Whump And Stuff

My Love

I fought off the last of them. Four people on the ground, the people who attacked us. I check my wrist. Two minutes left.

Person A breaks my train of thought, I hear them shuffling on the ground and run over to help them up. We both examine each other desperately, only a few bruises. I was able to keep her safe. We take a moment to hug, her stable breathing is a heavenly symphony in my mind. I expected worse. Her sigh of relief makes me think she felt the same.

We pick up our stuff and resume our trek, it's only down to the two of us. We don't speak. We know what happens now. It's better that we solve this when we get to our destination, if it's still "we" after this. One minute.

I survey her face as we walk. I always saw her as a beautiful person, but something about the situation makes her breathtaking. For once, she looks relaxed. In her bubble, things are safe - she knows I won't hurt her. I would rather die than lay a hand on her. It hurts me deeply knowing I will cause her pain. But for now, seeing her alive is worth the price I will pay.

The aches. It's time.

Our destination is within eyesight. I could probably make it. Just tough it out a little longer.

The dull feeling, this ache I mentioned, it begins under my lungs. My hands start to shake. I keep going.

We're walking up the hill, leading us back to the start of it all. My love, so calm, she doesn't notice a thing. I stay a few steps behind her.

The aches spread throughout my system like the waves of a rogue stone in a dormant lake. My body feels like the center of an injection site. My fingertips brush my side as I instinctively check for my weapon, it stings. They're colder than before, sharper than before. Keep going.

Oh, my love. If only you knew how this will end. The thought of seeing her cry outranks my concern for my ailment. I hope that she'll remember me after all this has passed.

I conquered the hill. The destination is a few minute's walk. All that remains is open space, a field of dying grasses and weeds. The wildflowers are stained with blood.

The origin of my aches has evolved from a dull pulse to that of a sinkhole. My waist feels as though it's caving in, a black hole is sucking away at my inner being. My arms feel like they're giving up on themselves, they slump to my sides. My hands grasp the weight of two imaginary crates, each containing the energy that kept me going after sleeping on the ground every night. My feet start to feel the same, the pacing slows to more of a lugging than a stepping.

Person A turns around to check on me, my heart drops as her face molds into that of concern. She takes my hand and intertwines it with hers. "You must be tired from fighting."

I can't just speak at this point. I know without a doubt I'll sound pained. My only response is a quick nod. I don't want her to know yet.

A wave of fatigue hits me like a sack of rocks. My lungs clench and relax repeatedly. I let out a series of heavy coughs, my grip on her tightens. I don't want to slip away. My feeling shuts down in stages, starting from my feet and working it's way up.

My heart is pounding in my ears, my hands are trembling, my brain is screaming complete nonsense. My legs give out and I drop to the side, whatever impact I received on my ribs is tuned out by weight and echoing. My love, she starts to panic, but all I perceive is noise. Nothing from her. Are you scared, Person A? So am I. Don't give in to the idea of being alone.

The noise stops, this hallucination draws to a halt. I'm back to dull, but I can't move a thing. My limbs feel weak, like they have bags of flour resting on them. I can't hear my heart, but I can feel it. It's slow, it's soft.

My love, she's so afraid. Why would they make me do this? To put her in this dilemma. She would have been better off if the four dead men took me down with them, at least then it would have been sensible.

"They couldn't let the both of us win." I mutter. At this point, I only have the strength to talk to the sky. It's cloudy, it's going to rain soon. It would be a shame to get all wet.

I feel her hand cradle the back of my head, a wave of warmth radiates throughout my cold shoulders. Our other hands are still intertwined. I maintain my grip the best I can.

"No," My love's voice cracks under the pressure of her tears. "They can't do this to me." She sniffles. "Not now, when we're so close."

My eyes start to water, the weight of my eyelids forces tears out of the corners of them. My head and hands are all that still function. The field is getting duller, the calm sky gets darker with every new cloud, every blink.

I do what I can to stay conscious, my remaining energy is focused on looking at her eyes. They're not the bright emeralds I'm used to seeing. They're dark, they're erratic, and lost. I took their light, I was selfish and let the arena get me before the others did. For them to be the last thing I see is a reward I do not deserve.

"I don't think I can fix this." I whisper. There's so much I want to tell her, what twitching is left in my lungs ceases. The sadness I'm left with by the situation is too much for my body to take.

She forces a smile and gently kisses my forehead. Her voice is so shaken that her speech is barely audible. "You did so well." Her trying to keep back tears looks more painful than what I'm dealing with. "Don't worry about fixing anything."

I blink slowly and give her a soft smile.

Any remaining commotion inside me has gone silent. I'm not even aware of my limbs, my last physical feeling is the slight loosening of my grip on her hand. My hand, however, seems to have died without me. All I see is her, all I feel, all I hear, is her.

The clouds are practically black now. I feel a breeze pass through my eyelashes, it gently sways the stray hair from my love's face. I feel cold droplets on my cheeks, I'm not sure whether or not they're rain droplets or tears. My eyelids feel as heavy as my hands used to be, as if whoever put this toxin in me is trying to shut them closed, to get it over with.

My lungs finally fade from my senses, forcing a small mound of air up through my throat. It's evident that my time is drawing to a close. This breath can't go to waste.

"I love you." I manage to quietly mumble. I exhale, my vision leaving with my breath. I didn't have time to close my eyes before I lost my sense of them. All I saw was her.

It's dark, and empty. I hear a low weeping from afar. Did she step back? Did she run away?

It was me leaving. Neither of us had moved, but me, my energy. I was far from where I was. There was no body, no heartbeat, no weight.

I was gone.