Predator (DWT x OC)

97

"What if he attacks again?" Punz's fingers tighten around me, brows furrowing. "I can't- what if-"

"Dream says he's not going to, please Punz, please just go help Sam, find Tommy and Tubbo, and I'll be safe here, there's people need help."

His fingers spasm against the beginning slopes of my neck, once, twice, before he nods. "Okay, okay, I love you, I'll see you at the mines."

I throw caution to the wind, despite the whole of my world rushing around me, hands flying up to his cheeks to pull him in for a quick, desperate kiss. "I love you too, go." I finish with a shove, rushing past him. I can't look back. I won't. 

Because I'll see him looking back at me and I'll die. 

I spot Niki up a bit further, running to reach her. 

Niki turns her head, her face immediately lighting up. "Rosie?"

"I'm alright, so is Wil. We haven't seen Tommy and Tubbo." 

"I sent them down to Wil." We trade information, the safety of our loved ones, so both of us can breathe. "They're shaken up but unscathed."

"We're all okay." I nod, trying to reassure myself more than her. She squeezes my arm, understanding. "We're all okay."

"We've stretchered out everyone who can't walk up here." She explains. "Everyone else has moved further underground."

"Good. I left Dream and Punz there, they should be coordinating evacuation groups to the mines." A few people a left behind, the dust slowly settling. I glance up at the cavern, but there doesn't seem to be any structural damage to the ravine, no danger of collapse. 

The thought makes my fucking skin crawl, the ceilings collapsing, giving way, buried in an eternal stone tomb. I can feel everything racing, the breath squeezed from my lungs. 

"Fuck, I need to- Are you sure everyone's out?"

"We got everyone out." Niki affirms. "There was barely anyone here anyway, they've all been set out on assignment."

"Okay, okay." My head is swimming, the rational side a jumbled list of every task I need to do, the irrational side screaming, flailing, the primal instinct to flee, the fear that I am going to be buried. "Niki- Niki-"

"Rosie." Her voice is sharp, and she turns her attention from the cavern to me, holding my steady. "Are you okay?"

"I- I-" I glance around, heart rate rising, skin prickling. "I need to- I can't-"

"Rosie you need to get out, go with the first evacuation group."

I shake my head frantically. "No- No- we were just attacked, I can't- I need to help-"

"We are okay, everyone is being evacuated, we're clearing out the supplies, you need to go."

She walks me around in a half circle, and gently guides me forward. I'm frozen stiff, like any little movement I dare make will bring the entire thing down around us. She propels me with a little shoved, and I clench my jaw as tightly as possible, marching back downhill, past the people collecting the supplies we have left, the one's stretchering people out, back to the bottom, where a crowd of people are, some sitting, some standing. 

I think my brain switches off eventually, because I don't remember getting out. I don't remember meeting Dream again at the bottom, or getting led out with the first evacuation group. I don't remember walking the trail back to the camp at the mines. 

I don't remember how I ended up in some kind of meeting room, shakily holding a spoon and staring into what I think is oatmeal. The steadying weight of Dream's hand rests on my back, thumb rubbing little circles over my shirt. He's warm and secure, stable enough to lean into, so I let him.