Lone Wolf

End of the line

Rhydian

The cold snow makes my face sting and numbs my hands, breathing becomes increasingly more difficult as the snow closes around my face and pushes down on my chest. I can feel my lungs collapsing with every strained breath. My eyes flutter shut and i pray to whatever gods are watching that they make my death quick and with minimal pain as possible, but apparently they have other plans for me. Two large hands break through the snow, grab onto my jacket and yank me upwards. I break into the light and have to blink a few times before seeing Chris' face looming over me with a snarl on his face. I cough and roll on my side trying to re inflate my lungs before rolling back and raising an eyebrow. 

"Thank you" i choke out between labored breaths

Chris shakes his head and pokes my chest

"Don't think i am doing you any favors, I only hauled your frozen butt up because i need you to help me get out of here and then i will probably kill you anyway"

I frown

"Not if i kill you first"

He holds out a hand and i take for him to pull me onto my feet

"Well then i guess we will have to wait and see"

We walk on through the ice tunnels probably made hundreds of years ago so they are cracked and unstable, only barely able to stand up in. Chris walked by my side supporting me if i needed because i think i have damaged my spinal cord which will take a few days to heal. The tunnel slowly got narrower and we had to walk single file, me using the wall to hold myself up. We finally got to the end on the tunnel finding it dropped off into a deep dark chasm that we couldn't see the bottom to. Chris cursed

"What the hell are we going to do now!!??"

I shook my head

"I don't know"

Chris growled

"You don't bloody know?? There was one reason and one reason only i pulled you out of the snow and that was so you could get me out of here and you can't even do that. I don't see a use for you anymore"

I snarled

"I never saw a use for you!!"

"STOP IT BOTH OF YOU!!!"

A voiced screamed into the tunnels. A small gap of light opened up and spread light into the chasm. It was Jana. I could now see that the chasm had pillars of stone sticking up like platforms that we could jump on to get across. 

"Are you guys okay???"

Jana yelled through the hole. 

"Yeah were fine but Rhydian's spine ain't coping so well"

"Okay well you will have to jump across, Chris help him out ok"

I could see Chris' face screw up in distaste 

"Yeah fine"

We began walking towards the edge and Chris jumped on to the first platform and motioned for me to jump. When my legs spring up it sends sharp pains to my lower back and i grunt when i hit the platform side, but Chris pulls me up. We go to the next and the next until we reach the last jump, the platform stands a little higher and a little further away but Chris makes the jump and so do i. The ground rumbles and the platform tilts, Chris goes sliding over the ledge and i leap to grab his hand and manage to grab on to the ledge. The effort of holding us there makes black spots appear in my vision and my head spins, all i can hear is the distorted voices of Chris and Jana as we hang there. As my hearing clears a little i hear Chris tell me to pull up, it takes almost of of my strength but i manage to climb on top of the platform leaving Chris holding my hand still dangling over the edge. Dark thoughts spiral through my head telling me to drop him into the chasm and i wouldn't have to worry about him trying to take Maddy away from me but something told me it would be the wrong thing to do. So i pull him up and lay back on the platform with Chris laying next to me

"I think you hesitated just a bit there Rhydian"

I smirked knowingly

"I have no idea what you are talking about Chris"

He chuckles and helps me to my feet supporting me the whole way up the tunnel leading to the surface. Just before we reach the top i hear a crack and rumble as the snow around us gives way and chunks of hard ice fill the tunnel. Chris shoves me out of the way and i hit the snow hard. When the snow dust clears i see Chris stuck under a large chunk of ice, blood running down his head and his arms pinned underneath the ice. He coughs and splutters blood on to the floor, then grinning up at me

"So ya happy now Rhyd's, i am gonna die and you get a Maddy all to yourself"

I shake my head with the up most regret

"No i never wanted this, listen to me Chris i never wanted to hurt you, all i wanted was my Maddy returned safely to my arms. I didn't know she had touched another so deeply."

He shrugged then coughed again. I put my hand on his shoulder and he looks into my eyes. 

"Just take care of Maddy ok"

"Of course"

I see a tear roll down his cheek and sniffs

"Listen Rhydian i know you don't owe me any favors but can you please do something for me, I want you to kill me, i want you to end my pain, please Rhydian i don't want to die slowly"

I feel a tear escape and roll down my cheek

"Ok, no man deserves to die like that"

I put my palm on his jaw and the other i use to secure his neck, he looks in my eyes and nods. I push down hard with one hand and up with the other and hear a loud crack as i sever his spinal cord. His dark green eyes loose there shine and loll back into his head. I put my hand on his chest and feel the last desperate beat of his heart.

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