The Secret Voice

The Next Right Thing

...

(Y/N)'s P.O.V

Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh...

I hiccup lightly, looking around before shaking my head, hugging Anna close while rocking as she sobs.

She sniffles before taking deep breaths, trying to control her breathing as I whisper comforting words to her.

Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh...

"(Y/N)... What do we do now?" Anna shakily breathes out, sighing softly as more tears roll down her cheeks. I remain silent, making her look down.

"We've seen dark before... But not like this..."

"This is cold," I wipe my tears with another cry.

"This is empty..."

"This is numb."

Anna shivers, gripping me tightly as she shakily sighs.

"The life we knew is over... The lights are out," she sniffles as I stroke her hair soothingly as my own silent tears fall. "Hello, darkness... We're ready to succumb..."

"We'd follow you around," I softly sigh, blinking some tears. "We always have. But you went to a place I could not protect you..." My vision blurs again as I gasp a small sob, "this grief...! Has a gravity..."

"It pulls us down," Anna's voice breaks as she cries, sniffling.

Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh...

"But a tiny voice... Whispers in my mind..." I softly say, making Anna look up at me as I try to listen to it.

Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh...

"You are lost... Hope is gone... But we must go on..." I take a deep breath, trying to calm my breathing. "And do the next right thing."

I pull away from Anna, shakily trying to rise and stumbling slightly as she looks up at my kneeling self, starting to rise herself before pausing.

"Can there be a day... Beyond this night?" She gasps out, clutching her satchel close as she looks down. "I don't know anymore what is true... I can't find my direction, we're all alone."

"The only star that guided me was you..." I take another breath, pushing myself up and swaying. "How to rise from the floor... When it's not you I'm rising for?"

"Just do the next right thing," Anna rises, breathing deeply as she shakily smiles at me.

"Take a step..." She stumbles, making me gasp and stable her before smiling sadly.

"Step again," I encourage as we begin to slowly walk. "It is all that we can to do the next right thing..."

I kneel down, using my hands to boost Anna up the rocks before climbing after her myself, carefully watching to ensure she doesn't fall.

"We won't look too far ahead..."

My eyes catch the shimmer of the ring, making my heart ache as I shut my eyes.

"It's too much for me to take..." I shudder, taking Anna's hand as she reaches the top.

She helps me up, taking a deep breath as we face the large gap between us and the exit.

"But break it down to this next breath..."

"This next step..."

"This next choice! Is one that we can make!" I follow after Anna, leaping after her and stumbling as I land besides her, helping her up.

"So we'll walk through this night!"

Anna and I push on, heading to the exit in determination.

"Stumbling blindly towards the light..."

Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh...

"And do the next right thing..."

We squint against the morning light, our hair swaying in the breeze as we look around.

"And with the dawn... What comes then?" Anna looks at me in pain as I look at the ring on my hand, clutching it to my heart in pain.

"When it's clear that everything will never be the same again?!"

I pant slightly, blinking away the tears as Anna places a hand on my shoulder.

"Then I'll make the choice..."

Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh...

"To hear that voice..."

"And do... The next right thing."

We look down at the dam, our eyes narrowed in determination as we both nod at one another, knowing what we had to do.

...