Nowhere boys: The Forgotten Element

Chapter 11

Jake's face was twisted into concentration. With half of his body hanging over the edge, he forced himself to concentrate on Natalia. All he had to do was hold on long enough to pull her back up. Already his arm was aching, threatening to give in, but still he refused.

"Hold on." He strained, reassuring himself more than anything.

"Jake, don't let go."

Shaking his head, he locked eyes with her.

"Never. I'd never let you go."

Throwing a quick glance over his shoulder, he called back to the others.

"Help me." He pleaded.

"I don't think so." Alice spoke up.

Her interruption was followed by a cracking as Felix, Sam and Ellen were restrained, ice growing around their feet, keeping them in place. Knowing that appealing to her was useless, Jake turned back, focusing his attention on Natalia.

"Don't worry. I'm going to get you out." He reassured her.

Carefully, making sure not to hurt her, Jake bent his arm, bringing her closer to the surface. He slowly brought her closer to the edge, straining from the effort of pulling her up. Just when she was seconds from reach, Jake cried out and dropped his arm.

"Are you ok?" He called down to her, the concern strong in his tone.

"Yeah." She replied softly, a few tears escaping her eyes.

She knew she was going to die. It was clear that Jake didn't have enough strength to pull her up, and Alice wouldn't relent.
Jake grunted, the effort of keeping his balance and grip firm on Natalia taking a toll on him. He could feel his strength was draining rapidly, yet still he held on.

"I'm sorry, I can't get you up far enough."

Natalia let out a sad chuckle.

"Jake, it's ok." She whispered.

"No! No, it's not ok. I won't let you go." He protested, fighting hard to keep his voice steady.

He wouldn't break down now. Not when Natalia needed him the most.

"You have to. You're getting weaker, you can't keep this up."

"I am not letting you die." He argued.

He had already lost Andy and Saskia; he wouldn't lose Natalia. Not now.

"Jake please."

Ignoring her, Jake looked around, desperate to find something. Finally, his eyes came to rest on Phoebe. He knew it was hopeless; she would only side with Alice. Why should she help a stranger? Why would she choose him over her own sister? Yet, he still tried, allowing his desperation to take over.

"Phoebe. Please. Don't let this happen. Phoebe, please help me." He begged.

Unable to talk, Phoebe took a step back, shaking her head. Her heart ached. She didn't want to be responsible for Natalia's death, she knew she needed to help, yet she couldn't go against her sister. From what she had seen, Alice was powerful, and she dreaded what would happen if she sided against her. As Phoebe stepped away, Jake let out a grunt of frustration. Once again returning his gaze to Natalia's face, he focused on the tears trickling from her eyes.

"Hey, don't cry. I won't give up. I'll get you out, I promise."

Jake tried desperately to console her. Reaching his other arm down, he grabbed hold of her free hand.

"Jake. Please just let me go."

"No! How dare you say that. You expect me to just give up on you? You don't think I will fight for you, to keep you safe, after everything that's happened?"

She could feel the anger rolling off him, frustration mixing with desperation. Hot tears slipped from his eyes as he held on.

"Jake, it's not like that, please." Natalia began, her voice trembling. "I don't want you to ever give up on me. But you have to. You'll kill yourself if you don't."

"No! I told you; I'm not letting you go." He seethed in defiance.

As she hung there, suspended over a bottomless void, she could feel her hand slipping, her grip slowly loosening.

"Jake." She gasped. "Jake, I'm slipping."

A grimace flashed on her face. As she struggled to hold on, she could feel her heart racing, the fear of the fall clouding her mind. She was numb, unable to feel anything other than the terror of dying.

"No, just hold on. Please."

Jake's voice faltered as he  forced out the last word.
He ignored the tears streaming down his face.

"Talia, please. I need you." He whispered, screwing his eyes shut.

"I can't. Jake."  She whimpered in reply as she slipped further from his grip.

"Talia. I'll never forget you." Jake sobbed.

The last of her grip failed. She let out her last scream, falling once again, with no hope of surviving anymore. She watched as Jake's face screwed up, crumpling with grief. His sobs sounded loud in her ears as she fell. It took a few seconds for Jake to disappear over the edge of the pit, no longer able to bear the pain of watching her fall. A frustrated scream left his lips as he curled up into himself. He had lost yet another person due to Alice's cruelty. The only difference this time was he was to blame. If he hadn't had lost control of his powers, there would have been no pit for Natalia to fall into. Alice may have been the one to throw her in, but so far as he was concerned, he was the one who killed her. He was the only one who was responsible.

The ice around Felix, Sam and Ellen's feet melted, leaving behind a puddle soaking into the grass. Once he was free, Sam ran over to Jake, pulling him into a comforting hug. Jake accepted, too weak to resist. As Sam's arms encircled him, he sobbed, unable to do anything but wallow in his grief. He didn't know how long he sat like that, encased in Sam's arms, but if felt like an eternity.

He was finally pulled out of his stupor when a sudden boom resonated through the air, the ground trembling in response. Through blurry vision, he glanced towards Felix and Ellen who shared a look of shock.

"It came from the pit." Sam said.

Felix nodded as Jake turned his attention back to the pit. Fear and dread washed over his as he laid eyes on the scene.

Natalia had emerged from the pit, carried by a wave of shimmery blue dust. Seemingly unconscious, her limp body hovered over the ground before landing softly on the grass. The blue hue surrounded her, enveloping her in a gentle glow, protecting her from harm. Stirring softly, she began to wake up. Glancing around, she took in the stunned expressions of Felix, Ellen, and Sam. As her eyes connected with Jake's she felt a rush of relief. Although his eyes conveyed his confusion and fear, she knew he was happy to see her alive. Turning her attention to Alice, she revelled in the terror written on her face.

"Impossible!" She exclaimed quietly.

"What happened? How did you do that?" Jake questioned, his voice raw from crying.

"She's more powerful than any of us. I underestimated just how much." Alice answered.

Standing up, Natalia forced her trembling legs to hold her up.

"I am. You tried to kill me. More than once. But you forgot one thing about me. I have the magic of nature in me. No matter how hard you try to destroy it, nature always fights back, finding new ways to survive. You underestimated me, and that will be your downfall." Natalia announced.

He hands shot out towards Alice, sending out a blast of raw magic hurtling towards her. Hitting her full force, the blast threw Alice back, knocking her to the ground.

Taking her chance, she made her way over to Jake, stumbling into his arms.

"We have to go. Now, while we still can." She urged, with Felix nodding in agreement.

"Run!" He shouted, rushing out of the garden, swiftly followed by the others.