The Soulmate Curse

CEDAR (for protection) - Part 3

Finn's dreams were invaded by vivid, scary images of rabbits and flames and frightening screeches of trees scraping against metal. The silhouette of tree branches reaching out to wrap around her. Zhen's face, full of worry and concern. Rivers of red. The deep scent of wet earth. Being stuck in the confines of a tiny capsule floating away from the moon. The moon. Bright, white. The grey landscape getting brighter and brighter and brighter. Burning her eyes, which she couldn't shield...

"Finn! Wake up! Wake up!"

Finn groaned as she came to. She tried to raise her head but was hit by a wave of vertigo that kept her down. Her stomach revolted against her and clenched painfully. She was so tired. And soaking wet. Wait, what? Boom! Finn was jolted awake by a loud crash that sounded close enough to taste. Rain was pouring down in sheets around them. The clearing was flooding. If she didn't get up, she was going to drown. Zhen was already pulling her to her feet.

"We have to go!" Zhen was shouting through the noise.

It sounded like the forest was crashing down and falling apart all around them. Zhen held Finn against her shoulder, and they hobbled away trying to slowly find a way through the punishing weight of the water pelting them. They couldn't see past a foot ahead of them, but Zhen kept on walking, using Finn's pen light to guide them. She was seeking higher ground. They slipped and slid, but Zhen always made certain that she'd hit the ground first when they did, always cushioning Finn's fall. After a few minutes, the rain let up. It wasn't by much, but it was enough to let them see the large overhanging boulders above them.

"There might be a cave up there!" Zhen screamed through the roaring rain.

Finn nodded. She felt a shot of adrenaline pulse through her at the prospect of finding shelter from the storm. The boulders weren't as close as they'd thought, but it was hard to tell through the gloom. Or maybe it was because they were moving so slow, trying not to slip in the rivulets of water coming down the slope. Finally, after what seemed like hours, they reached the boulders. Zhen took a moment to rest. She wrapped herself around Finn, but Finn still felt the cold slip into her bones. She started shivering.

"Hold on Finn, we're almost there," said Zhen.

They continued walking. The rain came back, more vicious than before. The wall of water stung as it hit Finn. Every part of her body felt like it was slowly turning numb, pins and needles painfully spreading from the edge of her limbs. Still, she put one foot in front of the other following Zhen's cadence and care. Suddenly, the ground beneath them gave way. In the gloom and sheets of blinding rain, they hadn't noticed that they were walking along the edge of a ditch. The soaked-through soil of the ditch's edge fell apart under their weight and the weight of the water coming down.

Finn rolled down the ditch. She was quickly swathed in mud, water, and pebbles, with some of the stuff pouring into her mouth as she tried to scream. It felt like forever before she hit the ground. Everything hurt. She slowly stood up, the rainwater washing away the grit and clay from her face and her clothes. She looked around and tried to get her bearings. It was dark, but she saw the pinprick of light a few feet away from her. Her penlight. She made her way towards it.

"Zhen," she yelled, kneeling beside her friend.

Zhen groaned and sat up. She guided the light of the penlight to Finn's face. Finn turned away at the bright light burning her eyes.

"Finn! Are you okay?" screamed Zhen.

"I'm fine! You?" Finn yelled back.

Zhen nodded in the little light. Finn stood up, cold, miserable and ready to leave this wretched place. Zhen stood up and moved a step before her left leg collapsed under her. Finn heard the string of cusses through the rain and thunder. She fell to her knees again next to Zhen.