Beyond The Sea Blue Light

Is There Anybody Out There?

It's nearly dawn by the time Alex and Jack find me. I've been searching for him all day, my voice hoarse from screaming his name. There's no sign of anyone, no sign of life, even as I hunt through the woods. As I stumble through the last stretch of woods, I fall to my knees, resting my head in my hands. Exhaustion creeps through my limbs, weighing me down, but I push myself further. He can't have gone too far, right? He must be just around the next corner, just a few steps further.

The gunshot wound is mostly healed, but my shirt is completely soaked with blood. Mostly, shock just sinks through my veins. But he shot me. Vic shot me, just when I thought I had him back, and he ran. He went back to them. I know there's some logic behind it, but I'm too tired to think, my whole body numb as I stumble a few more steps, leaning against the nearest oak tree for support.

I don't even register the snapping of a stick before a hand touches my shoulder.

"Okay, I think that's enough," Jack says softly. "We're taking you home."

"No," I protest, struggling away from him. "I have to find him, I—"

"I told you," Alex groans. "Let's just grab him and go."

Jack rolls his eyes, but he finally nods. "Come on," he says. "We can search for him tomorrow."

I shake my head, moving to get away from them before I see a blur in front of me. I feel a prick on the side of my neck and something cold floods through my veins. I try to struggle and move away, but the world goes fuzzy around me before finally fading to darkness.

---

For once, I don't dream. There is nothing but soothing darkness behind my eyelids until I'm finally pulled awake.

Unsurprisingly, I'm in my room, lying tucked under the covers. I don't try to get up, I just lie there, trying to recall what happened. One moment, we were trying to escape, the next moment—Vic was there. And then he was gone and so were the guards.

I sit up so suddenly my vision spins and I find myself falling over. Still, I swing my legs off the bed, getting shakily to my feet. As soon as I open the door, I'm pushed backward as Alex and Jack block my way.

"I need to find him," I say stubbornly, trying to push past them.

"Oli and Craig are out looking for him right now," Jack says, eyeing me cautiously. "You need to rest."

"I'm fine," I argue, trying, and failing to get past them.

"You were just shot," Alex scoffs. "In what world are you fine?"

"I can heal," I snap, trying to shove past them again.

"You're not going to be of any use to him if we have to fight and you're still injured," Jack reasons. He has a point there, I have to admit, but I'm too bitter to think straight.

"He needs us," I yell, my voice rising. "And what are we doing? Trying to keep me trapped in here? For what?"

"He was my friend too, Kellin!" Alex shouts. "Look, I know you don't want to admit it, but you might have to come to terms with the fact that he's gone."

"Gone?" I splutter. "How?"

"You might have to admit," Jack says. "He's gone. Whatever they did to him, whoever that is, it's not the Vic we knew."

"What do you mean?" I ask, confused. Vic seemed normal, at least when I talked to him.

"You didn't see yourself," Jack says. "You passed out and we thought you were going to die." He gives an involuntary shudder. "Honestly, if we didn't knock him out, I don't think he was going to stop."

"He ran away," Alex says. "We have to move again. He knows where we were and now they know where we are."

"He left because he needed to save his family," I argue. "Not because he's with them. He told me."

Alex and Jack exchange a glance. I'm honestly getting sick of their silent conversations. What are they, telepaths?

"Then we need to find his family." The three of us look over to see Gerard standing by the door. "And then we will get Vic back."