"Ana? Ana!"
Her eyelashes started to twitch.
"Oh thank God..."
Elizabeth scooped her arms around her. Ana mumbled noises of returning
consciousness. This might be the warmest she had ever hugged Ana. It made her
feel like her soul was cracked.
Ana's eyes opened fully and turned darker. Fear? Hatred? She pushed Elizabeth off.
"What are you doing here?"
"You fell."
Ana slid her visor up. The scuff marks jammed. Eventually she gave up and threw
the helmet aside. Elizabeth saw her eyes clearly. Not fear or hatred. Distrust. Much
harder to erase. Elizabeth unclipped her helmet and placed it aside too. Ana was still
staring, brows furrowed.
"I... was following you," Elizabeth conceded.
"You still think of me as some fragile little girl, don't you?"
"No, I –"
She reached out to brush a strand of hair out of Ana's face but it was slapped away.
Elizabeth leant against the cave wall. Rough rock scratching at her skin. The
moisture cooled her, flesh going numb. Ana stood and kicked at her helmet lightly.
"Why did you have to do it?"
She spoke with a quiet forcefulness.
"I... I'm not good at this," Elizabeth said.
Ana waited.
"I've never felt about someone like this before. Brack was never... it was just fun. It
was different with you. It meant something. I'd never told anyone about burying my
blanket before. I'd never wanted to be with someone just to be with them. When
things stopped being perfect between us I couldn't take it. Brack was the old days.
When nothing was complicated and nothing hurt. I know it was a really, really shitty
thing to do. And honestly, if you'd done it to me, I'm not sure if I'd forgive you. But
I'm hoping you're a better person than me. Because I know you are."
Ana looked up with big, wet eyes. Elizabeth saw her own desperate reflection in the
welling tears.
"You thought we were perfect?" Ana asked.
Elizabeth couldn't speak. Her mouth was exhausted.
"I need a little time."
Elizabeth nodded.
Ana took a deep, unsteady inhale.
"You wanna keep the lead?" Elizabeth asked.
"I think you should take it again," Ana said.
"You're the one who found us this killer shortcut," Elizabeth said.
Ana handed Elizabeth back her helmet.
"Let's just see where it leads."
YOU ARE READING
Black Hole Heartbeat
Science FictionBlack Hole Heartbeat is Star Wars if the stormtroopers didn't miss all the time. Like Cowboy Bebop meets Butch and Sundance, or Guardians of the Galaxy in the style of Pulp Fiction. Self confessed thief of ill repute, Elizabeth Ranger, runs head fi...
