Project X

The End of All Things: The Final Stretch

CHAPTER NINETEEN

THE FINAL STRETCH

    We sailed for just over three days. We anchored on our fourth evening, just out of view of the New York skyline. We could just barely see the silhouette of Lady Liberty off in the distance. Antiguine announced that they would be taking us to shore in the morning, insisting that his children- sorry, his third cousins, twice removed- needed a proper rest before continuing on their journey. We agreed. Partly because he was right, and partly because we weren't ready yet. 

    We knew what we would have to do next, and we were scared. It wasn't that we didn't believe in ourselves, or that we thought we were too weak to succeed. It was just that it was... Becoming so real. Everything was finally about to come to a close; and, win or lose, all of this was finally going to be over. We... We didn't know how to feel. As the end drew closer we found ourselves begging more and more for time to stop. As if that was even possible. But we weren't ready to give up this time together. The bonds we'd forged. The love we felt.

    We just... We couldn't shake the feeling that this would be the end of Project X.

    None of us wanted to leave each other. But, we also knew we would be lying to ourselves to think we'd all stay together forever. Maybe we would for a while, maybe even years, but eventually we would have to move on with our lives. We just hoped those lives would still include each other.

    As we laid down to sleep that night, Syd latched onto me tightly,

    "Hey, what's up?" I asked him,

    "Nothing." He said, "I don't know, I... I just love you. Things are... They're going to change again. And I... I just want you to know that whatever happens, I..."

    "Hey, woah, baby, it's okay." I assured him, "I'll be okay, we'll be okay. You know I would never let anything happen to you; and I won't die until I have your explicit permission to do so, so everything is going to be okay."

    "But, what if it's not?"

    "It will be." I told him, "I will personally make sure of it. I will make sure that everything is okay." I held him tightly in my arms, and kissed the top of his head, "You have been through so much, Syd. Survived so much. If anyone can get through this, it's you. But you're not going to be alone. I'll be right there, we all will be right there. I know it's scary; trust me, I know. None of us would be capable of facing this alone. But, luckily, none of us are alone. We have a group, all of whose strengths make up for the others' weaknesses. We're friends- no, we're more than that, we're a team. And no matter what happens, I will make it okay." He buried his face into my chest,

    "Why are you so perfect?" His voice was muffled by my shirt, I laughed,

    "I'm not." I told him, "Not even close. I just love you, and I want to do the best I can for us."

    "That just sounds like a lot of words for 'I'm perfect' to me." I laughed harder,

    "Okay," I relented, "Sure, I'm perfect. But I get it from you." Now it was his turn to laugh,

    "Oh, so we just straight up lying, now?"

    "Hey, you started it."

    "Your face started it."

    "What?"

    "I don't know. Shut up."

~~~~~

    The next morning we woke up just as the sun was beginning to peek over the horizon. Looking out I could just see mist all around us, clinging to the waves and the sides of the ship. We had fallen into Autumn before we even knew it, and the chill of the morning reminded us of how long we'd been on this journey. We weren't sure how we would travel next. Probably by foot for a while, but would we have to steal another vehicle? Would we possibly be able to find the truck? Would Not-Emil decide to help us one last time? I knew by now that his help would absolutely come with a price; but his 'price' always seemed to be awful pranks and cruel jokes with little to no lasting consequences, and that I thought I may be able to deal with. He seemed like a good person. He also seemed like he desperately did not want anyone to know that.