Lost

Chapter 12

Thora was shaken awake the next morning. Laying on her back, she cracked open her eyes, expecting to see the watery gray-pink of the morning sky and was met instead with Luther's panic-stricken face.
Thora sat up, eyebrows furrowed. "What is it?" she asked, her brain not working quite right in the early morning. She rubbed at her eyes.
Luther licked his lips, sitting back on his heels nervously. By now, Fisher had woken up as well, propping himself up on his elbow, staring at the tall boy.
"My boyfriend's missing." He swallowed deeply, glancing around as if expecting him to appear out of thin air right in front of him.
She sat up fully now. "Anakin?" she asked, making sure that she was thinking of the right person and he nodded. "For how long?"
Luther rubbed his hands together. "Since last night. He went off to check out the holes," he nodded his head in the direction of the desert. "He should be back by now but... I think he fell-"
Thora put her hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eyes. "I'll find him, okay?" She untangled herself from Fisher's legs and the sleeping bag and got to her feet.
Grabbing her bag first- she had a feeling she'd need it- she followed Luther to the first of the massive holes, staring down into the dark depths, keeping a safe distance from the edge. For some reason, she knew the pit was deep, and being up high when you couldn't see the bottom made her queasy. She gulped and took another step back.
She turned. "Fisher, tie one of the ropes from the dropship to a sturdy tree and then throw it over." He didn't look happy about it but he did what she told him.
She watched from afar as he dug through his backpack for one of the long, thick ropes. Finally, he pulled one out and walked to the tree closest to the hole. Tying it tight, he tossed it to her with a thumbs up.
Luther paced around the edge of the hole, staring down in hopes that Anakin would suddenly call out.
She took the rope in her hand and leaned against it, testing to make sure it would hold her weight. She'd prefer to climb the distance down, not fall.
Fisher jogged over to them, coming to a stop at her side By now, a small crowd had gathered. Anyone who was awake was congregating around them.
Luther stepped forward. "I'll go first," he said, reaching for the rope in her hands. She shook her head.
"I think it would be best if you stayed up here." His jaw tightened.
"He's my boyfriend!"
"That's the point. I think your emotions might get the best of you down there," she explained calmly. He scowled heavily but didn't argue. Luther knew she was right.
"Then I'll go first," Fisher said and she placed a hand on his chest.
"You're not going, either."
"What?" he scoffed, making another grab for the rope. She pulled it just out of his reach.
She took a step closer to him so only he would hear her words. "In case something happens to me-" He wiped at his nose so she backtracked. "Not that it will, but I need someone who knows how to get people to listen to them. Okay?" He did nothing for a moment before nodding stubbornly with a roll of his eyes.
"Well, I'm not letting you go alone," he said in one last act of defiance.
"I'll go," Aeryn said, pushing through the crowd, her face set grimly, Kenji in tow. Even so, she looked perfect, even after hiking for a day and not having a proper shower or bath in over two months. Her blonde hair tied up in a neat, elegant bun and she managed to make the pants and jacket of their outfit look stylish.
With a sigh, Fisher nodded begrudgingly. His argument no longer stood.
"Aeryn, if you're not up for this, I'm fine going alone," Thora lied. Aeryn laughed nervously.
"And miss out on the fun? I don't think so."
Thora shifted her backpack until it was in a more comfortable position on her shoulder.
Kenji came forward, pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. "Stay safe," he said into her hair. She smiled before pulling away.
"Easy." She smirked, even though it was mostly out of fear.
Fisher was standing off to the side, looking sour with his arms folded across his chest. Thora took a step toward him, head cocked with a soft smile. She took his hand in hers and squeezed it gently.
"I'll be back soon. I can take care of myself, Fisher," she promised. He raised an eyebrow.
"Like the time you froze and almost got killed by a giant pink bird? Sure sounds like you can." She knew that sarcasm was his defense mechanism instead of showing that he was actually concerned about her so she didn't take the jab to heart.
Pressing a kiss to his cheek, she took a step back. She didn't think an flamboyant public display of affection was right at the moment, especially with Luther looking so crushed right behind them.
"Alright, Aeryn." She smirked. "I'll go first." She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding in, gripping the rope in her hands. She placed her feet on the edge and slowly lowered herself down. One foot, then the other. One hand, then the other, she plunged deeper into the dark.

Ok, wow! 100 reads!! Thank you so much!! Honestly, I didn't expect to get here so quickly so, once again, thank you so much!