Eska ~ The Forgotten Gilbert

2. The Night of the Comet

Eska's POV

The water was rising, up and up, threatening to rise above my chin and drown me at any point. I strained to keep my head above the water level, gasping in fear, until I couldn't fight it anymore, and I was under, the waters churning around me. Slowly, I gave in, feeling the life in me ebb away with the current of the waters.

The next thing I knew I was lying flat on my back, on cold, wet ground. I couldn't open my eyes, I couldn't breathe, and I was starting to panic. Suddenly, I felt fingers brushing over my skin, moving hair from my face and gently grasping my shoulders. I felt a slight pressure on my chest, as if someone had laid their head on it, before hearing a low, husky voice swear. Why was he swearing? What was happening?

The light pressure on my chest was replaced by steady, deep pushes, compressing my chest so far that I was scared my ribs would break. It lasted for a few seconds before it stopped and I felt my head and chin being tilted back, and air was pushed forcefully into my lungs. It was a relief like I'd never felt before, and I felt by body begin to try and kickstart it's way to working again. The weight on my chest was resumed, harder this time, and I tried desperately to react, show some sort of life.

"Come on, Eska!"

My saviour knew my name! I fought harder, the panic and desperation in his voice paining me.

"Come on!"

I couldn't do it, I couldn't breathe or open my eyes. I was panicking, feeling the coldness threaten to overtake me, to take me to a place from which I could never return. I managed to open my mouth, but nothing came out except a scream.

Elena's POV

I heard my sister tossing and turning again, and sighed. She was having yet another nightmare. To be fair, it was the first she'd had in a while, and before she'd been sent away, she'd been having them pretty much every night.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not close with Eska, but hearing her suffer would melt even the stoniest of hearts. I swung my legs out of bed, groaning when I saw the time on the clock, and made my way in Eska's room, just in time to hear her scream.

I hurried over to the bed and shook her roughly awake, knowing that when she was in the grips of one of her nightmares, it was difficult to rouse her.

"Eska, it's me, wake up!" I bent over her, watching as the tears squeezed from her eyes that were clamped shut, and her chest heaved as she tried to take in air amidst the panic. "You're alright, Eska, you're okay, it's just a dream."

Her eyes shot open and upon seeing me, she burst into tears, clearly exhausted and horrified by what she'd been through in her dream. I pulled her to sit up and gently put my arms around her, not wanting to frighten her any more.

I gently stroked her hair, rocking her back and forwards, just like our mother used to do when we were little. She didn't say a word, but just cried silently.

"Do you want to try and sleep again?" I asked, feeling her start to nod off against me.