Retreat into Darkness

Chapter 38

Caspian Alaband

Her eyes close and her body goes limp in my arms, and I yell.

"No, no. Please. FUCK!" I curse and look frantically around for anything. For anyone.

But we're all alone. I'm all alone.

"Okay." I mumble to myself and pick up her body which is still warm.

I scan around my surroundings and see a cave opening.

Perfect.

It's shelter and it's what we—what I need...

I cradle Allaura in my hands and walk to the cave. It's deserted out here. I don't hear a single sound around me. No animals, no water. Nothing.

I walk into the cave and carefully place Allaura onto the floor.

Fire.

Right, I—I have to warm her up. She has to stay warm, she can't become cold.

I nod to myself and walk out to get dry wood to make a fire. There's no snow and no rain so the wood is completely dry and it'll me easy to spark up.

I gather logs, sticks, and dry leaves before returning to the cave.

She still lays there. Deadly still and pale.

But I have to keep her warm.

I rush beside her and place the wood down and start to twist the wooden stick at a fast pace before it starts to produce smoke, hot enough to burn the wood.

When I lightly blow on the smoke, it slowly burns and lights up the dry leaves and sticks.

Okay good. There's fire so she can stay warm.

I walk over to her and sit down before moving us both closer to the fire and I hold her in my arms wanting to keep her warm.

I'm a coward. I watched as they beat her and shamed her. I watched her bleed, I watched how they kicked her and cut her.

I told her I didn't care for her, I told her I didn't care if she died.

I told her I didn't love her, but it was all a damn lie.

"I'm sorry." I whisper and place my forehead onto hers. "Please forgive me, i'm so sorry."

But she doesn't get any warmer. So I scoot closer to the fire and start to sweat.

"Please come back to me Aura love." I plead.

She can't die. She can't. We have so much to do together. I want to take her so many places around my world, and I want to see her world one day. I want her.

"Why aren't you warming up?" I joke at her closed eyes and notice how her face is dirty with dirt and blood and cuts.

"It's okay, i'll clean you up." I tell her and rip part of my shirt before wiping the dry blood and dirt off her pale and cold cheeks.