Beyond The Sea Blue Light

A Million Waves In The Ocean Crash At Once

The sun beats down on us as we make our way through the forest. A bird chirps in the distance, but other than that, silence falls over the forest, the laziness of the summer afternoon lulling the woods into peacefulness. The heat of summer hangs in the air, the humidity making our shirts stick to our skin as we climb up the steep rocky slope. I want to sneak a glance back at him as I tug him forward but I'm almost afraid that if I do, he will be gone. I almost laugh at my absurdity. I'm acting as if we are the star-crossed lovers Orpheus and Eurydice, who led each other away from death and toward life, only to lose each other at the very end. But I'm determined to not make the same mistake, no matter how foolish it seems. He's alive, I can feel his hand in mine, but I'm still terrified that if I look back, he'll be gone.

"Where are we going?" Vic asks for the millionth time, the sound of his voice soothing my nerves.

I shrug, not bothering to answer as I jump to the next rock, gravel skidding down the slope from under my sneaker. We keep climbing, the slope growing steeper and steeper as we wind through the trees.

The woods start to open up in front of us, the blue sky visible above us. There's not a cloud in the baby blue sky, just the sun shining brightly above us. I let go of Vic's hand as I climb up the last stretch of rocky slope, pulling myself up the last few yards as I get to the top of the mountain.

Vic climbs up beside me after a moment. "Wow," he says, taking in the view. I can't help but smile at his reaction. It really is breathtaking.

I feel like I'm at the top of the world, like a bird soaring over the vast expanse of wilderness. Trees stretch in every direction for as long as I can see, the green foliage covering every inch of the ground. In the distance, I can see the glistening blue of a river, winding its way around the mountains it carved through. Rocky outcrops litter the slopes and peaks of the mountains here and there, just like the one we are standing on.

"Nice, huh?" I ask, skipping over to the edge of the peak. A rocky overhang juts out over the side, making a sort of makeshift bench. I let my legs dangle over the side as I take in the view. The breeze picks up around me, rushing through my hair and cooling me down.

He nods, but he looks preoccupied, staring into the distance, a slight crease on his forehead.

"What is it?" I ask, sliding my hand into his.

"In all the times I dreamed of you, I never thought I'd be free," he says. "I never thought I would be standing here with you." The thought that I still haven't told him that those weren't dreams nags me, but I push it away. In time, I will. I'll tell him, but now is not the time. Not when it's so peaceful out. If I close my eyes, I can imagine that it's just the two of us, that nothing else exists but him and me.

"What if we ran away?" Vic finally breaks the silence. I look over at him to see him watching me. "Just the two of us. Leave everything behind and disappear."

For a moment, I just want to take his offer. One simple word, and it would just be the two of us. Just disappear into the wilderness, forget about everything and anything that ever happened to the two of us. Who cares about the Facility and our powers? We could forget about all of it, about the fight that we have to lead, about the people we have to save. It'd be so much easier if we did. But I know we can't. There's too much at stake.

"We couldn't," I sigh. "There's too much we have to do."

"There's always going to be another threat," Vic says. "Another enemy we have to defeat. Another person intent on putting us six feet under the ground, just because we are different. There will never be peace."

"But if we don't try, we won't ever know," I counter, sliding my hand into his. He squeezes mine lightly. "Maybe there will be another threat, but we can keep trying, over and over again. We don't have to stop because it might never happen. What will we be if we just leave and let them win without putting up a fight?"

"I know," Vic sighs. "I know. After—it's just hard to believe that we can win."

"Don't give up hope," I say. I find myself echoing Frank's words from the conversation I heard between him and Gerard. "If we give up hope, then all really is lost. You said it yourself, hope was what kept you going, and it kept me going too. If we give up hope, we might as well just surrender now. Why bother fighting this war if we already know we are going to lose? What was the whole point of getting our freedom then?"

Vic smiles at me. "I know," he whispers, reaching over the brush my hair out of my eyes. "Kells, I know. And if that's what you believe, then I'll fight beside you until we do have peace. I promise I'll always have your back, no matter what you believe." I can't help but smile at his words as he tilts my chin up, kissing me lightly. I'm blushing furiously as I pull away, deciding to rest my head against his shoulder, content to spend the rest of eternity with him.