The Soulmate Curse

SANDALWOOD (for divination)

A blanket of despair covered Finn. She tried to focus on taking deep breaths. Breaths that were more than valuable in her current circumstance. Breaths that she'd been unable to take just a few minutes ago. The memory of the creek water rushing over her and covering her face was indescribably distressing. If Zhen hadn't come back at the moment she had, Finn would have been... that kiss saved her. Breathing in that lungful of air from Zhen... the relief that had filled her... Finn was at the edge of what she could take.

"I can't... please... I can't take much more of this, Zhen."

She turned away from Zhen and looked straight up at the bowl of blue sky dotted with a few clouds. At least it wasn't raining anymore. Small solace given that her entire existence was currently just a continuous wave of excruciating pain as the boulder on top of her continued to crush and grind her shin bone into a pulpy mess. She tried to think of a time when she'd felt anything near this much pain. She thought about curling up in a ball during her worst months of menstrual cramps, but those now seemed like mere pinpricks compared to the severity of what she was currently dealing with. However, the thought did hold some hope, albeit a flimsy one. All those years ago, when they'd first manifested, Keira had taught her a skill that she used every time they did.

Finn closed her eyes and worked to clear her mind. To meditate into and through the pain. Just like she'd learnt how to from Keira.

"No, Finn. Don't fall asleep. Please," Zhen pleaded, shaking her shoulders.

"It's alright, Zhen. I'm okay. I'm awake," said Finn, opening her eyes. She took one of Zhen's hands and placed it over her beating heart. "See? I'm still here."

She heard Zhen choke back a sob beside her.

"I'm so sorry, Finn. I just... I don't know what to do." Said Zhen, sounding utterly defeated.

Finn sighed and closed her eyes. "I think you do."

"I'm not leaving you alone, Finn" said Zhen. Her voice shook. "I... can't."

"Zhen, if you don't, we'll both die here," said Finn. She was surprised at how calm she sounded because it was the opposite of how she was feeling inside at the thought of being alone. Alone with her thoughts and with the waves of pain wracking her body.

This time, Zhen didn't try to stop it. She broke down, sobbing quietly as she held on to Finn. Finn had never had that sound come from Zhen. It was full of pain and fear and anger. It made her want to cry too, by tears wouldn't flow down Finn's face. She'd never been so thirsty in her life, even with the water that Zhen had been slowly force feeding her. How could someone be so thirsty with clean, fresh, cool water just a few centimetres away? Saying it was a frustrating feeling was a huge understatement. They stayed like that for a few minutes then Zhen went quiet. A few seconds later, she kissed Finn's forehead.

"Stay alive," she said fiercely. "Promise me that if I leave you, you'll stay alive, Finn. That you'll wait for me."

Finn could barely speak through the agonizing thought of being left alone under the boulder, but she did, making sure she kept as much of the emotion off her face and voice as she could.

"I promise," she said.

Zhen didn't hesitate after that. She squeezed Finn's hand then rose and left. Before long Finn heard the leaves crunch beneath Zhen's feet as she ran into the woods. Soon, even that sound was gone, and she was alone.

Everything hurt, but the loneliness was suffocating. Hundreds of times worse than the pain. Even the animals seemed to have stopped talking. The only sound left was the trickling of water down the creek bed, with some of it underneath her. She stretched out an arm and searched for a pebble in the riverbed. When she found one, she brandished it like a piece of chalk and began drawing on the boulder face just above her chest. Her arm was weak, and every inch of movement wracked her body with pain. She kept drawing. Finally, the detailed pentacle was complete, and she could drop the chalky pebble and her arm.

Finn let her palms lay flat on the riverbed and she closed her eyes, drawing as much strength as she could from the earth. She used every lesson she'd learnt from Keira to settle her mind and focus her intent. With one final burst of strength, she raised one arm to the pentacle and placed her palm on it. The spell came to her as if it were being whispered into her ear.

When all is lost, and hope is gone/ let me be free to find my wings/ to let her know she's not alone/ and what my love really means

Her arm dropped away from the rock, and everything went dark.