Anomaly; Stranded The Series (bxb)

Chapter 16: Escape

The cold spray of seawater hit Eli's face, stinging his eyes as he gripped the boat's controls tighter, his heart pounding in his chest. The night was dark, the moon barely visible through the thick clouds overhead. Every second that passed felt like borrowed time—time they might not have if they didn't move fast enough.

Jonah lay slumped beside him, his face pale and slick with sweat, one hand pressed tightly to the wound in his side. Blood seeped through his fingers, staining the deck beneath him. Every ragged breath he took felt like it was tearing through Eli's chest. Jonah was fading, and Eli knew it.

But he couldn't stop. Not now. Not when they were so close.

The men who had attacked them were still out there, somewhere in the dark, but Eli had managed to put enough distance between them to buy time. Time they desperately needed. His hands trembled on the wheel, adrenaline mixing with exhaustion as he steered the boat toward... where? He wasn't even sure. There was no destination, no plan—just the blind hope that they could outrun the danger and find safety somewhere.

Jonah groaned beside him, his voice weak and strained. "How much further?"

Eli's throat tightened, his chest aching with guilt. He didn't have an answer. They were running, yes, but to where? He didn't even know if they'd make it to morning, let alone to safety.

"Not much further," Eli lied, his voice shaky. "We're almost there."

Jonah's eyes fluttered open for a moment, his gaze heavy with pain and exhaustion. He tried to give Eli a reassuring smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. "You're a shit liar."

Eli's breath hitched, a weak laugh escaping him despite the fear gnawing at his insides. "Yeah, well, I'm trying to keep things positive."

Jonah chuckled softly, wincing as the movement pulled at his wound. "You don't have to bullshit me. Just... get us out of this."

Eli nodded, his throat tight. Get us out of this. That was the only thing keeping him going now—the desperate need to get Jonah to safety. He couldn't think about anything else. Not the uncertainty of their future, not the looming question of what came next. None of it mattered if he couldn't save Jonah.

But even as he steered the boat through the dark, choppy waters, Eli couldn't shake the doubts creeping into his mind. What if they didn't make it? What if this was the end, and everything they'd fought for—their lives, their bond—was for nothing?

And worse... what if Jonah didn't survive?

Hours passed, or maybe it was minutes—time had become meaningless in the chaos of their escape. But finally, after what felt like an eternity, Eli spotted a faint glow in the distance. Land.

His heart leapt in his chest, a surge of hope cutting through the fear. They weren't out of danger yet, but they were close. So close.

"Jonah, look," Eli said, his voice rough with emotion. "We're almost there. We're gonna make it."

Jonah didn't respond right away, his eyes half-closed, his breathing shallow. But when he finally looked up, a weak smile crossed his lips. "Told you... we'd get out of this."

Eli swallowed hard, blinking back the tears threatening to spill. He couldn't let himself fall apart now. Not when Jonah needed him.

The boat lurched as it neared the shore, the engine sputtering before finally dying. Eli jumped up, grabbing Jonah's arm and pulling him up gently. "Come on, we have to move. We're not safe yet."

Jonah groaned, leaning heavily on Eli as they stumbled toward the edge of the boat. The beach was just a few feet away, the sand glistening under the dim light of the moon. It looked like safety—felt like it—but Eli knew better. They couldn't let their guard down, not yet.

They splashed into the shallow water, the cold biting at their legs as they waded to shore. Eli kept a firm grip on Jonah, his mind racing as he scanned the area for any sign of danger. The men might still be following them.

But there was no one. Just the quiet hum of the ocean behind them and the rustle of wind through the trees.

"Let's get you somewhere safe," Eli muttered, more to himself than to Jonah, as they made their way further inland. His heart raced, the adrenaline that had fueled him for so long now starting to wear off, replaced by the crushing weight of reality.

They found a small clearing near the edge of the beach, hidden by a cluster of trees. Eli helped Jonah down, leaning him gently against the trunk of one of the trees, before collapsing beside him, his chest heaving with exhaustion.

For a long moment, they sat in silence, the only sound their labored breathing and the distant crash of waves on the shore. They had made it. Somehow, they had survived. But the weight of what they had gone through, of what they had lost and risked, hung heavy between them.

Jonah shifted beside him, wincing as he tried to sit up straighter. "Eli?"

Eli turned to him, his heart aching at the sight of Jonah's pale face, the pain etched into every line of his body. "Yeah?"

Jonah's gaze softened, his voice quieter now. "You saved my life."

Eli shook his head, the guilt clawing at him. "You saved mine first. If you hadn't jumped in back there—"

"Stop," Jonah said, cutting him off with a weak smile. "This isn't about keeping score. We're both alive, and that's what matters."

Eli looked away, his chest tight. But it wasn't that simple. The weight of Jonah's sacrifice—the fact that he'd risked his life to save Eli—was too much. And now, sitting here in the aftermath of everything, Eli couldn't help but question what it all meant.

Had they really found love? Or had they just clung to each other in the chaos, desperate for something—anything—to hold onto?

"I don't know if I deserve this," Eli whispered, his voice raw with emotion.

Jonah's brow furrowed, confusion flickering in his eyes. "Deserve what?"

Eli swallowed hard, his heart pounding. "You. Us. Everything we've been through... I don't know if it's real. Or if it's just because we were stuck in this insane situation and we didn't have anyone else."

Jonah stared at him for a long moment, his gaze unreadable. Then, slowly, he reached out, his hand resting on Eli's knee, his touch warm and grounding. "It's real, Eli. It's always been real."

Eli's breath hitched, his throat tightening as the weight of Jonah's words settled over him. He wanted to believe it—God, he wanted to—but the doubts still lingered, gnawing at him, making him question everything.

"What if it's not?" Eli asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "What if we get out of here and everything falls apart? What if we can't make this work in the real world?"

Jonah's hand tightened on his knee, his eyes soft but firm. "Then we deal with that when it happens. But right now? Right here? This is real. You and me. And I'm not going to let fear ruin that."

Eli stared at him, his heart aching with a mix of fear and hope. Jonah was right. They couldn't know what the future held. They couldn't predict how things would change once they were back in the real world. But for now, they were together. They had survived. And that had to be enough.

Slowly, Eli reached out, taking Jonah's hand in his, squeezing it gently. "Okay," he whispered. "We'll figure it out. Together."

Jonah smiled, a small, tired smile that made Eli's chest ache with something that felt an awful lot like love. "Together," Jonah repeated.

As the night stretched on and the danger faded into the background, Eli allowed himself to believe—for just a moment—that maybe they could make it work. Maybe they had found something real after all.

But deep down, the uncertainty still lingered, waiting for the morning light to bring with it the harsh realities of the world outside this beach.