Lock & Key (Chaelisa)

17| Shadows

"Lisa! Lisa wake up!"

Lisa jerked awake, spitting water and coughing as she heaved in lungfuls of air. Every time she breathed it felt like knives were slicing her chest open. Her vision swam and she could not make out the stars in the sky.

A shadow loomed over her like a dark cloud and it was raining, water dripping on her face and eyes as she blinked her good eye, trying to see.

"Rosie?" she croaked and the shadow wept.

"Stars, Lisa, don't you dare think of dying on me right now."

"Ros...ie..." Even though it was painful, Lisa couldn't help but smile from ear to ear. Rosie was here, everything was going to be okay. "How?"

"Honey led me here. You almost drowned, I had to dive in to get you."

"Water...c-cold?"

"Yes yes but I don't care. You were drowning. Oh heavens, help!" Rosie cried, cradling Lisa's head as she bent down to press her lips to her forehead. She was shivering. "Please...don't die. You can't die."

"I...can't feel..." Feebly, Lisa tried moving her legs. Her poisoned shoulder was locked, her injured arm free of pain and motionless next to her. She couldn't even feel the cold anymore. If anything, she was burning and trembling all at once. Feather-soft touch brushed tenderly over her bangs and Lisa's eyes slipped shut, content.

She had done her part. She had protected both Honey and Rosie. She could die happy.

"No no no no wake up wake up, stay with me, stay with me!"

It occurred to Lisa that this was the first time she was seeing Rosie in this state, so broken and hurt and crying, so helpless.

And it was because of her.

"Am...sorry..."

Rosie cried harder when Lisa tried lifting her good arm to touch her face. She caught Lisa's hand and pressed it to her wet cheek.

"Just a little longer, sweetheart," Rosie whispered. "Stay with me."

But the current was too strong this time, darkness flooding Lisa's senses as she fell over the edge of consciousness. Just before she blacked out entirely, she heard sharp barks and heavy bodies crashing through the undergrowth at high speed, low pants nearing.

And then there was nothing.