Alone With You (Remma)

The End

Cleo and Lewis showed up at some point but Emma barely noticed. Her tears blurred her eyes and depleted her energy. Soon enough, her crying ceased. She seemed to be out of tears to supply her woes. She just sat there, now with legs again thanks to Rikki, and stared at her three distraught friends with a desolate expression.

"The pool is gonna close soon," said Lewis. "I say we at least wait until all of the workers are gone. Maybe even later."

"And then what?" Rikki asked.

Cleo sat down beside Emma. She looked somewhat frantic, but she still rubbed Emma's back and comforted her. She was trying not to let her anxiety show.

"It'll be okay, Em," she said. "It'll be okay."

Emma knew she was lying. Nothing would ever be okay again.

They left the pool at midnight, Byron's body wrapped in blue pool towels. They saw three or four drunk people along the streets but were able to easily avoid them. Rikki and Lewis carried the body to Lewis's boat. Cleo and Emma walked on the left and right of them, shielding the object they were carrying as best as they could. The walk wasn't long but it wasn't especially short. They got to the dock without trouble and loaded the body into the boat. Cleo and Lewis got in and set off to Mako Island. Emma and Rikki were left standing on the dock.

Emma looked at Rikki. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

"It was an accident, Em."

Emma only stared at the girl wondering what all of this would mean for her life. Was this the end?

The two dived into the water and swam to the moonpool, beating Cleo and Lewis by a few minutes. They dried off and sat on the sand inside the cave in suspenseful anticipation.

Emma tried her best to keep the tears inside, but they started pouring again in time. Then sobs came and Rikki looked at the other girl, her expression warm and sympathetic.

Rikki pulled Emma into her, wrapping her arms around her slim body. Emma leaned into Rikki, soaking her shirt with tears. They sat like that for a long time, Rikki stroking Emma's blonde hair.

Then they heard footsteps. Cleo and Lewis emerged in the entrance to the cave, Byron in their arms. The girls hugged for a minute longer and then pulled apart and stood up.

"Ready?" Lewis asked, gesturing to Rikki.

She just nodded.

They had decided that Rikki would unfreeze the body to make sure he was actually dead before they made any more decisions. She stood over the frozen boy and slowly closed her hand into a fist, carefully unfreezing his skin and the things contained within him. She could feel his insides melting and it made her nauseous again.

Although it was crazy, in Emma's head, she prayed Byron would heave an exaggerated breath once unfrozen and suddenly come back to life. All of them seemed to share in Emma's hope. Silence settled as they stared at the limp body, waiting for any sign of life. When she was done though, it was clear that there was no saving him. He showed no movement and had no heartbeat.

Lewis broke the silence first. He cleared his throat and said, "Well, I think there's only one thing we can do." He paused and swallowed harshly. "We have to get rid of him—out there." Lewis pointed to one of the cave walls, the vast ocean lying just beyond it.

They all knew what he meant. He wanted one of them to drag Byron's limp body to a deep part of the ocean where he could never be found even by accident. They knew it was their best option but the thought of it felt so cruel and vile.

No one spoke for a while until a small voice sounded from the floor and they all turned to look.

"I'll do it," said Emma. "I got us all into this mess," she paused for a moment, "It's only fair that I get us out of it."