The Fleece Job (Olympus Drive Chronicles)

Chapter 16: The Styx

Ev

The tail smashes across my face, and before I can even react I feel myself falling into the water. I reach out a hand, my last instinct is to push Penny back up, onto the boat somehow. But I can't. I can't even reach her.

And we both fall.

Penny

I twist to reach and take Ev's hand in the seconds before we hit the water.

But I can't reach them.

And then I realize it's not water at all. It's acid.

Ev

The water burns my skin directly off. I feel it rapidly eating away at me and my body is seized in unimaginable pain. I reach out, blind and deaf to anything but my torment. I feel through the darkness and the pain and take Penny's hand in my own, eaten already down to skeleton. So that at least she knows she isn't dying like this alone.

Penny

I feel Ev's fingers curl around mine and with the last bit of strength I have I tug them to me. So that maybe if I hold onto them we can both get to the surface. They're stronger than me. Maybe they can survive. I know I can't. The water is eating away at my lungs. I feel nothing but bone as my flesh melts away. I didn't know a person could feel torment this long. I thought I would be dead by now. I'm in so much pain my brain is screaming. But I can't scream. My tongue is gone lips gone. Throat gone. I'm nothing but twisting pain and anguish.

Ev

I feel Penny press close to me surely she's all gone. And I put what is left of my arms around her as I feel my flesh ripped from my bones. If I can protect her somehow from the torrent of the water. Then maybe. Maybe. She can survive. Maybe I can hold her long enough to get out of the water and she could live. She could use the metal, pull herself up. I'm well aware it's too late for me. I just want the pain to stop. But if I protect her from the water with what's left of my body maybe I can save her.

Penny

I kick with my last strength but it's no use. I can't pull us to the surface. I can't save them. I press my face against Evs as I feel myself dying. I wanted to save you. At least save you. It's too late for me. But I can't even do that. I can't save my best friend.

Ev

I want to pull us up. But I feel her dying in my arms. I didn't keep her safe like I promised. But at least I can give her the kiss I promised her. I barely have lips or a face left to do it. but I'm more pressing my face against her so she can at least know in these moments of endless torment that someone is here loving her.

Penny

Ev kisses me. Softly. Here, in our pain in the water. where there's nothing but pain. There is suddenly an instant of light. And Ev is kissing me. And I'm kissing them back. And I must truly be dead. Because the pain ceases as my lips meet  theirs. And I hold them in my arms, a hand cradling their face even as the skin is torn off of it.

Ev

Our lips meet and I think about how much better this must would be if we weren't dying.

Then I realize I'm not dying.

This is what being alive is. And the pain is gone. It wasn't pain at all. I must have been wrong. Because this is perfect.

Penny

We're still in the water, rushing through it. except now everything is beautiful, bathed in a hazy pink glow. As I kiss Ev. They smile their sweet Ev smile and I hold tightly to their strong shoulders. Our legs entangle tantalizingly as we just kiss. We can't breath we gave that up long ago. So we kiss.