Just Another Lullaby

Chapter 11: The Separation

"No..." Skye murmured softly, gaze stuck like glue to the pile of rubble that she once cherished and depended on so greatly. Denial struck her hard, but it was impossible to ignore the sight in front of her very own eyes, and the fact that Chase could see it too was all she needed. One of the only things she had left...gone, just like that. Seeing the dismantled helicopter made her feel as if someone just ripped her heart out and shredded it right in front of her. She could feel herself tremble. Her heart felt as though it were beating a thousand times per second. She felt dizzy, nauseous even. Her eyes stung terribly. She breathed in hard, but couldn't get a gasp of air; she felt as though she were suffocating, drowning. She felt lost, she felt hopeless. She felt vulnerable. "N-no...no...No. NoNo! No! NO! NO!! NO!!!"

"S-Skye!"

Skye flinched hard when she felt someone grab her by her shoulder. Through her hazy vision, Skye could see Chase stare down at her, his face showing nothing but worry. It wasn't until then that she could feel her dampened cheeks.

"Y-you need to get out of here."

Whatever Skye felt before vanished quicker than one could blink.

"W-what?"

"You need to get out of here." Chase repeated. He sounded desperate but uncertain.

A wave of fear and despair hit the Cockapoo like a load of bricks, followed by a powerful blow from a high-running train. Leave Chase? Abandon him with these people who are well prepared to murder?!

"What?!" She might as well have shrieked. "And leave you here with these psychos?! Never in a million years!" She said, trying to sound braver than she felt at that moment.

"Listen, Skye!" Chase said loudly, catching the Cockapoo's attention. He stared down into her wide eyes. It was almost unbearable to the German Shepherd; seeing his friend like this, forcing her to make a decision that could very much cost his own life. "You need to get out of here. You still have your jetpack, you can still escape."

Try as she might, Skye couldn't stop the river of tears streaming down her face. "But-"

"I'm fast. I should be able to outrun them and hide. I'll come find you guys, I promise."

Skye could see the tears welling up in the shepherd's eyes, threatening to trickle down his furry cheeks. He was doubtful, he wasn't sure if he would make it. Skye could see it, she could see it all. She couldn't breathe. She stood there, staring up at the shepherd, suffocating as if the world deprived her of the oxygen she needed.

Skye didn't think, how could she? Her mind was foggy, her eyes hazy, her heart near ready to explode. She launched herself at the shepherd, bringing him into a hug as tight as she could physically make it. Skye couldn't dare remove her grasp. She feared the moment she let go, Chase would disappear, never for her to see again. There they stood, in each others' forelegs. They stayed for what felt like hours, but only mere seconds did it last.

"They went this way!"

The voice brought them both back to reality. It wasn't very far. Chase stared down at Skye, a wave of panic overtaking him.

"Skye, get out of here. Tell the others. They need to know."

"Chase, I-"

"GO!"

Skye backed away slowly, gazing deep into Chase's eyes. With no other choice, she barked out her wings. "Promise?" She asked shakily. Skye got her reply in the form of a quick nod from Chase. Skye forcibly pushed all her guilt, fear, and other emotions away and leaped off from the ground, taking flight above the trees.

From the sky, she could see Chase run into the nearby brush, desperately trying to get away from the people responsible for this whole mess.

This whole mess...