Page 119 of Serpent In White
He knows something about why they’re dead in this moment, but I just can’t get to it. And for some bewildering reason, he thinks it’s his fault.
But it’s not… It can’t be.
Drake straightens and stumbles off, staggering through the forest, up the mountain. He walks for a while, and I can see him the entire time, like I’m right there with him, chasing him. I can’t see Darian anymore, but I still hear him crying.
Eventually Drake gets to the clearing. He comes to right where me and Rhiannon are, right now, though we’re nowhere to be found.
He falls to his knees in the middle, and the black rock appears, in front of him.
Please stop this…His mind bellows as he removes something from his pocket.
It looks like…a razor blade??
“No!” I shout, but he can’t hear me.
He angles it to his wrist, pressing into his pale white skin. His fingers tremble, and he gasps.Make this stop!!
Blood, deep red, bubbles from the cut he just made. It flows, slowly, dripping from his arm onto the ground.
I try to run to him, desperately pulling through wherever the hell I am to get to him fast, as he lies down on the ground, blood seeping from his arm.
“Drake! Drake, no. Don’t do this. Please!” I sputter, fighting and fighting through thickness, like quicksand pulling me and holding me back.
I could have stopped it…He whispers sleepily, his eyes fluttering shut.
“No no no. Come back!” I shout, and suddenly, I feel something tugging on my arm.
Tugging my hand.
I blink hard and try to look around, a cool wind brushing my face.
“Fuck,” I growl, covering my eyes with my fingers, rubbing them hard. “Wake up!”
“Abdiel… don’t… let… go…”
It’s Rhiannon. That was her voice.Where is she??
Shaking myself over and over, desperate to awake from whatever this dreamland is that I’m lost in, I finally I pull myself out and look around.
I’m no longer in the clearing. I can’t see Drake anywhere.
I’m lying on the ground, and when I turn my heavy head, I see a rock ledge. It’s an overlook, like the one Drake lives on… only much, much higher up.
“Where the fuck am I…?” I murmur.
My head weighs a million pounds as I lift my neck. And when I take in my surroundings, my eyes widen, and my body launches upward.
Rhiannon is scooting toward the edge of the cliff. My right hand is still locked in her left one, but she’s trying to pull herself toward it.
She’s trying to jump.
“Rhiannon!” I shout, rolling onto my knees and yanking her back, as hard as I can.
She’s stronger than she looks, still fighting to get closer. I have to be careful here. If I move too hard in one direction, we could both go over.
We’re so damn close to the edge.
“Rhiannon, please,” I gasp, pulling her as hard as I can while simultaneously trying to roll away from the cliff. “Wake up!”
