Crimson Rivers

Chapter 28

James is running, but he's not going to make it. Somehow, he knows this. Regulus is there, standing next to the river, waiting for James with his hand outstretched.

He keeps running anyway, closing the distance between them as fast as he can, his heart pounding and Regulus' name snatched from his lips, lost to the wind. He draws closer, and the hope starts to take root. Maybe he can make it; maybe he can grab Regulus' hand and pull him away from the water; maybe if he just runs faster, tries harder-

The river is in turmoil, bubbling and rocking in waves of blood, slapping along the sides of the ground and seeping out towards Regulus' feet. A hand raises up and claws into the ground, and then another joins it, and then another, and another... The hands snap out at grotesque angles, and James watches in horror-even while he sprints-as Hodge drags himself out of the river, followed closely by Peter.

Their eyes are dead, and their limbs move like dolls that have been broken, a horrible creaking and shuffling that makes them look like stop-motion corpses. James calls out to Regulus, trying to warn him, and he's close, so close...

Hodge and Peter's hands slip around Regulus' throat and chest, fingers digging in. Regulus doesn't scream; he just closes his eyes. James is right there, close enough to reach out and grab him, nearly managing to before a hook buries itself into his leg and yanks him back at the last second. His hand almost grazes Regulus', but it doesn't. It doesn't.

The pain in James' leg makes him cry out, but it takes the shape of Regulus' name as he's dragged back into the river by Hodge and Peter. Helplessly, James tries to crawl forward, determined to reach in and pull Regulus right back out, but the hook in his leg tugs harder.

When James scrambles to look at who is yanking him back, he chokes out a harsh sob to see Vanity at the other end, blood pouring out of her throat even as she holds the rope.

"Please," James begs. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, but I need to get to him. He's dying. I have to save him."

"You can't. You couldn't even save me," Vanity says, and the cannon sounds, making James jolt as he surges up with a deep gasp, shivering violently while scrambling around and trying to find his hatchet.

"-mes," filters through, a disjointed voice that warps in James' ears as his heart races, the oppressive darkness creating shapes and spots in front of his eyes.

Something touches his arm, and James immediately lashes out at it, somehow sure that the ghosts of those he's responsible for being dead have come to life to keep him from making it to that river. He has to get to the river. He won't let anything stop him, not even the solid mass that he slams his hands against, fighting with all his might to make it stop moving. Like Mulciber. What if it's Mulciber? Where's his fucking hatchet?

There's a grunt, then James finds himself flipped so quickly that he can't make sense of how it even happened. He's held down, legs wrapped tight around his knees and arms locked around his chest, keeping him from moving. Belligerent and hostile, James tries everything to get free, flailing and shouting and struggling with all that he has in him.

"James! James! James!" By the third shout, it registers that it's Sirius' voice in his ear. James goes still.

How is Sirius here? How did he-

Slowly, it comes to James in fractures. He can hear Sirius panting in his ear, and it takes him a long time to realize that Sirius is holding him from behind, trapping him in place. It takes even longer for the tension to slowly ease out of him, his confusion receding like the tide, finally pulling back to reveal the shore of reality.