I gave one last stare at the humanoid creatures crawling in rhythm with the water over me and my friends bodies. If the ocean was the last thing I saw at least it reminded me of David's eyes. Derora also never failed me. I didn't know if it was tears or ocean water that stung my eyes. I opened my eyes again and the moon shone brighter on my face than before. It would've been kind if the waves caressed me as much as they tossed me. If I was going to die I knew it wouldn't be guilt free, I wished that I didn't leave Jesper behind. I didn't have any way of saying sorry. The person that resembled Sue suddenly stood over me with foggy eyes that doubled with my vision. Hope rose up in my chest as the whole sky turned so white it blinded me.
There was nothing and everything all at once. Light and darkness cascaded with my emotions like the waves trying to drown me. I wondered if it was just how it felt to die. My stomach turned upside down, and felt like it got twisted every possible way. Bitterness sat in my mouth as I fell without wind. My fingers curled around rock as I realized I couldn't breathe. With the only force I pushed myself upwards out of icy water. I reached for the coughing bodies beside me, and started sobbing as soon as I realized we were back in the cave. I realized my finger was still missing, and my wounds were all there. Derora curled her arms around me as I continued crying.
"It's okay," she lulled, and I suddenly missed my mother.
"I thought we were all going to die," I heard David's voice echo. I fell against his chest trying to stifle the sobs escaping.
"I'm s-sorry, this w-was all my f-fault," I said into his wet shirt. David was quiet for a moment, then he whispered into my ear: "You have nothing to be sorry about."
My shirt got tugged back by Derora as she looked startled all the sudden. A finger placed on her lips made us all sit upright in the ankle deep water. Shuffling, continued by voices sounded from the other end of the wooden doors. I had completely forgotten about the people chasing us. Of course they would be waiting for us to come out of hiding. In the corner of my eye I saw David taking his knife out, still with the (now wet) notebook in his other hand.
"We have to get out of here, even if there's people on the other side," David stated what we both knew. If we stayed here longer we would die. If we time traveled again we would die. If we opened the door we might die, but there was a small chance of surviving.
"What is the plan?" I asked.
He sighed, "The plan is having no plan. We should just try to escape."
I nodded and picked up the golden key with shaky hands. The moment we turned our backs to put the key in was a mistake. The door cracked open slowly, and sunlight made my eyes burn. Two men smelling of sweat stood right before us with sleep deprived faces. David's one arm seemed to let the notebook drop as if paralyzed. He didn't pick it up, almost as if he intended on dropping it. I grabbed it before one of the men could get their stubby fingers on it. As I inspected their soaked trousers and black uniforms, Derora was doing something behind our back.
I heard a zap that made my head as well as the uniformed men's head turn. It was too late when I saw Derora with her hand perched on top of the glowing orb. It looked like electricity running up her arms and crawling in her hair. One of the men's jaw dropped open in disbelief, while the other switched on a walkie talkie with eyes big as plates.
"WE'VE GOT DE LADS, YER GOT TO SEE THIS!" I heard him talking.
The room turned white once again before I could shut the door. I cussed under my breath as fog enveloped me. I was going to kill Derora.