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eight ──────────── i know the end!
Pain surged throughout Elina's body as she felt a firm hand shake her shoulder. She took in a sharp breath full of dust and rocks before coughing harshly. Cleo slowly eased her upright, pushing Elina's hair out of her face. Elina felt the wounds over her body, most of the pain at her back. Elina craned her neck to look at Cleo, who looked just as rough as her. "You're okay. You're okay." Cleo coos hoarsley, hand going down to Elina's stomach, petting the girl's hair. Elina looked down, staring at one her own knives that was sticking out of her abdomen. With a quivering lip, Elina nodded. With a soft teary apology, Cleo gripped the handle and pulled it out. With a cry, Elina wiped the dust off her face before gripping Cleo, weak fingers wrapping around the younger girl's jacket. It was then Elina examined the full damage of the room—or what was left of it. The lights that had been overhead were now on the ground, flickering and popping. There was a collapsed part between where they sat and where Rick and Christopher had been. Rick.
Elina's raw hands began pushing at the rocks covering her legs, feebly kicking them up with her boots. Cleo sat back on her haunches at the woman's frantic movement. "What are you doing? Elina—" Cleo started, watching as Elina wobbled to her feet. "Rick—we have to...we have to get over there. I need to see if he's okay. Which—which way we do we go?" Elina said in a panicked tone, stumbling over debris to try and find a way out of the room. Cleo sighed, grabbing onto Elina for support.
"I don't know if they survived—"
"Don't say that. I don't give a shit if Christopher survived or not—if he's alive I'm putting a fucking knife in his throat." Elina growls roughly, nimbly holding up one of her remaining daggers. Cleo took a small step back, nodding silently. Cleo set Sebastian, who she'd been cradling, down onto the demolished floor. "Find us away to Colonel Flag, Sebastian." Cleo demanded softly, and the rat immediately sniffed off in a direction. The two of them let him scurry for a moment before Elina turned back to Cleo. "I don't give a shit if I get sent back to Belle Reve after this—but if I go back knowing I could've done something to save him I wouldn't be able to live with myself, Cleo. Not after my brothers. I just can't." Elina admitted, trying to blink tears away.
Cleo swallowed hard and nodded. Eventually, Sebastian returned to them and nodded them towards a collapsed part of the room, where they could crawl to the other room. With a grimace, Elina got onto her hands and knees and crawled behind Cleo through the cement and metal. Elina saw a peek of the grayish looking sky as they stopped at an opening, one of the caged walls coming into sight. Cleo froze, causing Elina to come beside and find where she was looking. Elina's eyes landed on him. Christopher. He was sitting back on his haunches, face covered in blood, his white pants smeared with dirt and more blood.
