Blue Moon

Chapter 15

Alona woke up with a jolt. She jumped to her feet and then fell to her knees from the pain in her ankle.

She fell back onto her butt. She hurt everywhere.

It was extremely dark in the hole. She couldn't see anything.

She searched the darkness for Arlo. She could barely make out his silhouette.

"Arlo?" She asked. "Are you okay?"

He groaned. "I was sleeping finally."

She sighed. She felt so relieved. He was alright.

"Are you hurt?" She asked crawling towards him.

"Probably not." He shifted slightly. "My arm is definitely messed up. I got stabbed by something in my leg. Ahhh. Fuck. My head hurts like hell."

She sat next to him.

"Where's your bag?" She asked.

"Somewhere around here. It came off when I fell." He felt around him, searching for his backpack.

She tried to stand but fell back down to her knees, her back hurt so badly. She resorted to crawling around the darkness searching for his bag.

Arlo scoffed at Alona crawling around on her hands and knees searching for his bag, "You look ridiculous."

"How would you know? Its pitch black in here. Hey! I found it!" She yelled.

"Alona. Not so loud. My head." He grumbled, "Heightened senses, that includes eyesight."

"Sorry. Oh yeah." She whispered. She crawled back over to him and searched for a flashlight. When she found one she pulled it out and clicked it on. The beam was incredibly bright.

They both flinched at the light. When their eyes had adjusted Alona began examining Arlo's injuries.

His head was busted on the side, his arm was severly bruised, and there was a piece of rock stabbed through his left leg. He had already tied a ripped piece of fabric around his leg to cut off circulation.

Alona grimaced at the sight.

"Hand me the bag." Arlo had his arm pulled against him, his other hand was outstretched.

She handed him the bag. He began fumbling through the bag. He pulled out a bottle.

"You might want to look away." He said, his eyes shut in pain.

"I'll be fine." She replied.

Arlo jerked the rock piece out and threw it across the cave. He poured the liquid on the wound. It burned and sizzled. He groaned in pain.

Alona watched as the wound began closing up. He looked at his arm.

Alona stared at his leg, her mouth hung open, astonished at the wound that was now almost healed.

He reached into the bag again. This time he pulled out a syringe. He ripped a piece of his shirt off and rolled it up, then he stuck it in his mouth.

He stabbed the needle into his neck and released the liquid into his body.

Alona grabbed his arm and took a deep breath, then with a single pull set the bone back into place. Alona watched as he writhed in pain. He punched the ground with his good arm. He bit into the fabric so hard Alona thought his teeth would break. He slowly stopped shaking. Arlo could barely keep his head up. He knew he was not going to be able to stay awake.

His head bobbed backwards as he fell unconscious.

Alona was unsure what to think. She figured she should let him rest.

She would just keep an eye on his pulse. She pressed her fingertips on his neck. She felt a soft THUMP-THUMP-THUMP.

She sighed, they were in deep shit.

----

Arlo had been sleeping for awhile now. Alona had stayed by his side checking his pulse, probably every 3 minutes. She was freaking herself out.

She hadn't heard the ship fly over again after it had blasted her face off.

She felt her face, making sure she still had one. It was fine as far as she could tell, her eyebrows were a little singed but that was it. She had been lucky.

She shined the flashlight at the roof where they had fallen in. It was a wonder how she hadn't broken something like Arlo.

She shined the flashlight around the hole, there was a dark opening across the hole from them. She had seen it after Arlo passed out, but avoided going near it. She didn't want to run into any one or thing without Arlo's help.

She stood and walked over to the opening, her legs were still wobbly and her head was still dizzy from the fall.

She shined the flashlight into the opening. It looked like a man-made tunnel. She wondered what the tunnel was built for. Cold air blew up from the tunnel and brushed across her face. 

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH." She heard Arlo yell from behind her. She jumped and turned around.

She stumbled over to him

"Arlo. Are you okay?" His eyes were still closed. She pressed her fingertips into his neck again.

His eyes popped open and he grabbed her wrist. She gasped.

"Don't touch me!" His eyes were bloodshot and different.

"Arlo. Are you okay?" She asked again.

"How do you know my name!" He growled through his teeth. He held her wrist tighter.

"A-Arlo. It's me. Alona." She tried pulling her wrist away from him. "You saved me from the castle."

He squeezed his eyes shut. His grip on Alona loosened. He shook his head.

"I-I remember. I was running and fell straight into this sinkhole." He opened his eyes. "Then you fell on top of my leg."

Her eyes went wide. "I landed on your leg? Oh God. I'm so sorry!"

He nodded. "Its okay." He rubbed his head, "Sorry. I forgot temporary memory loss was a side effect of that medicine. Good thing I packed a bag." He laid his head back against the rock.

"Sorry." She pulled back the flap of fabric over his stab wound.

He watched as she examined each injury. He was still feeling the effects of the medicine. His head felt light and the numbing sensation he felt earlier was wearing off.

"That stuff you used if like crazy awesome." She said as she looked at his previously broken arm.

He stretched out his legs and arms. "Yeah, it works wonders. Too bad its hard to come by."

He could smell the earth around them. He felt the breeze coming from across the tunnel, it filled the air with a strange smell.

"That ship definitely saw us." She looked up towards the opening. "After you fell in, I tried to climb down. They shot the edge of the hole as I held on to it."

"Well I guess that explains the dirt on your face and the small scent of burnt hair." He smirked.

She subconsciously sent a hand up to her hair, there was no telling what it looked like. Her hair was falling out of her ponytail holder.

"What's the plan?" Alona asked as she tied her hair up again.

"First I need to drink some water." He stretched his arm out as he spoke, "Then I guess we'll see where that tunnel leads."

She looked across the hole at the tunnel. It was pitch black.

"How'd you know it was over there?" She asked.

"Heightened senses." They said at the same time. 

He scoffed while digging through the bag trying to find his water. 

"We'll rest for a bit then check it out." He said gulping down a bottle of water.

----

Sawyer :)