꧁𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒎꧂

○twelve○

●The first thing she noticed was that her lungs were burning. She opened her eyes but couldn't see anything clearly. The panic started to sit in when she noticed a horrible pain in her stomach. She reached and flinched at what felt like a deep stab wound. She didn't need anyone to tell her that she and her baby were dying.

Nayliä didn't know what was going on but she needed to find a way out wherever she was. She couldn't die here, not when her baby was still growing inside her.

Her limbs moved around violently as she tried her best to figure out where she was. Was she underwater? All around her there were loud creaks and slams and she jumped with each one.

Finally she made it to what seemed like an air bubble. She coughed and gasped for air. Her belly started to hurt even more and she could feel herself getting weak from the blood loss.

"No no no! I cannot die here, not with my child! Please great mother, don't take me with my child."

Her prayers went unanswered and she noticed she was losing her air pocket. If only she knew where to go then she wouldn't mind the breath hold. But she was lost. Her eyes were wide and terrified. She was deathly afraid. She couldn't remember the last time she felt such fear.

Tears fell from her eyes and she mentally started to apologize to her unborn child. She apologized to her mates and their children. She apologized to her sisters and brothers. Her nieces and nephews. She placed a hand to her stomach and hoped her touch somehow would soothe her child as they both passed.

She was about to give up all hope when she heard it.

"Nayliä? Nayliä!"

Her head whipped around frantically. She knew that voice!

"Jake! I'm over here!"

She fought against the water once more and tried to move closer to her husband's voice. She held her breath and took a peek under the water and she saw a small light. It was golden and moved quickly.

Her heart was racing when she dove towards it with her remaining strength. Hope filled her heart as she saw it was multiple fishes swimming together. That created a light source for her and she saw she was in some type of sky people's building? No, she was in water. It must be a ship.

She continued to follow them but something grabbed onto her leg and dragged her down. She tried her best to kick whoever it was away but they were strong.

Maybe it was because she was already exhausted and wounded but she wasn't able to put up a fight for long. Her lungs ached as she needed more air desperately.

The last thing she saw was a single golden fish swim to her and then nothing.

♡

Nayliä woke up with a sob and felt someone grabbing onto her leg. She yanked away from them and wrapped her arms around her stomach protectively. Even with her shaky sobs she bared her teeth and hissed at whoever touched her. Her eyes were wide with a certain unclarity. There were two people in front of her, a man and a woman.

Jake and Neytiri were peacefully sleeping when their mate started to cry in her sleep. Jake was the first to wake up and tried to shake her awake gently but she was stuck in whatever nightmare she was experiencing. Neytiri woke up next and grabbed onto her wife's leg when the woman started to struggle against an invisible threat.

Her loud cries woke up the three older teens. Neteyam was the first to approach, "Is she okay? What's wrong?"

He didn't get a response because his mother suddenly jumped up.