Swan Song || The Lost Boys - & The One Who Found Them...

Chapter XVIII ~ ᛒ (Berkana) Part III - Cursed Be The Truth...

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No more questions were asked, no more words exchanged. I, despite being in excruciating pain & hardly able to grasp a proper thought because of it, already stood on both my feet again, granting my body a poor few seconds to adjust before I took right off in the direction of the entrance. I did everything in my power to conceal my suffering & the fact that every single step of mine meant pure torture for me, arms crossed tightly so Marko & Paul wouldn't see my quivering chest.

I wanted to run in order to reach Dwayne as fast as possible & rid myself of that awful feeling of uncertainty that was currently gnawing its way through my brain, however only a few steps were needed for me to realize that moving at all was already a challenge in itself. Soon it was no longer a stabbing pain that tormented each & every inch of my womb, but a relentlessly pulsating one that would have sent me straight to my knees again if it hadn't been for my imperturbable determination to keep on walking, past the fountain towards the gap between the rocks where - unless the sky was covered with clouds, which appeared to be the case right now - the moon would illuminate the barely ankle-deep water.

It was here that I acted completely out of instinct & leaned against the rock the second I got close enough, escaping a potential collapse as I felt its icy clutches reach for the back of my neck. For a moment I thought I was doomed to faint, but much to my surprise nothing happened. Although my mind was foggy & my vision distorted my body would not forsake me this time. At least not entirely... As the next wave of pain swept into the corners of my nervous system I let out a gasp, drawing air through clenched teeth; it was the best I could do to withhold a whimper or even a scream. Of course that was more than enough to not only earn a concerned look from either of the vampires, but also have them rush to my aid with hasty steps.

Paul was the first one to arrive by my side, instantly grasping my shoulders. He was probably afraid I would break down any second.
"Geez, little flower! Are you mad?? Why didn't you tell us that you were in pain?? "

" Calm down, Paul. It's nothing I can't handle... "

" Yeah, I can see how you're handlin' it. Tryin' not to die is one way I suppose...", he stated more or less sarcastically, a quick sideway glance in Marko's direction.
" Listen, you stay here. Marko & I will go outside & look after your boyfriend, got it?? We'll bring him with us, you got my word. With chocolate sprinkles on top ~ "

" Not a chance, " I breathed out before he could even wait for Marko's nod of approval & squeezed past him ever so boldly, my hands in the air to push his arm out of the way.
" I can take it. And even if I couldn't, I'd do it anyway. "

" Precious, there's no need to play the tough one right now. We can do this for you! "

Not that his words had any effect on me as I continued to make my way out of the cave, allowing Marko's voice to more & more fade into the background with each step. I could hear both of them follow me after a short yet fierce exchange of words, catching up with me once I reached the part of the cave in which Dwayne & I had been quite intimate with one another several hours ago.

" Which way, Marko? "

" That one, to the left. ", he replied from behind me & I peered over to a large chasm embedded in a literal collection of pyramid-shaped rocks, all thrust together in one place by what I assumed had once been a powerful storm from the seaside, now silently facing the pale spine of the cliff.
Behind it, several steps away from the entrance to the cave, my eyes captured Dwayne's tall silhouette in the pitch-black water which reached all the way up to his hips, quivering with tender waves. Dwayne himself was not moving at all, remained still just like the many rocks that surrounded him.