Scene

//1//

They were gaining, that much I knew.

I could hear the shouts becoming clearer and clearer, the pounding of feet matching my pulse. I turned to my partner in crime, his eyebrows drawn and beats of sweat glistening on his forehead.

These could easily be our last minutes.

The terrain was becoming more rugged. Dust was billowing around us, stinging my eyes. Every few steps my foot would land awkwardly on a loose rock and I would struggle to regain my balance.

I knew it was only a matter of time.

I caught my partner's eyes and my heart fell. He knew it too.

I stumbled once again and my hand landed painfully on a rock's jagged edge. I righted myself quickly, but when I looked up, I wished I hadn't.

This was one hundred percent the worst case scenario.

Up ahead was a cliff and a massive, deep blue lake. Neither of us could swim.

With my feet brushing awfully close to the edge I tried to catch my breath. "Which way do you want to go?" I asked. Tilting my head towards the approaching mob, I guessed we had approximately twenty seconds to make a decision before we ended up sporting bullet holes.

"We're not going back there," he said holding the gaze of my terrified eyes. "We know too much."

I couldn't believe what he was saying. "You'd rather drown than have a chance of survival? Is that really what you're saying?"

The guards were close and I wondered if he'd have enough time to choke out an answer.

"Yes. I'll die before I let them win. And you will too."

His hands were strong, taking me by surprise. I resisted for a half second, but it was futile. We were already tumbling off the edge before I could even scream.

The world spun as we fell. I would've felt nauseous if I had enough time. But no, without even a final inhale we hit the water.

It was cold. The kind of cold that freezes the air in your lungs, numbs your fingers and leaves you breathless. It felt like a thousand knives piercing my chest. It was terrifying and my delayed screams were merely embarrassing gargles. I looked at his face brimming with satisfaction despite the lack of colour in his skin and his hazy eyes.

It was the last thing I saw.