Rob's P.O.V.
Preston ducked under the bush, a panicked look on his face.
Rob- He called, his thoughts ringing out clearly, panicked. There's people everywhere, I think we're trapped.
We're getting out of here, okay? I thought sternly, There's no way in hell we're giving up, understand?
He nodded, his face pinched with worry, but he let me take his hand while placing a finger to my lips, pulling him sideways into the bushes where we could sneak away. All the time I looked around, sensing for any presence of human life, who were hunting us.
The whole time I could hear Preston's thoughts, worried and panicked, but I quietly reassured him silently, making sure he knew that everything was going to be okay. I squeezed his hand reassuringly, my lips occasionally brushing his cheeks when we stopped to listen for movement.
We stopped a few hours later to rest, my breathing heavy and Preston's head nodding from exhaustion. He pretty quickly fell asleep in my lap and although I didn't want to stop, I knew he couldn't continue on any longer.
I stroked his hair comfortingly and held him close, asleep after only a few minutes.
"Love you Pressy." I mumbled. The only reply I got was a content and sleepy sigh.
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The next few days passed as 'normal', on the run and living off the land because we didn't have any other choice. Preston was constantly exhausted because he was running off barely anything and because he controlled fire, he had to keep a fire going by our camp all the time.
We stopped on the edge of a river and the only way we could get anywhere was to go across it. Preston hesitated for a little while because he wasn't great at swimming and you know, fire, he didn't particularly didn't want to go across.
It took quite a bit of coaxing but eventually we got to the other side and there we sat, both soaking wet, on the bank of the river. Preston started shivering after a minute or so, so I took him by his hand and pulled him into the trees again to get him sorted.
He fell asleep still shivering, which made me feel really bad, but his clothes were dry and he was full for the first time in months, so everything was okay. My stomach was still growling as I had given most of the food to Preston so he could keep his energy up.
I struggled to sleep despite the fact I was exhausted, I was scared, worried and I didn't know what to do, especially as we were under threat all the time. I couldn't bear it if Preston was taken away or if we were separated.
Preston was asleep with his head on my lap, still shivering a little bit, but he was in a deep sleep that I knew he wouldn't wake up from for a while. I kissed his forehead, settling down again.
The next morning we set off again, trekking in no particular direction because we had nowhere specifically to go. We couldn't cross the border, we were more well known over there, so we couldn't leave.
Preston was a little bit more lively, laughing and joking and skipping along, running back and forwards. He was happy so I was happy, even lowering the weapons in my hands because he was so carefree.
Normally I held my bow at the ready or a knife up my sleeve, but I slipped the arrow back into the quiver and slid the knife into the sheath on my belt, feeling safe for once in my life. And oh, how did I regret that decision.
Not a minute after I put away all of my weapons both of us froze, hearing the click of a gun being loaded.
"Don't you two even think about moving." Preston gulped and I saw his breathing quicken within a second.
Rob? He thought. What do we do?
I think there's only one... whatever you do, don't move, okay?
Rob... what are you planning?
Nothing Preston. Don't move.
ROB! DON'T! He practically screamed, stiffening when the man pressed the gun to the back of my head.
I'm sorry Preston.
I spun around and yanked the gun from his hand, but not before the gun went off. I stumbled, at first not feeling anything, I had the strength to raise the gun which I had managed to keep ahold of and shoot it. It hit him square in the head and he fell, blooding pooling on the ground.
Then I heard Preston scream.
"ROB! ROB NO!!!" I fell to my knees, my body suddenly completely weak and pain shooting up through my body. Preston caught me, crying and desperately trying to stop the flow of blood that was coming from my stomach.
I slumped forward, already fading in and out of consciousness. Preston was sobbing uncontrollably but I already knew it was too late, the blood stain was spreading across my sweatshirt too fast, far too fast.
I'm sorry Preston. I didn't even have the strength to speak. Keep going without me... I love you.
"Rob... Rob please..." He whispered, sobbing. "Please! I can't keep going without you!"
You have to Preston. I'll always be with you.
I closed my eyes, completely limp against him. The last thing I heard was him whispering,
"I love you Rob."
Lachlan's P.O.V.
Vikk ducked underneath the tarpaulin and came and sat down beside me, a bottle of water in his hand. He handed it to me and I took it silently, still shaken and barely even wanting to stay awake any longer.
"You okay Lachy?" Vikk asked, reaching his hand out for me but I pulled away, not wanting him to touch me.
"Don't Vikk, I don't wanna hurt you." I mumbled, leaning back against the tree trunk and closing my eyes. The shelter wasn't the greatest, just a tarp up against a tree and a mad hope that we wouldn't be found, especially not after what had happened earlier that day.
I felt sick even thinking about what had happened and as I lay down, trying desperately to get an sleep, my mind wandered back to earlier that day.
Vikk and I had been on the run again but when we had stopped for a drink several people jumped us and without thinking I spun around and killed them all. It wasn't even a conscious thought, I just knew we were in danger and as soon as Vikk screamed I killed all 4 of them.
I took the life from 4 people without a second thought. The after affects were terrible though, I completely collapsed and it took Vikk minutes to get me up again and on the run, because I was so much in shock. I was completely numb.
But the worst thing that came from it was Vikk was clearly scared of me. He didn't want to touch me and kept his distance and although he had known of my potential he had never seen me in action, so he didn't know how strong I really was.
Just before I drifted off I felt Vikk place a hand on my leg, gently healing the scratches and bruises that covered me from the day on the run. He grinned at me cheekily, letting me know that he was still there. I smiled uneasily back, settling in for a long and cold night.
I awoke in the middle of the night, screaming. Their faces had all come back to haunt me but when Vikk scrambled to my side, desperate to comfort me I pushed him away, knowing that I couldn't control my powers.
I sobbed quietly by myself, one hand clamped over my mouth as I tried to muffle myself. I had no idea if there was anyone around so I didn't want to give away our position, although I didn't doubt that I had already done that by screaming my head off.
Vikk sat off the side, shaken and scared, biting down on his knuckles to try and stop himself from crying out. When I calmed down he creeped closer to me and took my hand, making sure that I was okay before wrapping his arms around me tightly.
"It's okay Lachy, it's okay, it wasn't your fault." I was shaking, because it was my fault. It was my fault they were dead, it was my fault they were haunting me and most of all, it was my fault they were trying to capture us in the first place.
My power was strong, and rare, and I knew it could be harnessed for evil if I was ever captured. I hated the thought of it and sometimes I honestly thought it would be better if I was dead at times, I wouldn't kill people and I could never be used to evil.
Vikk was the only one who kept me going because he was being hunted and couldn't protect himself very well against multiple attackers, so I stayed with him. He was the most amazing thing to ever happen to me and I loved him with all of my heart.
"Thanks Vikk." I mumbled, wiping some of the tears from my eyes. "I'm okay now I think."
"Do you wanna start moving? It'll keep your mind off everything." I nodded and we got up, slowly packing up our camp in silence until everything was in our heavy backpacks on our backs.
We wandered for a little bit before Vikk started to hear things, noises from people and I startled when I heard a shot, a gunshot.
"Vikk? What-" He cut me off, shoving me down into a bush.
"Don't move Lach, could be hunters." There was silence for a few seconds before there was a scream and then another gunshot, followed by "ROB! ROB NO!!!"
I looked at Vikk, confused, and then I heard sobbing, pained and heart clenching sobbing. They were pleading with someone, Rob I assumed, and my heart jumped because the last thing I heard, in a high and painful whisper, "I love you Rob."
And then the person collapsed into loud and painful sobs, echoing right over to us.
"Vikk, we have to help." Before he could say anything I stood up and headed towards where the person was.
The first thing I saw was the body of middle aged man, a gunshot in his forehead with blood pooled all around him, thrown off to the side. The next thing I saw was a young man, maybe a little older than me, cradling the dead body of another young man.
His sweatshirt was completely bloodstained and there was a gun just beside his hand, making me thick that he had probably shot the other guy. The young man, the only one still alive, cradled his friend gently and rocked back and forwards, still sobbing violently.
"Hello?" I asked, making him jump and he scrambled away from me, his hands held up in front of his face. "Woah, woah, we ain't gonna hurt you."
I saw his eyes flickering between Vikk and I, fear held deep in his eyes. When Vikk realised what was going on he gently held out his hand, little golden sparks leaping off his palm, the physical appearance of his healing power.
"Are you-" He stuttered, "both elementals?" I nodded.
"Yeah, what- what happened here?" His lip started trembling and he wiped his eyes, his eyes glancing down to his friend, very still on the ground.
"We were both jumped and he-" He glanced over at the other man, "he shot him." He started to cry again, fat and ugly tears of grief. Vikk suddenly jumped up, staring at the man on the ground.
"He's alive, his chest his moving." I scrambled over to him, careful to keep my distance because I knew my mere presence could possibly kill him, he was that close to death.
"Vikk- do you think-" He nodded.
"I can get him off deaths door if that's what you're asking, it might take a few days to heal him completely." His friend was looking at me, absolutely bewildered, so I moved over and sat down beside him.
"Vikk can heal." I said, as way of explanation and his face lit up like a lightbulb. "I'm Lachlan, what's your name?"
"Preston." He mumbled, wiping his eyes again. "That's Rob."
I looked between him and Vikk, where he gently had his hands on Rob and was slowly healing him. I could definitely see his chest rising and falling, slowly and painfully, but he was definitely alive and the gunshot hadn't been immediately fatal.
"Will he be okay?" He asked, almost childishly, scooting a little closer to me. I knew that my power was emitting off me so I moved away a little, knowing what it could do to someone if they stayed close to me or even touched me, because I didn't have much control. He looked at me curiously.
"Hopefully." I whispered, going through my breathing exercises to calm myself down and regain control.
"Lachlan..." Vikk said sternly from behind me, still mostly focused on Rob.
"I know." I mumbled, feeling my control slipping again. "Just- just give me a minute okay."
Preston looked at me curiously, worried and a little concerned too.
"I'm okay..." I mumbled, waving my hand. "Just- a little hard to keep control sometimes if I'm worried." I rocked back and forwards a little, squeezing my hands together.
"Preston-" Vikk spoke up. "He should be stable now, I need to stay with Lachy for a bit." Vikk's voice was a bit strained and weak, he was obviously already exhausted from trying to heal Rob but he came over and sat in front of me, leaning up on his knees so he above me.
He hugged me tightly, pressing a kiss to the top of my head.
"Just relax okay, everything's fine Lachy. You don't need to stress, you don't need to worry." It took a few minutes but eventually I just completely collapsed against him, finally calm enough to completely relax.
"There you go." He whispered, stroking my hair. "You're okay, that's better. Do you just wanna sleep? You didn't sleep much last night." I nodded, burying my head into his shoulder. "Preston? Is there anywhere we can camp tonight, move Rob to? I think we just need a rest."
"I think- I think there's a little river just off here, we can camp down there." Vikk nodded and within a few minutes, myself wandering behind them a little numbly and Vikk and Preston carrying Rob, we found a spot to camp until the next morning.
Rob was still unconscious but his breathing was more even and more like he was sleeping, so I knew he would pull through. Vikk would make sure of it. Curling up against a tree with Vikk by my side I fell asleep, comforted and content.
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"What... power does he have?" A shy voice asked. "I'm fire and Rob can read thoughts and communicate telepathically, and you're a healer... but what's Lachlan?"
I heard Vikk take in a sharp breath as he carded his hand gently through my hair.
"He's- how do I say this but... you know how he was pulling away from you?" There was a hum. "It was because he didn't want to hurt you. He's- he's death."
"Holy... he was trying to protect me when he moved away?"
"Yeah. Sometimes he looses control a little and something really bad happened a few days ago so he's not... he's not in the greatest place." There was a sigh of realisation.
"He's not normally like this?"
"No. He's a little traumatised so I've just got to give him time to heal. He'll bounce back." I felt Vikk press a kiss to my forehead and I nuzzled myself closer to him, wanting his warmth. "Hey lil Lachy, you waking up?"
I groaned and squinted, blinking. It was the morning and the sun was just peeking over the horizon, sending bright rays into my eyes. Preston and Rob were both lying a few metres away, Preston leaning up on one elbow and Rob curled up on his side, still fast asleep or unconscious, I didn't know.
He looked better, he had on a sweater that wasn't blood stained and he had been cleaned up a little, looking more human now.
"Hey Lachy." Vikk whispered and I looked up, right into his beautiful eyes.
"Hey." I mumbled, rubbing my eyes and sitting up.
I felt content, happy for some reason. I think I wanted them to stay and I knew I would be happy with some newcomers to our group because they were on the run too. Preston smiled at me.
"You okay this morning?" I nodded.
"Yeah, I feel much better." I said, yawning. He hugged me.
"Good cause Rob woke up last night. He's not up for going anywhere just yet but we should be moving tomorrow when I've healed him a bit more." I smiled and nodded, looking across at him. He looked thin and pale but no longer on deaths door.
"We're sticking together?" He nodded.
"Yeah. You okay with that?" I looked across at Preston and Rob.
"Yeah, I'm definitely okay with that. I'm glad to have new friends." Preston grinned.
"Well I'm glad to have new friends." He said, nodding at me.
"Me too." Vikk added. "Me too."