The In-Between (Book 1 - Death, Demons and Mere Mortals)

Chapter TWENTY-TWO - The Defining Line

The sun began to fall, the darkness creeping across the sky like black ink spilling onto a blank page. They sat and rested their feet, Blake stayed standing with his feet bouncing in the dirt. Emma ripped open her snack bar while Jen sat beside her drinking from her water bottle. They didn't know how long they'd be, so they preserved what they had.

Not a single one of them dared to ask what would happen if they couldn't find it. If it wasn't there. But the thought drifted into all of their minds. Emma slapped her hands on her thighs, the sound like thunder within the silence. They began their walk again, still able to see the peak instead of looking down from it.

As soon as they passed a certain point, it was like they entered a new world. The sun was gone, the clouds hung low holding water that they were keen to unleash. The air became icy and Emma needed her jacket back from Blake's bag. Luckily, her jacket, while thin, was long and wrapped around almost her whole body.

The muddy brown ground gradually turned white and a shiver danced teasingly down Emma's spine as the gleam pierced her eyes. She sucked the air in, holding in it in her lungs for a moment before releasing it. She nodded to herself, pushing on and staying strong. The snow was thin at first, melting as it landed. As they continued on, it thickened and built up higher over their shoes.

Darkness swooped in like a crow, it followed them and pulled them in. They felt more alone than ever. The wind came down with force, pushing hard against them like a shield.

'We're almost there!' Jen screamed over her shoulder, her voice carried by the wind to Emma and Blake who found it hard to breathe with the air slamming into her faces. They nodded, digging their feet into the ground and keeping their heads low. Blake felt his feet slipping, his body dropped, and his hands found the snowy ground. He pushed off hard, throwing himself back up and against the wind.

The cogs in Emma's head clattered and spun, she raised a hand to shield her face as she looked up to Jen's back. The wind seemed wrong. She had never felt anything like this. It was as if they were caught in a hurricane. She turned to see Blake, his hands covered in dirt and specks of snow. Her neck clicked as she brought her head back around.

'Look out!' Jen screeched, the wind howled after her words and Emma's head snapped up. A giant boulder rolled and crashed down the hill towards them. It was massive and jagged, bouncing off the ground and smashing back down as it hurled down with rage, shaking the ground as it tumbled with immense speed.

Emma spun on her heel, the wind shoving her slightly as she grabbed the strap of Blake's bag and threw him to the ground with her following after him. The snow looked like a soft bed but as Emma landed, rocks and twigs dug into her shoulder, a sharp point digging itself into her ribcage. She let out a wail of pain that was drowned out by the raging wind.

The rock crashed down on their footprints in the snow, hammering past them with force as Blake watched it with wide eyes. The backpack had softened the blow of the landing, but he could sense Emma's pain. He looked up the path, sighing in relief to see that it was clear. He stood to his feet, shoving his heels deep into the dirt. He helped Emma up, her body slumped as she pressed a hand against her ribcage. Her face was twisted in agony, the ache in her side pulsating.

Emma's head spun, swivelling like an owl as she found Jen. The girl was laying on the ground ahead of them, her hands squeezing her leg tight. Emma's eyes widened and the dull pound in her ribcage was forgotten when she caught sight of the thick, rosy liquid seeping to the ground. Emma lunged, grunting as she moved against the blast of air.

Jen was groaning, tears trickling down her cheeks much like the blood dribbling between her clenched fingers. Emma dropped to her knees beside her.