CHAPTER 13

Savior

I RAN TOWARDS JOSE.

He was only a few feet away from me.

And the beasts were closing the distance now. Coming nearer towards us.

Another helpless cry spread through the mountains. This time it was of a boy.

His agonizing screams embedded in my soul, crawling deeper. The sounds of tearing of limbs mixed with devilish roars.

A few more steps. I could do this. I could save us both.

I covered the last inch of distance between us and grabbed onto his hand, hauling him to stand.

"Come on get up! Get up!" I screamed.

Jose latched onto my hand. Forcing his body to stand. He tried once and stumbled.

Leave him just go. Go before it's too late. GOO!

I ignored that voice and concentrated more on helping him.

Have you lost your mind Anastasia? Do you have a death wish?

Maybe I have lost my mind. Maybe I really had a death wish.

What could be the other possible reason for me to help my bloody rapist? No matter he was forced or not.

"Come on Jose. Get up. Try once more. They are coming, they'll kill you. You understand? You'll die!"

Perhaps you need to understand you'll die too, Ana!

My thoughts broke their train when a strong muscular arm grabbed Jose from the other side and helped him stand.

With support from each side, Jose succeeded this time and stood.

But we had no time to celebrate our little victory.

Because we were still in danger. Still in risk of becoming a means of food to the bears chasing us.

Our helper seemed to have the same thoughts.

"Let's go. We have to keep moving." Christopher screamed.

Bending a little and snaking his arm into Jose's side, he started running, giving me no choice but to follow.

So, mimicking his moves, I supported Jose's weight and continued to run.

It wasn't as easy as I'd thought.

In fact, it wasn't easy at all.

Running together in a trio, with half of the weight of a healthy young man on your shoulder, proved to be extremely difficult.

All I could think was that we won't make it.

We won't make it in time. They'll catch us.

They'll crush us into their holds.

They'll sink their teeth into us.

Tear us apart, eat us, destroy us, kill us.

The more I thought about it, the more I panicked.

Yet I kept going.

Adrenaline, instincts, and survival mode kept me pushing my legs faster and harder into the ground.

Still, as I ran, I couldn't help but wonder that why Christopher had come to us?

Surely I saw him crossing me, running ahead of me.

Then why he came back to us knowing what was behind us?

Why he helped us? Why was he even now running, practically carrying Jose, when he could easily leave us and gain speed? Why was he endangering his live?

He didn't even know me or Jose. We weren't even friends.

And you are friends with Jose? You know Jose enough to save him?

Well my case was different. I was being the stupid one. But Christopher didn't seem stupid at all.

He had this calm, clever and collected attitude about him that made it seem highly unlikely of him to ever put himself in dangerous situations.

So why do it now?

Shouldn't you be grateful for his stupidity?

You would have probably been shred into limbs along with Jose by now if he hadn't come.

Of course I was grateful.

But that didn't give me the answers that why was he doing this?

What was his reason of helping us? And did he even realize that he could just leave us right now and run ahead?

I guess I should be grateful for that too, if he hadn't realized it yet. Perhaps he was also as stupid as me.

"You are aware that you could drop him and run away, right?"

Shut your mouth Ana. You really want him to leave you with your bloody rapist whom you suddenly wish to save?

He shrugged. Speaking with effort, from running and supporting Jose.

"So could you."

Touché dude, touché.

Shaking myself I did my best to run, as fast as possible under the weight of god-knows-how-many pounds.

It helped that Christopher was having a good speed too. It also helped that Jose was trying to run faster as each second passed.

There were others that were slower than us, running behind us even when we were running in much more hard circumstances.

I did not know how far or near were the polar bears now.

Judging from the sounds of their voices and soft crunching of steps I realized a few good hundreds of meters.

They seemed to be slowing down a bit.

I realized with a gasp that those soft crunching sounds under their paws was not of them stepping onto the snow.

They've left the snow and earth far behind. They landed on the bodies covering the area.

Breaking the already dead and rotten corpses of humans and animals.

Maybe that's why they slowed, feasting on the already provided food.

I shuddered.

Nonetheless, we still had to run.

Who knew how much time will the dead meat keep them preoccupied before they noticed the live and running food again?

Wouldn't they enjoy the hunt to something lively? Something alive?

Wouldn't they like it more to bury their claws and jaws into the warm flowing blood rather than the cold rotten one?

I couldn't afford to think answers to those questions.

I just had to run, keep running, a bit more. I could see the peak now, the gold flags waving into the air and the table beneath it.

Just a bit more. A few more feet and we'll be safe.

How will we be safe exactly? I didn't know that. I just knew that we will. My instincts told me that.

A few contestants were ahead of us, more behind.

We were gaining more speed now. Bit by bit, second by second, step by step.

"You can leave me now. I am fine." Jose spoke suddenly after a few minutes.

That was the first time I've heard him speak.

Not that I had paid any attention towards him before, I always managed to keep my distance from him.

By now I was almost sure that maybe he is mute or something.

Now hearing his voice, which came out small and barely audible, I could think of only one thing.

He speaks!

I shook my head. Of course he speaks. What's wrong with that?

Though my intuitions told me there was something weird of him speaking, I couldn't fathom on that for now.

I needed to focus of the danger we were in. I needed to focus on my survival.

Jose said he was fine.

So maybe I could leave him and run with a clear conscience now, knowing that he wasn't in any immediate danger.

"You sure?" I asked him.

He didn't look at me while he replied.

Instead he kept his eyes straight ahead, trying to untangle himself from in between of me and Christopher.

"Yes, please. Thank you."

That's all he said before separating himself and moving forward.

He was limping a bit, but managed to run just fine.

Without wasting another heartbeat, Christopher and I instantly gained speed.

Once again, I ran with everything in me, pushing my skills to the extent. Crossing and overlapping others, leaving them behind.

Christopher must be a good runner too because he matched my pace for every step.

It would have been almost a pleasurable experience had we not been running into our nightmares.

As if we were simply jogging in a park and not running for our lives.

After a while, fatigue caught up with him and he slowed a little, just a few inches behind me.

His shadow still lingered as I kept running.

"For god's... sake.. girl, are you.. are you even... a human?"

He spoke between his breaths. "How can you.. still run? You haven't... faltered a bit."

For some reason it brought a snug smile on my face.

A smile.

Holy shit I smiled!

A genuine smile.

When was the last time I smiled since coming to the Brooke?

I couldn't even remember it.

I turned my neck a little, to share my smile with the one who put it on my face, and saw he was smiling too.

My heart stuttered a little.

God he looked so fascinating when he smiled.

It was like his whole face smiled with him.

His cheekbones, he eyes, his brows, even his ear seemed to smile along with his mouth.

His mouth.

Holy shit his mouth!

It seemed so... uhh.. so... lickable. I had no other word for it.

I shook my head one again, clearing my head from the inappropriate thoughts and turned ahead.

I was running to save myself from being eaten by the beasts chasing us.

I was running on the ground covered with blood and guts and bones under my boots.

How could I think of a pair of some lips in the midst of all this?

God I was sick! I knew it.

Those erotic novels had corrupted my mind. I was a fucking sadist.

"We're almost there." Christopher said, interrupting my musing.

He was right. Another couple of feet and we were there. I could see the table clearly now. It was divided into two portions.

On one side lay some black material, what seemed like bags. Another side was something very eye-catching, glittering material.

The golden lotus.

I realized.

I covered the last few inches between myself and the table and pounced on it.

But instead of picking up one, I picked up to two lotuses.

They were shiny and very fragile. I did not know if they were real or not.

I have never heard of golden lotuses. And it was kind of hard to tell their originality since I'd never touched a lotus before.

But why the hell did I pick two? I needed only one.

I got my answer when I turned and screamed.

"JOSE!"

He appeared moments later, following two others who were followed by three to four more.

Everyone grabbed a lotus as soon as they reached the table.

I held my hand out, offering the lotus to Jose when he reached us.

He grabbed it and instantly crumbled to ground, catching his breath.

I noticed Christopher and others who had arrived were in similar positions.

I was exhausted but not in as bad shape as them. Still, I decided to sit and renew my lost energy.

Who knows the second level could start straight after this one ends?

Blood froze in my veins. My spine stiffened up along with every muscle in my body.

Second level!

I couldn't bear to think of a second level.

If this what we jut survived was first, what would happen in second? Or third, or fourth, or fifth?

For the first time, I doubted myself, losing some of my confidence in the process.

Could I manage to survive the race?

And if I do, could I manage to survive the outcome of it?

Soon many other contestants came. Screaming and crying and out of breaths.

Each of them latching onto a lotus as if holding onto their lifeline.

It seemed like hours but I knew the whole event had taken place in less than sixty minutes.

From the start till reaching the peak and grabbing a lotus, just an hour.

And in those thirty minutes I came to conclusion with five things.

One : I have a golden lotus. I was safe, for now at least.

Two, not every one of us had made it alive.

Thirdly, there are four more levels to go.

Fourth, I could die in the next four levels.

And finally, there was no hope. No escaping.

I have entered into deepest parts of the blazing hell where I had to survive to meet the unbeknownst end.

None of us dared to speak.

We all sat there trying to gather ourselves and keep from breaking.

Many were in shock I think.

And then we heard those thunderous sounds again.

I hadn't realized it was all silence till the roars began once again.

Maybe those bears had been busy eating the dead that's why they stopped.

It didn't matter now.

Because they were coming towards us. Coming to hunt us. Coming to eat us.

It wasn't over yet.

The first level of the Pinnacle Race wasn't over yet.

But how is that possible? All of us had a golden Ana now. At least those who had survived.

What do we have to do to end the level? How do we survive?

Headmaster had said that once the lotuses were claimed. The level would end. Had they lied to us?

Why were the bears still coming to get us? Who would stop them? Who would save us?

"Why are they still coming?" Someone voiced my broodings.

The cries and helpless whimpers from the contestants gathered around me, began again.

There has to be something. They can't leave us to die. There were four more levels. They must have left us with something!

"Here guys, check this out!" That was Brandon, Kyle's friend.

I turned my head to see Brandon was standing towards the other side of the table.

The side covered in black stuff that we all had forgotten in our desperation to take the lotuses.

"What is it? What are those?" A girl questioned him.

Now I that I took in my surroundings, I realized the table was somehow standing on the edge a cliff. No, it was more like a hive.

I carefully went a few steps around the table to peek down. My insides ran chill at the sight.

It was probably three thousand feet.

I glanced back at the table and saw the black stuff. They were bags. And I knew what kind of bags.

It all clicked at once. The pieces of the puzzle finally came together, providing the precious answer.

I knew what we had to do to survive. I recognized those bags. I didn't need Brandon's answer to know what they were.

Dad was in love with heights. He used to love free-falling. He once said that it was a high he was addicted to.

Whenever he would get time for himself, he would go for sky-diving.

I had helped him pack numerous times to recognize the parachute bags when I see them.

And that's what I was seeing.

"Parachute bags." Brandon answered what I already knew.

The roars were just a few feet away from us now. The bears were nearing us. And there was only one way to survive.

"What do we have to do with them?" Someone else asked. Someone who was definitely stupid not to understand till now.

"That's obvious. We have to jump." I told that stupid boy. Not bothering to turn.

My gaze swaying back and forth to the hive and the bags.

The landing ground at the end of the hive luckily seems normal. A forest covered with snow here and there.

There weren't many trees. But then there wasn't any blood or signs of the dead.

"Are you kidding me? There's no way I'm jumping down there. Parachute or not!"

I shrugged. "Well it's your choice then. Jump or be the snack."

Not bothering to be the part of conversation, I removed my bag pack and wore it on my front, securing it against my chest.

I have to survive. A few more moments and those bears will be crushing us in their enormous paws.

Others could contemplate what they had to do while those beasts eat them but I had no such plans.

This was their choice. I couldn't force anyone to jump down.

This time I couldn't save anyone. Just myself.

So I quickly grabbed a bag from the table and strapped it onto my shoulders.

A handful of the contestants followed my lead.

Kyle, Brandon, Christopher, Lucy and some other girl I didn't remember the name of.

We all wore our parachute bags and stood at the edge of the peak, around the other side of the table.

I looked at each one of them. Nodding in acknowledgment to them.

I could hear other contestants also making their moves to join us. Their survival instincts kicking at last.

I took a deep breath.

I can do this! I can do this!

Without wasting another second, I rushed forward and leapt into the air.

I jumped.

At first I was going upwards.

The velocity of the energy I used to push my body against the snowy and rocky land, came in full force.

The air slapped on my face. My eyes closed with their own accordance against the cutting pressure of the air.

My legs and arms stretched out like a bird.

Like. A. Freaking. Bird.

I was flying!

Oh God, I was actually flying.

But then the velocity lost its control to the gravity calling out to me.

And I fell downwards. Rapidly

Going- no- falling down, down, down.

Fast forces of wind flowing past my ears, dragging me beneath them.

I felt a certain kind of pull forcing me towards the ground.

Yet I wasn't afraid. My limbs stretched out like a divers, helping me form a streamlined body.

The force pulling me weakened a bit, but it was still there, calling me to join the land. For the earth to meet my feet.

But I didn't want to go there. I was happy, even peaceful staying Where I was. In the mid of sky and earth.

This was so... exhilarating. So joyous.

Dad was right. This was a high with its own taste of addiction. This was addictive.

I understood why he was in love with free-falling now.

Because I was too. This flying/falling thing made me feel so alive.

Every nerve, every cell in my body came alive.

An exciting flow of current passed through my chest to belly, or maybe belly to chest.

I didn't know, I didn't care. I was busy enjoying this new high.

It was like no other.

I wanted to go back to the peak and dive again.

But then I remembered why I had jumped at the first place. I remembered where I was.

I remembered that I wasn't doing this as a recreational activity. I was doing this to survive. To remain alive.

I sighed internally.

Way to spoil my enjoyment.

I opened my eyes. The ground was nearing. A few hundred feet or so. It was time to open the parachute.

And so I did.

I reached to the side string hanging from the bag on my left side and pulled it to open the chute.

Only it didn't open.

I tried again, pulled on harder this time, giving the string a slight jerk.

Still, nothing happened.

I tried again and again and again and again.

But. The. Parachute. Just. Won't. Open.

What the hell!

The ground was coming nearer, or rather I was going down faster. But the bag wasn't still opening.

Why wasn't it opening? It was supposed to open!

Don't panic Ana. Stay calm. Try again. Keep trying.

I jerked it harder. The hardest I had till now.

The result was shattering.

The string came into my hand, breaking from the bag.

Shit. What should I do now?

The answer was simple.

I couldn't do anything! I was going to fall on the ground from three thousand feet above, without my parachute.

I was going to die!

My parachute either malfunctioned or there never was any in the bag at first place.

Wait. Could that be possible? Would they do this to us?

But we had to survive for their sick race to go on, right?

Could it be that I mistook these bags for something else?

Maybe there was food or, I don't know, maybe guns to stop those bears?

No. I knew they were chute bags. Even Brandon had said so.

Then why didn't my bag open? Had it truly malfunctioned? Or was my doubt correct?

Maybe not all bags had parachute in them. Maybe some were empty.

I remembered Headmaster telling us that not all contestants will be qualified.

I understood the true meaning now.

That meant not everyone will survive for the next level.

That meant some of us will die.

That meant I had picked up the wrong bag.

And I was going to die.

I

Was

Going

To

Die.

I was dying!

The knowledge hit me with full impact, knocking the air out of my lungs and my heartbeat accelerating in the process.

Oh no! I am going to die. I can't die.

I CAN'T DIE! Not like this, not so soon.

But I was.

Whether it was the malfunctioning of the chute, or me picking the wrong bag.

It didn't matter. It was my bad luck from both the ways.

And the consequences were the same. That I was dying.

Soon I would be landing downwards to the ground and then go upwards forever.

Would it be painful? I didn't want to die painfully.

I had always wanted a peaceful and painless death, in presence of my loved one's. Like mom and dad. Like Mia.

Mia

I was so glad she didn't come here. She wouldn't have been able to cope up.

They would have destroyed her, just like they broke other students like Beth.

Oh Beth! I'm so sorry I couldn't keep my promise to you. I'm sorry I couldn't save you.

The experience of dying is bittersweet. You come to realize it's finally the end but you don't want it to end.

Just like I didn't. It was too soon. I can't die now. Please, I couldn't!

I refused to accept that this was the ending. But there nothing for me to do now. So I did the only thing I could. I prayed.

I prayed for the help to arrive. I prayed for some magical power to be provided to me which would help me fly.

I prayed that somehow I could land on a soft mattress instead of the hard woodland below me, and wake up from this terrible nightmare.

I prayed for most impossible and stupid things to happen.

Anything, just anything that could help me from falling. Anything that could help me to live.

I even prayed for my savior, my angel to somehow come and save me. Just like he did last time.

Almost instantaneously, as if my prayers were once again heard, a heavy body weight landed against my back.

Strong arms wrapped around my front, before clasping onto my waist and twisting me so that my face and upper body was cradled against a hard muscular chest.

"Hang on to me!" The voice came through the pressure of winds.

I was amazed at how I could hear it so clearly in my state. More amazed that I could also put a name to that voice.

Christopher.

I didn't need to be told twice. I latched on to him like a lifeline.

My arms crowned around his neck, locking themselves in a deathly grip.

My legs repeated the action around his waist as I clutched him so tightly against me, a spectator would have thought I was strangling him to death.

One of his arm remained around me, holding me tightly, while the other went towards the side of his bag as pulled the string.

Suddenly his bag burst open and something shot upwards from it before opening into a canopy above us.

The sudden pressure caused us to jerk hard in the mid air which resulted in hold being loosened.

Christopher tightened his hold around me, with both arms, to keep me from falling.

The parachute floated above us, slowing down our landing, protecting us from the danger that lay both above and below.

At least this one worked!

It was then I realized that I was saved.

I wasn't dying.

I was safe. Christopher saved me.

The thought of being gifted with life was so overwhelming that it messed with my emotions and leaked from my eyes in form of tears.

Gentle sobs emerged from my chest, shaking us a little as hot tears rolled down from my eyes.

"Shh, you're safe. I've got you. I've got you now. It's gonna be alright."

Vaguely I noticed his rich southern accent as he kept rambling on while we lowered to the ground.

When my feet met the earth, my crying grew stronger.

Christopher didn't say anything, didn't complain at all. He just held me.

His words continued to reassure me while allowing me to relive my near- death experience.

I snuggled into his embrace. It was so warm and comforting and... familiar.

Familiar?

And then I noticed how his hard muscled body felt against mine.

How comfortable safe his scent was. How gently his arms captured me into him.

It was all like déjà vu.

The feel of his body, the smell of him, the soothing caress of his whispers as he tried to calm me down.

I recognized it instantly. How could I not? How could I forget my savior?

My rescuer who had saved me from the worst fate, no matter if only a bit too late.

Is he who I think he is? Is what I'm thinking correct? Or am I hallucinating?

Then I asked myself the billion dollar question.

Could Christopher and my rescuer be the same person? Could he be my savior? My blue-eyed angel?

There was only one way to find that out.

I reluctantly let go of him, my body craving for his affection, and I looked into his eyes.

I had noticed them the first day in Glean Center, but from the distance of a coffee table.

Now as I looked right into them only one word was able to form in my mind.

Sky.

It was like I was looking into my own personal sky. Light blue irises with grey flecks illustrating the clouds.

They were the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen.

Eyes that I could never forget.

And then I knew. I knew it was him that day who had saved me.

Who fought with my rapists and freed me.

Christopher looked down at me, his fingers tenderly cupping my cheek. He saw the recognition on my face.

He knew that I knew.

He closed his eyes, pulling me tighter into him as if it was possible for us to be closer.

His hands cupped my face while he leaned down and he... he kissed me!

Christopher kissed me.

His lips gently smashed against mine with utmost care. He held me like I was made of glass.

Scratch that. He held me like I was made of feathers.

His kiss was warm and sweet and comforting and so, so safe.

He moved his lips against mine tenderly yet passionately. As if savoring my taste.

I wanted to be lost into his kisses, lean into his touch and drown into him.

I felt so heavy and so light at the same time.

My body gave up into exhaustion. Adrenaline left me free. My mind kept on repeating just one thing.

Christopher saved me. Christopher is my savior, my blue-eyes angel.

Who, right now, was kissing me.

I parted my lips to kiss him back, to return his affection and to show him my gratefulness.

And then... my mind went black as I fell into darkness.

Oops! A bit awkward for Ana, don't you think so?

Don't forget to review,

Love ya all,

Kaishi Springs xoxo