Forgotten Ones

Forgotten Ones Chapter 2

Coughing and struggling to breathe, Arvad woke with a groan.  Slowly he rolled over and opened his eyes.  The complete darkness had him reaching up to feel his eyes.  Yes, they were open, but he was surrounded by blackness and dusty air.  Reaching up to his throbbing head, he felt a sticky substance. Closing his eyes again, he wanted to drift back into oblivion.  But his conscious kept telling him something.  Something needed him.  Or someone.  Suddenly, Arvad's mind was filled with images of a thin, blonde man.

Perry!  Arvad's mind screamed out his love's name.  His eyes popped open again, but still the inky blackness engulfed him.  Arvad slowed his breathing and laid still.  There, to his right, he could hear ragged breathing.  Reaching out, his hand bumped into the hip of the other man.   The material of Perry's pants started to rip when Arvad's grip tightened.  Letting go of the material, he ran his hand up until he felt the thicker material at the waistband.  He gripped the pants tightly as he rolled over to his knees.

Arvad groaned louder as the pain in his head grew.  Gritting his teeth, he scooted forward until he was beside Perry.  Coughing as the dust stirred up from his movement, Arvad pushed down the fear that his reason for living was dead.  Reaching out in the darkness, he laid his hand on Perry's back.  Crying out with joy when he felt the back under his hand rise and fall.  Perry was breathing.

"Perry, Perry-love," Arvad called out.  "Come on, love, wake up."  He didn't want to move him too much. He didn't know what injuries Perry had  sustained and didn't want to run the risk of making them worse.  Running his hands over the body he knew and loved so much, Arvad silently cursed the darkness.  When he didn't feel any obvious broken bones or injuries, he shook him a little harder.  "Perry.  I need you to wake up.  Come on, you can do it."

After what seemed like several eternities, Arvad felt Perry's breathing change.  "Come on.  Let me know you are alright."  He never heard a sound so beautiful as Perry coughing.  "I know, I know.  The air is full of dirt."

"You ok?" Perry mumbled.

Arvad wasn't sure either of them were really ok, but he assured his love that he was unharmed.  "I'm good."

"What happened?  I can't see anything!  Am I blind? What's happening?"

Arvad got to his knees and hurriedly crawled closer to Perry.  "Shhh, baby. You're not blind.  You're alright.  I think there was a cave-in.  That's why it's dark."  He could feel the tension rush out of Perry's body at his words.  "Just stay with me.  We'll be alright.  I promise.  We just need to get out of the cave."  He'd lied to Perry many times in the past, and he felt no shame in doing so again.  He didn't know if they'd be ok or if this would be their tomb.  But he knew he'd do anything to give his Perry peace of mind.

The darkness was suffocating as Arvad slowly crawled forward.  The pain in his head was making him dizzy. He wasn't sure which way the opening they had dived into was at so he chose a direction at random.  Moving his hands forward, his legs followed.  He could feel the tension on this pants as Perry moved forwarded without releasing his hold.  Sharp rocks bit and tore into Arvad's hands as he swept them in front of him to clear any obstacles, it was a distant pain as his head took center stage.   His hands could heal but another bump to his head could be devastating for them both.  Arvad stopped suddenly as the hold on his leg lessened.

"Perry, hold on!  Grab my pants!"  The only answer the tall, thin man heard was throat-aching coughing.  "Come on, love. Grab my pants and I'll lead you out of here.  As soon as we are out, we'll find water."  Arvad held his breath, then released it when he felt Perry grab ahold again.  He hoped he wouldn't have to keep talking to Perry; his head throbbed with each word spoken.