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𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙀𝙍 𝙏𝙒𝙀𝙉𝙏𝙔-𝙊𝙉𝙀 —𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸—
𝙄 𝘿𝙊𝙉'𝙏 𝙈𝙊𝙑𝙀 from my spot over Aspen as River places a comforting hand on my shoulder, his worried eyes placed on the wound that rested on my side— one that I could no longer feel pain from.
"We need to go," River says lowly, as if saying it too loud would surely break me. "We aren't safe here, and you definitely need to get help."
"From who?" I question, my eyes dry. By this time, I had already cried away all of my tears. "No one here cares about anyone or anything."
"Casey, I care about you. And so did Aspen." The boy sighs, slinging a backpack over his shoulder. "And whether you like it or not, I'm sure he'd want you to live through the night. I made a promise to keep you safe, and I don't plan on breaking it."
"I don't want to leave him," I murmer, shaking my head. "I don't care about dying. I'm not scared anymore."
"You will get up and move, if I have to drag you. You have to get help, Case."
"I don't want help."
"Suit yourself," he sighs, grabbing my axe and stuffing it into the other backpack. He layers the second over the first, before bending down and lifting me onto my feet without so much as an effort.
He steadies me, wrapping his arm around my waist as I place mine over his shoulder. Without another glance at the bodies that lay on the ground limply, we move forward, searching for a new place to rest.
It's hard to move in the dark— but it makes it so much harder when the gash in my side begins to throb again. I wince as the pain returns, hitting me in a single wave.
"Stop," I say to River, reaching out to grip a random tree. "I can't— ouch."
"Sit down," he demands, tossing the backpacks aside as he grabs a flashlight. Shining the bright light on my shirt, I grit my teeth as I see the white bandage wrapped around my waist- something River had done while I was crying— has partially turned red and is soaked with blood. "Shit."
"I'm gonna die," I groan, sinking to the ground. "I'm losing too much blood in too little time."
"You're not going to die," River glares. "I'm here to ke—"
A small 'ding' sounds from overhead, cutting off River's current sentence. I squint my eyes, leaning forward slightly to see a parachute with a round silver container attached to the strings.
