"A fool too late bewares when all the peril is past."
- Elizabeth I
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Harry's POV
"Hey, where exactly are you going?" Zoey called after me, just as I was about to disappear from her sight.
"Behind a corner and a tree," I called back, "Or did you want to watch?"
She flipped me off and shook her head, causing me to laugh. I was still grinning when I found an abandoned tree with barely any leaves left.
There was something soothing about the wind that whistled through the dried leaves on the ground, sending them over to edge to let them fly down. Out of sight, out of mind.
I had a hard time to open the belt with the gloves I was wearing and after at least a minute of fighting, I tossed them to the ground. My fingers were starting to get numb from the cold, but I somehow succeeded in tugging my jeans down enough to do my business.
"What a wild life," I mumbled to myself, glancing around to see the missing signs of life.
To be completely honest, I was starting to regret agreeing to this Christmas lunch. My parents always celebrated Christmas up here, but usually I would just join them a few days later and have a nice time.
When my mum asked me to come up here with Zoey, now that we finally had Gemma back and everything seemed to fall into place, I just couldn't deny her offer.
We were a family, and I had Zoey back. That was everything I needed in my life.
I pulled up my jeans and put on the black gloves Zoey had found in the back of my closet. Even though I had refused to wear them at first, I was now glad she had made me listen to her.
Sometimes she really did know what was best for me.
I looked up, trying to see the cabin on top of the mountain. At our little picnic point it had been impossible, but right now I could see the outlines of the small house. We weren't that far away anymore.
Zoey would surely be happy to hear those news.
Spinning around to take off into the direction my girlfriend was waiting for me, I happily hummed a song that was stuck in my head. Zoey had been sulking most of this trip, but I knew she was finally appreciating the quiet of the nature.
Only a few steps away from the corner of the path, I heard footsteps behind me. I stopped dead in my tracks, wondering how the hell she had found a way to sneak past me.
"Zoey, love, you never fail to surprise me," I breathed, ready to just grab her and kiss her, showering her with my love and affection.
I did, indeed, turn around, at the same time the person spoke up. "I bet I never fail to surprise you, either."
My heart skipped a beat. The voice was female but didn't belong to the one I loved the most. No, it rather belonged to the woman who had nearly ruined everything good in my life.
The realization came in the same moment as my eyes landed on her. I opened my mouth, ready to ask her what the actual fuck she was doing up here, but all I could register was the evil look on her face and a heavy thud on my skull before I blacked out.
And as I lay there, shivering in the cold with the uneasy feeling that something bad was about to happen, I thought back to the time I had felt like my love for Zoey was crushing me to death.
Waking up beside Zoey was simply the most beautiful thing ever.
Her hair would always fall all around her, halfway on my face as well, and build an auburn-colored mess. I first had to fight my way through the thick waves until I could finally see the girl lying next to me.
Sometimes, when I was lucky enough, I had a lot of time to study her. Her lips were slightly parted and her chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. She looked peaceful and absolutely breathtaking.
I could stare at her for hours.
My t-shirt fit her perfectly, underlining her natural curves, but still leaving enough for my imagination. I had her body memorized anyway, there was not a single freckle that could escape my memory.
I loved her, I absolutely loved her so incredibly much, it physically hurt me to even think about ever losing her again. I would take whatever was needed to ensure she would always be mine.
My heart grew warm just thinking about her, and the countless memories we have made.
"Harry!"
Someone screamed my name from somewhere far away. I felt like I was underwater, not able to catch my breath.
Zoey.
"You bitch!" A hateful voice yelled next, talking to my beloved one.
I groaned, fighting to pry my eyes open. Something deep inside me told me that Zoey was in danger, but I couldn't move.
It felt like my mind was detached from my body. I could think, but I couldn't react. I had the urge to stand up, but my body was too heavy.
The screaming got louder and more high-pitched. My heartbeat picked up and with all the strength I could muster up, I opened my eyes.
Leaves and small rocks framed the ground around me and my left cheek was pressed onto the cold path. I recognized my surroundings; I was still on the mountain.
As I tried to recollect the last few events, I faintly remembered seeing Amelie, followed by a heavy thud on my skull.
That bitch had knocked me out.
Another piercing scream rang through the air, one that I could only identify as Zoey's. It sounded as if she were screaming for her life.
The realization that Amelie was hurting her, maybe even trying to do worse than that, finally made me stand up. Every muscle in my body hurt, and a few bones felt broken, but I pushed myself off the ground.
Seconds later, I was standing upright and took a few shaky steps, my head hurting as if someone was repeatedly pounding it.
I heard a voice, but couldn't quite make out who was talking and what the person was saying. All the wind carried to my ears was a faint "down."
My mind was screaming at me to run, but my body wasn't cooperating. Taking painfully slow steps, I was coming closer to the edge when another scream echoed through the atmosphere.
The blood pulsing in my ears and my breathing ragged, I finally rounded the corner and came into view, but the scene in front of me was displaying itself. I didn't have a chance to react, everything was happening before a sound could even escape my lips.
Amelie pounced on to Zoey, trying to push her over the edge. Even though Zoey's back was to me, I knew her well enough to see that she acted in self-defense, probably reaching out for Amelie before she even knew what she was doing.
In one swift motion, Amelie tumbled over the edge, dragging Zoey with her.
The girls' mixed screams hurt my ears, and I was numbly aware of a scream of my own escaping my mouth, joining their loud ones in a deadly fall.
What felt like minutes later, but probably only lasted for a few seconds, made me freak out. The screaming stopped and only a distant crack was audible.
My heart stopped beating and for a moment I was certain I would faint. A sob riffled through my body as I ran to the edge, preparing myself for the worst.
Sickness overcame me as my eyes took in the scenery below me.
At least 25 meters further down, both girls were lying stock-still. A puddle of blood had already built around Zoey's head, bringing tears to my eyes.
I couldn't care less about Amelie at the moment.
I frantically looked for something to give me security when I tried to climb down the side of the hill, any branches that could be used as a leverage. But even if I reached Zoey in seconds, I needed to call an ambulance.
My legs were threatening to give way as I stumbled to my backpack, shakily reaching for my phone. I couldn't believe my luck when I saw that I had one bar, immediately using the chance to call for help.
I gave as many details as possible, then tucked my phone into my jeans pocket.
Taking the path would take too long, Zoey needed me now. I knew it was dangerous and careless, but that didn't stop me from actually climbing down the side of the mountain.
I used every little rock, and every little bit of dirt fixated on the sides to my advantage. I nearly lost balance twice, but in the end, I ended up on the path below me.
We weren't that far away from the beginning of the mountain, I couldn't tell. The path would have become steeper eventually, thus taking us up higher to the top in less time.
I just prayed the ambulance would be here soon.
With tears brushing down my face and a sharp pain in both my chest and brain, I crept over to where Zoey was lying. I could tell that all the blood was coming from a wound at her head.
Crouching down on my knees, my hands trembled as I grabbed her wrist, looking desperately for her pulse.
My heart threatened to burst when I couldn't feel anything.
"Zoey, Zoey," I whispered, my voice breaking with every word.
I pressed two fingers into her neck and nearly sunk down in relief when I felt the faint pulse. I pressed a firm kiss to her forehead, my tears dropping on her face.
All I could do was putting her into a secure lateral position, hoping I wouldn't make anything worse. Her body was so unbelievable cold, urging me to take off my jacket and put it over her freezing body.
"You'll be fine, do you hear me? Help will be here soon, and then they'll take you to the hospital. You'll be fine, you're not going to leave me. You promised you'd never leave me. You promised, Zoey, you promised." I hiccupped, my tears shaking up my whole body.
I brushed her hair back, carefully avoiding the nasty wound on her head. Her left leg was bent in an awkward position, and her face was already bruising.
"You're going to be alright." I was mumbling a lot of useless words, not knowing if I was comforting her or myself. Even though she was lying in my arms, I had never felt so alone.
Her pulse was decreasing rapidly, and her lips had already turned blue from the icy cold.
The endless fountain of blood didn't seem to stop either, and I had no idea what I could do to make it stop. My heart was bursting in my chest, shaking with fear for Zoey.
"Why is no one helping me?" I sobbed into her hair, praying that the ambulance would just hurry the fuck up.
My eyes flickered over to Amelie's motionless body. I pressed a kiss to Zoey's forehead and got up, tentatively sneaking upon the other girl.
Even though I hated her with every fiber of my body for doing such a cruel and heartless thing, I knew that deep down in my soul I wasn't cold enough to totally not care about her.
My fingers were an icy blue from the cold and nearly numb as I reached out to feel a pulse at Amelie's neck. I had abandoned my gloves on the way, constantly losing grip with them. When I did, indeed, feel her pulse, I couldn't help but notice that it was far steadier than Zoey's and that Amelie's body temperature was also a bit higher.
It didn't seem to be fair. If it wasn't for Amelie, Zoey wouldn't be lying on the cold, hard ground, fighting for her life.
The amount of blood that pooled around her head made me sick and I crawled back over to her, my fingers shakily tracing her hair again. I lifted her head and placed it in my lap, my hot tears falling on her face as I closed my eyes and sent prayer after prayer.
"Zoey, I need you." My voice broke as another heavy sob shook my body.
For a moment, I thought she was waking up. I stopped breathing, listening in to any sound that could escape her lips, but was only met with silence.
Both girls remained unconscious and I had no idea what to do. All the first-aid classes I took where for nothing as panic and fear were the only present thoughts and emotions on my mind.
The wind seemed to pick up, carrying more and more leaves across the ground. I shivered, missing the comforting warmth of my jacket, but not even thinking about taking it off Zoey for a second.
I had to keep her warm and I had to keep her alive.
Blood stains were on my jeans and my hands as I pressed another firm kiss to her forehead, hoping she would feel my presence. I accidentally painted blood on her cheeks as I caressed her cold skin, trying to warm her up somehow, even though it was useless.
"Harry!" My name was carried through the wind and my head whipped to the side.
I narrowed my eyes as I tried to identify the two figures racing in my direction. It took me a few seconds before I saw Gemma and Louis, both on a bike.
My sister's teeth were chattering from the cold and her skin color was nearly as blue as Zoey's, but she didn't waste a second as she grabbed a few blankets from the basket on the back of her bike.
She tossed two at Louis and kept two for herself, running over to where I was quietly weeping beside Zoey. Without a word, she threw the blankets over Zoey's body, covering her from the cold.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Louis doing the same to Amelie. He paid closer attention to her, while Gemma spoke up. "We saw you from the cabin and took the bikes that mom and dad had used to drive up yesterday."
I didn't give her a sign that I had heard her words, but I felt that she knew it. She stroked my hand that was still on Zoey's cheek and sighed.
"The ambulance is on its way." My voice was monotone, I nearly didn't recognize it myself.
"What happened?" Gemma wrapped her arms around me and pushed my head on her shoulder, letting me cry out all the pain that I kept inside me.
"A-Amelie knocked me o-out and when I reg-gained con-consciousness, I heard s-screams and saw them f-fall," I stammered between sobs.
"You're bleeding," she said, tilting my head to the side so she could get a better look.
Up until now, I hadn't even worried about the hit I had received. My head was hurting enormously, but it seemed inanely against Zoey's current state.
"I-I can't lose her," I whispered against Gemma's shoulder, my grip on Zoey tightening.
"Calm down," she breathed against my hair, soothingly rubbing my back.
Louis walked over to us and sat down, his arms winding around Gemma's waist. I watched numbly as he pressed a kiss to her temple and then sadly looked down at Zoey.
"I'm going to call the ambulance again. It's taken too long," he said, his voice silent as if he were afraid of waking up a sleeping Zoey.
I continued to trace her hair, scattering the blood in the thick waves.
"She'll be alright," Gemma told me, trying to sound confident.
We were silent after that, just listening in to Louis' conversation. He was getting worked up and started yelling into the phone, urging the other person to just hurry up.
Gemma lightly touched his arm. "They're on their way, Louis, there is nothing else they can do at the moment."
Louis hung up without a proper goodbye and sighed. "Shouldn't they be here by now?"
We fell silent once more. My tears never stopped falling down, but my hiccupping ceased eventually.
I cursed the wind that kept us cold, and the leaves that annoyed me more than they should. A string of profanities echoed through my head as I glared at Amelie, blaming her for simply everything.
My eyes were still on her as I thought back to the first time I saw her, and how I shouldn't have been that nice. If I hadn't kept up contact after we 'coincidentally' ran into each other again, none of this would have happened.
I was certain my mind was playing tricks on me as I saw her chest rise higher than before from a sharp intake of breath. A groan rifled through the air and my breathing stocked.
Within seconds, Louis was on his feet and ran over to the sanctimonious girl, touching her shoulder lightly to roll her on her back. "Can you hear me?"
Her lips parted in another groan, and I nearly snarled. There was no doubt that Amelie would get through this, maybe with just a little scar, whereas Zoey's pulse was so deadly slow that I honestly scared me to death.
"The ambulance is on its way. Hold out, dear." His voice was gentle as he kept talking to her, trying to keep up her consciousness.
I spaced out after a minute or so, not able to stand hearing his talk any longer. Amelie didn't deserve any of this.
After what felt like an eternity, I heard the sweet sound of ambulances coming closer. I bit my lip and tried to inhale and exhale at a normal pace until the sound of screeching wheels was right behind me.
Everything after that happened in fast-forward. A woman ran up to Gemma and I, trying to pull us away from Zoey. My sister gave in, but I fought her off, not daring to let Zoey go.
"Sir, you have to-" She tried convincing me.
"No!" I bellowed, burying my face in Zoey's hair as a new wave of hot tears hit me. "I'm not going anywhere, Zoey, I'm right here."
"Harry," Gemma urged, pulling at my shoulders.
Both women weren't enough to pull me away, but at least two men finally managed to lift me up and hold me back as I fell to my knees a few feet away from Zoey. I cried out her name as violent sobs shook my body.
Someone was lifting my chin up and blinding a light in my eyes. My insides were screaming to close them, but I needed to keep my eyes on Zoey. Through my tears I could only see three figures bending over her, poking needles into her skin and doing whatever.
A cold hand pushed my hair aside as a gentle voice spoke to me, asking if I was hurt. I frantically shook my head, trying to get back on my feet. I was pushed down again.
More people entered the scene, calling "Morphine" and lots of other stuff I couldn't make out.
Within seconds, Amelie was on a stretcher and carried to an ambulance, the doors closing behind her. I stared wordlessly as the ambulance sped away, the blue light flashing through the air as the sound announcing the vehicle sounded once again.
"Harry, you need to get up. You're undercooled and they need to see if there is any damage to your brain," Louis said to me, fighting hard to remain calm. His face appeared in front of mine as I found myself staring into his blue eyes.
There was a lot of commotion surrounding Zoey, but I didn't understand any of it. Why didn't they take her to a hospital? What were they waiting for?
I blinked a few times to clear my vision and slowly got up on my feet. The doctor on call attached a little monitor with a clip on her fingers to her and after a few moments, it flared to life. I could hear a beeping sound, and I knew it was her heartbeat.
Only, it wasn't the regular one I was familiar with. It was unsteady.
The people surrounding Zoey shouted more things. One cut open the hoodie she was wearing, trying to get rid of all the layers. I strangled cry left my throat.
Someone tugged at my arm, urging me to walk to an ambulance. My feet were glued to the ground as I looked at Zoey, trying to make her open her eyes with my willpower.
Her heartbeat picked up for a moment, making my heart lift with hers.
But then, out of nowhere, there was only one single, flat line on the monitor and the piercing, never-faltering beeping as her heart stopped beating.
And just like that, I fainted.
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