Serene Of The Sea

51. Brink

"Serena," the voice calls from so far away I almost miss it, "breathe Serena," it calls again.
I'm a little annoyed at the voice, I want to stay where I am. It's nice here. Painless.

Breathe? I don't need to breathe.

A little string tugs at my heart. I know something terrible awaits me if I go towards that voice.

I try to fall deeper into my safe little hole. It starts to work as the energy begins to fade again.

"Come on Serena. Please don't leave me alone. We need you. I need you," The disappearing voice pleads.

These words make me hover.
Who needs me?
I can't remember what I'm doing here. Though I must be the Serena he's searching for.

He won't find me here. It's only darkness.
"Please don't leave me. You promised. Please don't leave me," The voice calls over and over again.

I don't remember promising anyone anything. This being is very persistent.
I sigh, the sound echoing forever in my infinite space.
I had a choice to make. I knew the path I wanted to take. To disappear would be so easy, I'm so close to a peaceful eternity of nothingness.

But that voice continues, pained. If he would just jump into this hole, his pain would go away too. It would be selfish of me to leave him. Especially when he thinks I promised him something.

"Come on Serena," A more persistent voice calls. His voice is louder, like surround sound, "You're stronger than this."

I try to move, but I'm not a physical being.

"Please. Don't give up. I love you. I can't do this without you," The sadder voice calls.

That tugs the string on my heart.
My heart?
I search for it and find a small physical piece of myself, attached to a thin string.
I drift along the wire that leads to that voice. Emotions reach for me as I continue, making me want to turn back. But that voice is waiting for me. That voice needs me.

Pain.
Fear.
Joy.
Love.

Each one hits me with a force that could break a soul apart, but I endure. Why would anyone choose this?
A door slams behind me. I turn, willing it to open, but it's closed indefinitely, locking me out of the safe darkness.
I cry out, making a loud noise that rings in my brain.
A bright light shines into my face ahead, so bright it burns me.
I don't want this! I want to go back!

Looking down I find myself attached to a body, the string of my heart embedded in its chest.

"Breathe."

I'm pulled so violently I don't have time to react.

-

I try not to move as air rushes into heavy lungs. I ache, I ache all over.

"That's it," The raspy voice comforts, "Good girl."
"Thank god," The voice that had been calling me cries.

A warm hand caresses my cheek. My eyes stay closed, I can't think straight.

"Is she....?" The voice I needed to save asks.

"Give her some space Kai," The gruff voice chides, "She died. She's placing her memories back together. But you saved her. She came back because she heard you. She's not sure who she is yet."

Died? I died? Kai.

Smack.
The memories hit me like a nuclear bomb. It was painful to remember everything at once.