Chapter Eight

    'Everything around me seemed a smear, I was not able to stay focused. Things appeared to be in a race all around me, making everything seem blurry. I tilted my head backward to stare up at the clear blue sky, but it changed abruptly. It was not a perfect shade of blue anymore, it was black. A dark screen blocking the safety of the clear, blue sky. Just then a single drop of water hit my nose. It was cool and welcoming as it slid down my nose to my cheek..Things changed again.
    I was back on the bridge, with the mermaid's horrific chant echoing in my ears. I looked around frantically, searching, and I saw him. Alec was standing on the bridge closer to the mermaid, frozen in fear. Lava burst up and hit the bridge's side, making it sway back and forth. Alec was not far from where the bridge had been hit. I called his name, shouted his name, but my words were pointless. No sound came out, I could not hear the words that had just emerged out of my mouth, nor could Alec. All that anyone anywhere near us could hear was the mermaid's horrid war cry. I stretched my arm out toward him, trying to pull him to safety; but I was too late. Scalding magma shot up and hit the bridge's side again. Alec stumbled, fell to his knees, and began to slide off the bridge. He was slowly getting closer to the boiling red mass. I lunged forward, struggling against an invisible force that was keeping me back. I fought harder, I was not going to lose this fight! I lept forward, and Alec began to fall more quickly but seized a board on the bridge's surface before plunging into the lava. I let out a loud sigh of relief, but if anything, it was my biggest mistake. There was a loud crack, and Alec slipped. He was falling..so quickly and yet too slowly. I let out a helpless shriek. My arms were out stretched, I was standing terrified, watching him descend into the-'
    I heard someone calling me..shouting my name.  I screamed again, the image of Alec falling was still in my mind. Someone was shaking my shoulders violently..calling my name..telling me things I couldn't understand. I wanted to open my mouth and tell them that it was no use. He was gone..my best friend..Alec had fallen..I opened my mouth, but I couldn't form any words to communicate with.
    I noticed a hard surface under me, it wasn't comfortable at all. It was extremely uneven and lumpy. I slowly lifted my flimsy fingers and traced the rock-like surface below me. Tiny beads stuck to my fingers. This was something my brain identified as sand. I stopped abruptly, I began to feel a sharp pain in my leg, and then in both my arms..and then in my head. I flinched, not quite sure why I felt this way. I wasn't sure if I wanted to open my eyes, I had sealed them shut for a reason. I couldn't bare to look and see what had happened exactly, but They disagreed with me.
    "Abby! Abby! Open your eyes, please! Wake up! You have to wake up!" I was suddenly aware of what they were trying to communicate with me. Why did they want me to open my eyes, though? Didn't they understand what had just happened? I didn't want to look and see- "Please, Abby! Please!" They broke my train of thought and tried again.
    I wasn't going to listen to them. I just wouldn't. Alec was- "Please! Abby, no!" The voice became all too familiar, I knew it from somewhere..but where? "Abby! Listen to me, open your eyes, please! Abby! Wake up!" It was Alec! Alec was talking! Alec was alive! Impossible..I saw him..fall..
    Curiosity overwhelmed me, I had to open my eyes. My eyelids slowly opened, revealing a bright picture. My eyes narrowed as light came from every direction. Everything was so bright.. and yet there was a dark figure leaning over me, blocking the sun from shining directly in my eyes. I waited impatiently for a moment for my eyes to adjust, and there he was. Alec. He was leaning over me, with a million different emotions running across his face. Alec.
    "Abby! You're ok!" Relief was the strongest showing right now. He hugged me, lifting me halfway off the hard surface under my body. I hugged him back, ignoring the sharp pain that shot through my arms when I did.
    "You're alive! You're alive! You're alive!" Was all I was able to choke out. Relief shed through me as well, relief and joy.
    "Of course I'm alive! You're the one I was worried about! You've been out for about seven hours now. Look," He pulled away and pointed at the sunset. No wonder it was so bright, the sun was just at my level.
     He was now crouched down in front of me looking very distressed."We should get you cleaned up..your leg isn't looking too good..and neither is your head." Alec stated, flinching as he glanced at my apparent injuries.
    I sat up then completely then, cringing at the pain that shot up my left arm particularly. When I moved my leg, a felt another stab. I looked down, hesitating a moment. There was a large gash that went from my knee to my ankle on my right leg. The blood that had once poured out was now trying to scab. The cut did not seem too deep, but it did hurt enough to give me a headache. Alec had mentioned my head. I slowly let my hand reach up to find the damage. I was greeted by a rough, rock like surface. I ran my fingers across it, feeling it's unevenness and then pulled back quickly. It felt like someone had just sent a nail right through my head. I closed my eyes, trying to concentrate on something other than the agonizing sting. I felt something touch my arm lightly. I tried to yank it away, but the pain that was now hurling through it made me stop.
    "Sorry. I didn't mean to-"Alec began to apologize.
    I cringed for just a moment,"It's alright. It doesn't hurt THAT badly. And enough about me, are you ok?" I opened my eyes.
    "Yeah, I'm fine." I could hear the lie in his words. I examined him closely. Looking for some sign of damage. I gasped at my discovery.
    "Alec!"I breathed, "What happened to your hand; and your head! Oh gosh.." He had a long streak of red painted across his forehead. Little droplets of frozen blood dangled on the rustic red line that was one of his injuries. His palm was facing upward, and blood flooded down it. The gash was deep, deeper than my sliced leg. My breathing became uneven as I tried to figure out some way to help him. I came up with no solution.
    Alec saw the panic on my face. "Abby, Abby! Calm down..I'm fine. Really. It doesn't hurt. You're the one with bruises from head to toe. You should be worried about YOU."
    "No, no!" I protested. "Look at you! Are you ok? Where's a paramedic when you need one?" I looked around desperately knowing what the outcome would be. Absolutely nothing. I heard Alec chuckle as he saw the expression on my ashen face. I was pretty sure I was going insane.
    "Abigail Evangeline Thompson, calm down. I'm completely fine. Really, it looks a lot worse than it actually is." He tried to comfort me, but it wasn't working. "Just breath. Jeez! You're like..hyperventilating! Calm down, Abby." He also tried soothing me. I made an effort to bring my breathing back to normal. Why was I getting so scared? Maybe it was because I had just realized the predicament we were in. In the middle of--where ever we were, bruised and broken, and with absolutely no way of finding help. Or maybe there was..but if it didn't present itself to us soon..we were going to be in catastrophic trouble.
    "Alright..alright.."I began to say with a fake smile. "How about I worry on the inside, and put on an act on the outside. Sound good?"
    Alec frowned. "Look, we're going to be fine. Just calm down, alright? This is just--we've been in worse, right?"
    It was my turn to frown. "Alec I-" I began to object, but he stopped me.
    "Abby, just don't get worked up, ok? You've gotta trust me." He stared at me attentively; he was very serious now. I nodded without thinking, I trusted him. Or at least I thought I did. "Good," He sounded content. "Now, do you think you can walk? I can carry you if you can't." He smiled like he was the hero and I was the damsel in distress.
    I burst out laughing, and it hurt my sides. "No, Alec," I insisted, "I can walk. You don't need to be Mr. Tough Guy. Now it's my turn to say 'I'm fine, really'. I may be a little beat up, but I'll be okay." I tried to stand, putting my arms on either side of me, and pushing up with my hands.
    Alec sighed. "Here," He stood up quickly and reached his good hand out to me. I took it gratefully and pulled myself up. I staggered for a moment, and then got my balance back as I grabbed Alec's sleeve. My leg was taken aback by my sudden movement and began to ache. I leaned over, hair falling in my face, and clutched my knee. I thought that this might help somehow. I grunted. It did nothing of the sort.
    "Abby, are you sure your OK?" Worry danced across his question.
    "I'm perfectly fine," I lied. "Just-" Another wave of pain shot through my leg and I groaned in pain. "Just..give me a second.."  I closed my eyes and tried to think about something else-anything else-but the awful pain. I threw myself back a moment later, brushed some sand out of my hair with my fingers, and smiled at Alec. My smile was fragile. Alec smiled back, not noticing the fraud."Well..shall we? And if we shall, where shall we go? It's your turn to pick. My idea of checking out the freaky tower over there wasn't the best..so..now it's your turn to pick." I sighed.
    Alec laughed casually, like the whole near-death experience we had had a few hours ago was absolutely nothing to worry about..or to be mad at me about. I was almost..glad, and yet I felt very uneasy. "Yes, I do believe it is my turn to pick. I'll make sure to be a little more careful about what I pick." He thought for a moment and then answered. "How about the beach? Maybe we could find someone down there. Someone who has some answers, and a lot of 'em at that. Besides, there's no where else to go, really." He looked around, and then stopped when he saw my face.
    I stood there, puzzled. He just sounded so..calm about the whole situation now. I was in the place he had been when we first got here. Why was he so calm, anyway? Did he not understand where we were? Because I certainly didn't, and it frightened me. We had fallen..fallen into some kind of marble tube, and ended up here. In this..place. I felt like I was Alice from Alice in Wonderland; but this certainly was not Wonderland. This was the land of..unknown. A complete joke..some place from a book; a place that could make you go insane. I mean, floating mermaids? Gems that take you into calm and serene places that were beautiful and terrifying at the same time? Lava and no signs of a volcano anywhere? Not to mention the desert that turned into a beach. That confirmed it, I was going insane.
    Alec took a step towards me and put his arms out like he was trying to regain his balance, "You look like you're going to be sick. Are you alright, Abby?" He asked about my health yet again.
    I didn't answer, I was still lost in thought. 'What are we going to do?' was running through my brain over and over again until I couldn't take it anymore. "What ARE we going to do?!" I finally exclaimed, throwing my arms up into the air and regretting it seconds later for a few reasons. My arm began to ache, so I quickly put it back at my side. But the pain in my arm was nothing compared to the alarm and fear that was going through my whole body at the moment. I knew that I was being stupid, and that I should try and forget my fears and do what I needed to do. But..I didn't want to. I was fearful about the future and where it might lead us. I was fearful for out lives and weather we would live to see tomorrow; live to see our home again.
    Alec looked shocked, but he still had a hint of a smile on his pale face. "I thought you liked adventure. You said yourself that you were never one to turn down the opportunity." He smirked.
    I squeezed my eyes shut. "I know what I said! I do like adventure..but look where we ARE. Tell me, where are we? I'm dying to know." My eyes popped open again, I was enraged and annoyed now.
    Alec shook his head from side to side. "I told you that you had to trust me, right?" I nodded slowly. "Well, than do it. Trust. Me." I took a deep breath and nodded once more. "Great. Now, since you don't exactly agree with me on where we should go, you choose."
    "It's not that I--fine. I choose..the desert, and then the beach. What do you say to that?"
    "That was my plan." He showed his crooked smile. I rolled my eyes.
    "Lets go, then." I hesitated for an instant and then asked, "You think we should?" I was beginning to have seconds thoughts on this plan.
    Alec raised his eye brows. "Where else can we go? Besides, what do we have to lose other than our lives? I don't think that's a huge loss."
    I giggled and began walking. I stepped slowly, and tried to remember how to walk. "You've got issues."
    He smiled briefly. "I know, but so do you. We make the perfect team!"
    "Two issued people. Yeah. Perfect." We both laughed.

Reviews

[Matthew V. H.]

Love the name.

anyway, there is no problems i see in this chapter other than a few spelling errors, but what i do see is HUGE room for more story.
Okay, maybe not huge.

The dream sequence is good, i like that she was seeing her worst fears. I am also getting that there is a "hint" of a love story here. Her change in moods from gung-ho adventurer to timid young girl is quite genuine, i mean who wouldn't freak after having that happen to them, but i think it could do with some added story to it.

Personally i would love to know what was happening with Alec through the seven hour coma Abby was in. How did they get beat to hell, what was growling etc..

anyway, good chapter. reading on.

[Forist.johnston]

'Abigail Evangeline Thompson'

�� that's one heck of a name =]

[Nazarea]

again, great chapter. Her middle name is the same as my daughters..that's cool.