Extinguished

Falling

 His head throbbed. That was his first sensation. The air felt heavy around him - that was the second. Before he even opened his eyes, he drew a long breath, feeling a burning whiff of air enter his lungs. Eyes remained closed.

It was smart to think things through before observing the new setting. He searched his mind, headache spiking as he sifted through the images.

[A rush of adrenaline. Hands gripping rope. Trying, trying desperately to climb the weakening ladder. Jay's voice above him - crying for him.]

His body shuddered. His ribs protested at the movement, eyes shutting tighter at the pain riddling him. But he noticed he felt more numb than anything.

[Cold. It was cold down here, every breath feeling as though ice was creeping down his throat and freezing him from the inside.]

What...what had happened?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Everything had happened so fast. They were running. Running from an ominous mist that was surely only intended to kill. Or corrupt.

[Corrupt and kill. Cold.]

Jay had watched helplessly, clinging to his own rope and wishing he would just reach out to some invisible force and pull Cole to safety.

"Hold on, Cole! Just hold on!" Jay yelled, the only thing he could do.

[Helpless.]

His voice was ripped away in the wind, tears stinging his eyes. [From the wind, okay? He didn't believe Cole would die. Didn't believe his best friend would-]

But he had. Cole had fallen. Jay had watched it happen right in front of him and couldn't do a thing to stop it. And the only thing worse than not being able to help was watching someone else try...and fall with him.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nya hadn't realized what was going on until Zane shrieked her brother's name. [Zane never shrieked. But he did, he had. He was agonized.]

She glanced over her shoulder, away from the wheel, barely managing to catch a flash of red disappear over the Bounty's rail.

"Kai!" her own cry escaped her lips, but she couldn't move. Her duty was at the wheel, and she had to get everyone to safety.

[But she was also frozen. Frozen with fear, because now she realized that Cole was going to fall and it would be her fault. Her fault for her carelessness. And her brother - always the heroic one - would fall with him.]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kai didn't hesitate. Not once he realized the weight of the situation. He gripped the rail between his fingers as he quickly looked back and forth between Jay - safe on the other ladder - and Cole...hanging on by a thread. The desperation in Cole's eyes had him moving.

With nimble fingers, Kai yanked at the thin rope tied around his waist.

[He knew it was meant for the weight of one, but there was no time.]

After the rope was off, he tied the end around his waist, hoping the knot would hold. He wasted no time in looping the other end around the rail.

"Kai, what are you doing?" Zane called, though his tone revealed that he already knew.