I bit my lower lip and finally turned to face the hungry hellfire. Above the tree line, I can recognize the angry light in the flame. We won some time, but there were so many firelighters and fuel between the fire and us that we did not expect that there would be so many things. We had an hour or two, and then the flames were too close to me.
"Why are there only four tanks?"
I almost fainted when I heard Jenna's question. I watched hard at the box Cade had been carrying with me, hoping that this fear had made me lose the ability to count. One, two, three, four... No, no, there must be more. one two three four...
But no matter how I screw the box into my head, I still only see four water tanks inside. "They are the only ones," Cade told her.
"I saw at least ten tanks in the store!" Jenna retorted fiercely, and her acrimony side appeared in front of Bright again with fear. But then again, I also feel very cheap now.
Cade's soot eyes were winter; Jenna stared at her coldly, and flinched. "These are the only ones that contain oxygen," Cadet elaborated.
My heart dropped suddenly; my legs suddenly became very weak, and I collapsed to the ground. The volcanic ash here is not that thick, but it will thicken soon. I stared at the parking lot and waved to the sea in the distance. Outside there are some small boats floating on the water, swinging up and down on the small waves that beat them. Their appearance made me ridiculed; they were very useful now, but climbing on one, starting it, and using it will undoubtedly die.
"What should we do?" Abby gasped.
"Share them," Molly replied simply, as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.
After hearing this suggestion, I swallowed heavily. Shared tanks have been swimming for so long, especially when most of us don't know what we are doing. I turned to Cade, trying not to panic. His eyes are exactly the same as mine. Although he is not by my side, I can feel his presence comforting my unfinished soul.
"Is it possible?" Jenna screamed.
"Sure it is," Molly muttered to himself as he rummaged through the cabinets, focusing his attention on the contents of the box.
I watched more and more disturbedly as she began to pull things out and put them neatly on the ground.
When I walked towards the water, I felt like a swamp monster/idiot. I also feel very exposed. We can only stay in an empty place for a while and be discovered, but that moment is too important to me.
We avoided the parking lot and moved down the coastline to a more secluded place. There is still some distance from here to the mainland, but we all chose to swim a little longer instead of a longer time. Molly, as the only experienced person, is the only one with her own tank. If she has this ability and can help when problems arise, so much the better. Only Molly and Aiden have a compass.
My gaze rests on the rope that binds us all together, except for Molly. I don't like this, I don't like it at all. Although the ocean is vast, I already feel a sense of anxiety, trapped under the tumbling waves.
Aiden and Abby were paired in the front row; Bright and Jenna were behind them, and finally Cade and I Cade tied the tank to his back, although I have a feeling that he will try to force me to use it more mouthpiece. I just hope he didn't hurt himself in the process.
To prevent someone from getting into trouble and having to be chopped off, they distributed knives. Just in case they had to sacrifice. I don't have a knife, but I can't cut the rope or sacrifice anyone, no matter what happens. I shudder at the thought of this, and moved the bag of guns on my back. The weight of the gun is reassuring. They were divided into three waterproof bags and handed over to the three of us. There were no tanks in them.
I am not very confident in this plan, but it is all we have. It took Jasmine half an hour to explain everything to us as quickly as possible. It took another half an hour before we found a secluded backyard. The falling volcanic ash thickened again, only a few hours before dawn. We don't have any time to try to make another plan.
I didn't expect such one anyway.
"let's go."
Molly slipped into the water easily. My entrance was far less elegant than hers. With a plop, I struggled and fell into the sea. I am very grateful for my diving suit because the coolness of the salt water hits my cheeks and hands. Before diving into the waves, I took a deep breath. Although I am not deprived of oxygen, my lungs started to burn because of panic. Cade suddenly appeared next to me, unable to see him in the muddy water, but he grabbed my arm and gently stroked upwards.
His appearance eased the burning of my lungs a little bit. I grabbed the rope and kicked the water away. It didn’t take long, I knew, but I felt like we had made a lot of progress, even though I couldn’t see where we were going. Obviously, when Molly lights up the lights, she feels that we have gone far enough. I could barely see the dim light, it briefly illuminated Aiden in front of me, and then when Molly turned it off, it disappeared. There was a turn ahead of me, a small turn to the right.
Cade was by my side again, and I didn't know what he was planning until I felt the pressure of the mouthpiece on my lips. When I inhaled deeply, I tasted salt and water, thanks to the fresh oxygen in my lungs. His hand pressed lightly on my mouth, hoping to calm me down as we continue to cross the sea.
This is better than I expected, it just made my anxiety worse. So far, everything has been so difficult; I also expected the same thing here. This makes me feel anxious and nervous, something will definitely happen to me. Cade tried to force me to keep the microphone, but I managed to return it to him. For a short while, my fingers were wrapped around his fingers, and then he sucked air away from me.
As we cross the water, the beam will flash briefly every once in a while, and then return. When Jasmine looks at the compass, our direction will be slightly adjusted. Three hurried tugs on the line remind me that we are finally approaching land. Hope and ominous premonition hit me. We are almost leaving here, but we cannot know what is waiting for us on the other side.
Then I suddenly felt that the sea floor under our feet was rising. We started to ascend steadily, heading upstream, and heading for land again. What should we do if they are waiting for us? We can't do anything. We can’t get the gun, we don’t have enough time to escape back to the sea, and even if we do, we don’t have enough oxygen to stay hidden for a long time.
We have tried our best, and now we can only pray that luck is still on our side. There was a movement to the left; I followed until I felt a bloody head. I stood up cautiously and gently raised the mask, looking around the rocky shore. Cade was next to me, his late-night hair pressed tightly to his forehead, and the water had already pressed his shirt to his chest. When the air hit my wet hair and skin, he pressed against me tightly, making me shudder.
"Go here," Jasmine whispered.
We approached the shore half-swimming and half-walking. The darkness is so thorough, I can't see if there is anything waiting for us. Molly pulled down her flippers and threw them onto the shoreline. I pulled off my fins and twisted my toes on the beach, enjoying the simple pleasure of others dropping their fins and tanks.
As we climbed forward, I could barely breathe. Under my feet, the shore was covered with rocks and the waves were rough, but I would never stop to dig out my shoes from my backpack. Cade's hand held my upper arm, and when we slipped and fell in the quicksand, I felt as if we were moving in the quicksand.
When the light shè shè on us, we almost reached the edge of the woods. Everything around me seemed to slow down; we were stuck in a quagmire on the beach, trapped like mice in the light. Everything around me is sharp and full of energy. The air seemed to sparkle, just like the air on the asphalt in the hot summer. I feel as if I can touch every particle. In the last few minutes of my life, I was completely connected with the world and the people around me. I can hear and see everything, I can feel the energy of the earth, feel the power of life bringing me to the one I love. Although they didn't seem to make any sound all the time, I could almost hear the hum of the engine when a ship passed over our heads.
Then Cade grabbed me, put his arms around me, and pulled me under him. The earth rushed to greet me, the sand filled my nose and mouth, and I coughed and vomited. Under the dazzling light, his hands showed a deep bronze sè. I didn't know what he was doing until I saw the knife. Then, the rope connecting me and Aiden was cut.
When I realized that he had just rescued my brothers and sisters, love bloomed in my heart. They can do it, and we can never do it. We are too far away from the shelter in the woods, too far away.
"I love you, Bethany."
I stuck my fingers in the sand and let out a whimper. His lips pressed warmly to my cheek when he kissed me. I became him, savoring our last moments together, and being comforted by the solid power he exudes. I tried to tell him that I love him too-I have always loved him and will always love him. These words have been in my throat, and I can't say them. (To be continued) (End of this chapter)