Lost in Reality [pokémon Ranger Fanfiction]

Chapter 9

A pressure snapped around Kate's ankle. Kate's stomach lunged down into her throat, sweat dripping into the emptiness.

She tilted her head up as the strained grunts reached her ears.

"Keith, let go," she whispered. Her voice was hoarse as her husband struggled. Half of his body was already slipping off. Sweat dripped from his nose to hiss beside Kate's ear. His biceps quivered as she slipped slowly out. "Kieth, I said let go! If you don't we'll both fall!"

"No!" Keith shouted. He shook his head over and over. The stone beneath him crackles and flaked down, struggling to support the weight. Each crack of the earth rattled in Kate's head as she saw Kieth die. Over and over it played in her mind. Each nightmare she watched him die or killed him herself. Blood painted over her eyes as she screamed at him to let her fall away.

Cresselia didn't let up her ambush as spirals of raw energy flew over Keith's head. The attacks licked at his hair and over and over Kate imagined the attacks taking off his head. Kate couldn't stand it. So she began to writhe around, her leg flailing to get Keith to release.

Keith's grit his teeth with each heave, "Arceus Dammit, Kate! Stop squirming!"

"Just let me fall!"

A smirk split across his face. A bead of sweat broke down his forehead as he said, "It's my turn to save ya'." His arm swung her once, twice. 

Three times. She was up in the air.

Kate's expression shattered as her finger grasped the ledge. Her glazed eyes watched as Keith slipped passed. His lips shaping into the words, "I love you". He used his weight to counteract and throw her up to reach the surface.

She didn't know what else to do but scream. Wordless noise crackling her throat as he thumped down at the bottom. A small voice told her to let go. To join him.

No, no, no, no, shut up!

Her arms trembled in an attempt to lift her back up. It told her she was a waste, destroying others potential.

That's not true!

Tears that seemed to flow so freely fell against the grey brick bridge as she found herself on all fours. Kate's entire body shook as she was finally on solid ground. This was her fault. All her fault. She should just stop. She should've fallen. She should be dead.

No. Better.

She shouldn't have existed in the first place.

Kate tore her fingers into her scalp and pulled out strands of hair by the root. The shouting thoughts of darkness corroded her insides. Death would just feel so much better than this migraine in her head. Her head. Her head. Her head. Her head.

Get out of her head!

Kate's chest crushed and contracted. As if her ribs were made of lead. They pulled closer and closer to the Earth and her heart throbbed. Her breathing slowed. The situation running into a game in her brain.

She looked up with a sort of tilted smile, "This is a dream. It has to be." Kate erupted into laughter. Tears continued to drip down her chin, but the manic grin stayed plastered on. "Come on, time to wake up now!"

Still, it all remained.

"Wake up!"

"I will wake up!"

But Kate's pleas weren't answered. She shook her head and slammed her fist against her shoulder. Over and over. Dark bruises formed within seconds, "Wake up, wake up, wake up, come on, time to wake up!" But nothing changed as she continued to hurt herself.