Masks

Chapter 59

"I have to try... I'm dead for sure... if I don't..." I coughed holding my sleeve over my face as I sat up, trying to call out between my attempts to catch my breath.

Skully finally appeared through the flames. His white mask was tarnished with soot and with my blurry vision I almost mistook him for the Rake before rationalizing the monster wouldn't be moving so smoothly on two legs.

"I've got you." He helped pull me the rest of the way to my feet, not immediately noticing the blood staining my shoulder until I flinched that arm away. "Sorry..."

"It's fine..." I stumbled next to him as he guided me out of the forest.

"We're going to get out. Just stay awake." He urged, picking up the pace as a tree crashed to the ground nearby.

I could barely focus on putting one foot in front of the other. Skully was practically carrying all of my weight as we fumbled our way through blockades of fire and burning debris collapsing around us. When we'd planned this out I hadn't expected to put this much faith in him. He had no reason to make sure I got out alive after this was done aside from the threat of Tim thinking he'd left me to die.

My legs crumpled beneath my weight as another coughing fit gripped me. Pain jolted through my shoulder as I caught myself. My vision went black for a few seconds before slowly returning to a narrow field of sight. Skully was pulling me up again, though I was finding it hard to move and get my legs to hold me up.

"We'll both... die here... at this rate..." I lurched forward as one of my legs began to give out again after taking another step forward. "How... how ironic... for me..."

"We're almost there." Skully shifted his grip on my arm that he'd slung across his shoulders. "It's just up ahead."

I lifted my head, struggling to focus on the gap of open space leading to the tunnel that would get us out. It was still a good distance away, especially at our current pace. The remains of trees burning on between us and the exit blurred into dark and light shapes. A choppy breath escaped me before I succumbed to the smoke.

"-ake up!" A voice reached my ears. "Come on..."

The clean air hit me as I became more aware of things around me. Hands were pushing against my chest. There was hard ground against my back. I coughed, instinctively rolling to the side and hunching over. My gasping slowed as fresh air finally managed to get into my lungs.

"Ash..." I turned slowly to look over at Tim as he said my name. Dried blood stained the side of his head, as if he'd been struck by something and I could see a sheen of sweat on his face- he still looked better than I did.

I tiredly gave a faint smile and leaned against him, slowly feeling his arms wrap around me. My voice felt weak when I tried to speak. "I'm sorry..."

"Everything's going to be fine." His voice still held a tinge of worry in it and I could hear his heartbeat pounding from what had happened.

Slowly I felt some strength return and shifted in his arms to look at the rest of the tunnel. Skully was sitting on the ground and leaning against the side of the tunnel near the entrance. His mask prevented me from seeing his expression but just the way he sat suggested the fire had taken its toll on him. "Wouldn't have been such a happy ending without his help."

"Can you stand? We need to get you to a hospital." Tim began helping me to my feet, steadying me when a wave of dizziness hit.

After blinking a few times to help with the vertigo, I nodded. "...Think so."

Skully slowly trailed after us as we made our way along the thin, overgrown trail and back to the car. By the time we got back I could stand on my own, though my head and shoulder were killing me. I shifted to shakily stand next to Skully as Tim began digging the car keys out of his pocket and walked closer to the car.

"Thanks... uh, for coming to find me." My voice was losing the raspy sound the more I spoke, though I could still feel the scratchiness in my throat. "What's the plan now?"

He looked back at the forest. "Stay here. I want to stay in the area and keep an eye on things."

"So... you won't tell him?"

"He doesn't need to know." With that he gave Tim one last look before turning away and walking back into Rosswood.

I gave a small cough before joining Tim, who was watching Skully leave with an almost saddened expression. The feeling of exhaustion was overridden by the relief as I stared at him. It was hard to believe everything we'd gone through within a year and a half... A true miracle we'd gotten out alive.

"But it's over... at least for a long time... I can feel it. The azoth isn't burning. He's not watching from the shadows..." I tiredly flopped down in the passenger's seat, wincing as it jostled my injuries, and turned to face Tim as he got in the car. "Hard to believe this is over..."

"It will be once you're better." He glanced over at me as I coughed before focusing on the road again as my breathing settled into a mild wheezing. "I imagine it'll be rather boring- but I'd prefer that to the constant paranoia."

"Yeah... First thing I'm going to do is move far away from this place."

"Sounds good to me."

Heads up, we have 1 more chapter- or rather the alternate ending!