Don't Follow Your Heart-- Anne

Then - Fire

The world is red. Just red.

Anne opens her eyes to smoke and rubble and the worst pain she has ever experienced. She can't move, she can't scream, she can't do anything except stare with glazed eyes up at the ceiling--floor?-- and wish for anything to make the pain go away. She's pinned by a shattered plane wing, her right arm and leg feel like they've been crushed, and she's covered in debris. There's dust and grit in her throat. When she tries to swallow, it hurts.

"Someone help..." She croaks, but there's no sound but the crackle of a blossoming fire around the wreck and her own harsh breathing.

MelJo. She has to find MelJo.

She looks around wildly. Finally she see a pale, limp hand near her own, unmoving.

"No!" She cries, hoarsely, reaching out and trying to shake her best friend. "Wake up!"

She doesn't, and Anne is desperate. She tries to pull herself out from under the plane wing, but it's useless. She's pinned, and her strength is slowly fading.

"MelJo...please." She begs. There's no answer.

This can't be how it ends. She thinks, horrified. It can't be.

Then, as if in answer to her prayers, there's someone moving nearby. She strains to look at the figure out of the corner of her eye and sees a tall man quickly and efficiently kicking through the debris. He's fast and strong. He also has a metal arm. Anne's ready to take any help at this point so she tries to call for help, but it's useless. Her voice is too weak.

He's not going to see us. She frantically thinks. He's going to pass right over us and then we'll be doomed.

With superhuman effort, Anne tugs at the wing pinning her and makes it move just a tiny bit. That's all she needs, though. With her free hand, she manages to pull the debris off of Melinda Jo so that she's visible. What she sees is not a reassuring sight-- her friend is barely breathing and her face is an ashen color.

The man looks over and sees Melinda Jo. An odd expression flashes in his eyes as he wades over through the rubble and picks her up. Anne tries to wave, or make any sort of movement, but her effort has already taken all of her strength, and now she's spent. He's got her best friend now, dragging her away from the wreck.

Anne sighs in relief and closes her eyes, letting herself drift away into blood red nothingness to the beat of her stuttering heart. She doesn't really care if she never wakes up again.

Melinda Jo's safe. That's all that matters.