Disclaimer: The characters belong to Smallville…I don't own them though I wish I did.
Author's note: This story is in response to a second song fiction challenge by ffreaderwriter…though this one was more inspired by the song instead of actually following the song. The song is Far Away by Nickelback. The story is slightly AU only because I have not yet seen Season 10.
Just one chance, just one breath, just in case there's just one left - Nickelback 'Far Away'
A heavy sigh echoed though the small dank space, followed by a low humorless laugh. Oliver carefully shifted his precarious footing in the soft muck beneath the dark murky water, grimacing as the mud oozed deeper into his boots. He raised his eyes toward the circle of dim light a mere five feet beyond his reach. His eyes lowered to study the wall of algae covered green stones that lined the well shaft…well that had lined most of the shaft. An angry scar of exposed red clay marred a large portion of the wall above where he had attempted to climb out nearly a half hour earlier, the missing stones lost somewhere in the ice cold water below.
He slumped against the chiseled rocks behind him, ignoring the green muck which had begun to weave itself into his blonde locks. The water was beginning to rise steadily thanks to the early spring thunderstorm which raged over head. A tight grin crossed his features as he calculated the rate at which it would take it to reach the top. Perhaps he could just swim out. The grin faded into a pained grimace as he shifted his left shoulder. He was fairly certain it was dislocated, a souvenir of his earlier escape attempt. Oliver shifted his feet carefully once more in an attempt to increase the flow of blood through his rapidly numbing legs and drew his jacket tighter against his chest as he teeth began to chatter. He was definitely in a bind…and the irony of the situation was that he had done it to himself.
The day had begun well enough. It was the first day of the team's first vacation in over a month…a very long month. Due to the nature of the 'project' they were currently involved with, an escape to his island had been out of the question. So he had suggested the next best thing, his family's private cabin in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in southern Virginia. Despite the late hour of their arrival the night before, he had woken with the dawn eager to revisit some of his old childhood haunts…and eager to share them with his Sidekick. Something had changed over the past few months…at least for him. He was falling, fast and hard. It was difficult for him to pinpoint exactly when he had begun to feel more than friendship toward the snarky petite blonde, but he did know that he loved her. He loved the way her eyes sparkled when she smiled. He loved the way she crinkled her nose when she was deep in concentration. He even loved the way she always seemed to smell of rich coffees…though he did wish she would sleep more and drink less. So many times he had nearly told her how he felt but something had held him back.
He had snuck into her room just after dawn with a cup of coffee as a peace offering for waking her so early and had, surprisingly, managed to convince her to get up and meet him outside. He would never forget the priceless look on her face when she first laid eyes on the horses he had waiting for them. Fear would have been one word for it, though he would never voice that opinion. After a bit of convincing, which included the promise of unlimited coffee from her favorite shop in the city when they returned, she had finally agreed to let him help her up into the saddle of the gentle white mare. She had actually begun to relax and enjoy the ride as they wandered the trails he had ridden with his mother as a child, long ago.
He had nearly kissed her when they had paused for a picnic breakfast on the edge of the overlook…she had looked so beautiful, so peaceful...but he had waited too long and the moment had been lost as his horse had pulled free from its tether and had led him in a merry chase. The sound of her laughter as she watched him had been worth the effort spent. He remembered her apprehension toward the clustering storm clouds as they had stopped to rest the horses on their way back down to the cabin. He had noticed the old ruins of an old miner's cabin at the edge of the clearing and had convinced her they had plenty of time to explore before the storm struck…and they had…until he had gotten careless and forgotten to watch his footing. Vegetation had grown up around the mouth of the old well, and the rotted boards which covered it had snapped easily as he had stepped squarely into their center. He attributed his training to the fact that he had managed to land without too much injury, but the slick walls had prevented him from escape from the dark pit.
A flash of lightning lit the dim interior of the shaft, followed by a loud ground-shaking boom of thunder. His chest tightened. He had convinced Chloe to go for help shortly before the storm had struck. She had refused at first, attempting to find a way to rescue him that did not involve leaving him, but in the end she had finally complied…the storm had struck shortly after she had left. She was an inexperienced rider on unfamiliar trails…in a raging storm. One scenario after another flashed through his mind as the storm continued to grow in strength and fury. Oliver closed his eyes and forced the thoughts from his mind…it would do no good to panic. She was a resourceful one, his Sidekick; she would be fine.
He on the other hand…the water had risen to mid-thigh as was continuing to rise. It was unlikely that he would be able to wait for it to raise him toward the top as the cold temperature of the water, combined with the coolness of the air around him made it more likely that he would be hypothermic long before then. Oliver shifted, pressing back against the wall. A cold wet splatter of mud dropped from above and landed against his good arm. He looked up sharply as a second flash of bright lightning lit the sky. His dark eyes widened in horror as they focused on the wide patch of exposed clay near the top of the shaft. Another splatter fell as the wall began to bulge inward as the clay swelled beneath the relentless rain above.
His eyes searched wildly for an escape…but found none. There was no way out, nowhere left to run. After his string of near death escapes from bullets, poison, explosions and psychopaths bent on revenge, it was ironic that he would meet his end this way…buried by mud at the bottom of an old well as a result of his own carelessness. He closed his eyes as a wave of sadness and regret washed through him. He was not afraid to die, he had made peace with death long ago when he had chosen to don the green leather suit…but he did regret never telling Chloe the truth about how he felt… now it was too late. He let out a yell of pent-up frustration that ended in a pained gasp as he jarred his injured shoulder against the crumbling wall. Tears of pain mixed with the rain as it ran in rivets down his pinched features. A splash echoed in the small space as bricks began to fall from above as the ground began to give way and he raised his eyes to the storm dimmed sky one last time.
Goodbye, Sidekick. I'm so sorry.
And then the world closed in around him in a wave of mud and stone.