Across the Lake

Chapter 5: Running Into the Storm

I got up for the day after hearing the distant rumble of thunder, followed by the relentless downpour of rain outside. The world felt heavy, like the storm mirrored what was happening inside me. I walked out into the living room to find my mom talking to Claire. I approached them, needing answers, but as I neared, Claire stood up and walked away quickly.

"What's going on?" I asked, looking between them. My mom stayed silent, her face drawn with worry.

"I know I haven't been able to tell you everything lately," Claire said quietly as she sat down beside me. "It's my fault."

I looked at her, my heart sinking. "It's fine. Everyone needs time," I said, trying to comfort her, though I could see her holding back tears.

"Your dad... your dad is extremely sick," she said, her words stumbling over themselves, barely above a whisper.

I felt a cold shudder run through me, my breath catching in my chest. "What do you mean?" I asked, a sense of denial flooding my voice. "What do you mean he's sick?"

"He might not make it," Claire said, her words flat, like they were too heavy for her to carry any longer. Without another word, she turned and stormed off to her room.

I sat there, frozen. The world seemed to blur around me, and I felt my heart collapse in my chest. A pit of emptiness grew inside me, swallowing every thought and leaving only numbness.

Then Claire returned, and without a word, she wrapped her arms around me in a tight, almost desperate hug. "Listen, we've gotten through everything together," she said, her voice cracking, her body trembling as she held me. "Don't let this break you."

I didn't have the words to respond. I just stayed in her arms, speechless, feeling like the weight of everything was too much to bear.

She let go of me, taking a deep breath before turning toward the kitchen. "This book is good, like really good," she said, trying to mask the tension with a forced distraction. I couldn't respond. I remained silent, the pain still pressing against my chest.

I walked back to my room and shut the door behind me. I sat by the window, picking up my guitar and letting the music spill out as the rain poured down outside. I closed my eyes, hoping the sound of my playing would drown out everything else.

In my mind, I imagined myself on stage again, the spotlight on me, but this time, my dad wasn't there. He vanished before my eyes, and I felt an overwhelming wave of despair. I let go of my guitar and ran into the crowd, but instead of cheers, there was only silence. The faces around me were blank, and I threw a chair across the stage in frustration, my sobs rising with the sound of the chair crashing to the floor.

Suddenly, Claire was there, trying to hold me back. My mom was crying in the background, but the noise, the chaos, it was all too much. I was losing myself, and Claire was trying so hard to keep me from breaking apart.

Then I heard the knock at my door. I opened it, and Claire stood there, her eyes wide with concern. The moment she saw the tears, her expression softened, but she didn't know what to say. She stepped inside, taking a deep breath before speaking.

"It's difficult," she said, her voice quiet but firm. "I know it must be hard on you too, but... he'd want you to be strong. I want you to be strong."

I couldn't respond. I just collapsed into her arms, my tears soaking into her shirt. She held me tighter, her warmth trying to comfort me, but it felt like the more I cried, the more I broke. The pain inside me was growing, becoming unbearable.

"If you want," Claire said after a few moments, pulling away slightly, "I can stay in your room with you."

I glanced at the wall, feeling utterly lost. She didn't wait for an answer. She left and returned with her book, sitting down next to me as she began flipping through the pages, her gaze distant.

"I want to take your pain away," she said softly, her voice heavy with emotion. "I really do."

I didn't answer her. I didn't know how to. We sat in silence, both of us watching the rain fall against the window. But no matter how hard I tried to calm myself, the fear, the sadness, it wouldn't leave.

"She didn't want us to see him like this," Claire whispered, breaking the silence. "Mom didn't want us to see him like this."

I could hear the break in her voice, but I couldn't find the words to comfort her. I just lay there, unable to stop the tears. I couldn't calm down. I needed to get away from it all. Without thinking, I stormed out of the cabin.

Claire jumped up and ran after me, calling my name, but I didn't stop. The rain lashed at my face as I made my way toward the lake.

"Blaire, don't do this," Claire called after me, her voice desperate.

"What are you doing?" she asked, trying to grab my arm, but I yanked away, crying harder now. She tried to hold me back, but I broke free, running as fast as I could.

"Blaire! Blaire, come back!" she screamed, but I didn't look back. I heard her footsteps falter, and when I turned briefly, I saw her trip and fall behind me. She couldn't keep up, but I couldn't stop.

I was almost to the edge of the woods when I felt a strong hand grab my arm. It was Maya.

"Woah, woah, what are you doing??" she asked, out of breath as she tried to hold me back. "We need to get you back inside."

I kept running, my legs burning, my heart pounding in my chest. Maya called my name, but I didn't hear her. I was lost in my own turmoil, my thoughts drowning out everything else.

Then I saw Claire, stumbling in the rain, her face filled with determination. A crack of lightning split the sky, and I heard the unmistakable sound of wood snapping behind me. I looked just as a massive tree began to fall.

"Claire, no!" I screamed, but before I could react, Claire reached me, shoving me out of the way with all her strength.

The tree crashed down directly on Claire, and I heard her cry out in pain just before the world seemed to go silent.

I stood there, frozen, my mind refusing to process what had just happened. The storm, the chaos, the fear, it all blended into one overwhelming moment. I couldn't breathe, couldn't move. My legs gave out from under me, and I collapsed to the ground.

"Blaire, you could've died," Claire's voice came through, weak but still trying to comfort me. "Your life... is worth more than being killed by a tree."

But it wasn't just me. Claire's voice faltered as she tried to lift herself up, blood pooling around her, and I realized she was injured.

Her strength was failing her, but she still tried to pull me close. I didn't know what to do. I just held her, shaking, unable to stop the tears. The world felt like it was spinning out of control.

We stumbled our way back to the cabin, Claire's body trembling as she leaned on me for support. My chest was tight, my heart pounding in fear. I couldn't let her go, couldn't lose her too.

When we reached the cabin, my mom was waiting at the door, her face pale with fear.

"What happened here?" she asked, her voice shaky, but I couldn't answer her. I was too overwhelmed, too scared to speak.

"We went for a run," Claire said quickly, her voice strained, trying to protect me, to keep me from getting in trouble.

"In the thunderstorm?" Mom asked, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Claire shook her head, struggling to breathe. "It's fine. We're fine."

"Don't go out there again," Mom warned, her voice trembling. "It's dangerous."

Inside, we went to dry off, and Claire stayed close by. She sat beside me, grabbing bandages to tend to the scrapes on her leg, though her movements were slow and weak. She didn't say anything, but the look in her eyes said it all.

"I can't lose you, Blaire," she whispered later as we sat on the bed together, holding each other. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"I know I should be strong," Claire said between sobs. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," I whispered, rubbing her back gently. "It's not good to hold back emotions."

And as she broke down again, I held her, knowing that the storm inside of us was far from over.