Blindsided

Going to Hell

Song is Going To Hell by The Pretty Reckless. Much thanks to Dotemms and the Hole People for their continued support and dealing with my ramblings!

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  It had been about three weeks before they attempted the next jump. Sel had managed to narrow down the timeframe again, pushing a second longer at a time, finally making it to thirty without issue. Today was the first time they were going to try a full minute, and tensions were high as Rasazy and Sarv cleared the library.

  Her hands were shaking, nerves shot. It kept flashing in her head, that last time where Sel had reappeared: his heaving chest, stomach hollowing from where his diaphragm struggled to draw in air, the wretched coughing as he remembered how to breathe. She set down the stack of papers she was holding and rubbed her hands on her thighs, trying to dry the cold sweat on her palms. This was a huge jump, a full thirty seconds longer than the last attempt. Anything could happen.

  Rasazy walked up and put her hand on Sarv's hip, and she turned to her daughter. "Mama, you're crying."

  Sarv wiped at her face. "I-it's okay, honey. I'm just worried for your brother is all."

  Rasazy crouched down and sat on the floor, hugging her knees. "Logically I know he's going to be fine. He's stretching and growing his core at a rate that he shouldn't have any trouble and he hasn't tried something as stupid as going too far too fast in a while. But I'm worried too."

  Sarv leaned against the table, and let out a shuddering breath. "It's always a risk, doing these jumps. He could choke on the pressure as he travels. He could just not come back. He has to maintain so many variables. Even though he's uniquely suited, moreso than anyone I've ever heard of, he still has so much that can go wrong."

  "What can we do, though?" Rasazy buried her head. "There's nothing we can do but hope he makes it out."

  Sarv crouched and put her hand on Rasazy's head. "If the worst happens and he doesn't make it back, I will move the Nine Hells to get him back if I have to. I swear it, Rasazy."

  She drew in her daughter for a tight hug, pulling the girl into her lap. Mother and daughter sat together for a long time, Rasazy in silent tears for her brother and Sarv shushing and comforting her, both choking on their fear for a foolhardy boy.

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  Sel sat in the center of a circle comprised of his mother, sister, and father. He was bouncing on the balls of his feet, one foot then the other, his arms shaking out to his sides and wings flexing and contracting, getting out all the jitters. Sarvente was standing in front of him, watching his process. Even though he did this every time, she couldn't help but notice that it always seemed like he was hyping himself up for it, like he was goading himself into the jump like a stupid teenager goads his friends into something that will make for wild stories in their later years. She cleared her throat.

  "Okay, one minute Sel. No more no less. You ready?"

  He did a full body shake, his hands at his sides and his wings flexing. "Born ready, Mom."

  She held up the stopwatch and Rasazy flipped open her notebook, pencil poised at the ready. Selever flared out his wings and his hands turned counter-clockwise, the glimmering fractal ticking between them, his brow furrowed in concentration. With a flash, his hands spread and he disappeared.

  Sarv clicked the stopwatch on, the second hand a tattoo in her ears. Rasazy was biting her lip, scribbling away. Ruv shuffled his feet, clearly keyed up, his good eye glaring into the middle distance. Sarv began to tap her foot, the ticking hand of the watch rounding the first quarter of the face, her nerves taut as piano wire. As the halfway point rounded out her heartbeat began to pound in her ears, a throbbing beat that drowned out all other noise. She barely felt it when Ruv came to stand by her, his hand a comforting weight on her shoulder as they both stared at the spot where their son had flashed out of existence and into the aether.