The 11th Generation

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

      I thought for sure I was dead but I actually woke up. My vision blurred, I attempt to rub my eyes but the pain shooting throughout my arms keeps them paralyzed at my side. I lay amongst the rubble of the crash, unable to move any part of my body, I'm in excruciating pain. My eyes shift around me, there's blood surrounding me and stained on my hands and skin, I even taste blood from my lip. The plane across from me is completely destroyed, pieces scattered across the field.

     "Salix!" I cry out. I wince in pain with every breath.

     "Are you okay?" Nicholas says running over, then dropping to his knees beside me.

     "Where's Salix? Where's Link?" A look of desperation fills my eyes.

     "Salix is over there-"

     Nicholas is injury opted when Salix comes rushing over. "Oh good, you're awake," he looks nervous. He keeps looking around, especially behind me, his focus on everything else instead of on me.

     "You're not hurt?" I ask him. I try to move my hands up to touch him, but the movement is crippling.

     He smiles and nods his head. "But you are," his smile starts to fade.

     "Where's Link?" I ask. Salix stares at me, his eyes turn dark and cold. When he doesn't answer I shout, "Link!"

     I try sitting up, I grasp my stomach in pain. I can barely move. I know I need a doctor.

     "Avery, you have to calm down. You're hurt," Salix places his hand gently on my shoulder pushing gently so my back touches the ground again.

     "My brother." I say to Salix. "I have to see my brother. Is he okay?" I don't care about how much pain I'm in, all I care about is my brother. My best friend. My other half. "Lincoln!" I shout until my throats hurts. With every breath pain harshly returns to my ribs then subsides. I look at the fire still burning on pieces of the broken plane. I look up at Salix, he has blood and dirt all over his face. "Lincoln." I begin to softly sob. I lift my head up and look behind me, ignoring the paralyzingly pain I feel. I see his body, lying flat, a single arm, his fingers curled.

     "My brother." I whisper, tears rolling down my cheeks, my heart beating so fast that it hurts.

     Salix scuffs his hands underneath me and picks me up. The pain I feel makes me wish I was dead, knowing my brother is lying there, makes me wish I am dead. He sets me beside Links lifeless body. I grab his face I pull his body closer to mine, I ignore the pain. I wrap my arms around his body, the skin on his face when I press my hand against it, is cold. He isn't hugging me back, he's gone. "No!" I say angry. I am yelling through my tears. "This isn't how it's suppose to be Lincoln! Wake up! You aren't suppose to die, not yet," I don't want to take my eyes off Link. Salix gently pulls me off of him, I'm too weak to protest. I'm in his own embrace, he pets my hair and lightly shushes me against my ear attempting to calm me down. I cry into his neck, then I look up into his eyes trying to feel a sense of familiarity, all I see is pain, sympathy, and remorse for what I'm going through, this is the first time he's ever seen me so vulnerable. "Please," I cough out through the tears clouding my vision. My voice is breaking up. I feel like I am losing control, losing my mind, my sanity.

     "I'm sorry, Avery." His voice croaks.

     "This can't be it," I feel empty. My family is down to one, again. Salix picks me back up in his arms, Nicholas follows, I notice he's limping. I realize I'm being selfish when I realize I don't care that Nicholas is limping, all I care about is the lifeless body of the man who I loved more than anything on this planet, the one person aside from my father who always stuck up for me, who was always there for me. He is gone.