The Last Dance

The Last Dance (15)

Comment and Vote?

Cheers, 

xo.

***************************************************

Chapter 15 - Awake

My head was pounding something awful. I hurt everywhere, and yet I felt numb. I didn't know where I was, or even if I was alive, and yet a sense of calm encompassed me. I felt blissfully ignorant, and remarkably safe, though I had no idea if any of that was true or not.

My senses started coming back to me slowly.

First came the sensation of pain. I felt stiff all over, lethargic, with no desire to move even though my mind encouraged me to do so.

Memories came flooding back to me in a rush, the girl stranded, the branch blocking my path, being surrounded, trapped and alone, my sense of hopelessness, the voice...

What was true? I couldn't distinguish reality from my own imagination. Did someone find me?

Yes. The answer came immediately to my mind.

I was safe. I knew it but couldn't explain where the conviction came from.

'Stay close to me, I'll keep you safe' the phrase echoed in my mind. It pushed back my fears, renewed my calm.

I could hear my heart beating, smooth and steady, could feel the breath leave and return to my body in a calming rhythm. I felt vigorously alive and wanted even more to open my eyes.

It was a struggle, but I finally managed it, feeling proud of myself for the effort. I blinked slowly getting used to the motion. Wherever I was, it was dimly lit and my eyes adjusted slowly. A tan roof stretched above me, I was in a tent.

My gaze travelled down to the figure sitting by my side.

He was asleep, his heart beating in sync with my own. He looked peaceful but for the wrinkle between his eyes betraying his worry. His hair was messily spread over his closed eyelids, and his head rested on top of my stomach like a pillow. It was a comfortable weight; seeming as though he'd been sitting up hunched over and had given into sleep unwillingly.

My gaze travelled to my hand, intertwined with his and again reassurance swept through me. I felt a surge of emotion towards this boy, the one who saved me.

'Stay close to me, I'll keep you safe'.

He'd kept his promise though I'd failed in mine. I hadn't stayed close, yet he'd managed to keep me safe. I focused my energy, willing my hand to squeeze his, erase that wrinkle, and prove I was okay, because of him.

I struggled, screwed up my eyes in concentration, and realized how exhausted I really was. But I was determined, and so I pushed, and succeeded. His eyes blinked open slowly, in confusion. He raised his head, his eyes travelled first to our hands, then, inch by inch they moved further up. He hesitated, bit his lip, and murmured under his breath. I tried to listen to what he was saying and managed to catch a few words 'please... hallucinating... awake... hope...please '.

He squeezed his eyes shut and let out a deep breath as if preparing himself for disappointment. I had the strange urge to giggle but kept it in check; I was probably still dizzy. When he opened his eyes again they tentatively drew upwards... to meet with mine.

The reaction was immediate. His face lit up like a thousand candles being lit at once, relief exploded behind his eyes before they became glassy with tears. He blinked back furiously, the smile on his face radiant.