Perish • Ben Parish

11

I let the dead pilot escape my grasp, my scorched lungs feeling as if they were about to explode. I needed to get to the surface - and quick.

My eyes darted to the window, where Ringer had exited only moments before. But she, like the others, were no where in sight. I figured they had already made it to the shore.

I propelled myself forward, using the dashboard of the helicopter to pushed myself off, toward the open window.

Suddenly, I felt my foot being jolted back. I let out a gasp of pain, water beginning to fill my lungs. I sputtered, glancing back to see my shoe lace caught to the gear shift. my fingers fumbled on the strings, trying to untie it.

I shook my head, my vision starting to go in and out. I squeezed my eyes shut, deciding to yank my foot as hard as I could. I pulled my bare foot out, relieved it'd been able to escape my trapped boot.

My hands gripped the sides of the window then, and I finally was able to leave the wreckage of the helicopter behind me as I breached the surface.

"You fucking left her?" I heard Zombie shout.

"Damnit Zombie, I couldn't breathe- what'd you expect me to do?" Ringer snapped.

"She went back to save you! You-" he started.

"Canary!" Nugget exclaimed, throwing himself in the water to swim over to meet me.

The others on the shore stopped talking, their attention following Nugget.

"Thank god," Cassie said under her breath.

"My-my" I took a deep breath, trying to get air. "My shoe got-" I blinked rapidly, "It got stuck and I couldn't-"

Zombie waded into the water, waiting there while Nugget helped pull me to the shallow waters.

Zombie didn't say a word when I eventually got to him. He just wound his arms around me, pulling me to his chest.

I closed my eyes, willing myself to ignore the pain of my foot and the fact that I'd nearly drowned right after both of us had been talking about how everything was going to be okay.

"Thanks Canary," Ringer said from behind Zombie. "For killing him...the pilot I mean," she continued.

I pulled away from Zombie, gazing over his shoulder at Ringer. For once, she wasn't entirely an asshole.

"You're welcome," I said, nodding once.

She nodded grimly, before turning to Cassie, who had begun to speak up. "We need to go," she said. "We need to find Evan and the command center. It's time to shut this shit down," Cassie said defiantly.

Megan let out a soft whimper. "I'm not ready," she said softly, hugging Bear to her chest.

I blinked twice. How on earth had that bear made it all this way?

"It's okay," Zombie said, reassuring her. "We're going to stick together."

Cassie, Ringer, and I nodded, knowing all too well that both Nugget and Megan would be staying behind. There was no way either one of them were going to be able to make it through the base.

Ringer cleared her throat, "Okay, here's how it's going to happen. Zombie and I will try to find Evan - since I'm enhanced- I'm really the only one that has a chance up against him...if Vosch has downloaded him into Wonderland...which I'm assuming he has."

I nodded, not bothering to argue. In this case, there was nothing to argue about. Ringer was right. Evan was most certainly in the control of the Others - undoubtedly, Vosch had sent him down into Wonderland, draining all memory of everything he was and implementing murderous desires in its place. And Ringer? Well Ringer was enhanced, and truly the only one that stood a chance against a raging Other like Evan.