TAKE ME OVER | HENRY MILLS [1]

LX. blue

Chapter Status: Edited.

[WARNING: this chapter is going to be quite upsetting and will talk about suicide. If those thoughts upset you, I recommend you don't read this, I'll summarise it at the very end in italics for those who would like to skip it.]

Tahlia awakens in the late hours of the night, it is silent outside, indicating that the boys are asleep. She sits up, rubbing her tired eyes and stretching, letting a yawn escape. She crawls silently to the 'door' of her tent and opens it. Not a single sound can be heard, not the fire, not the waves, no crickets, it is as though all movement has completely stopped.

Tahlia looks around before grabbing the doll and sitting just outside her tent. She looks at it, dark thoughts taking over her mind, the darkest thoughts she has had for many years. Her eyes swim with sadness as she looks down at the doll.

"Maybe I can save them," she says softly, "I can get them out of here without them all giving up, I can get them out today."

Within a second, a small piece of paper appears in her hand with a pen on top. She scribbles down a message before placing the note inside a rip in the doll; she then places it down in front of Jamie's tent.

"Goodbye," she whispers.

It is her way of saying goodbye to those she loves, her decision is not cowardly, it is heroic. She quickly turns and hurries into the forest, and although she cannot see, she knows exactly where she is going. But her plan is not fool proof.

Jamie cannot sleep, he lies in his tent, wide awake, and as he sits up, he hears a barely noticeable sound of one of the tents being opened. He does not move, not saying a word as he listens. At first, hears nothing, before noticing a faint rustling, he leans closer, the rustling stops, then he hears a voice. He leans slightly closer, her tent is next to his, on the other side was Pan's.

"Maybe I can save them," her voice sounds weak, defeated, "I can get them out of here without them all giving up, I can get them out today."

Jamie does not say anything, just thinking, how could she possibly get them out of here? That is when he remembers, it is Tahlia's magic that got them here in the first place, without Pan keeping a hold of her magic she could easily leave. Jamie can hear her stop in front of his tent, something is placed against it.

"Goodbye" she whispers.

She is gone in a matter of seconds.

Jamie rips open his tent and looks around, he cannot see her anywhere. He then spots the doll, stitched together from light brown rags, he knows the story behind it, Pan told him when he was elected head boy. Jamie picks it up and sits back down; then noticing the piece of paper wedged inside the doll through the rip in its back. He carefully pulls it out and opens it.

"Give this to them, Jamie, get them out, I'm trusting you."

Jamie frowns, why does she not give it to them herself? Where in the world is she? Then a thought makes the hairs on the back of his neck stick up, no she would not, she could not. But she has a reason; if she is not here, Pan will have to let them leave. That is how she is going to save them. Jamie has to stop her. He holds the doll tightly in his hand as he runs into the forest; he has an idea where she would go. He arrives at the beach; and there she is, standing on top of a rock about ten metres away from shore.

"Tahlia!" he yells.

Tahlia stiffens before turning around, the wind blowing her hair around her. Her eye makeup from the day before is smudged, mascara smeared under her eyes. Tahlia does not say anything, she does not know what to say, she is standing on top of a rock above the mermaid's cave, how could she explain why?