POV: Keefe Word Count:1336 Context: They just ended a battle. It's night.
Fitz and I walked to the meeting point in silence. Wincing every time we moved because of the cuts and bruises colouring our skin. At this point, we had more scars than skin.
" Keefe?"
" Fitzy." I couldn't see his face, but he was frowning at the name.
" Who do you think Sophie's going to pick?" He was smug. Sure, she was probably going to pick him, but he couldn've have at least tried to spare my feelings? We aren't Sophie and Dex, but I was still his best friend, right?
" This is what you want to talk about. We just won a battle against the Neverseen, and you want to talk about a girl?" I let bitterness seep into my tone.
" Don't you ever want to talk like normal teenage boys?" I could feel all his built-up anger in the air.
" Yes, but I also wish my mom wasn't an axe-wielding lunatic, and clearly that isn't gonna happen, so..." He looked at me like I had three heads. Then it hit me, he didn't know what an axe was. I bursted out laughing " Ohh, you haven't seen many human movies, have you?"
" Umm, no. Do you?" He sounded disgusted by the idea.
" Don't be too hard on them. They're the reason I know what an axe-wielding lunatic is." I smirked.
" What's an... Axe?" He said the word carefully. Like he didn't want to mess it up. Ahh, the all-perfect Vackers.
" It's a weapon. Just go into my head for a second, and you'll see it." He nods and focuses on something in the distance. I guess he was in my thoughts, and that was why he was weirdly looking into the distance, but it was still strange.
" Ohh, that's what an axe looks like. Okay, thanks." He smiled what Foster would probably call a movie-star smile and sounded genuinely grateful.
" I can see everyone. Come on, let's go faster." I did see them, but, to be honest, I just didn't feel like talking to him anymore. In most conversations he'd bring up Foster, just to be smug about it. Because of that, I usually cut our talks short.
When I got there Forkle was making a toast.
" To winning another battle," Forkle said. We all cheered and high-fived. " And to the Moonlark, for her never-ending bravery."
We all looked around for Foster. At first, I thought someone was blocking her from my view, but she wasn't there. Everyone came up empty-handed.
" I'll check for her thoughts," Fitz announced. His eyebrows crinkled together as he worked. I guess he finally picked up the pace. He could sort of fight, but he couldn't run to save his life.
" Can you hear them," Forkle asked.
" No, can't hear anything. It's like she isn't there. Can't pick up a signal for miles." Clearly, he didn't mean to say that, because we all looked terrified.
" If she's in really bad shape, it can also do that, right? And you aren't as skilled of a telepath as Foster. Mabey she's just too far out for you to hear her." Fitz glared at my dig as people seemed to ponder.
" That's very true. Thank you, Mr.Sencen," I frowned at the name," Sorry, Mr.Keefe, for the great idea.
" Should we send out a search party," Biana asked. She looked put together, but I could tell she was crumbling.
" Let's make some groups...," bluh, bluh, bluh, boring Forkle rambling.
" I'll go out and look for her." I pull up my hood and start walking. They yell for me to come back, so we can take forever to make a logical plan while Foster is out there with a dagger in her thigh. It only made me run faster.
I ran aimlessly through the woods for hours. Minutes? Seconds? Days? I didn't know anymore.
The trees were hard to see, so I had to go slower so I didn't knock myself out trying to look for her. That would've been a waste, like everything else I've done. I wanted to do at least one thing that was worth it, and if it meant doing a job literally anyone else could have done, then that's what I did.
As the minutes dragged by, I felt like I was losing her. I yelled her name over, and over. There was no response.
I heard a groan and knew it was her. I ran with everything I could muster. I didn't care if I tripped. I found Foster.
Then, I saw her. She was hard to look at. There was a dagger in her thigh, and blood was everywhere. She had a hand pressed to her leg. It wasn't doing much.
" Foster?" Her head jerked up, and her eyes were glazed over.
Yes. This time I'm the one surprised. Oh, sorry. It takes less energy to transmit than talk.
I nodded. " Should we take the dagger out? And Let's take off your gloves and get a different bandage."
I can't stand having this in me. Please take it out.
She pulled her hands away, and I knew this would be gruesome. My hand wrapped around the hilt and started to pull. It was tricky, and I probably hit something important. I mumbled ' Sorry' the whole time I was doing it, but she didn't seem to care.
Thank you. It's great to move again. As she said it, she straightened her back.
" Easy, there. You're gonna rip something." She slouched back as I said it.
Okaaay.
I ripped a chunk off my cape and reached over. She just lifted her hands, and I peeled the gloves off, then wrapped the cape strip around her.
Guess that's one more pair of ruined gloves.
" And another ruined cape." I looked at the wounds, and realized, she couldn't walk.
I picked her up and started walking. Thinking she would be heavy, I used too much force to pick her up. She practically flew. We both laughed, and, for a moment, were distracted from everything, but I was brought back by the wet feeling of her blood on my shirt.
" Soo... Who did this to you?" I knew I didn't want to hear the answer, but the suspense was killing me there. I saw her face contort as she thought about how to word it. " I can take it, Foster."
It was... Your... Mom. I winced and held her a bit tighter.
" Thanks for telling me. It's nice, you know, how you don't look at me like I'm a kicked puppy." I look deep into her eyes for a minute.
Keefe... Do you think I'll live? She looked at me like I was the only thing keeping her steady, and looking back, I think I was.
" I... Don't know, Foster, I don't know...... If it helps, I hope you do. I wish with all my will that you do, but I know that no matter how hard I hope, I still don't know what'll happen. I also know that I'll regret it if I don't do this," She looks at me, curious. " Soph... I... I love you. I have for a long time."
I leaned down and pressed my lips to her forehead, but as I went to pull away, her arms reached and pulled my face back to hers. She kissed me and it was exhilarating. The world seemed to stop. My arms tightened around her, and her hands reached behind my neck. We stayed like that for a while. I felt the moment she went limp in my arms.
It felt like the world fell apart in front of me. After all these years of cruelty, I thought I finally found someone to rely on, but the universe just had to be a little crueller. Outdo itself. Relish in my pain.
Well, I guess it finally won, 'cause I broke.
I'm broken. Done. Practically dead. Constantly wondering if I did something different, would she be alive? Did I do something wrong? Those are the only thoughts I can make out. The rest of it is a mess of broken hopes.
Please vote, comment and request. First one to comment gets the dedication.
Have an amazing rest of your day.
