𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐘 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄

ᴇɪɢʜᴛʏ - ᴏɴᴇ

AT THE SAME TIME:
𝗜saac's breath hitched in the back of his throat as he grabbed onto the collar of Mason's shirt, tugging him into his body, narrowly missing a chunk of ceiling. His back slammed into the few remaining walls, asphyxiating him with pain as his vest moved an inch in the process, reopening and splitting his wound at the same time.

Mason's hands landed on either side of his face, just above his shoulders. His head hung loosely on his neck as he leaned into him, barely able to keep himself on two feet. The blue eyes he'd gotten so used to over the course of their childhood were on the brink of completely fading in front of him and there was absolutely nothing more he could do other than attempt to get him outside.

"G-go w-without me," he croaked, "I'm j-just slowing y-you d-down."

"No you're not—shut up," Isaac hissed back.

Grabbing a hold of his left arm, he looped it around the length of his shoulders and tugged him up an inch off the ground, allowing him to use him as an anchor if it meant he continued walking. The building around them was settling into a large pile of dust—the bombs had decimated the entirety of the area in which they came from, coming for them next.

"Don't d-die on my b-behalf," Mason cried out, "L-live while y-you're able!"

"I'm living right now, aren't I?"

Isaac put another step in front of the other, ignoring the burning pain underneath the tightness of his vest, and trekked along, carrying his best friend with him. Each step was a step into the dark—a tile of forbidden intrigue, not knowing if their body weights were going to force the lining to crumble underneath them, or if they would be granted fair passage.

Hoisting more of Mason's burden across himself, feeling the inevitable dragging of his feet, he marched forward, seeing the only escape route left for the two of them. He was fairly certain they had left the East end of the building where everyone else had been and were now on the South, but each direction should be supported on large beams, propping the building out of the lake surrounding half of it.

If that deduction was right—he could smash through that window and jump out, taking Mason with him and to the safety of a hospital. If he could just get a few more inches—

At that moment, the conscious stream running in Mason's brain, the one that kept him alert and alive enough to walk on his own two feet, collapsed. Isaac let out a yelp as he kneeled to the ground in time to catch his cold body, not wanting more damage to be done.

His eyes fluttered, lost between wanting to close and stay open.

"Mason—c'mon, buddy, we're almost there."

"I can f-feel it, Z-Zac."

"Feel what?"

"Th-the bullet," he whispered, "I'm a-a lost c-cause."