown was too far away from my math. Luckily, are walking was over when a woman in a black suburban suggested if she could take us.
I asked the our driver if I could barrow her phone, to call my friends. She smiled and nodded, throwing her small cell into my hands. I punched in my dad’s number. May stirred uncomfortably on the bench in the car, and starred at my face when she couldn’t find a comfortable spot. I scooted closer to her so she could lay her head on her shoulder.
The phone rang twice, “Um, Hello?”
“It’s Ash, where are you at?”
“ASH!” he screamed, and rushed out a bunch of words at me, “We’re at the police station, and Dawn and Barry are with Brock hunting down Misty for confession. Where are YOU at? Do you know how worried I was?! Your mother was crying over the phone when she called me and- what the hell where you thinking?! You could have told me that this was happening! Ash you-“
I ignored him, “We’re arriving at the hospital right now.” The car turned into the drive, and floured up to the red curb. May sat up and gasped when it moved her ribs. I mumble quickly into the phone, while the lady jumped out of her seat to get May’s door. I swung the door open without closing it, and ran over to May’s side. “Listen Dad, I have to let you go. Come over to the…” I glanced up at the hospital’s name, “the Kanto regional emergency entrance alright? Love you, bye.” I slammed the phone shut, and tossed it back into the lady’s hands.
“Do you want me to go in with you?” the woman asked. Her curly red hair bounced as she helped me get May back on my back. “I mean, you have to have an adult with you…” she trailed off.
May swung her arms around my neck tightly, and whimpered in pain. I shook my head, and stepped up the curb. “Nah, my dad is coming, but you can come if you want.” She nodded and shut the doors to her car.
Then she revved the engine and shouted out of the window, “I’ll meet you inside then!”
I smiled to her, and secured myself with May on my back. Then I dashed forward through the sliding glass doors. May was crying now, and yelling in my ear that her chest felt like it was on fire. The nurses and patients in the room gasped and ran tords me with shocked faces. The receptionist was yelling over the phone for a cot, and was demanding both of our names. I ignored the sudden chaos, and walked forward to where a doctor was near by, staring at me.
“Take her, please she’s in pain!”
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WOooo!
I'm glad I got this chapter done! Okay I think there is
ONE more chapter and the prologue, so... we have some time before this fic closes TT____TT
