Trapped From A Wish

A Heartbeat

Fire never woke up from his sleep.

He just stopped breathing entirely. There wasn't any last words or sudden movements besides breathing while he seemed to be alive. He just stopped.

~~~~

"Leaf...Fire isn't breathing." I heard Sorrel say, clearly concerned and worried. I reacted quickly to what Sorrel had said and went to Fire.

She was right. Fire was lying still, his chest not moving at all and his expression blank. I didn't know what to think at that moment. Another victim to the game makers, soon enough another one of my friends would be gone too.

Sorrel knelt down beside me next to Fire and sighed, "I don't know what is happening in this world, but I think in the end we're all destined to die. " Sorrel laughed a bit, I don't think she could believe it herself.

"I think so." Was all I could get out through my mouth. With Fire now gone, that left four of us left in the virtual world. That's almost half of our group gone. 

"Let's tell the others." Sorrel said and I reluctantly followed as Sorrel went out to the mountains to get Shrew and Bracken who were hunting.

"I don't want to do this..." I said dejectedly and Sorrel sympathetically nodded. "I know," She said. It took us a while before we found the two buddies.

"Hey Sorrel and Leaf! Over here!" They called up on a small ledge that they could easily get down from. "Hey Bracken!" Sorrel called back.

"Looks like they're having fun," I commented to myself. "Come join us!" I heard Shrew call, appearing behind Bracken. As Sorrel and I climbed up onto the ledge, I tried my best to ignore all of the negative thoughts for a moment.

When Sorrel and I found a spot of the ledge I awed at what I saw before me. "You can see the river from here..." I said wistfully. It was sunset, and the sun rested over the flowing river making it shine like stars.

"Yep, it's really something." Sorrel said next to me. Shrew and Bracken had broken apart, letting us sit in the middle. As I gazed out into the horizon, I saw a flock of birds soar across the sky making a silhouette in the sun. In the river, with my enhanced senses I saw a fish jump out of the water and fall back in again. Ducks were settling on the bank of the river for the night, and I heard the smallest sound of frogs croaking near the river. The place was so beautiful I could feel the river trying to pull me towards it.

I was so lost in the moment I didn't notice until then Shrew's hand holding mine. The touch brought some red to my cheeks and it made me want to never leave from this moment.

A time where I felt free.
A place where I felt happy.
A place to escape my worries.
A place where I could just smile.

Yet it only lasts a heartbeat before it'll disappear, leaving you to remember that this is reality and you are not always free.

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It was nightfall by the time we decided we should go back to the cave. Our small group had a nice moment of sitting quietly watching the sunset, yet it seemed like it had only lasted seconds. As we neared the cave, Sorrel and I both remembered something and exchanged glances with each other.

"Shrew....Bracken....we forgot to tell you this." I started and looked at Sorrel to help me. Sorrel took a deep breath,"Fire....is dead."

There was silence. And the Bracken cried in anguish, "Fire's dead!? Why him too? Couldn't you do anything?" Shrew cringed from his words, as if fighting reality and trying so hard not to do the same as Bracken.