HAVEN ✓

Twenty-Seven

Unfortunately, the darkness inhibits Luke from hitting any vital organs, merely wounding the Skinwalker and, if possible, enraging it even more.

The gruesome thing takes a step back, Luke's knife snugly lodged in its shoulder, and opens it's razor-toothed maw to let out an ear-splitting shriek. It is a terrifying, inhuman, undulating vibration deep in its throat.

Luke curses, and my heart nearly stops. "It's calling for backup," he breathes, panicked. I am mentally screaming.

Taking advantage of the Skinwalker's injury, Luke takes the dagger from my trembling hands and in a swift spin, kicks out, catching the monster through the middle, throwing it off-balance before driving my dagger into it once more. This time, he hits his mark, the blade sinking in between its bony ribs and drawing a bloody smile into its chest. I stare frozen a the dark liquid spilling all over.

Grabbing my hand, Luke tugs me off my feet and runs. I follow him blindly through the darkness, tripping over unseen debris before he comes to a stop.

"I'm going to need you to swim."

I realize we're back at the waterfall. Turning, I find his face in the dark. My eyes must be so wide, scared, because he hugs me to him for the briefest moment before saying, "Behind the waterfall. Wait for me in the alcove behind the waterfall."

With that, he kisses me desperately, quick and hard on the mouth before turning and running back the way we came.

I am rooted to the spot. Frozen, staring after him. Panic plants itself into my chest. My limbs are screaming at me to follow him, to remain at his side despite the danger looming in the darkness.

I force myself to unfreeze. Breathe. This is Luke, I reason. He can handle himself, and I don't want to make more trouble for him. At least, that is what I tell myself as I dive into the water.

On the other side of the falls, I sit on the cool damp slab and wrap my arms around my knees, hugging myself. Enveloped in the thick darkness, it is easy for the mind to trick us into all sorts of scenarios. What if he doesn't come back, the shadows whisper. He left you, they taunt. The roar of the water drowns out all other sound except for my own rapid breathing.

But I'm not alone for long. Soon enough, Luke pushes himself out of the water and onto the rock platform. He is only a shadow, a silent presence in the night. I only know he is real because he crawls over to me and wraps his arms around my form. I hear his bow clank to the ground. He must have gone to retrieve it, I think numbly.

When pulls me to his chest, I unravel, only to I realize I am shaking violently.

"It's not ideal, but they cannot hear or smell us through the waterfall," he says, rubbing my arms up and down. "Hopefully, they will be gone by sunrise. I'll do my best to keep you warm."

I blink. Inhale. "I'm not cold."

No, I'm the opposite. The adrenaline keeps me warm, though I'm not opposed to Luke's body pressed up against me. Slowly, my world becomes a little more steady.

He squeezes me in his arms. "I am so sorry," he murmurs, hanging his head and pressing it to mine. "I'm so sorry, Sophie."

And I wonder, how many times will he apologize for keeping me safe?

I lift my head and pull his face down to mine. I can't see anything in the darkness of the alcove, but I can feel him. All my senses are tuned into the man holding me together.

"It's okay," I whisper, despite being scared for my life. "We will survive this."

My mind jolts as I recall Sol's words the day we met. She told me how we are all just trying to survive in a world set against us.

What about me? What am I doing? How am I surviving? Is this living? Or just merely existing? I have been guilty of waiting for the sky to fall onto me—even expecting it, at times. But what have I done in spite of the fear? How have I lived?

Sitting here in the dark with the very real threat of death, I contemplate how different my life would be had I taken more chances. Ignored my reservations.

Behind Herald's walls, I was stagnant. My experience was stunted by my narrow-mindedness and inability to accept failure. I did not want to even try because I could not stomach disappointment. But here, the Outlands have forced open a door I didn't know existed. A gateway to vivid encounters, unexpected adventure, dangerous, yet thrilling exploits. It has even tested my limits of human interaction. Emotion.

I realize how encumbered I have been living with the constant feeling of imminent foreboding. Maintaining interactions perceived to be socially acceptable. Striving to not let others down by smothering my heart, depriving myself of the truth.

And I loathe that I waited so long to experience life unhindered by anxiety. To jump off that cliff with no expectations. Endlessly hanging in there, dangling by my grip on the past, I was hesitant to let go of my suffocatingly narrow comfort zone.

I take back what I said. We will not merely survive. We will not bow in the face of danger. We will not submit to the burden of vulnerability. I will not concede to simply exist, for it is no longer enough.

I will deny death, in every form. I will persist, I will rebel, I will thrash upon the thought of merely surviving.

And I will no longer be afraid to truly live.

Because this numbness—this fear? They are shackles binding my wrists. They are the stones weighing down my feet. It keeps my eyes from seeing and my ears from hearing.

Freedom, the world sings.

And I will no longer be captive to fear. I will not shrink from the possibility of failure. I will not be a victim to the scourges of this life.

I will knock down fate's door and demand to live.

________________________

Our dear protagonist has reached a point where she has had enough of living in fear. She wants to be set free from her self-imposed burdens. Boy, the mind is a conflicting thing!

Let me know how you feel about this new perspective! And what you thought about this chapter!

In addition, this chapter holds a special meaning to me. I honestly want to be a bit like Sophie. So many opportunities are missed because of our own fears, whether it be of failure, rejection, disappointment, etc. But as they say, "You miss one-hundred percent of the shots you don't take."

An overall theme for Haven is inspired by my favorite motto: "Great things never come from comfort zones." This is a lesson I learn in a different way every day. So both Sophie and I wish you, dear reader, to step out and experience everything you want for, unhindered. Because you never know when it might be too late.

All my love,

Kacy ❤️