Needledrop

26

Her

Wynnona

I run until I can't anymore. I collapse to the ground, crying out as I push myself into a sitting position, gasping from pain and for air. I bring one of my dirty, shaking, cold hands to my shirt. I pull it up, watching as the black veins spread up my muscled stomach slowly the highest one reaches the bottom of my rib cage, all of them radiating from my left hip.

"Shit." Giovanni curses as he looks at them too, helping me to my feet with a new urgency. "We have to find some cover." He lifts me up into his arms like a bride, carrying me into a slim pathway. I feel the ground shake as he sets me down, grabbing my water bottle for me. I take a long, slow drink noticing that all the water in it is almost gone. "So, mama dragon found us, can you walk?" I study his worried, dirt and sweat covered face. "Come on, this is the last stretch, a couple more kilometers and we'll be home free." He grabs my arms, eyes desperate for me to be okay. I lean my head out the corner, seeing a straight b-line to the exit with multiple exits into the maze on either side.

"I'll buy you time." I tell him, voice hoarse and raspy.

"What?" He asks, confusion taking over his face. I grab his blaster which has two shots left in it.

"Go." I pull my necklace of different pendants from my neck, putting it in his hand. "Give that to Athena. Tell her I love her. And that I'm sorry I couldn't make it back to her." I push his shoulder, pushing in towards the exit. "Now go you idiot." He stands, walking to the exit and leaving. I hold back tears as I gasp for air, gulping down another breath. Silence fills the area and I imagine all the things I can never have with Athena. I am going to die here. I look up from my feet to see my Papa and Dad standing before me.

"Hi sweetheart." Papa says with a wide smile on his face, reaching out to hold my hands. They both kneel before me as I cry harder, tossing my arms around the both of them. "Your father and I are so proud of who you've become." He tells me, holding me close. Dad warps us both in his arms from the side, kissing both of our foreheads.

"You seem to have fallen for quite the woman." Dad complements. "A goddess no less." I elbow him in the stomach softly.

"We love you so much sweetheart." Papa smiles at me as he pulls away. "But this is not your time to die. Get up."

"You're strong enough to get through this Wynnona." Dad says as he pulls Papa away from me.

"Wynnona!" Giovanni's voice rings in my ears as I turn to look at him. He grabs my hands, putting my necklace back around my neck.

"I told you to go." I scold him.

"And as your older brother I said fuck that." He smiles at me. "Now get up. Athena would be ashamed of you for this." He tugs lightly on my arms. "And she'd kill me for leaving you." I glare playfully at him.

"I'm going to kill you." He smiles at me as I fight to stand, wrapping my arm around his neck and leaning me weight into him. He wraps his arm around my waist, running as fast as we can with my body in the condition it's in. I grit my teeth as pain ripples up me but fight it in favour of getting back to Athena and everyone else.

"Mama's coming." He whispers to me as we rush to the exit. We are a couple meters from the exit when the mother dragon jumps in front of us, roaring in our faces.

"Wynnona!" I hear Athena's shrill voice scream.

"Through the legs now." I shout to Giovanni over the whipping wind and roars of the dragon. He doesn't question, likely spotting Jake standing beside Athena. We charge forward as best we can, just missing the snapping jaws of the dragon. We plow through the exit, stepping a couple feet away before collapsing to the ground.