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You dream of the night you and him shared as you sleep, the intimate moments, the lewd moments, the moments that made your heart ache. After you two had sex, he carried you to the bathroom and you both took a shower that lasted for what felt like hours. You can almost still feel his hand in between your legs as he cleaned you with a cloth, washed your hair, made you feel like you were a princess. The night felt surreal.
But those dreams are viciously ripped away as the sound of horrid coughing wakes you from your slumber, your old bed shaking as the large figure next to you doubles over the edge and gasps for his next breath. You shoot up, pushing the hot covers off of you as you stammer over to his side, trying to keep your balance.
"Bill?! Bill what's-oh my god." Your body freezes, blood running cold as he lets out as exhausted sigh, crimson running from one of his nostrils and pooling at his Cupid's bow. "How long have you been here?" You almost whisper, scared to even speak loudly as if your voice might break him. The silence is enough to drive you insane, and you waste no time jumping off of the bed and wrapping the white throw blanket that lies on top of your comforters around him, trying to haul him up by hooking your hands underneath his arms.
"Come on, we need to get you to the lake, you've been on land for too long." You feel the tears in the back of your throat, burning your eyes. "I'm ok-" a gravely cough sounds through his chest, thick blood spraying from his mouth before it dribbles down his chin. "Oh my god, this isn't happening." You say to yourself in shock, panicked and terrified as you help him to your bedroom door and open it with one of your legs; nearly tripping in the process.
Everything is a blur at this point, you can't see or hear anything but him. Him. You have to get him to the lake, no matter how heavy he is or how horrible his voice sounds is as he speaks. You have to ignore it and push forward, because his life depends on it. You can't believe this is really happening, that it all happens so fast.
Before you know it you're in the dark and thick woods, the briers and thorns piercing through the skin of your feet and making your steps painful; but you don't care, you can't even focus on that. His body feels heavier by the second, and you have to look over just to make sure he stays awake. "Keep your eyes open Bill, I know it hurts but stay with me ok?" Tears have already spilled from your eyes, and he swallows hard, looking down at you as you stammer to get him to the body of water up ahead. His heart swells, both from pain and adoration.
"We are almost there." You strain, readjusting your grip on his firm side as he slumps against you more and more. The lake is only a few feet ahead, you can smell the grass and plants and hear the running sound of the waterfall, you can practically feel the water at this point. You're almost there, the wet moss soothing the cuts on your feet, and you try to hold onto the idea that the lake you are so familiar will be your refuge, saving you from the dark and unthinkable because it's been your safe place for as long as you can remember.
