till' we meet again, william schofield

eight

* warning: graphic content. may be disturbing to some. *

eight

THE COLD TEMPERATURE of the water masked the sizzling, white hot pain in Rosine's calf as she struggled to stay above water. She thrashed and gasped as she fought against the water, trying to gain control of the situation. Her dress tangled her legs, restricting her movements, causing her to let out a frustrated cry.

Deep breaths. Calm down.

She tried to slow her breathing, knowing damn well that panicking wasn't going to keep her above water. She struggled to calm down as the rapids swept her along.

Will.

She couldn't see him, nor could she hear him. Her heart sank. She let out a strangled gargle as her back hit a cluster of rocks. She reached out for them, trying to get a grip, but her fingers slipped on the wet surface. Tears clouded her vision as she prayed silently.

She had survived this long. She'd be damned if she drowned after fighting so hard. She heard a loud noise approaching, the sound of water falling and toppling over itself.

Her tired limbs, numb from the water, tried to swim away but the water moved too fast and too hard. Her stomach dropped as she plummeted down into another body of water.

Darkness. Cold. Nothingness.

She felt numb. She felt defeated. But she also felt calm. She allowed her body to be still in the water. She didn't feel the cold anymore, nor did she feel anything in her leg. Perhaps she'd see her family again. Her mother, father, and sister. A small bit of happiness filled her heart as her lungs slowly filled with water.

Will.

A pair of strong, shaking hands yanked her out of the water, yelling something she couldn't make out. Her clouded gaze fell on Will's scared, hopeless face. She let out a troubled cough, sputtering water out onto Will. Relief flooded his face when her vibrant blue eyes suddenly became aware and alert as he blinked water away from his own eyes.

He couldn't find it in him to say anything, instead he grabbed a branch floating along his side, using it as a flotation device. Then, he pulled Rosine onto his chest. He struggled a little bit to keep them both afloat, but didn't say anything.

Rosine felt her eyelids get heavy as beautiful cherry blossoms surrounded them. She listened to the rapids turning soft and peaceful. She let herself rest on Will's chest as she occasionally coughed.

Will let them get swept through the river as cherry blossoms fell around them. He felt water cover his face as he lazily reached out his exhausted arm to catch a cherry blossom in his hand. He plucked it from the water and stared at it.

Blake.

"Tell me you know the way."

Blake.

Will shook Rosine awake. He lightly pushed her off of him, and she responded by supporting herself.

"We have to keep going," he whispered coarsely. She nodded, not understanding the new found drive but obeyed nonetheless. They both swam towards the bank, but stopped suddenly upon seeing a horrific sight.

A tree was sprawled across the river, and at joint between the tree and the water laid about a dozen dead bodies. All of them were bloated from the water and decaying.

"Fuck," Will cursed. He started off towards it, Rosine only a couple seconds behind him. They climbed on top of the bodies. Rosine felt her stomach acids rise as she gripped the dead body, feeling the rotten flesh and water-filled skin underneath her hands. Will let out a muffled cry as he finally pulled himself to shore. He reached out his hand to Rosine as his eyes began to well with tears. He blinked them away as the woman he cared for pulled herself onto shore.

She sat on the shore line as Will stumbled up the small hill. He sat on his knees as he looked up to the sky. He saw the sun high in the sky and realized he was way too late. He had failed Blake.

Rosine attempted to get up, but was stopped by the seething pain in her calf. She looked down to see a mixture of blood and water running down her leg. The bottom of her dress was now stained with blood. She shakily ripped off a piece of her dress and tied just above the wound, cutting off the blood circulation. She was took a deep, jagged breath before plunging her pointer finger into the wound. She let out a loud and pained groan as she felt around for a bullet.

She pulled her bloody finger out and relaxed as she realized it was a clean shot. Since she was in a daze earlier, she didn't notice the exit wound. She readjusted her torn piece of clothe and tied it on her wound, attempting to stop the bleeding. Rosine struggled to stand as Will let out a choked sob a few feet away.

Rosine's stomach lurched and she gagged, vomiting on the skirt of a dead woman. She let out a pained cry because her leg hurt, and then she let out a soft one as she looked at all the dead bodies. But then she looked at Will, and felt a sense of responsibility as she sniffled. She needed to help him. She pulled herself together and wiped away her tears, and then limped towards her boy, ignoring every bit of pain she felt. She collapsed next to him and pulled him into her chest, where he just cried. He gripped her sides, pulling her closer to him.

She patted his head, soothing him the best she could. Soon, his cries turned into sniffles, and his sniffles into silence. But she didn't stop stroking his wet hair.

Rosine looked up, feeling the heat from the sun on her skin as the rays peaked from in between the leaves. A few moments of silence passed.

Then they heard it. The steady voice of a man singing. Dazed, Will stood up and pulled Rosine with him towards the sound. He watched as she limped and whimpered, trying to keep up with him. He knelt down slightly and bent his knees, hinting for her to hop on his back.

His body begged him not to, but he carried Rosine and himself towards the sound, hoping for sanctuary.

*enjoy.