I survived
Above the gentle flowing stream. The day was bright and sunny. Their foreheads were sweaty and their eyes were dry around the edges. They ran down the steep hill fast. Catherine stumbled on the steeping stones downhill. Jackson lifted her from the ground and onto his shoulders. He was faster and stronger as he jumped over huge boulders. The black cloaks were gaining on them. At this rate, they would be met with an unfair fight.
“They are right behind us,” Elle yelped.
“Get ready,” Jacson yelled.
“Ready for what?” Catherine asked fearfully.
Jackson jumped into the stream with Catherine in his arms. The water to them fast. Catherine was underwater and unable to swim. She waved her arms and legs aimlessly in the water. Jackson grabbed her out her head was now above water.
“What the hell?” Catherine gulped out.
“I am so sorry,” he held her close to him as he swam steadily in the heavy flowing stream. The onlooking bloodsuckers from above the banks ran at the speed of the stream.
Catherine pointed out, “What are we going to do about them?”
“You will be fine… leave them for me to deal with,” he deepened.
“Can you take them all three?”
“These grounds are not strong to engage combat,” Jackson said. “I have prepared for this day for a very long time.”
“What do you need to do?” Catherine whimpered.
“I will lure them,” Jackson said convincingly. He braced himself for impact with a wave. They separated and Catherine was desperate, “Hang on.”
Catherine grabbed hold of an extended tree branch, “Swim to me. I can’t hold out for long.”
They were close to the waterfall. The height was heartstopping. Catherine’s heart was beating rapidly. Jackson could not lie to her, “One wrong move and splash!”
“I will have to go down,” she stared up at his body rising above her in the water. “Don’t worry about me…”
“You cannot swim Catherine,” he said concernedly. “If you… If you drown.”Content held by NôvelDrama.Org.
“You are worried about your promise to Xander,” her eyes gleamed as the water spurts to her face.
The sunlight made her face sparkle in the midst of the debacle. Jackson remained adamant about sticking with her to find a way out, “I won’t forgive myself. I cannot let you go.”
The water came on to them heavier. Catherine’s grip on the branch loosened and Jackson slipped away from her side. He tried to cling to her but she was swept away quickly.
“Catherine!” he yelled still able to swim away to the bank. The black cloaks appeared again and he was met with two choices; to either go after Catherine which would tell her whereabouts to the vampire or take him down with the chance he had now.
***
She washed up the shore, covered with tumbleweed and seashells hanging on her hair. She was surprised to be alive and she crawled on the wet sand to hide behind a boulder.
“I survived. I survived,” she panted softly. Her back against the rock and her face straight into a dark cove, she turned away and looked up to get a glimpse of Jackson.
“Where is he?” she squinted. “I pray they don’t get to him.”
Jackson was on the outer banks. The black cloaks came forward and circled him. They all ran towards him all at once. He lowered and crouched defensively, and suddenly the ground cracked open and they all came down.
Buried in the rumbles of the dirt, they barely sounded with proof of life. The black cloakks were bloodstained and their bodies were utterly crushed to bones and skin roughages. Jackson’s face stuck out in the dirty bloodied and battered.
Catherine came running towards him. She brushed her knees on the ground as she fell to his side.
“Oh my God, Jackson,” she touched the side of his face gently. “What can I do?” she cried.
Jackson smiled forcefully, “It’s okay Catherine. Just go before any one of them survives.” He squeezed and gulped out blood, “Go, Catherine, Go and save yourself. A mile from here to east and you’ll be on your way to the community.”
“I can’t just leave you,” she cried. “I can’t.”
The thunder rumbled and the clouds gathered.
“Go now Catherine, please,” Jackson begged.
She rose to her feet and dragged her legs reluctantly, shedding tears as she walked away from his buried body, “Thank you, for everything Jackson.”
She went her way to the ridge of the hill. The rain started to fall. She walked the lonely path on the wide expense of land.