S a l e t é I V

XLVI - Lunette - Neuf

Monet cleared the open doorway swiftly and quietly, making it to the other side before standing up straight again, taking another quick glance inside once she was up. 

She wasn't going to risk talking. Instead, she gave the others her instructions through motions, conveying that they needed to move as she had if they wished to clear the same distance safely.

Given that Marin had to try and prepare Flo for the ordeal, Connie stepped up next. 

She waited for Monet to give her the signal that the coast was as clear as it was going to be whilst she readied herself, dropping to a similar crouched position, the girl in red giving her that indication after a few more weighted steps had played out from inside. 

Connie cleared the length of the doorway as quickly as she could, taking care not to stumble and cause unnecessary noise along the way, having no intention of looking inside as she went. 

On the other side, she joined Monet in standing against the wall, Raimond now moving into position for his turn.

A dread was building within Cassia as her turn drew closer. She knew that she had to go, and she wasn't going to waste time. 

That sickly feeling was back in force, hounding that knowledge.

When Monet gave Raimond the signal, he mimicked Connie's balance of speed and caution, ensuring that he didn't slip or scuff his feet along the way. Connie helped him to his feet once he was across, only he didn't join her and Monet in the new line they were forming afterwards, instead turning back to the others. 

He took a step back so that it wouldn't pass into view of the doorway, extending a hand towards the younger members of their group.

"You can do it. Look, Gunner's waiting." Marin whispered to Flo, whispering as quietly as he could right next to her ear, the girl still deep in the grip of any icy fear as she realised that she was going to have to follow. 

She couldn't move, even with Raimond waiting to help her, her gaze unable to shift from the ground.

She looked awful. Utterly awful. It was as if the girl that Cassie knew and cherished wasn't even behind those eyes anymore.

She couldn't lose her too.

Stepping up, to Marin's silent surprise, Cassia got into position. 

The sight of her readying herself was enough to make Flo look her way, a crack appearing in that inactivity. Whilst he'd not expected the turn of events, Raimond gave her his full attention, the support on offer now waiting solely for her.

A flicker of trepidation appeared through Monet's resolve as she prepared to give Cassia the signal, the responsibility that she had taken upon herself not one that she could bear without tremendous stress, even if she was incredible.

When Monet gave her to go ahead, Cassia went straight ahead.

Don't look right. Don't look right. There's nothing there. Monet's ahead. Go to Monet. There's Gunner's hand, you can take it, go on. A little further. Careful.

She wasn't as swift as the older children, but she made it nonetheless, Raimond quietly pulling her up and into a hug that she eagerly accepted once she'd covered the distance for herself. 

In an instant, so much weight dropped from the exhaustion she'd been fighting off for so long, the knowledge that she'd done it a taking the form of a relief unlike any other. 

In another instant, every ounce of that weight returned, Raimond's hold the only thing keeping her up as she turned back to the others, the fact that they still had to catch up far too gruelling.